Tangled Pursuit (32 page)

She managed to lift one corner of her mouth into a faint smile. “Have my parents been notified?”

“Yeah, I called your father on the sat phone as soon as you got out of recovery. Your mother and father are flying in to see you and will probably arrive about 0700 this morning, if my calculations are correct.”

“That’s good,” Tal said, her voice breaking up. Emotionally, she needed Wyatt, but it was wonderful to know her parents would be here shortly to support them both. She felt weak, incapacitated, and completely reliant on him. She searched his eyes, feeling the fatigue in him. “How are you doing? Did you get injured too?”

He shook his head. “The normal assortment of deep bruising here and there, some scratches, but that’s all. I’m fine. Let’s just concentrate on you, okay?”

“Spoken like a true SEAL.” Tal saw the anxiety in his eyes and knew how worried he’d been about her. Tears fell onto her cheeks, but she was too tired to stop them. She saw his face soften, and his hand tightened around hers.

“I-I was so scared for you, Wyatt,” she choked out, her voice cracking. “You were drowning in that hide. I-I’d never felt so helpless. I was never so damned scared as then . . .”

“Hey,” he murmured, “you saved my sorry ass by throwing your hand out to me. And when I was slammed into the side of the hide by the force of the water, I only had one thought in my mind.”

“What? To live?”

“Only with you, Tal. I wanted to be able to tell you that I love you, Tal. All I wanted to do was to survive to tell you that . . .” Wyatt leaned down and kissed her wet, salty lips, now bathed with tears.

He understood that she was emotionally fragile right now. All her shock from the events of the previous day was finally emerging, as well as the effect of the drugs given to her for pain. And she was only beginning to realize that she’d survived something that she shouldn’t have.

Wyatt wasn’t going to tell her that she had coded twice during the flight to Bagram and that he’d nearly lost her. Not now. Later, when she was stronger, he’d tell Tal the rest of the story. As he took Tal’s lips gently, the sweet scent of her drifting into his nostrils, Wyatt felt his entire life shifting, like an earthquake moving the land beneath his booted feet.

“Tal,” he said, his voice breaking, “no matter what happens from here on out, I’m not letting you go. Not unless you tell me you don’t want me in your life. Okay?” He held her gaze as her eyes flooded with even more tears.

She reached up, her fingers caressing his cheek and beard. “I love you too, Wyatt. I was so afraid to say it before all of this . . . That it was too soon . . .”

He caught her slender hand and kissed her palm. “I know you do, Tal. I was giving myself the same reasons for not telling you how I felt about you. But things changed when we damned near got buried alive in that avalanche of mud and rock.”

She clung to his hand, basking in his warm, loving gaze. “Y-yes, it changed everything. I-I never cry,” Tal admitted brokenly, lifting her hand to wipe the tears away. “Don’t walk away from me, Wyatt. We’ll work this out over time . . .”

Relief, sweet and sharp, moved through Wyatt. “We have the time and we’ll figure this out as we go, darlin’. No rush, okay?” He moved his thumb, catching the tears and smoothing them away from her cheeks. Because he knew not to rush or try to push Tal into anything. Their relationship was being paced by her, not him, and Wyatt was fine with it.

He then shocked her with his next words. “I cried my eyes out when they put you in Recovery after surgery, Tal. I was one happy, relieved dude, believe me.”

“At least,” she choked out, “they were happy tears . . .”

“More than you’ll ever know,” Wyatt admitted thickly. “Look, you’re still coming out of the shock of surgery. This isn’t the time or place to talk about all of this. I need you to sleep so you’ll get stronger. You have your entire family flying in, and while that’s nice, it’s still going to put stress on you in your present condition.”

“I know,” she whispered. “My family is tight as fleas on a dog, Wyatt. I’m glad they’ll be able to meet you. They’ll love you like I do.”

“Yeah.” He chuckled a little, pulling her light blue bedspread up a little higher to keep her warm. “I got that loud and clear. Most parents who have a son or daughter wounded can’t fly over here to see them, as much as they might want to.”

“I know,” she said sadly.

He watched her eyelids begin to droop, and he was relieved to see that she was going to sleep. “You’re much loved, darlin’. And love is a good antidote for shock, which can wear you down and out.” He caressed Tal’s cheek, which now had some pink beginning to return to it. “Go to sleep. I’ll be here. I’m going nowhere without you.”

