The Fifth Season (27 page)

Allowing his eyes to close, he breathed in the scent of her skin and whispered to her. He must have drifted off to sleep because he jerked up suddenly when a hand gently shook his shoulder.

“I’ll take over for awhile, Stone.”

He turned and stared into the troubled eyes of Hugh Gallagher.

“I’ll stay.” Stone said.

“You need to stretch your legs. You’ve been at it for more than twelve hours.”

“I have?” Stone glanced out the window and saw the sun at about mid-morning. Hadn’t it been setting when he’d arrived? “Wow,” he took a deep breath and stretched. “I guess I have. I’ll go grab a cup of coffee.”

“And something to eat.”

Stone smiled. “And something to eat.”

He bent and kissed Emma’s forehead, whispering his love against her skin. Then he found his daughter and repeated the same action. She didn’t cry this time but gurgled and fell back to sleep. Stone didn’t think his heart could handle any more love, but it swelled larger and made room for little Katie.

“How is she?” Nate asked as Stone passed the waiting area.

“Still the same.” He shook his head. “I don’t know what to do.”

“There must be something to let Emma know you’re here. If she knew, she’d wake up.”

“I don’t know.” He swore in frustration. An idea began to form. “I need some things from River Run.”

“River Run isn’t yours anymore,” Nate reminded him softly.

“Where are my things?”

“At Emma’s house.”

“Right, she sent me pictures. Okay, how do I get there?”

“Call Tilly, she’ll get you whatever you need.”

Stone looked at his father as if he’d just grown another head. “Tilly’s still around?”

“So I hear. She’s been taking care of Emma.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, pretty amazing isn’t it?”

Stone nodded. He exited to an area cell phones were allowed and punched in Alexa’s number. He scribbled down how to reach Tilly and placed his next call. After explaining what he needed, the young woman laughed and told him it was a terrific idea. She promised to be at the hospital within an hour.

“Okay,” he said. “Plan B is under way. I need caffeine.”

Nate laughed and pointed him in the direction of the cafeteria.

***

Stone stood in front of the narrow window, watching the sun sink slowly into the horizon. He tried to imagine what the outside sounded like, but its music appeared beyond his grasp. Glancing over his shoulder, Emma continued to sleep soundly. The doctors told him it was a defense mechanism. Her body was healing.

Yes, he understood that. But did they know her heart needed healing too?

They’d laughed at him then sobered when they saw he was serious. He’d outlined his plan and although they thought it rather unorthodox, they hadn’t seen any danger.

“Mr. Connor?”

He turned and recognized the face of the nurse he’d met yesterday evening.

“Yes?”

“I’m here to help you with the bed sheets.”

“Thanks, but I can handle it.”

“I don’t think…”

Stone shook his head. “I don’t care what you think. I’m doing this for my wife.”

“She’s not…”

He held up his hand and stopped her from continuing. “If you’re going to tell me one more time she’s not my wife then I might just have to hurt you.”

Stone bent over Emma.

“I, Stone, take you, Emma, as my lawfully wedded wife. Do you, Emma, take me, Stone, as your lawfully wedded husband?” He gently moved her head up and down and kissed her lips. “See? We’re married.”

The nurse chuckled and shook her head. “Let me help you with the sheets. You can do all the rest.”

“Okay,” he relented and unpacked a set of soft, high thread count sheets reminiscent of River Run from the bag Tilly delivered earlier.

They changed the bed, moving Emma from side to side. Stone smoothed her hair against her favorite down pillow and tucked the feather comforter under her arms.

“I’ll take it from here, if you don’t mind.”

“Just one more thing…” Stone frowned as the nurse stepped out of the room. She re-entered wheeling the little metal crib where Katie slept. “I think you left someone out of your plan.”

He smiled and nodded. “Yes, I certainly did.”

“There’s a bottle all prepared on that little metal shelf. Just mark on the sheet what time you feed her and how much she takes. There’s also fresh diapers beneath the cart.”

“Bottle? Sheet? Diapers?” Stone swallowed past the sudden panic.

“You can do it, Mr. Connor.” She reassured him. “I’ll write up a Do Not Disturb sign for the door.”

“Thanks.” Stone stared at the sleeping baby, then turned and dug around the bag some more. He pulled out several vanilla scented candles and lit them and dabbed Emma’s favorite perfume on her neck and wrists. Stripping off her hospital gown, he replaced it with a soft sleep shirt.

