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“I love you – and would go through it all again just for the chance to meet you once more,” he murmured. “Life began when you came charging into my hospital room and claimed me for your own.”
“Feels good, doesn’t it,” she teased tearfully, looking so overcome with emotion and understanding just how overwhelming this intense love between them was. He couldn’t wait to experience everything at her side and knew that an entire universe was lying before them both. “Now, are you going to kiss me or what?”
“I could be persuaded,” he whispered intimately, leaning down to capture her lips as she tugged at his neck. “I love you…”
Two days later, they were gathering up the last few things and loading them into the truck that was parked in the grass next to the cabin. He watched Daphne hugging everyone – and nearly laughed as both Jake and Gideon stepped back away from her and held out a hand politely. He understood, because there was no way he was hugging Lena or Christina. Nothing on this planet was worth innocently hurting his precious girl’s feelings.
Max made his way over to where the group was standing, testing his prosthetic leg in the grass, and gazed upon their makeshift family. He shook Gideon’s hand – and felt Jake shove him bodily into the bigger man, the three of them suddenly hugging and laughing together.
“Ya’ big pansy – real men hug!” Jake taunted. “It’s if your junk reacts that we’ve got problems…”
“Whoa!” Houghton blurted out, and all of them cracked up laughing as he joined in the hug. “I’m glad you made it, Collins… and so proud to see you up and about on your own. Ya’ look good, brother – so much more than you did when you arrived.”
As the four men separated, Max felt tears sting his eyes as he looked at them. “You gave me a chance to get my life back,” he said hoarsely. “And I will be forever grateful for that nasty right hook, Jake.”
“Anytime you need me to knock ya’ out, brother…” Jake said emotionally, hugging him again and whispering to him. “We made it out - and I’ve gotta keep that in my head when I miss being a part of the team. We’ve got our own team now, you know? Don’t be a stranger.”
“I won’t. I promise.”
The two men separated and nodded abruptly to each other as if to say, ‘that’s it, I’m done being emotional’ in ‘man-speak’ as Daphne would call it. He saw his wife watching him proudly, moved to hug Jill and waved at the other two women out of respect for his brothers and wife.
“We’ll keep in touch and be back before you know it,” he said, as if he was warning them. “If you give up the cabin, maybe the four of us can put another one on the property.”
“I’m game,” Gideon chuckled, flexing his arm and kissing his bicep. “Gotta show Christina the muscles all the time – what’s once more?”
“Heaven help me,” Christina muttered audibly, slapping her forehead in dismay and rolling her eyes, causing everyone to laugh.
Max held out his hand toward Daphne.
“Are you ready for our adventure to begin?”
And she clasped his hand.
There was no hesitation in her eyes, and she never balked, always reaching for him from the very beginning. That same feeling, that same unwavering belief and confidence that everything would be all right had given him comfort from the moment she took his hand in the hospital bed. His wife, his beloved Daphne, was a force to be reckoned with, and he couldn’t love her more at this moment.
“Let’s do this,” she said proudly, her voice wavering with emotion.
Yes, they would miss their friends – but they would be coming back someday. She was choosing him, choosing to live their lives the way they wanted despite what others thought or felt, and was his soulmate to the very core.
He nodded and stepped forward, at her side, always.
15
DAPHNE
Two months later
Mount Waddington, British Columbia…
Daphne climbed out of the tent and saw Max sitting on a chair beside a fire he was trying to start to make coffee as the sun started to rise in the distance over Mt. Cheam. It was still extremely dim in the valley and incredibly silent as the world still slept all around them and the group of hikers they had spontaneously joined.
Yesterday had been breathtaking and a victory for Max as he made it to the summit along the trails they had been traversing, knowing it was just another boost to his self-esteem and honestly, she couldn’t be more proud. He was braver and bolder than anyone else she’d ever met.
They had texted a photo of the two of them at the top of the mountain to their friends back home, and the heckling had been wonderful.
Is that a green screen behind you?
Har har… funny.
