Surprises

Though he still had dark periods and searing migraine pain, Harper learned when to hold him and when to give him space. Bit by bit, signs of her old Wyck re-emerged - his ready laugh, the teasing gleam in his eye, arms wrapping her close while they watched movies at night.

One afternoon as the warmth of summer gave into the crispness of fall in the mountains, Harper arrived to find Wyck typing determinedly on his computer despite the tremors wracking his hands. His grin flashed when she appeared in the doorway.

"Are you up for a little drive?" Enthusiasm and mischief danced in his eyes.

"What are you up to, Wyck Alan Crockett?" She'd never been able to think of him as a Ward. He'd always be a Crockett to her.

Harper tried to sneak around behind him to see what he'd been working on, but he quickly shut the laptop before she could see.

Wyck twisted to look up at her, more alive and eager than she'd seen him since the accident. "No peeking. It's a surprise." His eyes held a hint of his