when
he saw Daphne running toward him. She was exhausted and wearing boots five
sizes too big. “Wait.” He called out as he unstrapped the seatbelt and jumped
from the chopper.
He
walked toward her and could see the relief in her eyes that she’d made it in
time. She jumped at him and he caught her easily, wrapping the flaps of his
coat around her. “Daphne, what are you doing out here? You’re not wearing a
coat, honey. It’s too cold.” He saw Janice jogging from the station, Daphne’s
coat in her hands.
“Ryan,
I couldn’t let you leave without telling you something,” she whispered in his
ear. Her arms were tight around his neck and he held her snugly, her feet
dangling a foot from the hard packed dirt. “Thank you…for everything you did
for me. Thank you for saving my life. For making me feel like I can have a life again someday. For holding my hand and crying for me. For not letting
them hurt me or scare me more than necessary.”
She
took a gasping breath, “I know you think I have a hero complex and maybe I do.
But you have to really be a hero for someone to feel that way. I will
never, ever, be able to repay all that you’ve done for me.” She pulled back to
look at him.
“I know
something bad happened to you. It’s the only way a man like you would withdraw
from the world. You are such a good person, a good man, and the world wouldn’t
be the same without you in it. Right now, I’m broken and ruined and ugly.
I’ll never be the person I used to be again. I’ll always be scarred, always be
damaged. I may never be able to…to be with a man again, I don’t know. But if
I could, I’d pick you, Ryan. You’re everything good and kind and beautiful. I
hope one day, you see yourself as the hero. See yourself the way I see you.
Because no one will ever compare to you in my mind.”
She
kissed his lips and his arms tightened on her. “Please be safe, Ryan. It
would kill me if anything happened to you. With all I’ve lost, that would be
more than I could bear.” Another kiss and she loosened her arms from his neck,
allowing him to lower her to the ground.
She
put her hand on his face and he instinctively leaned into her palm. Janice
came forward and wrapped his big coat around her shoulders. He pulled it
closed and leaned in to whisper in her ear, “You aren’t ugly or ruined,
Daphne. You’re a survivor and though I wish the circumstances were different,
I’m so proud to know you. Take care of yourself, sweet Daphne…I’m not the hero
here. You are.” He kissed her face in front of her ear, the scar along her
jaw beneath his lips. He leaned back and stroked her hair back from her face
with a smile. Then he turned to go. Daphne stood with Janice, watching as he
got in the helicopter and it lifted off. He kept his hand on the window,
staring at her until she disappeared from sight.
Then
he sat back and waited to be transported back to his cabin. The one place on
earth he’d ever felt able to seal his heart from the gaping wounds that covered
it. Waving at the pilot as the chopper lifted out of the meadow, he walked up
the hill.
He’d
once considered this home his one chance at finding peace…he now just considered
it lonely.
Chapter Six
The
day after leaving Daphne in McArthur, Ryan cleaned his guns. Bringing them
from the gun case one by one, he sighted them in and made adjustments. He made
sure they were loaded and packed extra magazines.
Not
that he would need much ammo. He was a very good shot. He pulled out his gear,
loading his pack with survival supplies and food packets that took up very
little space and would feed him for more than a month if necessary. Layering
himself in thermal wear, he secured his cabin and headed out to hunt.
He hiked
back to where he’d found Daphne, went up high enough to determine
he saw Daphne running toward him. She was exhausted and wearing boots five
sizes too big. “Wait.” He called out as he unstrapped the seatbelt and jumped
from the chopper.
He
walked toward her and could see the relief in her eyes that she’d made it in
time. She jumped at him and he caught her easily, wrapping the flaps of his
coat around her. “Daphne, what are you doing out here? You’re not wearing a
coat, honey. It’s too cold.” He saw Janice jogging from the station, Daphne’s
coat in her hands.
“Ryan,
I couldn’t let you leave without telling you something,” she whispered in his
ear. Her arms were tight around his neck and he held her snugly, her feet
dangling a foot from the hard packed dirt. “Thank you…for everything you did
for me. Thank you for saving my life. For making me feel like I can have a life again someday. For holding my hand and crying for me. For not letting
them hurt me or scare me more than necessary.”
She
took a gasping breath, “I know you think I have a hero complex and maybe I do.
But you have to really be a hero for someone to feel that way. I will
never, ever, be able to repay all that you’ve done for me.” She pulled back to
look at him.
“I know
something bad happened to you. It’s the only way a man like you would withdraw
from the world. You are such a good person, a good man, and the world wouldn’t
be the same without you in it. Right now, I’m broken and ruined and ugly.
I’ll never be the person I used to be again. I’ll always be scarred, always be
damaged. I may never be able to…to be with a man again, I don’t know. But if
I could, I’d pick you, Ryan. You’re everything good and kind and beautiful. I
hope one day, you see yourself as the hero. See yourself the way I see you.
Because no one will ever compare to you in my mind.”
She
kissed his lips and his arms tightened on her. “Please be safe, Ryan. It
would kill me if anything happened to you. With all I’ve lost, that would be
more than I could bear.” Another kiss and she loosened her arms from his neck,
allowing him to lower her to the ground.
She
put her hand on his face and he instinctively leaned into her palm. Janice
came forward and wrapped his big coat around her shoulders. He pulled it
closed and leaned in to whisper in her ear, “You aren’t ugly or ruined,
Daphne. You’re a survivor and though I wish the circumstances were different,
I’m so proud to know you. Take care of yourself, sweet Daphne…I’m not the hero
here. You are.” He kissed her face in front of her ear, the scar along her
jaw beneath his lips. He leaned back and stroked her hair back from her face
with a smile. Then he turned to go. Daphne stood with Janice, watching as he
got in the helicopter and it lifted off. He kept his hand on the window,
staring at her until she disappeared from sight.
Then
he sat back and waited to be transported back to his cabin. The one place on
earth he’d ever felt able to seal his heart from the gaping wounds that covered
it. Waving at the pilot as the chopper lifted out of the meadow, he walked up
the hill.
He’d
once considered this home his one chance at finding peace…he now just considered
it lonely.
Chapter Six
The
day after leaving Daphne in McArthur, Ryan cleaned his guns. Bringing them
from the gun case one by one, he sighted them in and made adjustments. He made
sure they were loaded and packed extra magazines.
Not
that he would need much ammo. He was a very good shot. He pulled out his gear,
loading his pack with survival supplies and food packets that took up very
little space and would feed him for more than a month if necessary. Layering
himself in thermal wear, he secured his cabin and headed out to hunt.
He hiked
back to where he’d found Daphne, went up high enough to determine
Similar Books
