by Elks, Carrie
He sounded so sure as Autumn looked around at the somber faces surrounding her. Every one of them was here for Griff. If her heart didn’t ache so much, it would have warmed at the thought.
Autumn curled her arms around herself, breathing in the salt air. The sun hadn’t risen, but a halo of hazy light peeped over the craggy peaks of the mountains to the east, giving her hope that the daylight would be here soon. How long had Griff been in the water? Seven hours? Eight? Could he survive that long?
She felt more than useless, standing there, waiting for something to happen. For somebody to do something that would get the man she cared about safely home. She wanted him to be in her bed, his large body surrounding hers, his early-morning bristles scraping her skin as he kissed her.
Autumn looked up to see Lucas approaching their group, his face grim.
Jackson caught his gaze. “Has something happened?” he asked.
“We just got word from the Coast Guard. Two men were found down the shoreline. From their descriptions, it sounds like Griff and Sam.”
“From their descriptions?” Breck asked, his brows knitting together. “What does that mean? Are they okay?”
The heart that had swollen to twice its size felt like it was trying to force its way out of Autumn’s chest.
“I don’t know,” Lucas said, his voice full of angry confusion. “They’re in an ambulance on the way to the hospital. I’m heading there now if you want to come.”
“Which hospital?” Aiden asked.
“Silver City.”
Aiden nodded. “Okay, I’ll take my car,” he said to Lucas. “I can fit Breck, Jackson, and Autumn in. We’ll meet you there.”
20
“Are you okay?” Aiden asked as he pushed his foot down on the gas, his wheels spinning on the grass as the car lurched forward. Like Lucas on the drive to the cove, his jaw was tight, his eyes narrow as he steered the car toward the coastal road that led to the highway and the hospital twenty minutes away.
“Me?” Autumn asked, looking around to check who he was talking to.
“Yeah, you.” His lip quirked up. “You haven’t said a word since I got here.”
“I don’t know what to say,” she admitted. Or how to say it. “I don’t even know if I should be here. If he’d want me to come to the hospital.”
“He’ll want you,” Jackson said from the backseat. “I can guarantee that. If you weren’t here we’d never hear the end of it. So stop worrying.”
The sun was beginning to rise above the mountains, pale orange rays flooding the land between the foothills and the ocean. Aiden blinked as the road curved toward it, pulling down the visor to shield his eyes.
“He’ll be okay, right?” Breck said to nobody in particular. “He’s a strong guy. Nothing can hurt him.”
“He was okay when we surfed the scree,” Jackson said, and Breck let out a short laugh. “And when we dived off the cliffs for a dare.”
“We were kids then,” Breck murmured. “Invincible. Or we thought we were.”
“Yeah, but we also ended up in the hospital both times.”
“Remember the way Deenie screamed at us?” Breck asked. “She scared the hell out of me.”
Jack shook his head. “And now she’s almost your mother-in-law. How’s that working out for you?”
Autumn turned to stare out of the window, letting their conversation wash over her like a cool balm. They weren’t panicking, and neither should she. He’d be okay. He had to be. She couldn’t live with it if he wasn’t.
She couldn’t live without him. The thought hit her like a wrecking ball.
She was still thinking about it when Aiden pulled up in the hospital parking lot, and the four of them hurried over to the main entrance, the glass doors opening silently to let them inside. One of Lucas’s fire fighters was waiting for them in the lobby, and he walked across the grey tiled floor when he saw them.
“They’re on the third floor,” he told them. “Lucas just went up. Take the elevator over there.”
The sound of their footsteps echoed through the mostly-empty waiting area, none of them saying a word as Breck pressed the button to call the elevator. The silence accompanied them into the elevator, the only sound their shallow breaths as the car slowly accelerated to the third floor, then made a loud ding as the doors opened, ready for them to step out.
“He’s there,” Jackson said, his voice loud and full of relief as he turned left down the hallway. “He’s okay. He’s all right.”