Tal sighed and closed her eyes. “Thank you, Wyatt . . . and thanks for saving my life.”

She was slurring her words now. She’d used up every ounce of what little energy she had, and sleep would reclaim her.

“Darlin’,” he whispered against her lips, “we saved one another. Now, sleep the sleep of angels, okay? Because you’re
my
guardian angel.”

Wyatt felt her fingers relax in his hand. Tal was slipping off that morphine cliff into a much deserved and, he hoped, deep, healing sleep.

W
YATT ROUSED HIMSELF
from the chair, every joint in his body aching and stiff. His gaze instantly went to Tal. She was still sleeping. He glanced at his watch; it was 0500. Soon her family would start trickling in. He needed twenty-four hours of uninterrupted sleep, but it wasn’t going to happen. Already, he could feel the pressures of being the chief of his SEAL platoon stalking him.

He’d gotten his OIC to approve his remaining with Tal, but that would come to an end shortly. A platoon couldn’t function without its chief; he was an integral part of the unit.

Slowly, biting back a groan, his joints protesting stiffly, Wyatt stood up. The bruises that covered his body, for the most part, would remain unseen, but this morning, they ached like hell. He needed some coffee. Tal was sleeping deeply, color finally back in her cheeks. Just the shallow rise and fall of her chest beneath the covers made him feel relieved.

He loved this woman, and he wasn’t going to let her go. Wyatt didn’t fool himself, however. In a day or two, once Tal was stable, she would be flown out of here and stateside. And he’d miss her. Damn, she’d be ripped out of his life.

Mouth tightening, he rubbed his smarting eyes and walked silently to the door, easing through it. He heard voices and turned toward the nursing station. A tall man who looked similar to Tal was approaching. His U.S. Air Force uniform with general’s stars on his broad shoulders told Wyatt it was her father, General Robert Culver.

He blinked a couple of times, trying to erase his drowsiness, knowing he had to go meet them.

The woman at his side, Tal’s mother, Dilara, was beautiful. As exhausted as Wyatt was, he appreciated her. She was poised and elegant-looking. Dilara turned toward him, and he saw Tal’s exotic, slightly tilted eyes in her face. She wore a tasteful gray pantsuit, a white silk blouse beneath it, and her red hair, the same color as her daughter Alexa’s, was tastefully arranged on her head, fastened in place with a long gold barrette.

She had the most exquisite aquamarine eyes that Wyatt had ever seen. Their color reminded him of the clear waters off the Bahamas, a mix of blue with green. She had Tal’s oval face and high cheekbones. He could easily see both her parents in Tal, but particularly her Turkish mother.

Before Wyatt could come to a halt near the nursing desk, General Robert Culver turned, his hazel eyes, large and intelligent, pinned directly on him. He moved around his wife, who stood with her purse on her arm, his hand gentle against the small of her back, as he walked toward Wyatt.

“Chief Lockwood?” he inquired.

SEALs weren’t known to be much for military protocol, but Wyatt, out of respect and deference to the six-foot-four-inch general, came to attention. “Yes, sir.”

Culver’s face was hard and set. “At ease, Chief. Thank you for calling us about our daughter,” he said, and thrust his hand forward.

Wyatt shook it. His gaze took in the “fruit salad”—all the military ribbons on his left upper chest. Wyatt relaxed. “You’re welcome, sir.”

“Where’s my daughter, Chief?”

“Room 305, last door on the left, sir.” Wyatt released his hand. “Right now, she’s sleeping, sir. She’s had two long surgeries and needs the rest.” He saw the general hesitate.

Dilara Culver came up, giving Wyatt a soft smile of welcome, holding out her slender hand to him. “I’m Tal’s mother, Dilara.” Her low, cultured voice wobbled. “Thank you for saving her life, Chief Lockwood.”

Wyatt was struck by the woman’s barely contained emotion, and it hit him hard. Her aquamarine eyes glistened with unspilled tears. He shook her hand gently and released it. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, ma’am. Tal’s talked a lot about both of you. I know she’s glad you’re here to support her. Tal saved my life out there on that op, or I wouldn’t be standing here talking to you folks.”

Dilara looked over at her tense husband, her hand resting on his sleeve. “Robert? We need to let Tal continue to sleep. But let’s quietly drop in for a moment to at least see her?” She turned to Wyatt. “Chief? After we see Tal, would you escort us to a cafeteria? I’m afraid I’ve been through so many time zones, I need something in my stomach.”

