Sensing my confusion, she blurted out an explanation.
“You’re in LA Central Hospital. You were in a coma because you inhaled so much smoke when you rescued me. That was a week ago. I’ve been so very worried. We all have.”
A week? I’d been in a coma for seven days? I thought back to the darkness and the strange dreams that had filled my head.
“The doctors think you’re going to be fine,” she continued. “Your body just needed some time to recover.”
But there had been a voice throughout that entire time, at moments when the darkness had receded. A voice…hers?
“Y-you…” I managed to murmur through my dry throat. “You’re still here? Thought you’d be back in Philly by now. Especially…after the text.”
Samantha. The name broke free from my confused thoughts. She hadn’t left me. She wasn’t going to leave me. And, unlike my dreams, I’d saved her from the fire. I’d saved both of us. We were going to live.
And I knew, without a doubt, that I would do anything to make her stay, because I was madly in love with her.
Chapter 24
Samantha
He lay still, unmoving, unresponsive. But his heartbeat was steady, so my hope remained intact.
“Be strong now, Dustin. Please,” I whispered. “So we can go back to our morning and stay in bed, together. I need you. So very much.”
His hand was resting against mine, the strong edges pliant, a reminder that he was far from his normal self. But, a moment later, warmth seemed to bloom through his fingers just before they curled around my hand.
My heart skipped a beat.
“You’re awake!” I whispered excitedly.
Tears welled in my eyes, and I attempted to push them back. But the stress of the last seven days, combined with my lack of sleep and nutrition, suddenly overwhelmed me.
His fingers brushed my cheeks, catching my tears. He stared at me, his eyes filled with confusion, and I hastened to explain.
“You’re in LA Central Hospital. You were in a coma because you inhaled so much smoke when you rescued me. That was a week ago. I’ve been so very worried. We all have.”
His eyes widened slightly at the news he’d lost a week.
“The doctors think you’re going to be fine. Your body just needed some time to recover.”
His eyes roved around the small, neat room before returning to my face.
“Y-you…” he rasped, his voice rough. “You’re still here? Thought you’d be back in Philly by now. Especially…after the text.”
My face flushed and I hurried to tell him what had really happened that day.
“I didn’t send it. Alistair—my ex—he got his hands on my phone. He wrote that awful message. Believe me, I would never have sent that to you. You mean too much to me. That’s why I’m still here, because I couldn’t bear to leave you like this, not knowing what was going to happen. I had to stay here, make every moment count. You see, we’ve already wasted so much time away from each other.”
A relieved smile crossed his face and I stroked his cheek gently, the cold knot inside me finally melting away in the face of his warm gaze.
“I knew…you couldn’t have. It was…so cold…and you’re not a cold person, Samantha.”
I laughed. “Try telling my company that.”
“What happened?”
I shrugged.
“They called because I didn’t return on Monday. I ignored them for a few days, because I needed to know you were stable.”
His smile grew wider. “Not cold at all.”
“Ha, well. They were extremely upset that I hadn’t come in. When I finally spoke to them, I found out that Alistair had told them some story, trying to cover for me—he must have felt bad after what happened—but they weren’t having any of it.”
“So what did they tell you?” he asked.
“That I was facing a demotion, a pay cut, and some serious time doing paperwork.”
“Was?”
I took a deep breath.
“Yup. I quit, effective immediately. Then, I hung up, and haven’t worried about it since. You were—are—far more important.”
He tightened his fingers and I wrapped both of my hands around his.
“I waited five years to find you. And now that I’ve finally got you back…Samantha, I never want to let go again.”
Tears welled up in my eyes again, and I was surprised to also see tears in his. I leaned over and kissed him lightly, caressing his stubbly cheek.
“I’m not going anywhere.”
And I didn’t.
Chapter 25
Dustin
Five Months Later
In the weeks after I woke up, life took a dramatic turn—in the best direction. Opening my eyes to find Samantha sitting there, waiting for me, willing me back to health, confirmed everything I needed to know. Somehow, I was going to find a way to make us work.
But Samantha did one better. She quit her job and never looked back. At some point, when I’d been unconscious, she’d found the motivation to leave her comfortable life.
I had to go through six weeks of physical therapy after I woke up, so Samantha ended up moving to LA on her own. It wasn’t an ideal situation, but as much as I wanted to help her pack up her apartment and come back, she told me she wanted me to focus on my own progress. She’d been quite firm in her decision.
“It’ll be quick, trust me. I won’t need much help.”
I’d kissed her lightly before she’d gone back to packing her bag.
“I don’t want you to worry about finding a place to stay. I want you to live with me. And bring whatever you want—we can find a bigger place for all of our stuff.”
She’d smiled serenely and shrugged.
“I just need you. So, no, I’m not dragging all of my things across the country. I’m going back to arrange for the sale of my furniture and find someone for my apartment. Then, I’ll use that money plus my savings to help me settle here and look for a job.”
