sedated and is just coming out of it. Would you still like to see him?”
She couldn’t speak past the lump in her throat. She vaguely felt Douglass patting her shoulder, heard Kai’s gentle murmur of encouragement and she was speed-walking her way down the hall, the surgeon practically jogging to keep up with her.
Peirce was there in the bed, bruised, battered, hooked up to more machines than he had in his entire garage and whole.
Hers. All hers.
She hovered at the edge of the bed, unsure of what to do. All those memories of her mother surrounded by machines, in so much pain she couldn’t stand a simple touch, were roaring through her head, poisoning this moment—
He blinked slowly and those gorgeous, light-blue eyes looked at her. The corner of his mouth lifted. He stretched out his fingers toward her and she clasped his hand in hers, so grateful for his warmth, the constant beep of his heart rate, the stench of blood and battle sweat and antiseptic. “Babe—”
She’d told herself she wouldn’t cry...
“—you look like hell.”
“Same to you, Mr. Taggart.”
He shifted in the bed, sending up a chorus of angry noises from the machines and patted the empty space next to him. She crawled up without hesitation.
The moment she was side to side with him, he gave a deep sigh of contentment and settled back against the pillow. They lay in quiet for a few moments before he groaned.
“What?” She was instantly alert.
“I forgot.”
“Forgot what?”
“I’m going to have to buy you a fucking ring now.”
She tried to hide her smile, but couldn’t manage it. “Is that what’s bothering you?”
“Yeah. I kind of committed back there, in case you don’t remember.”
“True. But you’ve forgotten something else that’s important.”
“What’s that?”
She kissed his nose, loving how groggy and pissed off he sounded. “I still owe you three thousand credits.”
“Oh.” His eyes narrowed. “You do. Buy your own damn ring.”
“Fine.”
She was just drifting off when he cleared his throat. “Emma?”
“What?”
“You never answered, you know.”
“Never answered what?”
“If you would.”
She smiled against his chest and dug his welding gloves out of her pocket, placing them gently in his hand. “William.”
“Huh?”
“Whenever we have him. That’s his name.”