Autumn looked over his shoulder, her mouth dry. Then she saw Griff standing by the wall, wearing green scrubs, his hair wet, his face and bare arms covered in bruises and cuts. He was talking to Lucas, who was nodding and answering his questions. But then Jackson ran over and threw his arms around him, hugging him tight.
“Damn it, man. You scared the hell out of us. I thought you were dead.”
Griff hugged him back. “You can’t get rid of me that easily.”
Then Breck was there, too, hugging them both and laughing. “You okay? Where did all those cuts come from.”
“I got a little battered swimming to shore. I had to drag Sam with me.”
“Is he okay?”
“They’re looking him over as we speak. They’re going to admit him to keep an eye on him. He swallowed a lot of water, so they need to check on his lungs.”
“I need to make some phone calls,” Aiden said in a low voice to Autumn. “Call off the helicopters. I’ll be right back.”
She nodded, standing in the middle of the hallway, her hands curled into balls as she watched Griff standing with his friends.
He slowly turned his head, his eyes widening as he took her in. “Why didn’t you assholes tell me my girl was here?” he muttered.
“I figured you could still see,” Jackson told him.
Griff walked over to her, reaching out to stroke her cheek as though he couldn’t quite believe she was there.
“Hi,” he said softly, his thumb tracing her jaw.
“Hi.” Her voice trembled.
Close up she could see a bruise forming on his right cheek, along with two lacerations that had been closed up with sutures. There were deep scratches on his arms, too. Livid red ones that made her wince. “Are you okay?” she whispered.
“I am now.” He tipped her head up with his thumb, his eyes soft as he gazed down at her. “Thank you for coming.”
“I was scared to death,” she admitted. “What happened to you?”
“The boat hit a rock as we headed out. We thought it was containable, and they’d be able to repair it at the yard when we got it there. But the wood pretty much crumpled under the pressure. We had no choice but to abandon ship. Problem was, we were two miles off shore.”
“Didn’t you have life jackets?”
Griff pressed his lips together. “They should have been on board. They weren’t.”
“I heard you say you had to swim Sam back to shore with you.”
“Yeah.” He ran a hand through his wet hair, dragging it away from his brow. There were dark shadows beneath his eyes. “He started to struggle about a half mile in. The current is strong out there. By the time I turned back, he’d gone completely under. I had to dive to find him.”
“You saved his life,” she said. “And nearly lost yours.”
“There was no chance of that. I can swim two miles easily.”
“At night? Carrying another body?”
He gave her a half smile. “Yeah, well that made things a little more complicated.”
“What did the doctors say about you? Shouldn’t you be monitored, too?”
“They offered. But I just want to go home as soon as I know Sam’s okay.”
She opened her mouth to protest, then closed it again. He’d been through more than enough. He didn’t need her begging him to listen to the doctors. “Okay. But you’re coming home with me. That way I can keep an eye on you, even if the doctors can’t.”
“Is that some kind of cod
e for a booty call?” he asked, giving her a crooked smile.
She bit down a laugh, her muscles relaxing for the first time in hours. “If that’s how you want to take it.”
“I do.” He nodded, his expression serious. “Just as soon as I’ve had some sleep.”
“Okay then.” She blew out a mouthful of air. He was all right. No, better than all right. He was alive and smiling at her like nothing had ever happened.
Right now, she’d take that.
* * *
It was another hour before they made it home. Lucas gave them a ride to the beach cottage, lifting his hand in a wave as he pulled away to head back to the fire station. Griff was still wearing the scrubs he’d been given, his clothes too far gone to bother bringing home, and his feet were stuffed into undersized white slippers, the kind you saw in expensive hotels.
Autumn unlocked the door and stepped to the side so Griff could follow her in. The early morning light flooded in through the doorway, illuminating the white washed wooden floor and pale walls. Griff closed the door behind him and Autumn looked at him with raised brows.