“Of course, ma’am,” he said. He stepped aside and watched the couple move down the hall. It was Robert who opened the door as they quietly slipped inside. Wyatt walked up to the nurse’s station and asked to use their landline phone. He would use this time to check in with his OIC and see if he was needed yet by the platoon. A chief was the hub of the forty-man team, and he knew his time with Tal and her folks would end very shortly. He’d take them to the cafeteria and then excuse himself and get back to his team.

About fifteen minutes later, Robert and Dilara Culver left Tal’s room. Wyatt had hung out at the nurse’s desk, waiting for them. Wyatt saw Dilara tug a little on her husband’s sleeve and he scowled. Both of them look stressed, but he also saw relief in their eyes that their daughter was alive and going to make it. They approached Wyatt, halting at the nurse’s station.

Robert’s gaze went to Wyatt. “Let’s go to the cafeteria in the basement of this hospital. I think we all need something to eat. Please come with us, Chief. We’d like to hear from you what happened out there on that op.”

“Of course, sir.” Well, his idea of going back to the SEAL HQ was shot down. As they entered the elevator to go to the cafeteria, Wyatt called his OIC to let him know what was going on and received permission to remain with the couple through breakfast.

Wyatt noticed Dilara stood about five foot seven inches tall and was willowy, like Tal. She smelled good, a spicy scent, very faint, around her. Dilara Culver was beautiful. Wyatt knew exactly where her two daughters got their looks, no question.

Wyatt saw that General Culver was holding back a lot of emotions about his daughter’s injuries. He knew better than his wife what Wyatt and Tal had probably gone through.

General Culver was met by the manager of the cafeteria just as soon as he entered. The man stood like a sequoia tree among lowly pines, Wyatt thought as he remained next to Tal’s mother. Instantly, the manager led them down a hall and to a room where only high-ranking officers ate.

The room was empty except for a waitress and two cooks at the other end who took the officer’s menu order. The manager quickly hurried forward and pulled out a thickly padded leather chair for Dilara. The general gestured for Wyatt to sit down next to him. A waitress appeared, harried and upset, pushing her blond hair back from her brow. She quickly gave them menus and took their drink order. Wyatt asked for coffee and so did the general. His wife requested tea.

“Tell us everything,” the general ordered Wyatt. “And leave nothing out.”

Dilara gave Wyatt a beseeching look. “Please? I know how hard this must be on you, Chief Lockwood, but it would help us understand our daughter’s state once she awakens.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Wyatt said. Afraid that her battle-hardened father would interrogate Tal, he was glad she was still asleep and that he could tell them what they wanted to know. Of course, he would leave out his relationship with Tal. If it was anyone’s place to say anything, it was Tal’s, not his.

Already, as he began to cover the mission, Wyatt felt his heart being clawed by invisible talons. This was the beginning of the end. Would he get time to see Tal after this, before she left for the States?

Wyatt was sure of only one thing: he loved her. And he’d be damned if he was going to lose her.

CHAPTER 18

T
AL WOKE UP
at 0900, and for the first time she felt better, more herself now that the anesthesia was finally out of her system. She looked around for Wyatt, but he was gone. Her heart sank, and she lay there realizing just how much she relied upon him emotionally, needing his physical presence right now. Trussed up, hating the catheter she had to wear, her lower leg suspended, she knew she had to suck it up and just get through this period.

There was a knock at her door. Looking up, she gasped, “Dad! Mom!” and tried to sit up, thrilled to see them.

Robert came in first, his officer’s hat in his left hand, holding the door open for Dilara. “Balim,” she whispered, opening her arms, rushing to Tal. Dilara saw how fragile her daughter was, gently kissing her on each cheek.

Tal loved her nickname. When she was six years old, she’d gotten into a jar of Turkish honey—fingers, face, and arms coated with it—and so the name Balim, a Turkish endearment, had stuck. Dilara had always called her that in moments of deep maternal love. She hadn’t known if she’d ever see her parents again. Her mother’s spicy perfume, always subtle, smelled wonderful to her.

“I’m okay, Mom.” Her voice shook . . . “Really, I am . . .” She soaked up Dilara’s essence.

After carefully embracing her daughter, Dilara wiped her eyes and gave her a wobbly smile, touching Tal’s tousled hair. “You look so pale. Are you in much pain, Balim?”