It was true—I loved my father. But I loved Trey beyond reason, and in a situation where Trey had been shot three times, one leaving a hole in his body, I was grateful Trey had the wherewithal to save his life and come home to me.
“Walker family?” a handsome nurse called out.
“Yes.” My mom stood and grabbed my hand to follow.
“Mr. Walker has been transferred and is ready to see you,” he said.
“May my daughter and her fiancé come back with me before they leave?”
Fiancé?
Mom was laying it on thick. All day, I’d heard Trey this, Trey that. He’s just like Dad. I knew she needed to talk about something to get her mind off her husband being held at gunpoint, but fiancé—that was a little crazy.
“Sure. Rules on the floor are three visitors at a time. Normal hours are over, so five minutes at a time. If you’ll follow me.”
We followed the nurse down the hall. He stopped, pointed to the door, then continued.
“I don’t know if I can do this,” I whispered to Trey.
“You can.”
And without another word, he pulled me into the room. My mom was already at my dad’s bedside, brushing his hair off his forehead.
“Em.”
My dad’s throat sounded dry, and instantly my mom grabbed a pitcher of water from the roller table, poured some in a cup, and held it to my dad’s lips.
After he took a drink, Mom put the cup back on the table and my dad’s battered face turned in my direction.
I stiffened and Trey wrapped his good arm around my shoulders and tucked me close. My dad’s lips twitched and he nodded his approval.
“They get you sewn up?” Dad asked, his voice a lot stronger.
“Yep. Through and through. Didn’t hit anything important.”
“Good. Cops come by?”
“Taken care of and that’s all good, too.”
“Did—”
“Q and A later, yeah?” Trey asked.
My dad smiled then snarled, “Fucking hell, what’d they do, sew my lips together?”
“No,” my mom answered. “Though I have a feeling in a few days after I’ve heard you complaining about being laid up, I’m gonna wish they did.”
“Mom!” I giggled.
“Don’t Mom me. You know I’m right. And since we’re on the topic of complaining, I might as well get this out of the way right now. You’ll be in a wheelchair—”
“Nope,” Dad cut her off.
“Jasper—”
“Nope,” Dad repeated. “There is zero chance I’m walking my girl down the aisle in a wheelchair.”
“You’re right. You’ll be wheeling—”
“Nope.”
“Damn stubborn,” my mom announced right before she burst into tears.
“Em, darlin’, come ’ere.”
My dad didn’t have to ask twice. Mom sat on the bed and got as close as the wires, tubes, and blood pressure cuff would allow.
My dad was murmuring softly, sometimes he’d stop to kiss her head, sometimes his hand would move gently over her back. That was love, giving his Emily everything she needed. What my mom couldn’t see and what she’d never know was the whole time his face was a mask of pain.
“Take my daughter home,” Dad commanded.
“We’ll be by in the morning,” I told him. “I’ll talk to your doctor and get you sorted to start PT.”
My dad scowled and Trey chuckled.
“I don’t know what you’re laughing about. You’re back on the schedule, too, and now we’re adding shoulder strengthening to your rotation.”
“Right. She’s like Oprah.” My mom laughed. “PT for you. PT for you. PT for everybody.”
My dad and Trey joined my mother. Three of the people I loved the most in the world laughing at my expense.
I could live with that.
But I still feigned irritation and snapped, “Whatever. Glad you’re alive, Dad. See you tomorrow.”
“Adalynn,” my dad gently called my name. “I love you, my sweet girl.”
“Love you, Daddy.”
Trey’s arm tightened, my mom smiled, and Dad gave me a wink.
“Take me home and put me to bed,” I told Trey.
My father’s very angry rumble filled the room.
Trey contained his laughter. But Mom and I didn’t. And when the door closed behind me, Trey and I could still hear my mom laughing.
All was well.
We’d said our goodbyes to my family. Which took approximately five hundred hours since everyone was there except Uncle Lenox, Aunt Lily—they were still in Texas but coming home early—and Jason, who had taken an exhausted Mercy home since he’d already spent time with Dad.
Hugs were given, more hugs, handshakes, man-slaps on the back—which I didn’t appreciate since every time Trey received one he winced, but I kept my comments to myself. Uncle Levi and Uncle Clark had pulled Trey off to the side to have a word. Whatever was said, Trey hadn’t told me and I didn’t ask.
Now we were finally home, and after hours of being emotionally drained, I had my second wind.
“Do you need a pain pill?” I offered Trey as he sat on the side of the bed.
“Nope, just need you.”
I wasn’t ready for bed, not tired, and was going to tell him I was going to go downstairs and read when his statement hit me full-force.
