Fixing Perfect (27 page)

God, be with me now. I don't want to die
.

She slipped her right hand out of the crutch cuff and slid it down the staff, gripping tight. With the other crutch, Robin pushed herself straight. The first, she still held short, and she dropped the one holding her up to be able to put both arms into the swing.

She'd practiced plenty on those swings, and her upper arm strength was phenomenal.

Donovan ducked away and stumbled on the beads, slid a few feet, and caught his balance. He backpedaled, his feet without purchase atop the tumbling beads, and his arms flailed.

She swung again. The crutch was a bat, Donovan, her target. She put every ounce of her strength into the swing, betting on a home run, betting on sending the ball out of the park. She had to think of it that way, and not as attacking another human being, or she would never be able to finish.

The metal pole collided with Donovan's head. Warm blood spattered her, her face and clothes and room, and he went down.

Robin tilted on her unsteady legs, fighting the urge to vomit, struggling to stay upright. She won the first battle, lost the second, and crumpled into a heap on her floor, amidst the rolling beads.

A muffled shriek came from the living room, and her grandmother rushed in. “Did I hear you scream?”

Robin lay her head down next to Donovan's unmoving body, uncertain whether to laugh or cry.

 



 

Sam's rush stuttered to a stop just inside the front door. Robin lay in the doorway between her bedroom and the living room, her face splattered with blood, but alive, breathing. Grams came from the kitchen with a wet towel and handed it to her.

“Where is he?” Sam demanded. His chest heaved and rather than relief or thankfulness, his heart felt like lead. How could he have let this happen? How could he have let her down?

“In there. I hit him.” Robin wiped the blood off her face and handed the towel back to her grandmother. Three officers filled up the living room, and one pointed into Robin's bedroom. Donovan lay amidst hundreds of beads, blood covering his face, groaning.

Defeated, far more than the man on the ground, Sam turned away, ready to let the officer throw him from the house, ready to walk away and let someone worthy of Robin find her and live for her. Because he hadn't. He hadn't saved her.

He heard his name, at first gentle, but it became more strident. He ignored Robin, ignored her grandmother, ignored all the words she was saying that he didn't want to hear. Either she knew the truth and berated him, or she didn't, and everything she said would be a lie.

Before he could finish turning away, a growl from Robin's bedroom made him look back. Grunting, Donovan rose from the floor. Blood mottled his face, streamed into his eyes and mouth. He held out his arms like a father running into a child's hug, and bellowed.

Bending his knees, Sam lunged. He caught Donovan in the chest, and broke his momentum. The two men stumbled over Robin's outstretched legs. Sam's hands slipped on Donovan's throat. He didn't know how they'd gotten there. He hadn't had any idea of strangling the man, but he couldn't let go.

As they went down on the living room rug, an officer got behind Donovan. Within seconds he had his hands cuffed, and was dragging him to his feet. The other two officers helped to haul the screaming man to his feet.

Sam's hands were empty. He didn't know how or when that had happened, either, but he was so glad it had.

God, I could have killed him. Thank You for keeping me from that.

He looked up, and the room came into focus. The officer still held the cuffs, and Donovan sagged in his grip, with his head bent, quieter now. He was crying, great, heaving sobs shaking his shoulders.

Grams squatted next to Sam. “You OK?”

Sam looked over her shoulder at Robin. Her gaze met his, and Sam closed his eyes. “I will be.”

 



 

“I'll bet it feels odd to be in the back of the ambulance instead of driving it.” Robin twisted her head on the gurney where they'd strapped her. She and Sam had both protested—she was fine, Donovan hadn't had a chance to hurt her. But the EMT's insisted, and finally Sam had agreed. No one had listened to Robin's opinion. They'd just bundled her up and tied her in place like a baby into a car seat.

Sam shrugged, hard to do as he crouched beside her. “I'm not always driving. I get to ride back here a lot, with patients.”

