He did. And even after he’d been shot and out of commission, he’d never considered quitting. It was all ingrained in who he was. His life’s calling.
What would he do now?
It wasn’t a question he needed to decide right away. He had savings and, after twenty-two years in the Navy, would be able to retire with full benefits. Between re-signing bonuses he’d never touched and living cheaply on base for more years than not, he had a lot of money in the bank.
If need be, he could put off trying to find a job until six months after the baby was born. Maybe longer.
He could use that time to figure out the best ways to use his unique skill set. Hell, he could even go to college and learn something entirely new. If there wasn’t a school that fit his needs on the peninsula, he could take online classes.
The whole world was open to him and all that mattered was he would find a way to be a full-time dad and, hopefully sooner rather than later, husband.
He had zero doubt that this was love for him. It had happened fast and under extreme circumstances, but his feelings were real, and there was no denying the chemistry that had been there from the start. Now he just needed to hope it was the same for her, or at least that it could be in the future.
Deep down, he knew that if they’d met under normal circumstances, they’d have begun dating and within weeks would have been just as serious as he felt now. But he also knew she didn’t trust his feelings—and probably didn’t trust her own—because they could be clouded by the baby and the nightmare she’d just survived.
So he’d be patient. He could be content just holding her for now.
A nurse entered the room and snickered at seeing them snuggled together on the narrow bed. “Well, it looks like someone is feeling better.”
He smiled at the woman, whom he remembered from when he’d been installed in this room hours ago.
“Sleeping drugs did the trick, just like you promised.”
“And look, Ms. Kendrick is still here.” She winked at him.
Oh Lord. He’d been loopy when the painkiller took effect before he fell asleep. He must’ve told the nurse he was concerned he’d wake up alone, just like last time.
He supposed finding Audrey sharing his hospital bed made it clear his drug-induced fears had been completely unfounded and warranted a bit of teasing. He wondered what else he’d said in his loopy state.
“I need to check your vitals now that you’re awake. I should probably ask Ms. Kendrick to get up…”
Audrey started to scoot back, but he tightened his arm around her. “No can do. She’s twelve weeks pregnant and can’t be expected to sleep in that miserable chair. She stays.”
The nurse gave a knowing smile, and he realized he’d probably shared that detail with her too.
“Yes. I am aware. And I was going to add that I’m going to look the other way for now given that you both are VIPs and all.”
“VIPs?” Audrey asked, her body relaxing against him now that it was clear the hospital police weren’t going to be called in.
“Well, no one has told us what happened to you both except for Mr. Rivera surviving a mudslide, but it’s been made pretty clear by the admiral and captain who visited and the calls that have come in from NSWC that you did something special that warrants preferential treatment. This is why you have a private room and we aren’t enforcing visiting hours.”
He smiled. “Audrey’s the hero, not me.”
“Hardly,” she objected.
He kissed the top of her head. “You absolutely are, and I have a traumatic brain injury, so you aren’t allowed to argue with me.”
The nurse unhooked the sling that held his left arm in place and slid the blood pressure cuff around his upper arm. “Not optimal to do it this way, but you wanted Ms. Kendrick to stay.”
“It’s fine,” he said. His arm itself didn’t hurt; it was the shoulder joint and clavicle.
After she was done, she read out the numbers and said, “A little high, but that’s expected under the circumstances.” To Audrey, she said, “Don’t let him play the traumatic-brain-injury card too much, but give him that one.”
She then ran a thermometer over his forehead and announced the slight fever he’d had when he’d first arrived was gone.
“You missed dinner, but I can order a meal for you or get you a yogurt smoothie if you’re hungry.”
He accepted the offer of the smoothie mostly because he could eat it without Audrey being forced to leave his side.
The nurse returned a few minutes later with the snack, and they were alone again. He ate his smoothie, offering to share it with her, but she declined. She said she’d eaten while he slept and had plenty of snacks to see her through the night should boss baby demand food.
He smiled at that and wondered when she’d taken to calling Fig boss baby, but they had time for that later. The second dose of pain meds was kicking in, and he was getting drowsy. His eyes slipped closed without permission.
“I should let you sleep.”
“Don’t you dare leave me.”
“I’m not going anywhere, Xavier. I’ll be right in the chair.”
“No. Don’t leave my bed. Please?” It was irrational, he knew, but he needed her there. It was one way to combat the fear that he’d wake up and find himself broken and alone in a hospital bed once again.