Love you to Death (41 page)

“No, but I’m also not going to let her skip her therapy sessions, and I won’t let her lie in bed all day anymore.”

A guilty blush spread up Elise’s neck. “She’s tired. She needs her rest.”

“She needs professional help, and I’m going to see to it that she gets it.”

Trent hated seeing Elise wound up like this, but Sam was right. Ashley likely needed more than Elise was able to give.

He stroked her arm, hoping to soothe her. “Let him try. If it doesn’t work out, you’ll be right across the street to set him straight.”

She turned and looked at him. “I haven’t agreed to move in with you yet.”

“No, but you will.”

“I will, huh?”

“I’m a confident man. I’m sure I’ll find some way to convince you. Whatever it takes. However long it takes.”

“You can’t even get out of bed yet.”

“I’m most persuasive in bed,” said Trent.

Sam made a choking sound. “Clearly, I’ve come at a bad time. I’ll come back later, after all the mushy crap is over. I suggest you make it quick. Mom and Dad are on their way.” He left, closing the door behind him.

“So, what do you say, Elise? Are you going to have mercy on a man who nearly died and give in?”

She let out a gusty sigh, but a secret smile played at the corners of her mouth. “I suppose I can move in with you for a while. Once you’re back on your feet again, I can think of a few good uses for a man like you.”

“Oh, yeah?”

She nodded. “At least three.”

“Opening jars, killing spiders, lifting heavy things?”

“Okay, maybe four.”

She settled back down beside him, fitting at his side just right. “You know, if I move in with you, you may never get rid of me.”

He was counting on it, but he decided to play it cool. No pressure. “Why’s that?”

“Because the more I’m with you, the more I love you.”

The words rolled around inside him, lighting up all the dark, weary spots he’d developed over the years. A wide grin stretched his mouth. “Maybe I should handcuff you to me.”

“How about we save the kinky stuff for after the bullet holes close up.”

“Good point.”

“I’m trying to be serious here.”

“Sorry. Must be the drugs. Go on with your seriousness. I’ll behave.”

Her fingers laced between his and she held on tight. Trent didn’t think she even realized she did it. “What if this doesn’t work out between us?”

“What if it does?” he asked. “I’m willing to take the risk. Are you?”

“It scares me.”

“That means you’re sane. Marriage is a big deal.”

“Whoa. Who said anything about marriage?”

“That is where we’re headed, Elise. There’s a lot going on right now, and we need time to adjust to it, but I love you, and I want you in my life forever.”

“Marriages fall apart.”

“Wrong. People
let
marriages fall apart. A good marriage isn’t something that happens to you; it’s something you make happen. You work at it, like my folks did.”

“I never had a good example of a functional relationship. I don’t even know what one looks like. At least I didn’t until I met your parents. You were right. They still love each other after all those years.”

“So will we.”

Her voice was small and unsure. “You think?”

“I know. I won’t let it happen any other way. I love you too much to let go. We’ll live here if you want, we’ll travel the world if you want; but whatever it is we do, we’ll do it together.”

She shook her head, but her smile was as bright as the happy tears shimmering in her eyes. “You’re an amazing man, Trent. You actually make me believe in miracles.”

“Who needs miracles when I’ve got the perfect woman?”

Elise grinned. “Perfect, huh? I’m going to remind you of that every time we fight.”

“Fine, but I’m going to remind
you
of it every time we make up.”

“Deal.”

T
he sound of Ashley’s blinds rolling up jolted her awake. The bright light streaming in through her windows made her groan.

“Rise and shine,” came Sam’s cheerful voice. “Time to get up.”

“I’m tired.”

“Too bad. You’ve got things to do today.”

He’d been saying that for weeks now, waking her up in the morning, whether or not she liked it. “I really hate you, Sam.”

She could hear the smile in his voice. “I know. I brought coffee.”

Ashley’s brain perked up at the thought. She pushed herself up, blinking so her eyes would adjust to the sunshine. “So, what’s on my schedule today that’s so damn important I need to be up before noon? I don’t have any therapy sessions.”

