“I was doing my job, like you were doing your job, and on the stand, I tried to protect you as much as I could.”

“I know,” I say softly, my chin dropping when his brow raises. He doesn’t believe that I trust him, not yet, but I earned that when I ran out of the courtroom and didn’t talk to Blake because I was hurt and mad.

But I will face it head-on now.

I grab his face, bringing him nose to nose with me. “I know.”

That gets me one of those sweet smiles, and he kisses me deeply but gently, careful with my cheek that’s still sore and probably looks a frightful mess. I kiss him back, telling him with my touch what I’ve already known.

He’s a good man. He’s my man, and I’m his.

The tenderness heats, fueled by what we almost lost, until Jacob clears his throat to remind us that he’s here. And we’re in a hospital. Babies are delivered here, not made.

Pulling back reluctantly, Blake whispers against my lips, “I love you, Miss Walker.”

I feel the words as much as I hear them, both resonating into my heart. But . . . “You can’t love me.” Blake growls at my argument, so I quickly finish, “Not yet. We haven’t even been on a proper date yet.”

He laughs, and a second later, I do too, matching his joy. We have time . . . time to date, time to love, time to trust.

“I think I fell in love with you one minute after you tried to kill me with your car. If it wasn’t then, it was when you saved my ass by easily winning our trivia competition wearing the cutest pajama pants I’ve ever seen.” He pauses and hums thoughtfully. “Actually, that might’ve been lust, not love, because those pants are sexy as hell on you.”

“The fuzzy skull ones?” I say with a grin, and he nods, pointedly looking down the lumpy, bumpy expanse of the hospital bed where I’m covered by a thin blanket.

“Still here, guys,” Jacob reminds us again. “Think I’ll head home, though. Seems like you’ve got this covered?”

Blake reluctantly tears his eyes away from me to shake Jacob’s hand. “I’ve got her.”

Jacob smiles at Blake before looking at me, all our history together in his eyes. If anyone knows what it’s like to feel alone in the world, it’s Jacob. “It’s about damn time. She’s wearing me out.”