“I’m over that.”

Her eyes went wide as she inched closer to him. Like she wasn’t sure she believed him but desperately wanted to. He snagged her wrist and pulled her to his side, but it wasn’t close enough. Stupid fucking hospital bed.

“The fight changed your mind?” She stroked the backs of her fingers along his cheekbone and the affection in her touch lit his chest on fire.

“Isn’t a fight if you don’t hit back.”

She gave a soft sigh, then leaned down to press her lips to his forehead. “Oh, Brody, what am I going to do with you?”

“Keep loving me?” he asked sheepishly and a small whimper crackled in her throat.

“Aw, baby, that’s a given.”

Chapter Twenty-Three

Brody looked like he’d been through hell and back, and it was all Jenny could do not to break down and have a blubbering cry-fest right there in front of him. What the heck had he been thinking last night? Did he think fighting would eradicate the evils that refused to stop haunting him?

Though she didn’t believe violence was ever the answer to anything, the air around him did seem lighter, his pain aside. Was it because of the fight? Or had the past few weeks of mental anguish finally come to a head? Regardless, the change in him was palpable, and only time would tell if it had the lasting effects he needed.

The nurse knocked on the door a few minutes later. She introduced herself, and gave Jenny the full report on Brody’s condition, including the doctor’s orders that he stay another night, to monitor his head injury. Even though Brody had scoffed about it, Martha insisted on showing her the stitches. The site and the partially shaven hair around it weren’t pretty, but she imagined they were better than the alternative.

“So, that’s the scoop, in a nutshell, sweetie. You’re welcome to stay the night if you’d like. I can have housekeeping bring in a reclining chair and some blankets before my shift ends,” Martha offered, untucking the bedding from around Brody’s legs. “But I do suggest you step out for this next part. You may never look at your man the same again.”

Brody groaned. “Thank friggin’ God. Just get the damn thing out of me before I yank it myself.”

Huh? Jenny frowned at Martha.

“Catheter,” the woman explained. “I’m sure you can guess why it’s so uncomfortable.”

Oh, sweet Jesus. “I’ll definitely go.”

“But not far, right? I’ve still got something to say to you.”

She paused at Brody’s hoarse plea, a slow, punch drunk smile settling onto her lips. “Oh, I know you do. Don’t think I’ll let you off the hook so easily this time.”

He blew her a kiss and she left him to Martha’s evil torture.

She found herself a cup of strong coffee and a chocolate chip muffin in the cafeteria, and when she returned to the medical floor, Brody’s parents were at the front desk, asking a million questions. From the sound of things, the unit clerk couldn’t give them the information they wanted.

“Brian. Lena.” She called for their attention and they glanced her way, looking just as exhausted as she felt.

“Oh, honey, I’m so glad you’re here.” Lena hurried over and threw her arms around Jenny’s shoulders, rattling off her concerns without coming up for air. “Have you seen him? Is he still awake? What happened? Sam said it was bad.”

“He’s not great, but there’s nothing wrong that time won’t heal.” She held his mother a few seconds longer. She understood the urgency. Had felt the fear.

Lena pulled back and swiped at her tears. “He may be a grown man, but he’s still my baby.”

“I know.” Jenny smiled softly. “I swear that was the longest drive of my life.”

Brian ruffled her shoulder. “I’ll get us a couple of hotel rooms for the night. We’ll all need sleep sooner than later.”

“I actually planned on staying here.” Though a nap someplace other than a hospital chair sounded fabulous. She wouldn’t complain, though. Brody sleeping only a few feet away would be worth whatever aches and pains she felt in the morning.

“You are so good to him.” Lena’s eyes filled with another round of tears and it occurred to Jenny that he hadn’t told his parents about their break-up. “He’s had a rough go of it since he came home from his last deployment. He refused to talk about any of it and it seemed like he was just getting worse and worse. Until you came along.”

She shook her head, because in hindsight, Brody had already been on a mission to reclaim his life. All she’d done was show up at the right time and offer support. And ultimately her heart.

“It’s been a really hard few months for him,” she said quietly. “But he’s come a long way.”

Martha emerged from Brody’s room down the hall and approached with a kind smile on her face. “He’s a Marine, that’s for sure. Tough as nails.”

And then some. “Would you mind giving his parents an update while I let him know they’re here? Maybe give him a little warning?”

The cheery woman chuckled. “Mr. and Mrs. Nelson? I’m Martha...”

Jenny slipped away as the nurse corralled Lena and Brian into a consultation room. She found Brody leaning back in bed with his eyes closed. Despite the purple and red bruising on his face, he looked completely at peace.

“My nose must not be as bad as it feels,” he said, without moving. “I can smell you from across the room.”

“I’m not wearing perfume.”

“Mmm, I know.” Rolling his head to the side, he opened his eyes and crooked a finger at her. “Come, baby. Be close to me.”

“Your parents are here.”

He patted the blanket beside his lap. “Uh huh. Need to touch you first.”

This man. She pulled a chair to the side of the bed and gently brushed the hair back from his forehead. The gash above his eyebrow would leave a dandy scar and, sadly, whoever had shaved him last night lacked serious finesse. “You could stand a new haircut.”

“I noticed. Help me with that?”

Her breath lodged in her chest and it took her the longest second to respond, because touching Brody like that? God. A million times more intimate than putting her hands to work on someone else. “Absolutely, handsome.”

He gave a small smile and reached out, trailing his finger along her arm. “I don’t want to do this alone anymore.”

“I know, baby.”

His throat worked as he swallowed. “No, I mean, I don’t want to do any of it alone. I didn’t realize how one-dimensional my life had been until you came into it. And then again when you were gone.”

A rush of warmth whirled in her stomach, because that feeling? She knew it all too well. “I know exactly what you mean.”

“You’re my person, too, babe,” he whispered and she put a finger to his lips because she wasn’t sure she could hear this and keep it together before his parents came in. But he kissed her fingertip and lifted her hand away. “I go to bed at night thinking about you and all the things I want us to do together. I wake up in the morning hating that you’re not by my side and then hating myself even more for pushing you away.

“I don’t know how to say this with fancy words, sugar. I’m a lineman and a Marine, not a poet or a songwriter. But you mean something to me that no one else ever has. I feel fucking whole when I’m with you. Like you’re a part of me I didn’t know I was missing until suddenly there you were, fitting so perfectly into place.” He flatted her hand out over his heart. “I could go on doing this without you because I don’t want you to see all of my weaknesses, but the truth is...I like the man I am with you a hell of a lot better than the asshole I am when I’m not.”

Not poetic? Silly boy. She tipped her head to the side and laughed softly, emotion building in her chest. “I like you better when you’re with me, too.”

“Yeah? Well, I happen to love you, so...”

Oh, my God. She sucked in a shaky breath and closed her eyes. She’d imagined him saying those sweet words lots of times and in lots of different ways, but nothing compared to reality. The honesty in his eyes. The clarity in his voice... “You do?”