“Oh, right. I forgot.” Robin straightened and winced. Parts of her that she didn't remember getting hurt were beginning to complain at every movement. Her neck ached. Her shoulder and elbow burned, along with a few places on her face. She closed her eyes and an image of landing on the beads as she hit the floor caused her to snap them open again. Funny how she could remember something so vividly when she hadn't paid attention to it while it happened.

“It's going to take me years to get those beads back up.”

“I'll help.” Sam shifted and looked at her, trying to smile. His eyes remained troubled.

Robin reached for his hand. “It's over, Sam. They know now that it was Donovan all along, and he's not going to hurt anyone else. You saved the kids. You saved
Kerry
. Everything's fine.”

He nodded. Didn't answer.

She said, “Sam?”

He shook his head. “Here I was thinking because I'd found the kids, everything was over. You were home, safe, and no one could hurt you. Instead, no one was protecting you.”

Her heart melted, right along with her knees. Good thing they had her strapped to a gurney. She'd have a hard time falling off that. “Yeah. Someone was protecting me. He always takes care of me, just like a good Father does. I'm fine, Sam.”

He chuckled, and some of the tension drained from his forehead and eyes. “OK, yeah, God had your back. I'm glad.” His hand traced a line down her cheek and ended cupping her chin. “You did good tonight, babe. You took him on and you won. You didn't let him hurt you.”

“That was God and me, you meant, right?”

“Of course.” His chuckle made her heart sing, now. Sam was sure giving it a workout tonight.

“But you're still awesome.” She grinned, though it hurt most of her face. “Kerry's right.”

Sam turned away. “I'm not. There were three officers there, in the house. If I hadn't taken him down, one of them would have.” He shrugged. “They were ready to cuff him as it was.”

“Yeah, they would have done it if they had to. But
you
were the one who did it. You and God, Sam, and God and me.”

He looked up from under his lashes. “You're preachin' to the choir, babe.”

“As long as the choir's listening.”

“I am.” He leaned forward and grasped her hand, pulled it closer to him, until his lips could brush the back. His touch sent delicious shivers through Robin, and they served to soften some of the shock. With Sam only inches in front of her face, she could see the fine sprinkling of freckles on his cheeks, and the starlight serrations of color in his eyes.

“When the kids told me he was going after you, I thought my world ended. Robin, I can't live without you.” His lashes slipped shut, and he leaned even closer.

His lips on her mouth were soft, light as a question, sparking with electricity. She put her hand on his neck as he deepened the kiss and only when they rounded a corner and he lost his balance did he give her a chance to breathe. “I love you, Robin. And I don't ever want to be in a position where I can't protect you. Even if you don't always need me.”

“Oh, I need you.” She traced his lips and jaw, the side of his nose, his eyebrows. “Because I love you right back.”

“That's good. ‘Cuz, things are gonna change around here. I'm going to be a permanent part of your life.”

She giggled. “Like you haven't been?”

“Well, yeah, I have.” A half smile charmed her. “But now I get a new role.”

“Suits me. Suits me just fine.” She lifted her chin, angling her mouth closer to his. “I get the feeling they're going to separate us once we get to the hospital, so you'd better kiss me good, now.”

 



 

Hours later, Robin nestled in Sam's arms. He had lifted her down from the hospital bed in the exam room of the tiny emergency section, and carried her to Kerry's room. Now, he sat with her on his lap. Neither she nor Kerry were going to be walking anywhere on their own for a while, until his leg brace and her crutch were replaced. The hospital rep hadn't held out much hope for a lot of speed, either. He had given them both standard issue tools, but they weren't as useful as ones specially made for them.

“You saved us. And Jake. Man, he was cool! I wish he could come here, but the nurse said they put one of those needles in him so he can't go nowhere. What's that needle called?”

“An IV. It's because Donovan didn't take care of them. He and Becca both need to stay in the hospital for a while.”

“I'm glad Jake's mom came to talk to us. She said you're a hero, Sam.” He snuggled deeper into the pillows. “I'm glad you're a hero.”

Robin tipped her head to brush a kiss against his rough jaw. “Me, too.”

