The crowd started clapping again, and Chad came forward holding a miniature version of the state football trophy, extending it to me and I saw my name engraved on it. I pushed up out of the chair, standing to hug him.
“I didn’t think we’d get to ever give this to you in person, buddy. I’m glad you’re back.”
I simply nodded, unable to speak, choking on my emotions. I was overwhelmed, and amazed. Releasing him, I saw that everyone was waiting for me to say something, but I couldn’t. I shook my head and held up the trophy.
“Thanks.” It was all I could manage and everyone cheered again.
***
Nikki lay tangled in my arms, stretched out on the bed in my new room downstairs. Grandpa and Grandma had given up their room so I could have easier access to things and would be able to use my walker or wheelchair, when needed.
We’d come in here to enjoy a private moment together after everyone had left. Slowly, I traced my finger over the skin on her arm below her sleeve. Her finger was drawing over my chest in lazy circles.
Shifting, she placed a kiss where her finger had just been, rolling over to lay her arms and head on my chest. “You’re awful quiet. What are you thinking about?”
Smiling, I stroked the side of her beautiful face, running my thumbs over her lips. “About you, of course.”
She rolled her eyes. “Sure you were. Come on, talk to me. I can practically hear the wheels turning in that head of yours.”
“I’m completely serious,” I said, moving my hand to run it over the long dark hair that cascaded like a waterfall around her. “I love your hair like this, by the way, in case I haven’t told you.”
A soft, dreamy smile crossed her features. “You might have once or twice.”
“Well, I mean it. You’re prettier than I ever remembered.” My imagination had never done her justice.
“Are you trying to distract me with compliments?” she asked with a laugh. “Because it’s working.”
“No. I’m just telling it like it is.” I continued staring into her eyes, not breaking contact with her, thankful that the door to the room was shut and we truly had complete private time, without the possibility of interruption, for the first time since I’d woken up.
“Tell me what’s going on in your head.”
I chuckled. “I am. Can’t a guy tell his girl how amazing she is? You are amazing. You know that, right?”
She shook her head. “You’re . . . amazinger.”
I snorted. “That’s not even a real word.”
“I know. You’re so amazinger, you deserve your own word.” She giggled and leaned forward, placing a light kiss on my lips. “I love you so much, Chase.”
Once more, my heart soared. “I love you, too. More than I’ll ever be able to show you, I’m afraid.”
She ran her finger over my chin. “Oh, I don’t know about that. You seem to be doing a pretty good job right now.”
I wanted to pour my soul out to her—wanted to say something profound enough to convey my feelings, but words would never be enough for Nikki.
“You know I never stopped loving you, right?”
She nodded. “I know.”
“Thanks for sticking by me.”
“It was my pleasure.”
“I know you orchestrated this whole thing tonight.”
Batting her eyes innocently, she stared at me. “What do you mean?”
I laughed. “You should know better than to try and lie to me. You’ve never been a very good liar. I know my family. While it’s true they’re awesome, they would’ve never thought of something like this. However, an ex-cheerleader, who’s into all that banners and balloons stuff—she would’ve thought of it right away.”
She shook her head. “You think you know me so well, don’t you, Mr. Walker?”
Grabbing her, I rolled her over so she was beneath me and she let out a little squeal. I couldn’t help my grin. “You didn’t think I was strong enough to do that, did you?”
“No. You definitely caught me by surprise.”
“Stick with me, girl. I have a lot of surprises I want to show you.”
“Do you now?” Her hands slid slowly up my chest before linking behind my neck, immediately lighting my senses on fire. “And when will I get to experience these surprises?”
“Hmm. I think that’s privileged information; but I’m totally open to being tortured.”
A hearty laugh escaped her. “I can’t torture you.”
“Why not?” I asked, feeling the slight tremor in my arms beginning.
“It’s not in my nature. I’m a lover, not a fighter.”
“What a coincidence, I happen to be a lover too.” Lowering my head, I placed a kiss against the side of her neck. Sighing, she turned her head and I slowly kissed my way up by her ear, sucking lightly, before moving across her cheek and pressing my lips against hers.
Her hands slid to my face, palms on both sides, keeping me anchored to her. I slipped my tongue inside the second she parted her lips, kissing her deeply. Immediately the kiss grew more frantic, desperate. My strength was quickly depleted and I rolled again, taking her with me so she was lying on top of me. I sucked her bottom lip into my mouth as my hands roamed down to her hips, my body aching with need as I pressed her tightly against me.
I could feel her tears falling, hitting my cheeks and I pulled back to look at her. “What’s the matter?” I asked.
“Nothing.” She stared deeply into my eyes. “I just . . . I was afraid I’d never get to be like this with you again. I’ve missed this so badly—being held in your arms and feeling you against me. I’m scared every time I leave you, that something will happen that’ll separate us.”
“Then don’t leave,” I replied.
“What do you mean?” She looked completely confused.
“I mean stay here. I’m sure my grandparents would be okay with you moving in here. My mom is getting married soon. You could stay in her room.”
She giggled. “Did you just ask me to move in with you and then suggest I stay in a different room?”
