hug. “You saved her life. I’ll never forget that.” He took a step back and nodded toward the ambulance. “Neither will she.” He slapped Lane on the arm. “Now go on. She’s waiting for you.”
Lane smiled through his tears and headed toward the ambulance. After all, Becca was waiting.
Chapter Ten
When the doorbell rang, Lane was ready. He raced to the door and threw it open before the bell finished ringing.
“Good, you’re here.” He glanced from Gabe to Becca and offered her a nervous smile. “Come on in.”
Becca narrowed her gaze at Gabe. “What are you two up to?”
“Nothing,” Gabe said as he swept her into her apartment.
Lane watched Becca’s eyes go wide as she stared at the large banner strung across her living room. ‘Welcome Home’ was spelled out in rainbow colors. Helium balloons filled the room, as well as fresh flowers.
“Wow,” she said. “You guys didn’t have to do this.”
“We wanted to,” Lane replied as he moved to stand next to her.
She shook her head as Gabe put her back on the ground. “You two are unbelievable. I should have known you were up to no good when you asked for my apartment keys at the hospital.”
“That’s not all,” Gabe said. “Lane made a welcome home dinner.”
She glanced at him. “You cooked?”
“Well, not exactly.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I ordered takeout. But that’s only because it’s much better than anything I could make in the kitchen.”
Becca giggled. “I’m not so sure about that.” She rounded into the kitchen, and Lane heard her gasp of surprise. “You cleaned.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Gabe said.
“Do you like it?” Lane asked as he followed in her wake.
“Thank you,” she said as Lane entered the kitchen. She threw her arms around him and kissed him breathless.
“You really like it?” Lane asked when he finally came up for air.
“It’s overwhelming.” She let go of Lane and kissed Gabe. “I don’t know when you two found the time to do this.”
“Lane still blames himself for what happened,” Gabe said. “He wanted to make it up to you.”
Lane had a lot of time to think while Becca was in the hospital. They had kept her overnight because the board had hit her in the head and she had suffered a mild concussion. Just thinking about it made Lane’s gut tighten with guilt. “If I wasn’t distracted—”
“If you weren’t distracted, I still would have fallen off the board,” she said.
“Yeah, but I could have made it to you sooner.”
Becca shook her head as she closed the distance between them. “Don’t beat yourself up over this. You did fine. It was your quick thinking that saved my life.”
He avoided her gaze. “Not really. The paramedics—”
“The paramedics helped, yes, but they weren’t there at the beginning.” She wrapped her arms around his waist. “You were.”
“She’s right, you know.” Gabe came up on the other side of Lane.
“But—”
“Just take the compliment, big guy. You deserve it.” Gabe ran his fingers along Lane’s biceps.
“No, I don’t. I don’t deserve any of this.” Lane broke away from the pair and put some distance between them. “This wasn’t the first time something like this has happened.”
“Something like what?”
“I’ve made mistakes before, back in…” He swallowed hard as memories of that day flooded his head.
“Gabe already told me,” Becca said as she took a step forward. “And I agree with him. It was that woman’s fault for not staying in the safe areas of the beach. There was nothing more you could have done for her.”
Lane to Gabe for help. “You have to make her understand. It was my fault.”
“No, it wasn’t.” Gabe took a step closer. “You were responsible for an entire beach. You can’t be expected to be watching one couple the entire time. What about the other people?”
“I should have said something.”
“They were in the boundaries of the beach,”
Lane smiled through his tears and headed toward the ambulance. After all, Becca was waiting.
Chapter Ten
When the doorbell rang, Lane was ready. He raced to the door and threw it open before the bell finished ringing.
“Good, you’re here.” He glanced from Gabe to Becca and offered her a nervous smile. “Come on in.”
Becca narrowed her gaze at Gabe. “What are you two up to?”
“Nothing,” Gabe said as he swept her into her apartment.
Lane watched Becca’s eyes go wide as she stared at the large banner strung across her living room. ‘Welcome Home’ was spelled out in rainbow colors. Helium balloons filled the room, as well as fresh flowers.
“Wow,” she said. “You guys didn’t have to do this.”
“We wanted to,” Lane replied as he moved to stand next to her.
She shook her head as Gabe put her back on the ground. “You two are unbelievable. I should have known you were up to no good when you asked for my apartment keys at the hospital.”
“That’s not all,” Gabe said. “Lane made a welcome home dinner.”
She glanced at him. “You cooked?”
“Well, not exactly.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I ordered takeout. But that’s only because it’s much better than anything I could make in the kitchen.”
Becca giggled. “I’m not so sure about that.” She rounded into the kitchen, and Lane heard her gasp of surprise. “You cleaned.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Gabe said.
“Do you like it?” Lane asked as he followed in her wake.
“Thank you,” she said as Lane entered the kitchen. She threw her arms around him and kissed him breathless.
“You really like it?” Lane asked when he finally came up for air.
“It’s overwhelming.” She let go of Lane and kissed Gabe. “I don’t know when you two found the time to do this.”
“Lane still blames himself for what happened,” Gabe said. “He wanted to make it up to you.”
Lane had a lot of time to think while Becca was in the hospital. They had kept her overnight because the board had hit her in the head and she had suffered a mild concussion. Just thinking about it made Lane’s gut tighten with guilt. “If I wasn’t distracted—”
“If you weren’t distracted, I still would have fallen off the board,” she said.
“Yeah, but I could have made it to you sooner.”
Becca shook her head as she closed the distance between them. “Don’t beat yourself up over this. You did fine. It was your quick thinking that saved my life.”
He avoided her gaze. “Not really. The paramedics—”
“The paramedics helped, yes, but they weren’t there at the beginning.” She wrapped her arms around his waist. “You were.”
“She’s right, you know.” Gabe came up on the other side of Lane.
“But—”
“Just take the compliment, big guy. You deserve it.” Gabe ran his fingers along Lane’s biceps.
“No, I don’t. I don’t deserve any of this.” Lane broke away from the pair and put some distance between them. “This wasn’t the first time something like this has happened.”
“Something like what?”
“I’ve made mistakes before, back in…” He swallowed hard as memories of that day flooded his head.
“Gabe already told me,” Becca said as she took a step forward. “And I agree with him. It was that woman’s fault for not staying in the safe areas of the beach. There was nothing more you could have done for her.”
Lane to Gabe for help. “You have to make her understand. It was my fault.”
“No, it wasn’t.” Gabe took a step closer. “You were responsible for an entire beach. You can’t be expected to be watching one couple the entire time. What about the other people?”
“I should have said something.”
“They were in the boundaries of the beach,”
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