Sam looked down, his eyes glinting.

Kerry got his elbow under him and pushed up, so he could talk more easily. “See? Even Robin says it. You're a hero, Sam. You saved everybody's life. I bet they make a statue of you. Hey, they could put it at the baseball field. We could climb on it after the game.”

Sam chuckled and bent close to Robin's ear. “I hope he forgets that one pretty quick.”

Kerry chattered on. “I didn't know Donovan was the bad guy. You guys knew, but you forgot to tell me, right? Or wait. Robin said you were scared that he'd hurt me if you did. I forgot, Robin. Hey, Sam, for a long time Mama and Dad were afraid it was you, and I was real scared.”

Sam sighed, though not loudly, and turned his attention once more back to Kerry. “We thought he might be, but the police didn't believe us.”

“But you showed ‘em. You saved us. Now you're a hero, and they shouldn't never put heroes in jail, ever, should they?”

“Not Sam, anyway.” Robin straightened. “Here's your mom and dad, Kerry. I bet they've got you all checked out, and they can take you home now.”

“Good. I'm tired.” Kerry's yawn took up more than half his face. “Hey, Daddy, Sam's a hero. Did you know that, Mom? Sam's a hero.”

“I think everybody in the hospital knows.” Mr. Wright reached to take Sam's hand.

Sam didn't stand up, but he loosed one hand that was gripped around Robin, to return the shake. “You
are
a hero, Sam. I will never be able to thank you enough for saving my son.”

“See? He's a real hero.” Fatigue slurred Kerry's words.

“Wasn't me,” Sam protested. “It was Jake. He's the one you need to thank.”

“Oh, I plan to. But for now, I need to get my family home. I'll carry you to the waiting room, son, but your sister is there with your wheelchair.” Mr. Wright turned to Robin. “Do you need one? We have an extra.”

“I've got one at home, thanks. Sam'll take care of me.”

“Hey.” Kerry went from half asleep to wide awake, and he giggled. “You and Sam are getting married, aren't you? ‘Cuz you keep kissing when you think my eyes are closed.”

“Kerry!” But even his mother laughed.

“You got that right, my friend.” Sam wrapped both arms tight around Robin. “Babe, I haven't had time to get a ring. Maybe we can do it together, OK?”

She twisted to stare into his face. “Are you asking me what I think you're asking me?”

“Do I need to? Kerry already told everyone we're getting married.” Sam bent and met her lips, and on a sigh, he said, “I will thank God for your life every minute of our marriage, Robin. I don't ever want to come close to losing you again.”

Robin didn't notice the Wrights leave. A long time later, still waiting for the nurse to bring her release papers and in no hurry for the woman to come, she patted Sam's chest. “You're my hero, too.”

 

 

 

 

Epilogue

 

The ring bearer was a bit taller than the typical four-year-old. He walked with a distinct list, and instead of on a pillow, he carried the rings in his uniform cap. To Robin, he was the handsomest, most endearing ring bearer in existence. Not quite as handsome as Sam, but he didn't have to be. Kerry, as Kerry, was perfect, and now, she could use the word without wincing.

She glanced at her husband-to-be, and saw him swipe at a tear. That was enough to get her started. Grace, her matron of honor, handed her a tissue and took her bouquet. That left one hand free to clasp Sam's.

Who cared if the wedding couple wasn't supposed to hold hands during the ceremony? Ever since that night, she'd held on to Sam every chance she got, and she wasn't going to let some wedding planner make her stop now.

Especially since Sam wouldn't let her stop.

The priest said the words uniting them forever, and Sam came in for the kiss, to cheers and clapping. As he lifted his head, he started to laugh and so did Robin. Because Kerry was the loudest in the church.

“Hey, Sam! Hey, Robin. You guys are awesome!”

 

Thank you for purchasing this Harbourlight title. For other inspirational stories, please visit our on-line bookstore at
www.pelicanbookgroup.com
.

 

For questions or more information, contact us at [email protected].

 

Harbourlight Books

The Beacon in Christian Fiction™