“What do you need?” she asked, kicking her sneakers off and feeling the warm wood on her bare feet. “Food? A shower? Or do you want to go straight to sleep?”
He slid his hands around her waist and buried his lips in her hair. “I just want to hold you for a minute.”
“Okay.” She let him pull her body close against his, feeling the hardness of his muscles through the thin fabric of the scrubs. He smelled different, of somebody else’s body wash, but underlying it was the deep scent of him.
She could have lost him. Lost this. The thought of it made her legs tremble. She lifted her head up and saw the darkness in his eyes, and knew last night had been so much worse than he made it out to be.
Griff slid his hands beneath her hoodie, his palms splaying on the soft skin of her back. “God, you’re warm,” he murmured. “You feel so damn good.”
“It must have been cold in the water.”
“It was, but I didn’t notice until we reached the shore.” He swallowed hard. “The adrenaline took over.”
“Were you scared?” She reached up to cup his jaw. He leaned into her palm, his lashes sweeping down as he closed his eyes.
“There was a point where I wasn’t sure we were gonna make it.” He let out a mouthful of air, the warmth sweeping over her fingers. “There was a voice in my head telling me to stop trying to save Sam. To let him go and save myself.” His own voice cracked as the words came out. “I thought about it.”
“But it didn’t happen,” she soothed. “You’re both okay.”
He opened his eyes and the darkness was still there. “Yeah, but what kind of man does that make me?”
“The best kind. It’s easy to be brave when you’re not scared. But when you are and you do something anyway? That makes you a hero.”
He gave a little half laugh, though there was no humor in it. “You’re biased.”
“Yeah. Well somebody should be.”
“I called my dad,” Griff told her. She blinked at the abrupt change in subject.
“When?”
“Tonight at the hospital. Called him to tell him about Sam and me being in the hospital. Sam’s been his best friend since they were kids. I figured he’d want to know he was in a bad way. Especially seeing as I was helping Sam at his request.”
Autumn ran the tip of her tongue over her bottom lip. “You did the right thing.”
Another mirthless laugh. “Yeah, well not according to him. He asked why I couldn’t have waited until he was awake to call him, then told me to send him a message later.” He shook his head. “He hung up on me without even asking how I was.”
Autumn winced, her heart aching for him. “I’m so sorry.”
“I don’t know why I bothered. Neither of them came to see me in the hospital when I was a kid and got hurt. Why the hell would they care about me as an adult?”
“You bothered because you care,” she told him, cupping his rough cheeks and tilting his head down until his brow was touching hers. “Because every kid deserves parents who love them. And they should love you, Griff. Not just because it’s natural, but because you’re a good man. A strong man.” She slid her nose against his, then softly kissed him. “You’re loveable.”
She felt lost. As though there was no way of making his sadness go away. But then he kissed her again, his mouth hot and needy, and she felt herself melt against him as his tongue ran along the seam of her lip.
She snaked her hands around his neck, steadying herself as his own hands roamed over her back, her side, her stomach. Then he pushed her hoodie up more, letting out a strangled groan as his fingers traced the fabric of her bra. “What’s this?” he asked, touching the satin ribbon.
“It’s new,” she whispered against his lips. “I bought it last night and was wearing it for you.”
His eyes brightened. “You bought it for me?”
“Yeah. I had it all planned out.” She shook her head. It felt like years ago that she went shopping with the girls, not last night. “I was going to be laying on the bed, wearing the lingerie and some new shoes. But then Lucas arrived and I grabbed the first clothes I could find and went with him to the beach.”
“Did he see this?” he asked, dipping his finger into one of the cups, tracing the swell of her breast.
“No.” She let out a sigh as he grazed her nipple. “I was covered up.”
“Good. Now go into your room and lay on the bed the way you planned.”
“You need rest,” she protested, but when she saw the expression on his face she closed her lips. God, he looked hot. His gaze was intent, eyes narrowed as he looked at her. A pulse of desire shot through her body.
