Rare and Precious Things (27 page)

Switzerland

NEON green burned into my eyes. What the fuckin’ hell? I tried to push whatever it was out of my face, but it wouldn’t budge.

“
Ethan…oh, fuck, man. It just took us some time to find you.”

“
What?” I tried to focus, but the sun was shining down, and the light too fucking bright. All I could see was glare and flaming electric green—the colour reminded me of Christian’s jacket as he swept down the mountain ahead of me, right before the—

“Is that you, Christian? You’re all right,” I babbled, “that’s good.” I was so relieved he’d survived I could’ve kissed the little shit
, if I could even feel my face. The King still had his heir. Thank fuck. “Tell me, I want to know…did the other lads make it?”

“Yes! We made it, and you did too, Ethan.”

Had I? Didn’t feel like it at all. “But I’m up here on this mountain, and I can’t walk—my leg is fucked up.” I was glad Christian and the boys were okay, but I didn’t see how I would get out of this mess intact, especially if it didn’t happen soon. I was in very poor shape, and I knew it. I couldn’t really see Christian’s face, everything was blurry, and I was tired…so tired.

“I know
,” he said, before setting something hard against my lips. “Drink this. It’ll help you.”

I sucked in some liquid but couldn’t tell wha
t it was. I couldn’t feel much, only exhaustion. Then I remembered what I needed to do.
More important than anything
. I pushed the drink away. “But…do you have a mobile on you, Christian? Mine’s been lost. I have to tell…my wife—I need to give her—a message—”

“Hang on,
Ethan, they’re coming to get you. You’re gonna be okay, man.”

“No—I need to call Brynne.
Now!” I desperately needed to make him understand.

“
There’s no cellular. It won’t go to her.”

“That’s okay…it’ll send once you get in range of
service. Voice text—will—work…” I tried to reach for him to make him understand. “Help me, please.”

“Okay, Ethan, okay. What’s her number?”

I said the numbers carefully because I didn’t want to make a mistake. This was so important, and I couldn’t fuck this up. “Now, set it for voice…and let me talk.”

Christian put the thing in my hand, which was hard to grip through the gloves, but he helped me
to hold it and told me when to start speaking.

“Brynne, baby…I don’t want you to be scared or sad, okay?
I love you, and I’m happy right now. Very, very happy…because I got to be with you…and love you. I’ll still be here, just loving you from another place, and our little Laurel-Thomas, too.” I struggled to keep it together to finish my message, but it was so hard saying goodbye. How was it even possible I had to do such a thing? But yet, I needed to tell her. Nothing was going to stop me. “…you made me real, my beauty, and I love you for that, and I always will…until the end of time.”

There. I
’d managed it. She would hear from me one last time, and know…my truth.

Now
, I could close my eyes and go to sleep.
So desperately tired...

I floated
for a time, peacefully drifting…somewhere, I don’t know where. An idea came to me and I remembered about my mum. I’d get to see her again, and that was a very nice thought. I felt unusually free and weightless, as if I were being held up by…something light.

Wings?

But that’s exactly what it felt like—wings holding me up, cradling my back. Silky feathers in two flowing arcs. Soft, but so powerfully strong. I realized what they belonged to after a while. They were angel wings.

I was being held by an angel.

12th January

London

COME
back to me…

I’m right here, Ethan.
Always. You just have to come back to me when you’re ready. I’ll be here waiting for you with Laurel-Thomas. We need you. I need you in order to do this. I just need you, and I won’t ever let you go. I never will.

I stayed with my man at his hospital bedside.
Come back to me, baby.
Same hospital we’d come to visit Lance. I was so grateful, though. He was here with me now, and I could touch him, and see him, and the doctors could help him. Neil pulled some major strings with someone and arranged for Ethan to be airlifted to London. Ivan helped, too. I don’t know what I would have done without those two. They knew people who could get things done. If Ethan were stuck in Switzerland right now, where I couldn’t go to him, I’d need to be strapped down.

I think Jonathan and Marie were about to commandeer me home but I wasn’t going
anywhere
.
They’d finally gone to get food and said they’d be back later.
They could fuss and try their strong-arm tactics all they wanted with me, but it wouldn’t do any good. I knew where I needed to be.
I won’t leave you, my darling. I’m going to be here when you wake up.

Even so,
I couldn’t do much of anything for him. The hospital had everything covered. Stitches to close the gash beside his right eye, at the top of his cheekbone. He would have a scar there now. Surgery to repair his left leg. Tibia and fibula both blown out, but they were fixed now, and would heal faster because of the pins they’d put into his bones. My man was just “sleeping” right now. He needed the deep rest so his body could regenerate.

