“Well, in light of recent events, there’s an unfortunate reality we need to face,” Alexander said.
“That Galloway is the only remaining member of his Ranger team still alive,” Tyler responded, dejected.
“Precisely… Suspicious or just a coincidence?”
“I know. I just…”
I began to stir, not wanting to listen to any more. I didn’t want to hear anything else that could taint the picture of my father I had in my head.
“There you are,” Tyler crooned, meeting my eyes as they adjusted to the light in the room. “I hope we didn’t wake you.”
“No, you didn’t.” I sat up in the chair, rubbing my sore neck, my entire body aching from whatever position I had fallen asleep in.
“Well,” Alexander said, eyeing both Tyler and me. “I’ll give you two a bit of privacy. I’ll be back sometime this afternoon with Olivia and Melanie.” He placed his hand on Tyler’s shoulder, squeezing gently. “I’m glad you’re okay, Ty.”
Tyler met his brother’s eyes, placing his hand over his. “Me, too. See you in a bit.”
“You bet.” Alexander released his hold on him and retreated from the room, closing the door behind him.
“Good morning,” I said, grabbing his hand in mine. “How are you feeling?”
“Like I jumped off a deck.”
I smiled warmly at his ability to make light of what he had been through.
“How’s Eli doing? Have you heard?” I asked. I had been so concerned with Tyler’s well-being, I had completely forgotten about Eli.
“He’s actually doing a lot better than I am. From what they said, they figure I pushed him out of the way and took the brunt of the explosion. He dislocated his shoulder and has a mild concussion, but he’s up and walking today.”
“What happened?” I asked now that he seemed much more coherent than he did just twelve hours earlier.
He sighed. I could tell he was tired of repeating the story over and over. I had heard the basics from Alexander, but I wanted Tyler’s point of view.
“Friday, Benson came to me with a potential lead,” he began, repeating what I already knew about a link between my father and a classified mission in Bosnia. “When we got to the guy’s house, there was no answer. We peeked in and saw signs that struck us as odd, so we decided to break in, just in case something was amiss. That’s when I got the phone call from Benson about the explosion at the house of the guy they were supposed to question. Just as Eli turned the knob, I heard a click and pushed him out of the way. Everything after that was kind of a blur. I remember hoisting myself over the railing of the deck and landing on the beach below. The last thing I could recall before waking up here was seeing your eyes.”
“My eyes?”
He nodded. “I was so worried I wasn’t going to make it and you’d have to raise our son without me. I began to regret so many things, Mackenzie…missed opportunities, missed moments, missed kisses. And I swore, if I survived, I’d do everything to make up for all of that lost time with you. I’ve been so focused on finally figuring out what happened with your father all those years ago. I lost sight of what’s really important.” His voice had an urgent and demanding quality to it. I was lost in his words and eyes as his hand caressed my knuckles, a yearning coursing through me.
“And what’s that?” I murmured.
“You,” he exhaled, a peaceful smile on his face. “The doctor said I’m stuck here for at least two weeks while they treat my burns. After that, let’s go somewhere and get away from everything for a while. I want to go somewhere different, somewhere fresh, somewhere we can get the new beginning we both need. We’re already in Florida. We’ll go rent a house in Palm Beach for a few weeks. We can wake up every morning and watch the sunrise. We’ll spend our days watching the relaxing waves. Every night, we can make love like it’s the first time. Hell, we can even get married while we’re there.”
“What?!” I exclaimed, pulling away and staring at him, wide-eyed.
He reached for my hand, caressing it once more as my spine remained taut. I wondered if this was simply the pain meds talking. “I know it may not be entirely conventional, but since when have we really followed any rule book?”
“Never,” I replied, laughing through my nerves. Everything about this was completely unexpected. But, then again, everything about my relationship with Tyler had been that way from the very beginning.
“Serafina Galloway,” he began, surprising me with the ease he spoke my real name, “I know things haven’t always been easy between us, not to mention the fact our entire relationship early on was based on lies. But I’d rather be completely exasperated by your thick-headedness than have it easy with someone else. I’d rather fight my way through every jungle, desert, and stormy ocean to hold you than to never feel my heart race with adrenaline like it does when I think of you. I’d rather wake up to an empty bed without you in it than wake up next to the wrong person every day for the rest of my life. You are it for me. You’re my turtledove, my lightning strike.”
I remained speechless, holding my breath. This proposal seemed different than his first one. That one was tainted with his lies and deception. I had been hesitant to consider marrying him back then, concerned with the fact that it was too soon, that people didn’t just meet and get engaged a few weeks later. But now, after everything that had transpired between us, there was no hesitation on my part. I knew what my answer had to be.
“Tyler, I…”
Before I could finish what I wanted to say, he reached into the neck of his hospital gown and pulled out his dog tags.
“Since when do you wear those?” I asked.
Shrugging, he lifted them over his head, cringing a bit from the pain in his ribs. “Usually only when I go somewhere that could be dangerous. It’s always good to have them as a form of identification, just in case. I wore them every day while I was over in Sudan.”
“Was it dangerous there?”
He shook his head, toying with the chain a bit before breaking it open. “No. I wore these to keep a reminder of what I lost close to my heart.”
I followed his hands and saw him slide off a brilliant diamond solitaire, the stone easily at least three carats, surrounded by a double band of smaller stones. “Serafina Galloway,” he said, his voice steady, his expression serene, “I’ve lived every day with the pain I caused you. I know we still have a long way to go, but I promise I will do everything I can to make you smile more than you frown. I promise to love you and our son more than words can even express. I promise to always be honest with you. Please, marry me.” He raised the ring to my finger, his eyes eagerly awaiting my answer.
Ever since I was a little girl, I had dreamed of what my proposal would be like. I had envisioned a handsome man clad in a suit kneeling before me, asking me to spend the rest of my life with him. I never imagined sitting in a hospital room, my Prince Charming covered with burns and scars, holding a stunning ring up to me, begging me to give him a chance to prove his words were true. But I wouldn’t trade this moment for anything. It was perfect. It was meaningful. More importantly, it was us.
“Yes, Tyler. Of course I’ll marry you!” I exclaimed, throwing my arms around him and kissing him fully on the mouth.
He let out a low groan and I pulled back to see a look of discomfort on his face.
“Sorry,” I said, cupping his cheek. “I keep forgetting.”
“It’s okay. Feeling your lips on mine is certainly worth the pain. Don’t worry. Doc said I’ll be back to my fighting shape in a few weeks, and I plan on making up for lost time, if you know what I mean.” He raised his eyebrows in a lascivious manner, and a heat radiated through me from his intense gaze.
“Oh, really? And how do you intend to go about that?” I asked, my mouth hovering over his.
“It’s a surprise.”
I shook my head. “You don’t get off that easily, mister. I want a sneak peek at your hand.” I tugged at his hair, running my tongue across the stubble that had grown on his cheek.