It was the voice—Hunt’s voice—that led Ava back. The love in it was its own tone, a whole octave above fear and uncertainty. She knew it. It was that voice she’d slept with for all the years of her life, the one she heard in her dreams. The one belonging to the boy she’d adored—to the man he’d become—the man who held her heart.

She could hear him talking to other people now, and heard the excitement in their voices. But it was his voice that held her…anchored her. Before, she’d seen tears on his cheeks. Now she needed to see that smile.

When she finally opened her eyes, his face was the first thing she saw.

“Hey, baby…welcome back,” Hunt said, and then leaned down and kissed her.

“Love—”

Hunt’s eyes welled. “Love you, too. Your mom and dad were here, then left. But they’re on the way back right now.”

Ava clutched his hand, then licked her lips. “You…stay?”

He kissed her forehead, then whispered in her ear.

“Yes. Relax. I am within the sound of your voice.”

“Mine,” she said, and then closed her eyes.

“Forever yours,” Hunt said, then sat down and reached for her hand, and this time when he did, her grip was strong.

* * *

The good news about Ava Ridley’s resurrection spread through Blessings as fast as the news of her death had done, but there was one person who knew before all the others, and that was Elliot Graham, the man who’d delivered the warning that saved her life.

The satisfaction of knowing his warning had been heeded was enough. And to acknowledge the spirits who continued to send him messages, he lifted a glass of wine that night in their honor.

While Elliot was in his home drinking wine, Hunt was sitting near the window in Ava’s room downing a burger and fries that Karen and Larry brought him.

Ava woke a couple of times while her parents were still there—long enough to satisfy them with her continuing recovery—and after she fell back asleep the third time, they left her in Hunt’s care.

* * *

The floor was quieter at night. Enough so that Hunt dozed off now and then. Once he’d fallen asleep leaning forward in the chair with his forehead on Ava’s bed, and woke up with her fingers in his hair.

The next time he dozed off, he went to war, then woke up with a jerk when the nurses began changing shifts. He hadn’t dreamed like that in quite a while, and the only times he went back there in his sleep were in times of stress. What had happened to Ava fell into that category and then some.

They woke Ava up taking vitals, and the moment she opened her eyes, she was looking for him.