Love Me Like I Love You

by Willow Winters

  Another boy his age was sitting next to a crying Tuck looking scared out of his gourd. “What happened?” I asked. I reached forward to Delilah. I didn’t want to move her in case she had fallen and had a serious injury, but I could see the blood spilling from the back of her head, and leaving a sticky residue on her hair and on the rock beneath her.

  “We were hiking and she never caught up, so we came back, and she was here bleeding. I was looking for her phone when I heard it ringing, and it was you,” Tuck said through his tears. I wrapped an arm around his shoulders, bringing him into my chest.

  “It’s going to be okay. An ambulance is coming. You did good, Tuck.”

  “Is this my fault?”

  “Definitely not,” I said. “You did so good.”

  I brushed some hair off Delilah’s face and ran a finger down her cheek. “Delilah?” I tried. She didn’t wake, but she was breathing. I turned on my heel as I heard an ambulance wail in the distance. Tuck and I kept facing Delilah as we waited, and his friend sat watching quietly.

  An EMT jumped from the back of the rig and cleared us away. I kept Tucker against my side and answered everything I could about Delilah as we watched her being loaded into the back of the ambulance and carried away, still unconscious.

  Every protective instinct I had was roaring at me to get in the back of that ambulance, but they only had room for one person and I had to stay with Tuck. I knew it was what Delilah would want.

  The boys and I ran back to Delilah’s parents’ house. I pounded harder than I meant to on the front door and waited for someone to answer. Her mom opened the door with a smile until her eyes found Tuck nestled into my side with silent tears still streaming down his face.

  “Delilah is hurt. An ambulance took her to the ER. Can you contact Calvin’s parents? I’m going to take Tuck and we’ll meet you there?”

  “Why did no one call?” She grabbed her purse by the entry.

  “I’m not sure, ma’am, but I really need to get to Delilah, and I know Tuck needs to be close to her too.”

  She put down her purse on the entry table. “I’ll take care of Calvin, call me if something happens before my husband and I can get there.”

  “I will,” I swore.

  “Take Delilah’s cart back to the parking lot, you’ll get there faster.”

  I crammed myself behind the wheel of her red convertible and took off as soon as Tuck was seated. And together we raced to Delilah.

  Chapter 22

  Delilah

  “I tripped.” I tucked a piece of hair behind my ear and winced. My head was very tender, and the slightest touch was uncomfortable. Mom sat on the edge of the hospital bed while rubbing my thigh. She’d sat quietly by my side while most of the men in my life asked question after question. Tuck was curled into my side with his head on my chest. He’d been stuck to me like glue since they let my family into the room.

  Gunner, Colt, and Dad stood at the end of the bed with their arms folded over their chests. Gunner’s head was tilted to the side as he stared at me. Every time I answered a question, he’d squint, but he hadn’t pushed. Yet.

  Colt was another story. He’d come storming into the room and started demanding answers from me. Answers he wasn’t happy with, so he’d just repeat the question.

  “What happened?”

  I kissed the top of Tuck’s head and turned my attention to Mom. The discharge nurse, who’d promised she’d be right back with the rest of my paperwork, was taking entirely too long. “Did Calvin get home okay?”

  She nodded and patted my thigh. “Yes. Don’t worry about a thing, honey. How’re you feeling?”

  “What happened?” Colt asked again.

  I sighed loudly and turned my stare on him. I set my mouth in a straight line and tried to look as serious as possible. “I tripped.” There was no way I would say what had truly happened in front of Tuck. I wouldn’t even mention another person having been there. I’d eventually come clean to Colt, but right now was not that time.

  My usually loud, goofy boy had barely uttered a word since coming into my hospital room. His face had paled as he cataloged the wires that were connected to me. Gunner had rushed forward and pulled the blanket up to my chest so the IVs weren’t visible. After that, Tucker told me he loved me as silent tears dripped from his eyes.

  Yeah, no way would I bring up Shayla. She could wait.

  Colt rolled his eyes. “You tripped and fell backward? Right.”