Smiling, I shrugged. “I’m all for you moving in here with me, but I don’t think my grandparents would look too kindly on that.” Sighing heavily, I briefly entertained the idea of having her in my arms every night and waking to her every morning. That was exactly what I wanted. “And if the truth be told, I’m afraid I’d be tempted to keep you locked in this room with me forever.”
Stroking her hand over my face, she smiled. “I thought we already determined that we were both on the same page when it comes to that.”
Lifting my hand, I captured hers, turning to place a kiss in the center of her palm. “Remember when I told you I’d wait for you to tell me when you were ready?” I asked, gently and she nodded. “I’m asking if you’ll wait for me now.” A confused look crossed her features and I chuckled. “Trust me, I want nothing more than to be with you like we planned, but I’m still too weak. Will you wait for me to get stronger? I want your first time to be . . . amazinger.”
She laughed and laid her head on my chest. “Chase, I think anything with you would be amazing. Don’t worry about me. I’d wait for you, forever.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Everywhere I looked was winter white, from the wedding decorations in the lodge, to the blanket of snow outside the large windows. Thankfully, it hadn’t snowed, again, for a couple of days, so the roads where clear for guests to make the intimate ceremony.
Standing in my suit, without help, I waited at the head of the room next to Greg. He’d asked me to be his best man and I’d readily agreed. I’d pounded out the weight training over the last couple of weeks and worked hard on rebuilding my strength, trading my walker out for a cane—which, in my opinion, was almost just as bad. Still, it was improvement. While I didn’t feel anywhere close to normal, things were coming along nicely, and I enjoyed having the extra stamina.
Grandpa had let me take over my old job of feeding the horses. I wasn??
?t able to muck out stalls or anything like that yet, but I was determined to do it. I laughed internally. Who’d have ever thought I’d be excited to muck out horse stalls?
“Are you feeling okay?” Greg asked me, his eyes never leaving the entrance to the room as he anticipated my mom’s arrival. He straightened his tie for what had to be the thousandth time.
“Chill, man. You look like a nervous wreck. I’m doing fine, however.” I bumped his elbow with mine and he grinned patting me on the back.
“I’ve never been married before. What if your mom decides I’m no good at it?”
I snorted. “Whatever. She loves you and knows you love her. The two of you will figure it out. I’m totally confident.”
My attention was completely diverted from the conversation when Nikki entered the room with Justine and her younger siblings, Timmy and Clara. I only had eyes for Nikki, though. She looked amazing in her sage green dress, which perfectly complimented the tie I was wearing. Her long brown hair was sleek and smooth, making my fingers itch to run through it. Smiling at me as she sat down, I winked at her. She didn’t look away, and neither did I.
Love for her blossomed in my heart and I realized that I needed to have a talk with her.
***
As soon as I could leave the reception without my absence being noticed, I made my way across the room to the table where Nikki was sitting with her family, Brett, Tana, and Brittney.
“Can I steal you for a moment?” I asked, smiling.
Nodding, she excused herself from the table, slipping her hand in mine and linking our fingers. “Are you making an escape?” she asked in a teasing manner.
“I am. I told my mom I needed to rest for a while.”
“Are you feeling okay?” The concern was evident in her voice as I led her from the banquet room and down the hall.
“I’m tired, but I feel fine, otherwise. I simply want to spend some alone time with you.”
“I’m always up for alone time.” Smiling she leaned her head against my arm and I released her hand so I could wrap my arm around her shoulders, hugging her closer to me. We continued on in silence until we got to the room Greg and I had shared last night. Taking the key card from my pocket, I slipped it into the slot and opened the door, ushering her inside.
“Ignore the mess.”
She giggled. “How can two guys wreak such havoc in just one night?”
I shrugged. “Greg’s a pig, what can I say?”
“Mmhmm. That’s why most of this stuff looks like yours.” Glancing around, she shook her head at the clothing that was strewn all over the floor and across the bed. “It looks like you’ve been living here for a week, instead of just a couple days.”
I laughed. “So, I’m a slob. Does that mean you’re going to ditch me?” Leaning the cane against the nightstand, I quickly began straightening up the place, tossing my clothing in the corner.
Nikki stepped in front of me. “I’ll never ditch you,” she replied, pushing me backward onto the bed before hiking her dress above her knees and climbing on top of me.
“I’m going to be a slob more often if this is the reaction I’m going to get.” My hand went naturally to her waist pulling her closer. Her hands were on either side of my head, propping her upper body at an angle with her glorious hair falling down around us.
“Why’d you drag me off to your room, Walker?” she asked, her gaze flitting over my features.
“I was tired. I thought we could take a nap.”
Her smoky expression dimmed a bit. “Really?”
“Hell, no,” I replied, with a laugh. “I might be a slob, but I’m not an idiot. There’s no way I’m wasting alone time with you.” I slid my hands up her back. “I think you should kiss me.”
She bit her lip, appearing to ponder my request. “I guess I can accommodate you.”
Chuckling, I ran my hands down her arms. “Don’t sound so excited.”
She moved closer, her lips hovering just above mine. “Oh, I’m excited.”