All that was left was him and little Katie. Undressing slowly, Stone prayed this would work. He slipped into flannel pajama bottoms and splashed his normal cologne lightly on his skin. Gathering Katie from her tightly swathed blankets, he climbed into Emma’s hospital bed. He propped his back up, moved Emma against him and placed Katie between them. He discarded the baby blankets and nestled his daughter within the arms of her mother.

Touch, scent, sound. Stone began to talk.

“We’re home now, Emma. Smell the scent of your favorite candles I’ve just lit. You’d better wake up soon, because little Miss Katie will be terribly hungry, and she misses her mommy. She’s perfect Emma. She’s in your arms. Can you feel her? Her skin is just like yours, soft and sweet. I think she has my temper, which might not be a good thing, but she’s so beautiful.”

Nothing.

“Do you remember last Christmas? The cabin that was our hideaway? We made love, created this little life, then we let it all slip away. I’m sorry for everything. I’m sorry I didn’t understand.”

No response.

Stone stroked her hair, her arm, traced his finger lovingly along her chin.

“I went back to the jungle,” he said softly, his lips touching her hair. “Seamus Adams was one smart SOB. He’d given your father to the one man he knew I feared. The same rebels that killed my unit. I won this time. No casualties and a successful extraction.”

He felt her sigh. His heart skipped a beat, and he continued to talk. Stone spoke until his voice grew hoarse.

“Seamus Adams is gone. Apparently, he suffered a terrible auto accident and didn’t survive.”

Katie squirmed and mewed softly. Stone frowned. He hated to leave the bed, but if his daughter needed feeding, he supposed he’d better try and take care of her.

“Dammit Emma, you’ve held my heart for four seasons. I’ll not walk into the fifth season without you by my side.”

Her hand moved. Katie screamed.

He didn’t care about his tears this time. He pulled her close and let them fall. “I love you, Emma.”

His daughter fisted her little hands and screamed again. As Emma slowly fluttered open her lids, he smiled and kissed her fully on the lips. “Be right back,” he whispered against her mouth.

Juggling Katie in his arms, he snatched the buzzer from the side of the bed, pressed the red button and called for the nurse. Stone shuffled to the crib, one eye on Emma and another searching for Katie’s bottle.

The nurse from earlier ran into the room. Her eyes widened slightly at his choice of clothing, but she quickly smiled at the look on his face.

“She’s awake?”

He nodded and stepped back to allow the doctor through. Stone fed Katie. The apprehension curling in the pit of his stomach made him antsy.

Emma’s eyes flicked open then closed again.

“Mr. Connor, would you come over and continue talking to her?”

Stone moved next to her head. Katie slurped loudly on her bottle, and he shuffled her to his shoulder, patting her gently on the back.

“Emma, your daughter just burped.” The nurse smiled, and Emma opened her eyes once more. He could see her attempt to focus then her lashes fluttered down.

“It’s all right, Mr. Connor. This is perfectly normal. Despite what the movies show you, coma patients don’t just open their eyes and sit up in bed ready to tackle the world. It takes time.”

Stone stroked Emma’s head and continued murmuring nonsense.

***

Cold. A sudden chill beside her took the warmth away, the warmth that had pulled her from a dark place. At the first pang of heartache, she fluttered her eyes closed and began slipping back to comfort of oblivion.

“Stay with me Emma,” a voice spoke above her.

Stone.

He was here. She hadn’t imagined it.

Another warmth spread around her. This one started at her toes and crept up her body, urging her awake.

Love.

She slowly opened her eyes, again. It hurt. She’d been safe in the black recesses of her mind. The room was dark, lit only by soft flickering flames. Turning her head to the side, she saw Stone peering at her in concern.

A little bundle was clutched to his chest. He juggled it gently while holding something against its face. A bottle?

Their baby.

“Hey,” she said, sounding like a frog, her throat tight and hoarse. She licked her lips and tried to sit up.

“Shush, it’s okay. Just rest.”

“How long?”

“You’ve been in and out of consciousness for the past few hours.”

She felt another set of hands checking her pulse. A pair of warm brown eyes peered at her. She smiled at the nurse.

“You’ve got a fine man here, Mrs. Connor.”