  “Okay, fine. If you want to be pedantic about it, I slipped. There’s a divot in the trail right there. My foot just slipped, and I fell back before I could catch myself. It wasn’t a bad fall, just unlucky that I landed my big ole noggin’ on a rock.”

  I tickled Tuck’s side as I said this, hoping to get at least a chuckle out of him, but I barely got a whisper of a smile. I hated the fact that he’d seen me unconscious and bleeding.

  Gunner’s eyes narrowed and I avoided his eyes. A niggle in the back of my brain told me he knew I was lying. I didn’t know how he could tell I was lying after having known me for such a short time.

  Renee, the nurse, walked in with my paperwork. I urged Tuck to stand and I hopped off the bed, trying to hide my pain-filled grimace.

  “Nice try,” Gunner whispered. “Take it easy. I know you’re itching to get out of here, but you were hurt. Please be careful.”

  He closed the distance between us, placed his hands on my hips, and brought his face close to mine. I was frozen in place, staring into his eyes, as he scanned each of my features. I felt the probing gazes of everyone else in the room, but at this moment, I didn’t care. I loved the confidence Gunner was exuding after one spectacular kiss.

  “I’ll help out tonight, but you have to take it easy.”

  I nodded and squeezed his forearm. “Let’s get out of here. I’m ready to go home, and I don’t want Tuck here anymore. I hate that he had to come.”

  “I took care of him as best I could,” Gunner said. My heart swelled and felt full even after the craziness of the day.

  Gunner passed the front parking lot and drove straight to my house. The driveway was already full, and cars were lining the small lane. Tuck hopped out of the truck first and opened my door for me.

  “Thanks, bud,” I said and shot him a wink. I felt weak and tired and was ready for a long bath and snooze, but I needed Tucker to know I was okay.

  I shook my head as we passed Makenna’s car. I should’ve known Mak would have everyone here by the time I got home. Gunner kept his palm firmly on my back as we made our way inside my house.

  The lights were dim, but there was enough light to see Mak, Ridge, and Foster standing in my living room holding flowers and balloons. Mak ran forward and hugged me tightly. I wrapped my arms around her and rubbed her back.

  “I’m fine,” I assured her. “I swear.”

  She nodded but didn’t let go.

  “Mac, I swear I’m okay. Why is it so dim in here?”

  “I didn’t know if you had a concussion,” Foster said, stepping forward. “I didn’t want to overwhelm you when y’all got back. How’re you feeling?”

  “I’m okay,” I promised.

  I stepped out of Makenna’s embrace and went right into Foster’s and then Ridge’s. It felt nice to have a family outside of my own, people who believed family came from more than blood. I loved them as my own.

  “I made dinner,” Ridge said. “There’s definitely enough for y’all. I’m not used to only cooking for a small group. I made enough for the entire fire station.”

  “Thanks, man.” Gunner stepped forward to shake his hand before wrapping an arm around me. Tuck had his arm slung around my waist, and Gunner had his over my shoulders. Mac’s eyes flared wide and her mouth dropped open.

  Later, I mouthed.

  “You bet your sweet ass later,” Mak said. “Boys, I think it’s time to go.” She shot us a wink as she ushered Ridge and Foster out the door.

  “Call if you need anything,” Foster said.<
br />
  When the door shut, my shoulders relaxed. Gunner kissed the side of my head. “Let’s have some dinner, yeah?”

  “Sure,” Tuck said.

  “If you help me out while your mom relaxes, I’ll let you be the first one to use my new pitching machine tomorrow.”

  “Really?” Tuck asked, breaking away from me. The horrors of earlier were forgotten for at least a little while. He ran into the kitchen and Gunner smiled at me. A smile that went straight down to my belly.

  Thank you, I mouthed and sat on the couch. He followed me over to kiss the top of my head.

  “Anytime, buttercup.” My heart warmed with the newly minted nickname.

  Chapter 23

  Gunner

  I leaned against the wooden pole on Delilah’s back porch. I’d had no idea she had a view of the lake from back here. The sun was long gone and the moon hung in the sky, reflecting on the black glass lake. Since the temperature was dropping, the bugs weren’t active. It was a quiet night.

