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Cara curled on her side next to Jacob, putting her hand over his heart as she’d done for so many nights. Her eyes closing, she felt the tears she’d been holding back slip from beneath her lids and roll down her cheeks.
Her sleep had been disturbed by dreams of Jacob as she’d found him after he’d been shot and of his wounds as she’d worked so tirelessly to stop the bleeding and save his life.
She’d felt her heart stop its beating when he’d told her it was no use. She’d quickly shoved her fear down, told him he was talking and breathing, he was going to make it, then focused on doing what needed to be done until the doctor told her to leave.
She’d left and went outside, running away from the house before she let herself go.
That had been the screaming.
This…this was just the silent tears of a woman whose man was broken and barely alive.
Jacob blinked a few times then half smiled at the feel of Cara’s warm hand on his chest. Hearing a noise that sounded like crying, he turned his head and in the dim light saw his wife, her beautiful face streaked with tears. “Shh,” he whispered.
Cara sat up and stared down at her husband. Hastily wiping away her tears, she scowled when more replaced them. “Jacob,” she breathed.
Smiling that special smile that he reserved only for her, Jacob reached up and cupped her cheek, his thumb catching a tear. “My Cara.”
Sighing as she let herself just be his wife, she closed her eyes, more tears falling as she let her face rest in the gentle caress of his strong hand. “In all of our years…” she stopped on a half sob then swallowed. “You’ve never been so close to death. You can’t keep frightening me this way,” she whispered.
“When Spencer comes home, when this is all over, I promise that I’ll let him take over. You’ll have me underfoot so much, you’ll be telling him to take me with him.”
Cara couldn’t help the half laugh that then turned into a half sob. Shaking her head, she turned her face into his palm and pressed a kiss there. “Never. Not after this year.”
Jacob smiled. “Lay back down, Sweetheart. I know you have to be exhausted,” he told her as he patted his shoulder.
Cara shook her head. “I’ll hurt you.”
“You won’t. That shoulder happens to be one of the few places on my body that doesn’t hurt.”
Cara half laughed, half sobbed again. “Oh Jacob.”
“Come on, Sweetheart. Lay back down and let it out. I know you. You’ve held it all in because you were fighting for my life and the ranch and, well, everything else being put upon you because I’m lying here. You’re safe here, Sweetheart.”
Giving in, Cara laid her head on his shoulder. Letting her tears continue to fall, she sighed at the feel of his kiss on her head. “Your shoulder has seen a lot of my tears in our life together,” she whispered.
“My shoulders. Don’t leave the other one out,” he joked, smiling when she tapped his arm.
“Oh Jake.”
“That’s my girl.”
“No so much a girl anymore. Not that I was much of a girl when you married me. I’d passed into old maid territory by then.”
“Weren’t much of an old maid on our wedding night.”
“Jake!” Cara turned her face into his shoulder to keep her laugh from ringing out.
Jacob had always loved to make her laugh, and he knew that saying off the wall things had always worked. Her laughter was far better than her tears, though hearing her tears was infinitely better than her silence. In her silence he could hear her heart breaking, and if he lived to be a hundred years old, he never wanted to go through that again. His own heart couldn’t take that.
Nuzzling her nose against his neck, Cara whispered, “Jacob,” after realizing he’d gotten lost in thought. “What is it?”
“Just thinking about how much I love the sound of your laughter.”
Cara knew he wasn’t telling her all of what he was thinking about, but she let it go. “I love you, Jacob Dutton.”
“I love you, Cara Dutton. Now, rest, Sweetheart. They’ll be disturbing you soon enough.”
Cara sighed as she settled more comfortably against him and let her eyes close. “You’ll take me away for a while once this is over?” she asked sleepily.
“Wherever you want to go,” he promised.
“Mmm,” she murmured as she slipped further into sleep. “Somewhere warm.”
Jacob smiled and kissed her head. “Promise, Sweetheart,” he whispered as he listened to her breathing even out. Lying there staring out the window, he thought about what a very fortunate man he was to have the heart of such a woman as Cara.