“Mrs…” Emma frowned finding it difficult to focus.

“Hush, sweetheart. I’ll explain everything later.” Stone was chuckling as he pressed a kiss to her forehead.

“I’m sorry.”

“No more apologies.”

“I love you.”

He nodded and kissed her once more. A warm little body was pressed into her arms, and she bent to stare into the face of her daughter. “I love you more.”

His words wrapped around her heart, and she gazed from Stone to her daughter. “She’s beautiful.”

“Will you marry me?”

Emma smiled, feeling as if she’d just stepped into the sunshine. Unable to speak past the tears clogging her throat, she nodded, wrapping an arm around his neck and pulling him close. Touching her lips to his, she sighed. She was home.

Chapter Eighteen

Emma stretched in bed. Glancing out the window, she exhaled in excitement. The first flakes of winter trickled lazily from a low blanket of white clouds. It wasn’t quite Halloween, and the ground lay covered in fluffy white waves.

“Stone,” she called.

“Down here.”

She smiled as she heard him talking to Katie. He must’ve taken the early morning feeding, allowing her to sleep in. Happiness ballooned in her chest, and she laughed out loud.

Leaping from beneath the covers, she pulled on her jeans, yanked one of his sweatshirts over her head and padded into the bathroom.

A few minutes later she walked down the stairs. The breathtaking view of sparkling paddocks and mountains glittering with snow was easily outshone by the vision of her husband and daughter snuggled together before a roaring fire.

“Good morning.”

He turned and faced her. Smiling, Stone held a finger to his mouth. “She’s almost asleep.”

Emma nodded and went to pour them both a cup of coffee. He rose and settled Katie in her downstairs bassinette, tucking little blankets around her. Walking over, Emma peered in at the beautiful sight of her little baby, snuggled beneath her blankets, eyes closed, safe and secure. “Thanks for getting up.”

Stone wrapped an arm around her and held her close. “We’ve a big day today.”

“Oh yeah? What’s planned?”

“Nate and Hugh are coming over to take Katie,” a wicked grin lighting his face.

“And why is that?”

He nibbled her ear and a shiver of desire ran down her spine. “I thought we’d carve our pumpkins, and then I’d make you mad so you could smash the insides all over my chest.”

Emma grinned. “And I suppose we’d have to take a shower to clean up?”

“My thoughts exactly.”

“Love you Mr. Connor.” She snuggled against his chest, thinking his idea sounded wonderful.

“I love you too, Mrs. Connor.

***

Emma watched Stone greet Nate and her father. The tension still swam beneath the surface, but father and son were making great strides at mending their damaged relationship.

Time healed.

“Okay, kids.” Nate called from his truck. Katie lay nestled in her car seat, securely fastened and ready to spend the day with her grandfathers. “We’ll bring her back in the morning.”

“Tomorrow?” Emma went to dash off the front porch and retrieve her daughter, but Stone stopped her.

“Easy does it, love. We have a belated honeymoon night coming to us.”

“I can’t be apart from Katie.”

Stone studied her face and smiled. “Okay, I’m sorry.” He walked over to the truck, and she followed.

“Dad, please bring Katie home around eight.”

The devastation written across Nate and Hugh’s faces made her laugh. She peered in the window at her daughter and decided that one night would be okay. She grabbed Stone’s hand, inhaled her courage and nodded.

“If either one of you old coots teach her any bad habits, I’ll hunt you down and shoot you.”

Hugh grinned. “She’s only a wee bairn, Emma. What could we possibly teach her?”

“I know,” Emma agreed. “It’s just…”

Stone interrupted her and signaled to Nate. “Bring her home. We’ll be back at the house around seven.”

“Okay, son.” Nate answered.

Emma stumbled after Stone as he pulled her toward the front porch. “Back at the house?”

“You need to go change into grungier jeans and hiking boots.”

“I thought we were carving pumpkins?”

“Oh, we will, but first I have a belated wedding present for you.”

“Really?” Emma grinned, her curiosity peaked. “What is it?”

“I’m not telling.”

“Stone!”

“Go get ready.”

Emma laughed then raced up the stairs. As soon as she’d been released from the hospital, they’d had a simple wedding. Only immediate family attended. Neither one had been willing to leave Katie, so they’d skipped a formal honeymoon and settled into their new home.