  If I listened hard enough, I could hear Delilah murmuring to Tuck as she put him to bed. I was coming apart at the seams waiting for her to come out and tell me what had really happened on that damn trail.

  I knew she hadn’t fallen. I’d seen the lie in her eyes, and I suspected her brother had too. I was surprised he hadn’t been here as soon as we got back, pounding on her door demanding answers.

  I wanted to wrap her up and never let any harm come to her. I was ready to call in every contact I had and post bodyguards outside her house. And I didn’t even know what had happened yet.

  We barely fuckin’ knew each other, but after that morning, I was ready to jump in. Fuck, dive in. Headfirst. When I’d seen her lying there with blood coating the back of her head, it had put everything into perspective, and the slow dating game sure as fuck wasn’t going to happen here. All in. And we’d see where it went.

  If she wanted to take it slow, that was okay. If she wanted to be careful in front of Tuck, that was okay. But I was in.

  I rubbed the back of my neck and blew out a breath. I needed to calm down before she got out here. I wanted her to trust me enough to tell me whatever had happened out there.

  I looked over my shoulder when the back door opened, and she came out with a blanket folded over her arms.

  “It’s gorgeous out here,” I said and gestured toward the lake. “I didn’t know there was a view of the lake from over here.”

  “It’s actually the same lake we saw from Mr. Crane’s property. It just takes a lot of winding roads to get around it, and he’s a lot higher than we are. I think he sits on the highest bluff in the county.”

  “Earl’s the best,” I joke.

  “Wanna swing?”

  I followed her to the porch swing and sat, lifting my arm for her to lean into me. She settled against me, and I tucked her in as tightly as I could as she unfolded the blanket over us. I closed my eyes when she laid her head on my chest and wrapped her arm around my stomach as if we’d been doing it for years. As if this was a natural position honed through years of practice.

  My fingertips played with the ends of her hair as I used the last of the patience I could muster while she settled in. After about twenty minutes, I finally broke the silence.

  “What really happened on the trail?”

  I could feel the vibration of her laugh and the lift of her cheek against my chest as she smiled. “You didn’t even last a minute.”

  “Felt like twenty.”

  She sighed. “Shayla.”

  I tensed and squeezed her against me more tightly. My eyes scanned the area, expecting her to jump from the bushes and launch herself at Delilah.

  “What did she do?”

  “The boys were up ahead of me and I was walking slowly, enjoying the crisp morning, when I heard the bushes moving. I seriously love deer. They’re so stinking cute. It doesn’t matter that I see them often, it’s still like the first time, every time.”

  I laughed. “So if you had a farm you’d fill it with deer instead of cows?”

  “Oh, no, I’d definitely have cows too. They’re so cute!”

  I chuckled and kissed the top of her head. “So you were looking for Bambi.”

  “I was looking for Bambi, and Shayla popped out of the bushes. I guess she’d been following us along the trail, but in the tree line. I don’t know how long she’d been there, but she came out. She was high,” she ended on a whisper.

  I closed my eyes and released a breath. I’d met a lot of guys, who played the game, who were going through addiction. It’s a fickle beast that doesn’t care who you are, how much money you have, or where you come from. I’d seen my share of guys get clean and then fall back off the wagon. It’s not easy seeing someone you care for going through that.

  “She looked terrible, Gunner. I couldn’t see the girl I once loved at all. We argued about Tucker. I told her she’d never see him if she couldn’t get sober. I don’t think she meant to hurt me. At least…not as much as she did. She did slap me.”

  “She hit you?” I was no longer whispering. Anger boiled my blood.

  “Yes, and then we argued more and she pushed me. Just enough to make me fall. I guess it was an unlucky coincidence that I hit the rock when I landed.”

  “Fuck,” I said. “You really scared me today. I couldn’t breathe when Tuck answered your phone and he was crying. I knew I had to hold it together for him though.”

  “Thank you for taking care of my boy.”