“No, but my birthday’s tomorrow and I thought you might want to paint me something.”

Ashley sipped her coffee, which was loaded with cream and sugar, just the way she liked it. “Yeah, right. Like I’m going to reward my torturer with a birthday present.”

Sam sat on the edge of the bed, his blue eyes shining in the sunlight. How could anyone be so handsome first thing in the morning?

“I’m partial to yellow,” he said.

Yellow.

Ashley’s hands started to shake, making rings vibrate along the surface of her coffee.

She’d been through a gallon of red and black paint in the last few weeks, but not one drop of any other color. She just couldn’t bring herself to put color back into her world. Her memories were all still covered in shades of blood and darkness.

Gary was dead. He couldn’t hurt her anymore. She knew that, but he still haunted her at night. If it hadn’t been for Sam sleeping on the couch, only feet away, she wasn’t sure she’d still be able to face the dark.

He laid one strong hand on her knee. “I have to go to work now, but I’ll be back for lunch. I’ll make you some of that fruit salad you like.”

Ashley nodded and watched him walk away, heard him get in his truck and drive off.

Time to get moving. Staying busy helped her pass the time and kept her mind off the horrors she’d witnessed.

She shambled out to her easel, coffee in hand. A blank canvas stood waiting for her. She had no idea what had happened to the painting she’d done yesterday—Sam always took them and put a fresh canvas up for her—but she was glad that whatever dark, bloody mess she’d painted yesterday wasn’t staring at her.

Today was a new day. A fresh start.

Tomorrow was Sam’s birthday. He liked yellow.

Ashley’s hands shook as she picked up the tube of yellow paint.

The first few strokes of color burned her eyes, but something inside her shifted, loosened. Relaxed.

Her brush flew over the canvas, and before she knew it, sparks of green and swaths of blue appeared, revealing a field of daisies.

It wasn’t her best work, and she wasn’t sure how a macho guy like Sam would feel about daisies, but for the first time since the night Gary had abducted her, Ashley smiled.

Dear Reader,

I’ve always said that reading a romance novel allows us to fall in love all over again without cheating on our spouse. So, when I say I’m in love with dozens of men, my husband just rolls his eyes and grins. He knows he’s at the top of my list.

As the heroes of my first published novels, the men of the Delta Force trilogy hold a special place in my heart. David is the grieving widower from NO REGRETS, Caleb is the guilt-ridden soldier from NO CONTROL, and Grant is the lonely playboy from NO ESCAPE. I love them all, and I hope you will, too. Those boys need all the love they can get.

Of course, each one of them has eyes only for his special lady, but that’s okay with me. If they didn’t, I don’t think I’d love them nearly so much.

So, if you’re looking to fall in love with some handsome, sexy, noble men, there are three special ones I’d like you to meet…

Enjoy!

Where authors give you the inside scoop!

From the desk of Shannon K. Butcher

Dear Reader,

For thirty days, I lurked inside the mind of a deranged serial killer. And let me tell you, it may be an interesting place to visit, but I’m glad I don’t have to live there. Thirty days was long enough, and I spent every one of them looking over my shoulder, in the backseat of my car, and under my bed. Just in case.

Luckily, I had some professional help with the profile for the killer in LOVE YOU TO DEATH, but little did I know how much more it would creep me out when I realized I was creating this character from bits and pieces of real people and real crimes. In fact, it creeped me out so much that the security system and our dog were no longer enough. I went out, bought a gun, and learned how to use it, just in case someone like Gary decided to come calling.

Ridiculous? Probably. But my SIG SAUER, its magazines holding eighty bullets, and I all feel much better.

This book opened my eyes to a world that I’d never really thought about before. Sure, we see reports on the news about murder and abduction, but there’s always a kind of distance to those stories. This project forced me to put myself inside the heads of both the victims and the killer, and after doing so, every story I’ve seen on the news has suddenly become real—a waking-up-with-nightmares, buying-a-gun kind of real.