“You say that a lot.”
“Say what?”
“When I ask what you need, your answer is just this or just you.”
“Everything okay?”
“It wasn’t. Everything was very, very wrong. But you made it so tonight I’m getting in bed next to you and my mom’s sitting by my dad’s side. So, yes, everything is okay.”
“Come here, Addy.”
I moved to him, and when I got close, he opened his legs so I could walk between them. When I got there, he wrapped an arm around my hips and pressed his forehead into my stomach.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
“Yep.”
“That easy?” I asked skeptically.
“Yep.
“But you…I mean…” Crap. I didn’t know how to say it, but thankfully, Trey understood my stuttered question.
“Addy, I pray to God that’s the very last time that happens. But I think you understand it’s not the first. There are things I’ve seen and done that have marked me. But I will not lose sleep over ending Belview and helping your dad. It is not one of the things that will leave a mark. Going into that cabin, I knew Belview wasn’t coming out alive, but I was gonna try my damnedest to make sure your dad did.”
“Okay.”
Trey smiled so big his eyes lit.
“I love when your eyes shine,” I told him.
“Baby, I’m a man, my eyes don’t shine.”
“They totally do. When you’re happy, truly happy, they shine. I made a vow to myself to fight for that look, make you feel it so you could stop hiding it and give it to—”
“Come here, Adalynn.”
“I’m here.”
“Closer.”
“If I come any closer, I’ll be on your lap.”
“That’s the idea, baby.”
“Oh.”
That shine sparkled brighter and my belly flip-flopped.
“You’re gonna have to do all the work tonight.”
“Okay.”
“Goddamn, I love you. Help me get these off so you can ride me, Addy,” he demanded.
So I said the only thing I could say, “Okay.”
Then I helped him take his pants off. Then I kissed him until he grew impatient and growled into my mouth. That turned me on so I grew impatient, and that was when I finally rode him. When I was done and he was done, he pulled me to his chest, and with my head tucked under his chin while I caught my breath, I stared at the two deep purple bruises on his chest. My hand covered them and I felt his heartbeat under my palm.
He took three bullets that day.
Two to his heart.
But it was still beating.
32
Tuesday Clark’s orchard had been turned into a magical fairy tale world. Unless she always had lights strung from the trees, flower petals dusting the grass, tables with tall, wide candles lit, and lanterns set all along a white runner that led to the place where Hadley and Brady would say their vows.
I couldn’t say I’d ever given much thought about getting married, and I certainly hadn’t thought about the ceremony, but after looking around the large gathering—large because the Walker, Lenox, Clark, and McCoy clans were big and getting bigger—there were a lot of people. All of them close, all of them important, all of them family—some by blood, all by bond.
It was a far cry from how I grew up, but even I knew this was what family meant. Arguments, disagreements, knock-down-drag-outs, good times, the best times, and the worst times, nothing broke the bond. It might shake them, but they always made amends. I supposed that was something they learned from Jasper, Lenox, Clark, and Levi. The forgiveness part of that equation I reckoned came from Emily, Reagan, Lily, and Blake.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Liberty hustling my way with a huge smile on her face.
“What’s the deal? Is this a competition or something?” she asked when she was still five feet away.
“Come again?”
“A race?” Her unusual cat eyes danced with humor.
“Woman, I don’t have the first clue what the fuck you’re talking about.”
“I leave on an op, I’m gone three weeks, and you’ve shacked up with my cousin.”
“Yep.”
“Yep? Just yep?”
Liberty McCoy was one of my favorite females. Not only was she the toughest chick I knew, and there was a time when I would’ve gladly served by her side, but she loved Drake. And just like anything Lieutenant Liberty McCoy did, she excelled at it. And Drake now lived a life that was full of worry when his woman deployed, but so full of the good stuff it made every moment of worry worth it. She was also honest, kind, and like the rest of her family, loyal.
“Not sure there’s anything else to say.”
Her smile waned and she stepped closer.
“I knew,” she whispered conspiratorially.
“Knew what?”
“When you were in the hospital and we were on the phone and you were telling me about the nurse who wanted to give you a sponge bath so she could see your wonker—”
“Don’t call my dick a wonker.”
“Well, I’m not calling your dick a dick. We’re actually not even talking about your wonker, that was just a point of reference.”
“My dick usually is.”
“We’re not talking about your dick,” she growled, and I busted out laughing. I did it so hard and so long my shoulder started to ache.
“You just wanted to see how many times you could get me to say dick.” She’d caught on.
“Yeah, Liberty, I wanted to see how many times I could get you to say dick while getting increasingly pissed about saying it.”
“That’s how I knew.”
