All the little moments we were nearly robbed of yesterday.
But he’s still healing. So even though it feels unfinished, I pull away, breaking the kiss but still staring down into those eyes I know so well.
Sawyer’s gaze has darkened, the same love I feel in my own heart present on his face. Even if neither of us has risked speaking those three little words out loud.
“We’re going to give that another go when I have full use of my arms and two working lungs,” Sawyer says. “Because…wow.”
“I’m going to hold you to that, Maddox.”
He grins. “You won’t be disappointed, Knox.”
Chapter 13
Sawyer
“See, how is this right?” Garrison asks as he and Katelyn come strolling into the hospital room. “You tell me that I’m shaving years off your life. Then, less than seven months after getting shot, you go and get yourself blown up.”
I chuckle, then instantly regret it when pain shoots up through my side.
“Don’t make him laugh,” Anastasia scolds.
I glance over to where she’s sitting at my bedside. When I woke this morning, she’d been curled up against me, her breathing soft and rhythmic. Mine, however, was all over the place because, the moment I became aware enough to really focus on her, that kiss popped back into my mind.
A slow meeting of lips I’ve long desired to taste.
“You going to live?” he asks me.
“I’m optimistic,” I reply. Garrison grins, but Katelyn and Anastasia glare at me.
“Not funny,” Anastasia says.
I grin at her, just so grateful that she’s here. “Doc says I’ll be out of here in three days so long as nothing else breaks. Any idea on the cause of the explosion yet?” Since Garrison is an expert in all things regarding controlled demolition and explosions, he’s the only one I trust to give me the truth.
“Officially, I haven’t been cleared to go in yet.” He crosses his arms.
“But?” I ask, knowing he’s likely already completed his own investigation despite the red tape.
“The explosion originated near your acetylene tanks.”
“That’s impossible. I always inspect my equipment. They were in perfect shape.” But then I remember the small hissing noise that alerted me that something was off. “I heard something right before the blast. A hissing that sounded like air leaking.”
“Then that’s your answer. Who closed up?”
“Drew.” I try to think through any possible reason he would have had to touch those tanks, but come up short. “He’s not a welder, though. I’m the only one who uses those tanks.”
“Someone deliberately rigged your shop to explode. There was a charred piece of wire connected to a cigarette lighter near the front door. When you opened the door, that flame ignited the leaking gas. The secondary explosion was the fuel tank in the truck that had been in the bay.”
I narrow my gaze. “There shouldn’t have been a truck in the bay.”
Garrison arches a brow. “Brother, there absolutely was a truck in the bay. I saw pieces of it myself.”
“There wasn’t anyone inside, right?” I ask, new worry surging to the surface. There shouldn’t have been. The shop would have been empty at least an hour before that. But if there was a truck—what if Drew was working on it when the blast went off?
“No one was inside. Leopold already spoke to Drew. He knows what happened and alerted everyone else who works there. Anyone who had access to your shop is present and accounted for.”
“Okay, good.” I try to draw a deep breath, but with one lung collapsed, that’s impossible. “Have the police come up with any ideas yet?”
“Jack called in ATF. They’re going to be combing through everything now.”