“What about that tech company you did the unveiling at? Would they hire you?”
She’d wrinkled her nose in response.
“I’m done with tech.”
“But it’s comfortable, right? Safe?”
She’d snorted.
“So safe I got caught in a fire during a tech conference. No, thank you. I’m done being unhappy with my career. I want to do something I’m passionate about, the way you feel being a firefighter.”
We’d embraced, then.
“I think that’s a great idea.”
She had been good to her word. She’d gone and sold all of her stuff, said goodbyes to her few friends—who promised to visit us soon—and came back within two weeks. I was more than impressed with her determination to start over, which is why I matched it with my own.
Within five weeks of waking up from my coma, I was able to jog for a full hour. It wasn’t a full-on sprint, but the doctors and therapists were extremely pleased with my progress.
But the best part of each day was coming home to Samantha. She genuinely lit up the room every time she laid her eyes on me, and I sincerely hoped I did the same for her. Honestly, I hadn’t realized how empty my life had been before she became an integral part of it.
Two months after Samantha moved in, I was back firefighting full-time. She urged me to get back into stunt work, too, because she knew how much I enjoyed it, but I told her I’d rather spend the time with her, so I hadn’t gotten back to that part of my life just yet.
We’d spent too long apart for me to prefer extra work to hanging out with her, getting to know her better, taking her around the city and occasionally to the beach, which she adored.
That’s how we ended up on a plane headed across the Pacific.
Chapter 26
Samantha
Leaving Philly was the best choice I’d ever made. There were no regrets as I listed my apartment and all of its furnishings. And there was no problem with my wardrobe, since I wouldn’
t need all of the heavy winter clothes nor the severe, office-appropriate suits.
But instead of selling those items off, I did something even better: I called up my two best friends, Maria and Zoe.
It turned into a going-away party, of sorts. The girls brought a few bottles of wine, which we drank as they tried on the clothes I was giving away. By then, my place was nearly empty and we only had some folding chairs to sit on.
Not that I minded. I was having a great time, storing up memories, because I knew it would be a while before I saw them again.
“Ooh, I like this one, Samantha. Why haven’t I ever seen you wear it?” Zoe asked as she twirled in a tight sweater-dress.
“I never went out, remember?” I said dryly.
Maria set down her paper cup full of wine and smirked at me.
“Oh, you went out enough, missy,” she teased.
“That’s right,” Zoe affirmed. “And here we are.”
We all laughed. There we were, indeed.
“And I have you two to thank for everything,” I told them. “Trust me. I’m not ever going to forget, and I will be eternally thankful for you making me agree to that blind date.”
“Beats you being mad at us for the last five years,” Maria replied.
“What? I wasn’t mad!” I insisted.
Zoe plopped down next to us, still wearing the dress.
“You certainly weren’t happy about how that night ended, which only happened because we set you up,” she reminded me.
I slung an arm around her shoulders.
“Which is why you two are now the best friends a woman could ever want.”
“Weren’t we your best friends before?” Maria asked.
“Maybe,” I said slyly.
There was a moment of silence before the three of us burst out laughing.
Maria cocked her head at me. “It sure is nice to see you so…”
“Happy?” I supplied.
“Alive,” Zoe finished. “You’ve been sort of muted the last few years. And then, when Alistair came around—”
“Oh, don’t get me started on that jerk,” Maria interrupted, rolling her eyes.
I’d already filled them in on what had happened and why I’d gone MIA the week after my trip, as I’d stayed glued to Dustin’s side. They’d been pretty upset.
“I do feel sorry for him, though,” I told them.
“Why?” Zoe asked. “He nearly got you killed.”
“And all because he was a jealous ass,” Maria added.
“I know. And trust me, I was pretty angry. But I just think that a good life is the best revenge. He has no one, really, and I have Dustin,” I finished firmly.
“Who happens to be incredibly hot,” Maria giggled, referencing the picture I’d showed them.
“Yeah. If I wasn’t already involved with my own man, I might be jealous, too,” Zoe laughed.
I smiled at her. Zoe, it turned out, had consoled my original blind date, James, which is why they had just celebrated their own five-year anniversary.
“I’m going to miss you two so much,” I told them.
I opened my arms and we all sank to the ground in a group hug. It was true. I would miss them. They’d always been there for me, for as long as I could remember. But they would be the only part of my life in Philly I would miss. And between calls and visits, I knew we would be just fine.
But as for all the rest, I’d let it go without a single qualm. It had no part in my future. At least, not the way I imagined it. So when I walked onto the plane leaving Philly, I didn’t look back.
Despite having never lived anywhere else, I instantly loved the far milder climate of LA. And though I had no idea what kind of work I would do, the city itself was full of opportunities. I only had to figure out what I wanted to do and go out and make it happen. If there was ever a place to do that, it was definitely the City of Angels.
And then, there was Dustin.
