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“Sup, fellas,” Max called out, waving and then ducked his head toward Daphne. “Smile, Sweetheart. We’re coming back ‘home’ once we get the itch under control, I promise.”
He saw her dark eyes look up at him as she smiled.
“I love you,” she breathed as Jake plopped down into the chair, clapping his hands and rubbing them together.
“Free haircut, boys…” Jake crowed happily and grinned at the two of them standing there. His beloved Daphne smirked, held up the clippers, and clicked them on audibly, seeing Jake’s smile fall within seconds. She would shear him just because she knew it could grow back – before teasing him mercilessly, and they all knew it.
“’No-Morphine-Houghton’is first-up,” Jake blurted out and hopped out of the chair quickly, causing them all to laugh.
Yep, this was their new family.
Hours later, Max was in the cabin testing his surprise – a prosthetic limb. Houghton had taken him into town several times under different premises just so he could get this made. It wasn’t anything fancy and he didn’t need something elegant. He just needed ‘comfortable’and ‘easy to use’so he could get around.
Daphne was finishing up with trims for Lena, Jill, and Christina now and sweeping away the hair from the front porch. He could see her shadow behind the sheers, admiring the graceful way she moved and couldn’t wait to surprise her.
They were going to pack up their things tomorrow and head out on Friday. The topper was being installed on her truck today, and the tires were replaced. He had stepped in and made sure all the maintenance was done, plus he spent the last few days picking up some equipment that was small enough to fit easily behind the bench seat of her truck. To say that he was excited would be an understatement, and everything was coming together.
As the front door opened, Daphne walked in and chuckled.
“Boy, who knew how out of practice I was. I think I have a blister on my thumb from my good scissors and…” she paused, staring at him, and smiled. “Max! What is this?”
“Surprise,” he grinned. “I’m still getting a little used to it, but I think if I carry a walking stick, I’m gonna be good to take a few small trails.”
“I’m so proud of you,” she admitted, coming to his side and looking at the curved metal unit that had a cup his knee fit directly into. “Is it comfortable?”
“Yeah, I get a little sore after a bit, but it’s a snug fit.”
“Look at you,” she breathed softly and gazed at him in wonder. “I’m so proud of how far you’ve come, Max. Think about it: four months ago, you would have been furious at someone fitting you for this – and now you are standing here.”
“I had a reason,” he smiled tenderly at her and pressed ‘Play’ on his phone sitting on the counter. Soft, slow chords began to fill the air as he took her hand in his, and she looked at him in awareness. “How about it, Mrs. Collins – would you care to dance?”
“Why, sir… whatever would my husband say?” she teased playfully.
“He better say that he’s one lucky…”
“Maaaax…” she interrupted, lifting an eyebrow at him.
“I was going to say‘he’s one lucky man’… sheesh, woman. I may have been in the Army, but not everything that comes out of my mouth is filthy,” he laughed knowingly, linking his hands behind her back and letting them rest at the curve of her spine. It felt so good to hold Daphne like this, to not be dependent on his crutches.
“Just at bedtime?” she teased intimately, tracing the shell of his ear, making him laugh knowingly and shiver.
“Oh yeah,” he chuckled. “It’s really bad in the evenings because the filter in my brain gets tired.”
“We both know better.”
“Yeah, we do,” he smiled knowingly, remembering how much she liked him taking control and speaking to her lovingly. Just cradling her to him and treasuring the way she fit against his chest felt incredible. “Dang, this is nice. I love holding you.”
“You hold me all the time, silly…”
“This is different,” he admitted, hating the way his voice cracked as it hit him hard. “I feel like the old me, like a man.”
“Why do you think I said to you that day in the hospital that the only thing wrong with you is your brain?” she uttered, leaning back from him and staring. “You realize you are lucky to be alive, right? That bomb could have taken you off this plane of existence and wiped you off the earth. We would have never had that first kiss, exchanged vows, or had this dance…” her voice trailed off as she grew silent and swallowed.
“I would have been lost without some incredible caring woman coming into my hospital room, taking charge, and holding my hand to keep me from falling apart.”
“No, you would have eventually picked yourself up,” she whispered hoarsely, touching his cheek. “But my life would have been empty… and I see that now that I can share it all with you.”
He stood there, feeling whole, and cradled her beloved face in his hands as he stared into her breathtaking, soulful eyes.
