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“Come.” She climbs out of the truck and stops next to me, looking up at me with sad eyes, waiting for instructions.
“Go do your business.” I nod to the front yard, and she reluctantly trots off, looking back to ensure I wait for her.
All the lights are off, and it’s late. After Harley is all set, I unlock the door and set my bag down in the kitchen. “Harley, stay,” I whisper.
I walk quietly and open the door to my room and see that she’s asleep.She’s in my bed.I’m not sure why, but again, no complaints. It’s like the universe stopped fucking up our lives and put us right where we belong. Finally.
Callie stirs. She sits up and leans to turn on the lamp and rubs her eyes. “SJ?” she says sleepily.
I lean against the doorframe and say, “I see you’re back to sneaking into my bed, just like old times.”
She sits up straighter and looks confused. “Bear told me you asked me to house sit for Rook. He didn’t say when you’d be home, and you didn’t answer my text.”
I grin. I’ll thank Bear later. And I’ll figure out why I never saw that text. I had the worst signal in the mountains of Oregon. I feel like the past few days were the worst and all blurred into one.
She stands and looks around for something.
“I also see you’re wearing my shirt again.” I lean on the doorframe and smile at her. Damn, she looks good in my shirt and in my bed.
“What are you talking about, SJ?” she mumbles in frustration as she finds her jeans and pulls them on.
“I saw you at that first game wearing my shirt, otter.” I slide my hand into hers, and the electricity surges between us.
She grabs a bag, then walks toward the door, but I pull her into me, stopping her.
“Where do you think you’re going?” I say softly. “It’s late.”
“Home,” she says with determination, but her eyes meet mine, and they’re vulnerable. Like she’s asking me to tell her to stay but doesn’t want to say it out loud. I hate the look on her face that says she doesn’t trust me. I put that there, and I’d give anything to take it back.
“I’ve been waiting for twelve years to have you back in my life and my bed. I’m not letting you go,” I murmur into her ear, kissing her softly on her collarbone.
Her eyes soften, and she stills. “SJ…” She glances out in the hall, stilling when she sees Harley sitting there. “Oh. Who is that?”
“This is Harley.” Emotion catches in my throat when I say it, and watching her with Harley fills me with unexpected emotions. It feels like all my worlds colliding with my military past, Freedom Valley past, and future.
She leans down to pet her and examines her vest. “Is she your service dog?”
“She was my buddy’s, but he died. She’s with me now. But I think she’s broken. I don’t know how to fix her.”
Harley nudges Callie, sniffs her, and leans into her, tail wagging.
“What do you mean, broken?” Callie asks, examining her and looking her over.
“She’s sad. I haven’t seen her wag her tail or do any dog stuff until just now with you.”
“Of course, that makes sense. She’s sad. Her best friend is gone,” she says softly. “Losing a best friend is a big deal.” She looks up at me and then back at Harley.
Her expression hits me right in the gut, and I close my eyes. It feels like a freight train hit me. I flew out there, helped with everything, and I’ve held everything in until now. I couldn’t be vulnerable in front of his family. They needed me to be strong and help them. But with Callie, I could always be vulnerable. It also reminds me of what she must have felt when I left, and I hate it. But I’m here now. And we can live and honor Sparks and Harley. I want that with her.
I turn and stare out the window at the trees silhouetted by the moon, then hang my head. “Yeah, it’s a big deal,” I say, emotion catching in my throat.
I take deep breaths and concentrate on the trees, and exhaustion sets in. I need my person. I need Callie.
Her arms circle me from behind, and she holds me. And the tears come. I can’t make them stop now. My shoulders tremble as my body shakes with my sobs.
She rubs my back and holds me for a while, and finally, I take a deep breath, and my voice croaks, “It’s okay.” I pull her to me and wrap her in a big hug. I didn’t realize how much I needed this. Needed her. Tears release. I missed her. Like a piece of my soul was gone until her arms held me just now, reminding me where the other piece was all along.
“I’ll stay with you,” she says softly.
