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“I am now,” she whispered.
The sun would be rising soon. They couldn’t lie around in bed today.
“Luke?”
“Yeah.”
“Why did Emmett Purnell fly me to the hospital in his helicopter?” She rolled back against him and looked at his sleepy face.
She’d apparently blocked out parts of her ordeal, but every now and then she’d remember something she’d forgotten, and she simply had to know how it fit in with the whole. Luke had been so patient, answering her questions, allaying her fears. What would she have ever done without him?
“What do you remember?” He almost always started with that.
“I remember the sound of the helicopter as he landed in the meadow and the wind he created. Then I woke up just before the orderlies rolled me away at the hospital in Sandpoint. Emmett was there, staring at me. I think he smiled…and it was kind of creepy.” Sally laughed.
Luke dropped a kiss on her lips. “When he cornered you in Sandpoint and we learned he’d been mugged by Clive Brennan, the last thing he told me was to call if I needed help. I’m sure he meant help beating the shit out of your old man, but he came when I called him anyway. All that was left to do was get you to a hospital. He was glad to help.”
She faced away from him again. “Thanks, Luke.”
“For what?” He ran his tongue around the edge of her ear, and she shivered. His arousal pressed against her bare bottom.
Sally shimmied around within his arms until she faced him. She raised her lips to his and reveled in the hunger obvious in his kiss. With a slow hand, she stroked the length of him, offering her throat for the attentions of his searing lips. He groaned and rolled her onto her back.
“Hey, sunshine, are you using me for sex?” His teasing smile made her heart do a backflip.
She shrugged and batted her eyelashes. “What if I am?”
Luke laughed low in his throat. “I have absolutely no problem with that.”
A knock sounded on the bedroom door. Luke and Sally barely had time to scoot to their own sides of the bed before Jen burst into the room. “Aren’t you guys up yet? The others are starting to arrive. We’re going to be the last ones.”
Sally bit her lip and tamped down her amusement at her exasperated daughter standing at the foot of the bed, hands on her hips.
Luke cleared his throat, but she could still hear the laughter in his voice. “Your mom and I will throw on some clothes. It will only take five minutes. Okay? Tell you what. Why don’t you start down there and we’ll catch up?”
“That’s a great idea, Jen. Don’t forget your jacket. It’s still chilly this morning. And take a bottle of water.” Sally sat up and held out her arms. “Come here and give me a hug first.” If nothing else, she’d learned not to take her loved ones for granted.
Jen climbed onto the bed and fell into her mother’s arms. Sally squeezed her tightly and brushed her lips across her rosy cheek. Jen would never find out how close they’d come to never hugging again. As always, the melancholy thought brought with it the threat of tears.
Luke always seemed to know when she was about to lose it. “Hey, Jen, what did we decide about the bedroom door?” He captured the girl’s attention, and she slid off Sally’s lap to sit cross-legged in the center of the bed.
“Iknocked.” Jen defended herself with a shrug and a flip of her arms in the air.
“I know, and that’s good, but you also need to wait for an invitation before you open the door.” Luke was always so good with her. No wonder Jen loved him unconditionally.
She dropped her hands on her knees. “Why?”
Sally snorted a laugh, but Luke wasn’t intimidated. “Well, because I might be dressing. Believe me, you donotwant to see this naked.” One of his fingers pointed back at himself.
Jen and Luke busted out laughing. How did he always do that—get what he wanted from her by being totally honest and end up closer to her for the effort? After a minute, Jen slipped her skinny arms around Luke’s neck and gave him a loud peck on the cheek. Luke caught her around the waist and whispered something in her ear. Instantly, she giggled and rolled off the bed.
“Okay, I’m going.Hurry!” Both doors slammed seconds apart in the wake of Jen’s excitement, and then silence settled over the cabin once again.
Luke rolled toward her until he was half on top of her. “Now, where were we?”
Sally laughed and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I’d love to stay right here with you…but you’re in charge of this cabin-raising. You probably should put in an appearance.”
Luke groaned, dropping his forehead to hers. “Okay, but whose stupid idea was this anyway?”