  “Anytime. I’ll take care of you too.”

  She lifted her hand from my stomach and pinched the bridge of her nose. “I don’t want to burden you with this,” she said so quietly.

  I put my finger underneath her chin and tilted her face toward mine so she could see my eyes. I needed her to see I meant every word of what I was about to say. “Let me have your burdens. I’ll carry them with you. You don’t have to do this alone. I’ve got really big shoulders, and I’m good at carrying shit. Let me. I’ll carry it with you.”

  Her eyes watered and she closed the distance between us, sealing our lips together. I cupped the side of her face and anchored her against my lips. She sent my adrenaline soaring higher than a grand slam on any field.

  Chapter 24

  Delilah

  I wrapped my hair into a topknot. I’d woken to a text message from my sous chef that her kiddo was sick and she wouldn’t be able to make it in. It would be an extra busy morning without her, but I didn’t mind. I could use the distraction from Shayla.

  I’d tossed and turned last night thinking about our childhood. My mind had drifted from memory to memory—from Easy-Bake Ovens, to nail polish and first-kiss gossip, to our first broken hearts—and I’d woken in a cold sweat as the nightmares began. The first time I saw her high. The first time I had to drag her limp body out from underneath a boy way too old for her. The first time I stayed up all night because she was throwing up but unconscious. Those memories ravaged me.

  And guilt and what-ifs consumed me. If I’d backed out of our promises and told my parents sooner than I had, would it have changed anything? If her parents had left ten minutes later or earlier, would they still be alive? Would she be the one I’d want to call to gush about Gunner?

  Those memories tore me apart and slashed at my heart. So that morning, I definitely didn’t mind the extra work. Cooking food for others was the best distraction.

  I slowed my steps when I entered the dining room. The soft tones of Frank Sinatra drifted through the kitchen door. I stopped and placed a hand over my heart and bit my lip to stop the schoolgirl smile from spreading over my face.

  Most kids hate to see their parents kiss and be romantic, but me? I could never get enough. I knew that they were in there dancing to their wedding song and looking at each other like it was the first day they met.

  I crept closer to the door and pushed it open as quietly as possible, and there they were, silently gliding around the kitchen completely lost in each other. It’s the type of
love I’d dreamed about my entire life, and I wouldn’t settle for anything less.

  My dad quietly sang to my mom, and his fingers skimmed up and down her spine. Her hand clutched him so tightly. I leaned against the doorjamb, watching and dreaming. I felt something different with Gunner, and I wondered if he could be this for me.

  Would he dance with me around a quiet kitchen? Would he be there every time I needed a hand? Would he surprise me with my favorite chocolate just to see me smile?

  I didn’t know, but I knew I wanted to dance with him around my kitchen and feed him food I’d made. I wanted to know all his favorite flavors so I could make each one.

  Dad twirled Mom and swung her around until her back was pressed to his front, and they swayed together. His chin fell to her shoulder, and he crooned the last notes of the love song in her ear.

  I slowly clapped as the song faded away. Dad planted a kiss on Mom’s cheek before he turned my way, and when she spun and faced me, her cheeks were warm. Over thirty years together, and my father could still make my mother blush.

  I’d never settle for less than that. I hoped Tucker was still young enough that he could watch me with someone and he’d know how to treat and love his future partner because of it.

  “Morning, sweetheart.” Dad kissed my cheek. “Just enjoying a few minutes with my girl, but I’m headed off. We have a lot of guests arriving today.”

  “Morning, Dad.” I wrapped my arms around his middle, hugging him tight. “I’ll see you later?”

  “Sure will. Colt is stopping by this morning, and I suspect we’ll finally be getting some answers out of you.”

  With that, he walked through the swinging door and left. I’d known it was coming. I wasn’t sure how my parents had convinced my brother not to chase me home last night, and I wouldn’t have been surprised if he’d been on my doorstep at 5:00 a.m. Colt wouldn’t settle until he knew I was safe. Gunner reminded me of him in that respect. When it came to protecting those he loved, Gunner Gentry was an unstoppable force.