“You sure?” I asked.
“Very.” Closing the rest of the distance between us, she pressed her mouth to mine, settling the rest of her length against me and I loved the feel of her full weight on me. Sliding my hands to the side of her face, I stroked my thumbs over her soft cheeks.
Letting her take the lead, I thoroughly enjoyed when she deepened the kiss, her tongue touching mine. My hand slid up into her hair, slipping around behind her head, holding her tighter to me. She broke away, placing a kiss on my chin, before continuing down to my neck, and then my chest.
My breath came faster, the lower she moved, my imagination wishing her to keep going. All too soon, she paused and glanced up at me. “You like this?”
“I think that’s obvious,” I replied, knowing she was perfectly aware of just how much I was enjoying things. “You’ve successfully distracted me from the real reason I brought you here.”
“You mean you didn’t bring me here for this?” She sounded surprised.
“Maybe a little of this; but no, that wasn’t my main intent. Greg will be coming back at some point to get his things before he and my mom leave for their honeymoon.”
She glanced at the closed door, sighing before she moved, settling onto the mattress beside me. “So, what’s going on in that head of yours?”
“Lots of things. And a lot of them have to do with you.”
“Tell me.” Tracing her finger on my chest, her eyes followed the pattern before looking up toward mine.
“I’ve been thinking a lot about my future and where I’m going from here.”
She hesitated. “Okay.” I knew she was nervous.
“Let’s face it, I’m going to be stuck doing physical therapy for a while as I continue to build up my strength. Until I get to that point, I’m not going to be able to hold a job or anything like that. Originally, I planned on sports to give me an edge. It was my ticket to scholarships and maybe even a future source of income; but now that’s gone and I’m completely lost about what to do. I’m not even a high school graduate. I missed all of that.”
“Chase, you’ve been through such an insane experience. No one expects you to jump right back into life and know exactly what you’re going to do. It’s going to take some time for you to figure things out. Don’t give up, though.”
“I’m not giving up; but I do want to know I have something to rely on—some kind of plan or something.” I stared at her. “You’re the smart one. Do you have any bright ideas?”
She laughed, leaning over to place a light kiss on my cheek. “I think you’re a bright guy with a bright future in front of you. Yes, you’re starting over, but that’s okay. I remember laying in the hayloft with you and your mom. You talked about maybe going to school for physical or sports therapy. I bet you could easily do that still. And what about your story? Maybe you could even write a book or something.”
I snorted. “Who would even listen to what I had to say?”
“Chase, your story is incredible. You survived a terrible accident. You came back from a traumatic brain injury. You lived a whole different life while you were asleep. Even scientists would probably find that fascinating.”
“So, you’re telling me to become a lab rat?” I asked, grinning.
“No.” Shoving at my shoulder, she sat up cross-legged beside me. “I’m merely trying to tell you there are other options out there for you.”
“All those things will take time though.” Sitting up myself, I turned to face her. “I don’t want to take that much time.”
Sighing, she glanced toward the window before looking back at me. “I don’t know what to tell you then.”
Smiling, I reached out and cupped her face in my palm, running my thumb over her lips. “I’m not explaining myself very well, am I?” She was so beautiful. I could be happy sitting right here and staring at her for the rest of my life—well okay, maybe not just staring, but yeah. “I’m trying to ask you how you feel about being with a high scho
ol drop-out who has no athletic future.”
“I don’t care if you’re a caveman. As long as you’re in my life, I’ll be happy. I’ll take you any way I can get you.” She slid her hand over mine and I sighed.
Placing both my hands on either side of her face, I leaned in and lightly kissed her sweet lips. “You still don’t understand.” I pulled back ever so slightly, staring at her. “The reason I’m so impatient is because I want to marry you.”
Her breath caught and tears immediately swam in her eyes. “What?” she breathed out.
“I want to marry you and I don’t want to wait forever to be able to do it. I think we’ve spent enough time apart from one another and I lived enough agony without you to know that you are the only one for me. I’ll still need some more recovery time, but as soon as I’m able, if you’re in agreement, I’d like to get married.”
She didn’t hesitate. “I’d marry you tomorrow if you wanted me to.” Quickly, she pressed her lips to mine and I kissed her for a moment before pulling back.
“Was that a yes?” I asked, searching her eyes for any doubt.
She nodded. “That was a yes, yes, yes!”
I couldn’t help the laugh that escaped me. “For some reason, I always imagined you saying those words in an entirely different scenario.”
“I’ll say it again for you then, too.”
Instantly, we were a tangle of kissing and holding each other. I wrapped my arms tightly around her, never wanting to let her leave my embrace again.
It was incredible how much my mentality had changed. The sorrow that had encompassed me every day, my heavy heart, the longing, the sinking realization that nothing was going the way I wanted, was gone. Now, instead, I woke up smiling, eager to press forward and accomplish more—wanting to see what each new day had in store for me. If there was ever any doubt in my mind that one person could change someone else’s entire world, that doubt was gone now. I may have lost sports, I may have lost memories, I may have lost the other life I was leading, but I had Nikki—and that was everything.