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“Birdie!”
The thud of feet approached, but she lay still. It could be Jolena.
“Birdie!” Hands reached for her, turning her over gently. “Talk to me, baby. Please, tell me you’re okay?” His face was pale and tight. Fear, she realized. He was terrified.
“I-I’m okay.” She tried to struggle upright, but he pulled her into his arms and held her.
“Thank fuck!” His arms squeezed the life out of her. “I’m sorry. I should have told you how I felt. I’m a coward.” He was talking so fast now, words tumbling over each other.
“Sawyer. It’s all right. I’m all right.”
Big hands cupped her face.
“I thought you were dead. Thought she’d killed you.”
“I hit the ground so she couldn’t.”
His laugh sounded torn from him. “I love you.”
She’d been shot at, in a car crash, but those words shocked her the most.
“What?” Tears leaked from her eyes. Surely, she hadn’t heard that right? Sawyer didn’t love her. He wanted her but that was all.
“Don’t. I’m sorry. If you don’t love me back, that’s okay. Don’t cry, baby. Please.”
“I-I love you too.”
“You do?” He kissed her softly. “Are you sure?”
She nodded.
“Get her up the hill, Sawyer. She needs checking out,” Ryder said, reaching them. “Hey, Tweety. You scared us, girl.”
“Scared me. Nina is in those trees, Rye. She’s hurt bad, it’s her ankle.” Birdie pointed.
Ryder ran.
Birdie looked for Jolena and saw her being dragged to her feet by Sherriff Dans.
“She loved you, but it wasn’t a good kind of love, Sawyer.”
“She’s sick, Birdie, and needs help. We will make sure she gets it this time.”
She nodded and then he was lifting her into his arms, and she let him. Resting her head on his shoulder, she closed her eyes.
“Ouch,” she whispered.
“Everything hurting now?”
She nodded.
They made it up the bank and back to the vehicles. A paramedic had arrived and checked her out. He said her hand needed stitches and a night in the hospital for that concussion.
Nina arrived, and they were both put in the back of the ambulance. Sawyer was told he wouldn’t fit, which pissed him off and made Birdie smile.
He loved her, and for now, nothing else mattered.
Chapter37
