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My eyes widen. “The horses—”
“Are fine.” He clasps my wrist, his fingers tracking my pulse. “All of them, baby. They’re safe. We saved them all.”
I smile weakly, relieved. “Superheroes.”
Charlie kisses my knuckles. “They’re safe because of you. Because of what you did.”
“How long have I been here?” I glance at the heart monitor, pumping out a steady rhythm.
“Nine days.”
I gasp.
His Adam’s apple bobs. “I’ve been out of my mind, waiting for you to wake up.”
And then I gasp again.
Because that’s when I see them.
Flowers.
Everywhere.
Vases and vases of bold color and bright blooms and vines and trembling petals. Asters and hydrangeas and peonies. Any free space is covered with flowers. And the best sight—sunflowers. My sunflowers from Charlie’s cabin have been brought here.
It’s like waking up and seeing my heart up in the sky.
“Charlie,” I breathe, my voice uneven. “You did this?”
“I said you’d always have sunflower days,” he grates, reaching out to cup my cheek.
His words have me in a chokehold. Honest, gruff, and pure.Mine. Sheer joy sweeps over me and I reach for him, but the motion has me yelping in pain.
“Careful,” he growls, stopping me immediately with loving hands on my shoulders. “Enough, baby.” He tucks me against a fluffy pillow.
I press a hand against my side, feeling the scratch of a bandage, and lean my head back. Exhale through the pain. “It hurts.”
Charlie’s jaw clenches. Gaze haunted, he says, “I broke your rib.”
Realization dawns. I freeze, forgetting how to breathe. My eyes get as big as saucers as I look up at him. “You saved me,” I whisper.
His eyes flare at my words, a hard breath shuddering out of him. “You took me down, Sunflower. Hell, I was gonna follow you if I couldn’t bring you back to me.”
I shake my head, the thought too terrible to contemplate. “Don’t say that, Charlie.”
“It’s true,” he says, gruffly.
I cover my mouth, unable to speak. Stunned by what he’s done. How is it this man has never given up on me? How is it he can claim my heart like it’s the first time over and over again? A rush of emotion has fresh tears hitting my eyes.
“Kiss me, Cowboy.”
He does, soft and slow. His rough hand slides up to curve around my throat. At his touch, my heart rate speeds up, and the monitors beep wildly.
He breaks the kiss and freezes.
“It’s okay, Charlie.” I murmur, my lips sweeping over his beard. “Again. Kiss me again.”
With a heated gaze, he cups my face in his hands. His tongue slides against mine, my core warming with sunshine, his calloused thumbs skimming the pulse in my throat.
