Deacon's Defender

by Pandora Pine

  Looking around the room, Mandy was the only one here with me.

  “Am I going to be okay?” It didn’t feel like it. Not by a long shot.

  “The doctor said you would be fine.” Mandy got up from her seat and sat on the side of my bed. She picked up my hand and gave it a squeeze. “David and I want you to come and stay with us when they release you from the hospital.” There was a world of emotion in her eyes.

  I knew in that moment my house was gone. “I’d like that. Things wouldn’t go so well at my parents’ house. They hated Finley. They’d just say the fire was my fault anyway.” I also couldn’t imagine them being very proud of having an accused arsonist in the family. I kept that little bit of information to myself.

  Mandy wore a guilty look on her face. “Your cell phone was in your pocket. The nurses found it and turned it over to Kennedy. I called your parents once we knew you were out of danger.”

  My stomach did a flip. “What did they say?” I had a sinking feeling I already knew.

  “They thanked me for the update and reassured me what a good hospital you were in.” Mandy squeezed my hand again.

  She wasn’t telling me anything I didn’t already know. My parents were busy people. All that mattered to them was their research. They probably would have pushed it aside long enough to visit me on my deathbed. Maybe. “Thank you for calling them. I-” My lungs spasmed and I started to cough.

  Mandy rubbed my back. It felt like I was going to hack up a lung, but her loving touch made me feel better.

  “Try not to talk,” she urged.

  I had to. There was one more thing I needed to say. “Was I loopy from the smoke or was Ozzy at my house? I would swear he was there, screaming my name and telling me to fight.”

  “Ozzy was there. So were Kennedy and Dallas. It was Kennedy who kept him from running into your burning house after you.” Mandy smiled. “Those are the boys I raised. Always willing to put the lives of others ahead of their own.”

  “Where is he now?” I needed to see Ozzy.

  “He’s out in the waiting room with David. Hennessey is here too. Kennedy and Dallas are busy with, uhh…”

  “With Finley.” It wasn’t a question. I knew that is where they would both be.

  “Yes, with him. I wasn’t sure if you would want to see Ozzy when you woke up. I hope I wasn’t overstepping my bounds.”

  I gave my head a shake and started coughing again. It took a good minute or so for the spasm to stop. “I do want to see him. There’s so much I have to tell him.”

  “I have a feeling there’s a lot he needs to tell you, as well. I left your phone on the little table next to your bed. David and I will stop by in the morning with some necessities.” She leaned forward to press a kiss against my forehead.

  “Thank you, Mandy. I can never pay you back for your kindness.” At least now I had a place to stay.

  “I’ll take it out of you in chores.” She waved and headed out of the room.

  Resting my head back against the pillow, I flashed back to that last, awful moment with Finley. He’d wanted me to die for failing to love him. How was I ever going to come to terms with that?

  “Hey.” Ozzy knocked gently on my door. “Can I come in?”

  “Sure.”

  Ozzy was carrying a teddy bear dressed as a firefighter. Seeing that bear was the first thing to make me smile. “Who’s your friend?”

  “His name is Oscar and he’s your friend now.” Ozzy set him on the table next to my bed. “How are you feeling?” He was nervously wringing his hands together.

  I patted the spot on my bed where Mandy had sat. Ozzy quickly sat down. “I feel like I was hit by a bus.”

  “The doctor said you’d feel like that. It’s going to take a few weeks before you feel back to your normal self.”

  “How is it that you and Mandy know so much about my condition?” HIPAA rules should have kept the doctors and nurses from discussing my case with anyone other than family.

  “That was Kennedy’s doing. He guilt-tripped Stark into telling us what was going on. He saved your life, you know. I guess that means I can finally forgive him.”

  “Stark saved me?” I didn’t remember anything from the time I was loaded into the ambulance, and until Mandy told me Ozzy had been at the fire scene, I’d thought that was a dream. “I’ll have to thank him later.”

  “I don’t know what I would have done if…” Ozzy trailed off.

  “It’s okay. I’m okay.” My lungs chose that exact moment to spasm again.

  Ozzy was off the bed and pouring water into a plastic cup with a straw. He held it up to my mouth while I drank. It tasted like smoke.

