Page 53 of Protecting Gina

“She was. She is doing okay now.”

“Good. At least we don’t have to worry about the jerk again.”

“Yeah, it’s good that we don’t have to worry about him.”

A nurse came in, and he begrudgingly sat in the wheelchair so he could leave. He winced when they went outside, but she wasn’t surprised. The bright sun was harsh, and with his head injury, it was much worse. He would heal, but it would take time.

Once home, he walked inside and sighed. He didn’t move far from the door before he turned to her. She paused and stared up at him, thinking he really was very handsome.

“Did you need something?”

“Only you. I know we aren’t having sex today, but I still want to hold you.”

She nodded. “That can be arranged.”

He reached out and pulled her close. She went to him, loving the way he held her. Her man was good and kind, and he was strong, too. He was a survivor.

“I’ve fallen in love with you, Gina.”

She met his gaze, searching his eyes for what she wasn’t sure. She could feel his love, and she never wanted to lose that feeling. It wasn’t hard to see his love, and she felt it, too.

“I’ve fallen for you, too. I love you.”

He laughed, then groaned. Concern filled her.

“Are you okay? We should get you into bed.”

“Oh, I want to go to bed, but you’re probably not going to do what I want to.”

She rolled her eyes. “Behave.”

They both laughed as they headed to the bedroom. She had a great man who had fallen in love with her. She wasn’t sure how she had gotten so lucky, but she was thankful she’d met Wave and thankful they were together. She was in love, and nothing would ever dim what she felt for this man who had saved her and given her a great family.

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

Joshua “Bang” Butler raked his hands through his hair, anger mixing with confusion and sadness. He didn’t want Wave to leave them, not even for a few months. “Are you kidding me?”

Wave held up his hand, trying to placate him. “It’s not a big deal.”

Bang threw up his hands. “Not a big deal? It’s a huge deal. What do you mean they are sidelining you for another three months?”

Wave shook his head. “I’m getting better, but they want to make sure I heal. Like I said, it’s not a big deal. I’ll be back in three months or so. Besides, Maxwell needs a break for surgery. It will work out.”

“I don’t like this. We need you on our team. And who’s to say they’ll let you come back? What if they make it permanent?”

“I appreciate your feelings on the matter. I’ll be back if I can come back. It’s a short stint for me at the training facility. And if I’m not recovered in three months, I wouldn’t want to be on teams and put any of you at risk.”

Bang blew out a frustrated breath, then pulled Wave into a hug. “You’re the best. I will be waiting for you to come back and join us.”

Bang knew that Wave stepping away was the right decision. His buddy needed more time to heal, and desk duty sucked. With Maxwell needing time off for surgery, it worked well for Wave. Plus, Wave would get a good look at new recruits into the SEAL program and figure out who to pull in when they needed an extra person on a mission.

Peach was stepping in to fill their open spot. Peach was a great guy. Bang knew Haisley and had met Peach’s kids, but didn’t know them well. The guy would be a great addition to their team, but still, he would miss Wave.

He needed to get moving and work off some of his agitation. He left Wave’s house and drove to his favorite spot to run. Pounding the pavement in the area around his house was fine for a normal day, but he wanted to get lost in the beauty of the Sunset Trail today. It was one of his favorite places, and he needed the distraction that this trail delivered with the great views and awesome paths that were usually deserted this time of day.

Running set him free. He loved how his body responded to hard exercise. The high he got from pushing himself almost felt magical. Maybe he was sick in the head for loving the exertion, but it served him well.

The parking lot for the trail was nearly empty. He liked it better with fewer people. The runner’s high had just started to take over when he saw something in the path up ahead. At first glance, it seemed to be an animal, but then he noticed the lump looked synthetic. He slowed and pulled out his phone, unsure if he was going to take a photo or call emergency services.