Page 26 of Take Me Back
There was nothing I wanted more than to figure out what my normal was too. The life I’d lived, the one I’d never told her about, had shattered while I was sitting in an airport, watching from afar as the man who had taken my place died along with two innocents.
“Are you sure?”
Kat gave me a swift nod. “Completely. Do what you need to do. I’ll be fine.”
What I really needed was to tell my wife about the double life I’d been living, and the hell I was going through that she couldn’t see. But I didn’t. She was barely holding it together, and I was afraid one more thing would break her.
More than anything, I wanted Kat whole and healthy, and if keeping my pain locked down for a little while longer helped her, I’d do it. There was nothing I wouldn’t do for her.
I walked out of the kitchen to get my suitcase and book a flight to another funeral.
One that wouldn’t be taking place if not for me.
Chapter 10
Kat
Present day
On the bed in our little overwater bungalow, in Dane’s arms, I let the waves of grief and regret, sorrow and pain, wash over me. Every breath comes easier now that I’ve gotten it out.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper.
“Don’t you dare apologize for any of it.” Dane’s tone is determined.
“But—”
“But nothing. You dragged yourself out of the dark and proved what an amazing and strong woman you are. There’s not a damn thing to be sorry about.”
“I closed down. Shut you out. I ruined us before we’d barely gotten started.”
Dane pulls back and looks at me. “We’re right here. We might be drifting, but we’re not done yet.” He releases his hold and wipes my tears away again. “You’re the most determined woman I’ve ever met. If you’re not giving up, then we’ve got a fighting chance. I just need to know that you’re going to fight. I need to know that we’re worth it to you. I can’t do this by myself.”
We’re not done yet.
They’re the words I need to hear. I drop my forehead onto his shoulder and wrap my arms around his neck. For the first time in a long time, I feel the connection between us again.
“I’ve missed you,” I whisper.
“I’ve missed you too, baby.”
I soak in his strength for long minutes before I gather myself, a kind of relief filling me that I haven’t felt ... maybe ever.
I open my mouth to say something else, but a growl from my stomach fills the room. He trails a finger down my cheek and smiles in a way that’s softer, not typical of Dane.
“Finish getting ready so we can feed you. I’m not about to let my woman go hungry.” He presses a kiss to my forehead and I rise from the bed.
I turn away before I squeeze my eyes shut at the wordsmy woman.My husband has always been a man of few words, and those words have never includedmy woman.
They give me a renewed sense of hope that maybe this is fixable, and I haven’t screwed up our marriage to the point of no return.
“I just need a few more minutes.”
“Take as long as you need.”
Chapter 11
Dane