  “There was so much I wanted to tell you when your call for help came over the radio.”

  “Tell me now,” I managed to squeak.

  Ozzy took a deep breath. “I was wrong, so very wrong, not to have told you about that meeting and what I was asked to do. I had so many chances to tell you and I was having such a good time hanging out with you that I didn’t want to ruin it. By not telling the truth, I ruined everything. I’m so sorry I hurt you and wasn’t there for you when you needed me most.” Ozzy’s eyes were watery.

  I knew what it cost Ozzy to say those words. “You were there when I needed you. I was keeping just as big a secret. None of that matters now. Finley was the arsonist. He was setting the fires so I would notice him.”

  “He was in love with you? I don’t understand. He set the fires to get your attention?”

  I nodded. “Finley said he’d been in love with me for years. If that was true, I never noticed. He never made a move on me and never said or did anything that would give me a hint of his feelings.” Ozzy had done so many little things over the last few weeks to show me he was interested. I’d picked up on all of them. I know I would have done the same thing if Finley had been throwing clues my way. “I’m going to have to tell my story to the police, aren’t I?”

  Ozzy nodded. “You will. Kennedy is still in the ER dealing with Finley. He had a psychotic break when he was pulled out of the house. He started yelling about wanting you dead. We all heard it. He’s going to end up in a psychiatric facility for observation and testing. From what Kennedy said, his final act was for the two of you to die together with all of us thinking it was a murder-suicide at your hands.”

  After what happened with Finley tonight, nothing surprised me. “I just want to put this whole thing behind me. Your mother invited me to come stay at their house. I hope you don’t mind, but I said yes.”

  Ozzy reached out a hand, but let it drop to the bed before he touched me. “Why would I mind? My parents love you. We both know they’ll take such good care of you.” The sadness in Ozzy’s eyes was heartbreaking.

  “I was so mad at you when I heard what you were keeping from me.” At my words, Ozzy’s chin fell to his chest. “When I was in the shower last night, I forgave you. I was keeping a pretty big secret of my own. How could I possibly be mad at you for my own wrong?”

  “You’re not mad at me anymore?”

  “Not even a little bit.” I reached out for Ozzy. He grabbed my hand like a lifeline. “I love you, Ozzy Graves. You were always there for me. You defended me against these charges. Now everyone knows I’m innocent and that you’re my man. If you’ll still have me.”

  “I love you so much, Deacon. I’ll have you now until forever.” Ozzy leaned forward to brush his lips against mine.

  It would have been the most romantic moment of my life if my body hadn’t picked that moment to yawn.

  “You sleep, and I’ll be here when you wake up.” Ozzy kissed me again before adding an extra blanket to keep me warm.

  I settled back against the pillows thinking I’d never felt this good or this bad at the same time before. The headache and pain in my lungs would fade over time, as would the memories of what happened tonight.

  Ozzy’s love was here to stay.

  EPILOGUE

  Ozzy

  Two months lat
er…

  I was going to throw up. I’d never been this nervous in my life. Not when I met the McCoy’s for the first time. Not when I took my exams at the Fire Academy. Not when I became captain.

  The parade was about to start. One of my favorite things about Gloucester was its annual Yankee Homecoming Parade. People lined High Street with chairs and dressed in red, white, and blue. Vendors walked up and down the street selling food. Others sold balloons, hats, and other Gloucester themed items. This was my tenth year appearing in the parade, and this was going to be the most exciting one yet.

  “You look like you’re about to deliver a litter of kittens, Cap.” Chasten Coyne gave my shoulder a shove. He was driving the ladder truck. I was riding shotgun.

  “Just follow the truck in front of you. Don’t slam into Carl and Jenks. Do you remember where to stop?” Christ, Chasten was right. I felt like I was going to have kittens.

  The truck in front of us pulled ahead and we were off. Chasten flipped on the red and white lights, while I waved from the passenger side. I threw handfuls of candy at the children. I could see more candy flying off the truck in front of us.

  I took a deep breath. If I kept freaking out over this parade, I was going to keel over before the fireworks started. Deacon was looking forward to the fireworks, which would be shot off from Gloucester Harbor.