Imagining life without him soon became impossible. He made every moment better than the last, and I found myself with a constant smile on my face from the moment I left Philly behind. He teased me even as he challenged me to push myself outside my comfort zone, and I hadn’t once regretted it.
During our first conversation about my potential new career, Dustin had helped steer me in the right direction, even though neither of us knew what that was at the time.
“What kind of work do you want to do?” he’d asked, kicking his legs up on the coffee table as he settled next to me on the couch.
I’d snuggled into him as I’d answered.
“Something as far from an office environment as possible.”
He’d pointed his chin at the window.
“Okay, so something outside.”
“Outside,” I’d repeated. “Funny. You took that literally, but yeah, you’re right. That’s as far from as I can get from a cubicle.”
I’d quickly found myself warming to the idea.
“Outside sounds like a great idea.”
Dustin had leaned over and kissed me. Several long, breathless moments later, we’d parted. I had been thoroughly distracted, but had still managed to listen to his next question.
“So, what’s something you really love? Something that you don’t think you could ever get tired of?”
It was a good question, one I’d thought would take me longer to answer. But an answer slipped out without me really thinking about it.
“Animals,” I’d said simply.
He’d beamed at me.
“There. Start with that. Working outside with animals.”
So, I had. Despite my complete lack of formal experience, I sent out a few inquiries and basic applications. I wanted something that didn’t drain my energy and destroy my spirit the way my tech job had over the last seven years.
I didn’t realize just how oppressed I’d felt until I was away from the stiff-necked corporate environment I’d forced myself to grow used to.
Surprisingly, the one that stuck was my application to become an animal keeper at the LA Zoo. It wasn’t glamorous work, mostly involving food preparation, general exhibit tidying, and record keeping.
Still, I would be around animals and outside most of the time. It was exactly what I was looking for. And sure, taking it meant I would have to start at the bottom of the ladder again, so to speak. But to do meaningful work that spoke to my passion made every day worthwhile.
And with Dustin on my team, supporting me every step of the way, I couldn’t be happier.
Or so I thought. Yet every day, there was something new that made each day more exciting than the last.
Like the first time Dustin took me to the beach, where he’d laughed at me frolicking in the waves. The cold water hadn’t bothered me in the slightest, especially compared to the lakes near Philly. After that, we tried to go at least once a week, even if just to walk along the shore, hand in hand.
After five months of officially dating, we decided to have a romantic night out to dinner somewhere along the beachfront. We didn’t plan a specific place to go—something Dustin said was designed to get me out of my comfort zone.
Which it did. Not knowing what to wear, I finally threw on a flowery, flowing dress. Dustin wore his usual button-up with khakis, which fit just about anywhere we went.
We strolled along, hand in hand, as comfortable together as if there had never been any other way of existing.
“Before we pick someplace, you wanna kick off your shoes for a minute?” Dustin asked.
“Sure.”
I followed him off the boardwalk and down onto the beach. The sun was low on the horizon, so the sand retained much of its warmth as it slid pleasantly between my toes.
“I love this,” I told him.
“You and the beach,” he laughed.
“Not just that. I really meant I love being here with you.”
He stopped and pulled me against his waist.
“Yeah. I know exactly how you feel.”
; He leaned down and I lifted my face, as breathless as always to feel his lips against mine. Warmth flushed through me as I lifted my arms to encircle his neck, completely disregarding the fact that we were in public. With him, I couldn’t be shy, because I didn’t want to hide any of what I felt.
Slowly, he eased away—I was sure because he was trying to hide the bulge that appeared in his pants, something that never failed to rouse my inner sex goddess.
“I was thinking. We should do more than just celebrate at a random restaurant.”
His voice was husky with suppressed desire, and I started to think that a night in sounded like a much better idea.
“What do you have in mind?” I asked, already picturing undoing the buttons on his shirt.
“Hawaii.”
I snapped out of my daydream. “Huh?”
“Let’s take a vacation. You’ve been working nonstop at the zoo, and I’m due for a week off. So let’s go to Hawaii—where it’s nothing but beach.”
My heart lifted. “When do you want to go?”
“How about for our six-month anniversary celebration?”
“Ooh, so we’re going to make it a monthly celebration,” I teased. “I might get used to that.”
He shook his head.
“No. I plan to celebrate with you every night for the rest of my life.”
“Yeah. We definitely need to go home,” I told him.
We ended up picking some Chinese food to-go before Dustin drove us home. And home it had certainly become. He may have chosen the condo, but I loved living there. Of course, I wanted a dog one day, so we might need to expand, but for now, I was perfectly happy.
And if we were going to Hawaii in a month, I had a lot of work I needed to do. And not just for the zoo.
Those thoughts flew out of my head the minute we walked into the living room. It hadn’t changed much, although I’d bought a few colored throws and bright pillows to liven it up. It also made it extremely convenient for Dustin and me to make love in any spot in the house, an advantage he was quick to realize.
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