So I sat
there beside him, and called him back to me.
I got the message you left for me on Christian’s phone. He was very sweet, and very worried about you. He called and talked to me because he didn’t want me to be scared by the text message you sent from his phone. He told me what happened, how they wanted to take a backcountry run, and how you told them what to do if they got in trouble up there. He said they all did what you’d instructed them to do, and because of it, they were all okay. He feels terrible you were the one who got hurt—

I felt a heavy hand
come to rest on my shoulder. “They had blackberry flavor. I hope that’s all right.” Ivan pushed the cup of hot tea toward my hand. “Oh, and I got this for you, too.” He held out a protein bar. “Eat it, please.”

Slowly,
I raised my eyes in shock. His words—the gesture, was nearly identical. I looked at Ivan where he stood frowning at me. Tall and green-eyed, with longer hair—just as handsome as his cousin, but different. Ivan bore a slightly more refined look, where Ethan was blessed with a harshness that made him appear a bit more rugged. But the genetics they shared? As clearly visible as water in a glass. They were of the same blood, and of the same mind.

Ivan’s offering
of the protein bar brought back vivid memories of that first night, when Ethan drove me home from Benny’s show—all in a split-second. I could smell the scent of him and feel the warmth of the Rover’s heated seats. I could see him perfectly in my mind, the way he’d set that protein bar on my knee and waited for me to eat it before he would move the car. The “don’t-fuck-with-me” attitude. And the heavy dose of persuasive dominance I couldn’t deny.
Come back to me, Ethan…

“Okay.” I nodded, and felt my eyes fill, struggling to keep it together, wanting to be strong for Ethan.

“Good girl,” he said softly, pulling up beside me in a chair. “He’d have a tantrum if he thought you weren’t taking care.”

“I know,” I said pitifully, taking a bite and chewing. It tasted like sawdust but I ate it anyway
, and sipped the tea. My butterfly angel needed food even if I didn’t want any.

“Thank you, Brynne,” he said with a gentle smile. This was a different side of Ivan I was seeing
at Ethan’s bedside. Ivan Everley was a devastating combination of charmingly sexy mixed with witty cynicism, but not right now. It was blatantly obvious he was worried about Ethan, too. They behaved more like brothers than cousins, I thought, and I always had felt that from the two of them. They were brothers in their heart, where it mattered.

“The first night I met Ethan he bought me a pr
otein bar and made me eat it,” I told him.

I
felt the tears spill out and down my cheeks and tried to wipe them away with the back of my hand.

Ivan
put his arm around me and pulled me in against his side. “He loves you so much. I know he’s fighting his way back. I know him. I know how his mind works. E’s fighting his way back to you right now, Brynne.”

I nodded my agreement. I couldn’
t speak, all I could do was
believe
. Ivan’s words were my lifeline to Ethan right now, and I couldn’t allow any other thoughts or doubts to creep in.

So, we sat there together
, and gave him some more time to come back to us.

FINALLY.
I smelled her again. Her scent was in my nose, and I breathed it in. A lungful of Brynne. But how could that be? I’d said goodbye to her up on that mountain. I felt different, though.

Vast
ly different.

I
could now
feel
my body. My hands, my toes, my head.
Does that mean…I’ve made it?
Oh, fuckin’ fuck yes! I felt euphoria. I was alive…and Brynne was close by. It was so good…whatever was being done to me. The massaging of fingers through my hair, over and over again. Fingers I knew well. Belonging to a hand I’d felt, and held, and kissed. The hand slowly rubbed my scalp. Her hand—Brynne’s hand touched me, and that was the most wonderful perfect fucking thing. I wanted to tell her how much I loved her, and that I was going to be fine, but I couldn’t speak yet. All I could do was breathe her in, and savour the feel of her touching me. Somehow, by some miraculous intervention, I’d survived. I remembered the angel wings holding me when I was floating between life and death. It very much reminded me of another time when it had happened to me.

Thank you, Mum.
Again.

I
knew complete and total relief, and knew I could stop struggling now…and just sleep a little more, with my girl right beside me.

LITTLE
kicks and nudges rumbled against my hand. I loved it. Always made me smile. I knew exactly what I was feeling. Laurel-Thomas was talking to Daddy.
You’ve gotten stronger, little one.
I rubbed my hand over the baby, trying to imagine which body part was which. Was that a little bum or the crown of a head? More kicks pummeled my palm, and made me laugh. It was the best damn feeling in the whole fucking world. Like a blessing—a gift I didn’t expect—perfectly beautiful.