  Deacon was back to his old self. He was still staying with my parents and loving every minute of it. So was my mother. She was always at her best when she had someone to care for. She nursed Deacon back to health as if he were one of her own. He was, of course, but I’m not sure Deacon knew that. Yet.

  I’d gone to see him every day, always with a little gift or something in hand. His favorite candy or a crossword book. The guys had dropped off a care basket when Deacon was in the hospital and he’d loved doing the puzzles. Today would be no different. I had a little something tucked inside my jacket.

  Deacon was going back to work on Monday, and I wanted to send him back in style.

  We were approaching the Park Street interchange. The brake lights on the fire truck in front of mine came on and the guys piled out. I could see them throwing candy and giving the kids high-fives.

  “You ready to do this, Oz?” Chasten asked. He was halfway out of the truck.

  I nodded. It seemed like I’d been ready for this moment all along. I hopped out of the truck and followed behind my guys. Our destination was my parents who had seats just up the road. My father was hugging them all and Hennessey and Dallas were shaking hands with everyone.

  My father hugged me and whispered words of encouragement in my ear. My mother did the same thing. I hadn’t stopped the truck so I could have a hug-fest with my parents. I’d stopped the parade so I could have a minute with Deacon.

  His eyes lit up when he caught sight of me. Thankfully, he’d gotten his color back and had stopped coughing. Deacon looked amazing in a pair of navy cargo pants and a Yankee Homecoming tee. He was perfection. Deacon was all mine. I pulled him into my arms, hugging him tight.

  “Ozzy, what on earth is going on? Why did you stop the parade? You hugged me this morning, remember?”

  Oh, I remembered. Ever since Deacon had gotten out of the hospital, I hadn’t wanted to let him go. After today, I might never have to let go of him again.

  Setting Deacon back on his feet, I took a step back. I shot my mother a smile before getting down on one knee.

  Deacon’s eyes widened. His mouth hung open in obvious shock.

  The guys started cheering, getting the crowd around us all riled up.

  “Deacon, I love you to the sun and back. You’re my yesterday, my today, and my tomorrow. Will you marry me?” I pulled the ring out. The brushed platinum twinkled in the sunshine.

  Deacon looked thunderstruck. He nodded his head, but no sound came out of his mouth.

  I turned around to my guys. “I don’t think he heard me. I’m gonna need a little help here.”

  “Will. You. Marry. Me?” The guys shouted, just like we’d practiced. Some of them were holding signs with the words printed on them.

  “Yes!” Deacon shouted. “I’ll marry Ozzy, but not the rest of you.”

  With trembling fingers, I slipped the ring on Deacon’s hand. It fit as if it had been made for him. Getting back to my feet, I pulled Deacon into my arms. “I love you so much.”

  “I love you more.” Deacon’s blue eyes danced with joy.

  “More?” I asked.

  “You defended me against everyone who thought I was an arsonist and a killer. For that, I’ll always love you a little bit more.”

  I couldn’t argue with Deacon’s logic. He was mine. Now. Forever. I would love him until the earth stopped spinning.

  From the moment we’d met until the day we would part, I was, and always would be, Deacon’s defender.

  THE END

  Saxon’s Savior, Book Three in the Protect and Serve series will be available this fall!

  Paramedic Dallas Hagan has a new EMT to train. Unfortunately, Saxon James can’t seem to get out of his own way and needs someone to keep an eye out for him. Is that someone Dallas?

  Have you met Psychic Tennyson Grimm and Cold Case Detective Ronan O’Mara?

  Boston Police Detective Ronan O’Mara enlists the help of Salem psychic Tennyson Grimm to help solve the cold kidnapping case of five-year-old Michael Frye. Ronan, ever the skeptic, is out of leads and out of options. He very well could be out of a job if he fails to solve this case.

  When the child’s body is found, the work to identify his killer begins. As Ronan and Tennyson get closer to solving the crime, the initial attraction they feel for one another explodes into a passion neither man can contain.

  Will working together to bring Michael’s killer to justice seal their fledgling bond, or will unexpected revelations in the case tear them apart forever?

  Check out book one in the Cold Case Psychic series!

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