He needed this. She knew that much. And maybe she did, too. There was only so many things that words could say. Their bodies would do the rest.
21
Griff rolled over on the mattress, pain shooting through his back muscles and making him groan. Bright sunlight was spilling in through the cracks in the curtains of Autumn’s bedroom, and he blinked his eyes open, lifting his head to look around.
The space next to him was empty, though the pretty panties he’d all but ripped off her last night – or more specifically this morning – were still there, the vivid pink ribbon a contrast to the pale whiteness of the sheets. His lips curled at the memory of her standing there, her eyes never leaving his as he told her in a deep, needy voice, what she had to do. He’d never seen her look so beautiful. Or so vulnerable. She’d made him feel about ten feet tall.
His stomach rumbled like an approaching storm. When was the last time he’d eaten? It growled again, as though it was answering him.
About twenty hours ago, you asshole.
He grabbed the drawstring pants they’d given him at the hospital, pulling them over his bruised legs. Catching sight of himself in her dresser mirror, he raked his fingers through his hair to neaten it up, then gave up. It was a fool’s battle.
Autumn was sitting cross legged on the sofa, her laptop balanced on her thighs, a pair of glasses resting on the bridge of her nose. Her hair was pulled back into a high ponytail, and in those cut-off shorts and tank top she looked more like a college girl than a business woman.
“Hey.” She smiled brightly when she saw him. “I didn’t hear you get up.”
“I’m silent like a ninja,” he joked, and she rewarded him with a laugh. “Can I use your phone to call the hospital? I want to see how Sam’s doing.”
“I just called. He’s doing good. They’re hoping to release him tomorrow. I said you’d probably visit him later.”
His eyes crinkled as he looked at her. “Thank you.”
“Any time.” She closed her laptop and put it on the table, uncrossing her legs to stand.
“Don’t stop working on my account. I just came out in search of something to eat.”
“Other than me?” She grinned at him.
“Don’t
tempt me.” Who was he kidding? She was always tempting him. His body felt shattered, and yet he could still feel himself stir at the sight of her as she uncurled her legs and stood, her ponytail swinging.
“I’ll grab myself a sandwich if that’s okay with you. Then I’ll head home to get some real clothes.”
She glanced at his green-cotton clad legs. “I kind of like those scrubs. They fulfill all my doctor fantasies.”
He shook his head at her wicked grin. “In that case, I’ll keep them.”
She walked into the kitchen area, brushing past him. He couldn’t stop himself from squeezing her ass. “Hey, stop mauling the cook,” she told him, grinning as she opened the refrigerator. “What do you want on your sandwich?”
“I can make it.”
She turned, tipping her head to the side. “I know you can. But I’d like to make it for you. Go sit down, you must be aching like crazy. How are the cuts?”
He ran his finger down the one on his face. “Not hurting.”
“That’s good. Now shoo,” she said, waving her hands in the direction of the sofa. “Let me feed my man.”
“You’re bossy.”
“I’m learning from the master.” She blew a kiss at him as he sunk into the sofa’s squashy cushions, then pulled the bread from the cupboard, deftly making two pastrami sandwiches. She carried them over, along with two glasses of ice water, before sitting next to him, her thigh skimming his.
“Thank you,” he said softly, as she passed him a plate.
“It’s just a sandwich.”
“I wasn’t talking about the sandwich. I was talking about last night. You coming to the hospital, then taking me home. It means a lot.” He brushed his lips against her cheek.
“It meant a lot to me that you let me.” She gave him a shy smile. “I know Lucas wanted you to come home with him. And Jackson, too.”
“I can’t imagine Jackson looking after anybody.” Griff raised an eyebrow. “There’s probably nothing more than a six pack of beer and a moldy lemon in his fridge. I prefer the pastrami.” He took a bite of the sandwich, letting out a low moan. “God, this is good.” He swallowed and his stomach gurgled in appreciation.