I still had no idea what she was talking about, and when my eyes landed on Adalynn in her dress, Liberty lost my attention.
Goddamn, Addy was gorgeous. She’d left her hair down, but instead of it being straight like she normally wore it, there was a sexy, messy wave to it. And while I loved Addy fresh-faced, she’d done her makeup heavy, and even from this distance, the black around her eyes made the green stand out. Perfect curves, toned but not pointy and sharp, soft and womanly. And the dress she was wearing gave only a hint at being sexy, which made it sexy as fuck. She was covered, leaving everything to the imagination, and since I’d seen and tasted every inch, I didn’t have to imagine—which, again, made the dress sexier.
“Earth to Trey,” Liberty called.
“Sorry, what?”
“It’s awesome being the smartest in the family,” she quipped.
“Still not tracking.”
“You see, that day when I spoke to you, you told me that your whole life you’ve attracted the wrong type of women. Then you told me that you wanted a woman who had something in her other than shallow intentions. You also said you didn’t like blondes or aggressive women. And I thought to myself, I know the perfect woman for Trey. She’s got black hair, green eyes, she is sweet and shy, and doesn’t have a shallow bone in her body. I knew I was right the first time you saw her and your eyes lit up but I figured I had to wait it out until you got settled and sorted yourself. Then I go away, hoping when I got home I could start my matchmaking mission and bam, you’ve hooked my cousin deep and she’s living with you. So again, is this a competition?”
I loved that she knew Addy was the woman for me and she trusted me enough to want to hook me up with her cousin. But I still wasn’t tracking the competition thing.
“I’m not following. What’s a competition?” I asked as Addy joined our huddle.
“Hey, baby.” I tagged her hand and gave her a tug until she was plastered to my side.
“Hey, Liberty, welcome home. I’d give you a hug but I’ve been claimed,” Addy said in mock annoyance.
“Indeed you have.”
“Competition?” I prompted, and Liberty’s eyes danced again, this time with mischief.
“Way I hear it, you moved Addy in before the first date. She’s living with you. Everyone knows Addy and Hadley always said they’d get pregnant at the same time so their babies would be the same age. Word also has it that Hadley has already started her pursuit to over-populate the world with Walkers. Drake says he’s gonna be pissed if you marry Addy before we get married, so now I’m racing to get a wedding planned. And just so you know, you’re uninvited if you get married before me. Quinn’s still like sevenish months out. I figured I’d go right after her. That just leaves you and Addy.”
“I suggest you plan your wedding sooner than sevenish months then,” I declared, and heard Addy’s swift inhale. “Because I’m not waiting that long.”
Liberty’s smile went back to wide and she sweetly chuckled.
“You don’t want to wait that long?”
I turned to look at Addy and those stunning fucking eyes were shining.
“Nope.”
“But Mom wants Dad to walk one of his girls down the aisle. Big church wedding. I wanted this.” She motioned around the backyard. “But I’m the last one. Mom’s last chance seeing what she’s always dreamed she’d see.”
Damn. He’d wanted the same as Addy. Marrying her in Tuesday’s orchard in a wonderland of lights.
“If you wanna give that to your mom, then we’ll give it to her. But, baby, I do not want to wait seven months.”
“Okay.”
There she was, his Addy.
He gave her what she wanted and she gave him easy.
“We should go up. Hadley was getting impatient and asked Mom to go find Dad.”
“I’m gonna find Drake. See you up there.”
I didn’t hide my limp when I walked Addy up the slight incline. My leg was throbbing because she was back to being the devil. Jasper and I had started PT two days ago. Addy had taken pity on her father—just having surgery, there wasn’t much he could do, but she was still making him do light stretches. Me? She had me twisting into yoga poses. Something I swore I’d never do, but Addy demanded.
“You okay?”
“No. I’m sore as fuck.”
“I’d say I’m sorry but I’m not.” I didn’t have to look at my woman to know she was smiling. “I’ll give you a rub down when we get home.”
It had been a week since Belview died, and in that week, Addy had been back to her place once. And that was to pick up more clothes, including her yellow bikini. She’d worn it once for about two seconds, then I took it off her and tossed it over the side of the hot tub.
“Are you happy, Adalynn?”
“Very.”
I had planned on waiting until later after the ceremony when I could get
her alone, but Liberty had given me a golden opportunity and I wasn’t going to waste it.
I stopped us just short of where Hadley and Brady were going to say their vows. I figured if I couldn’t marry her here, I could give us this memory.
I pulled the ring out of my pocket and twisted Addy’s left hand so her palm was down, and gave her a tug.
“You’re always—”
“Marry me, Adalynn.”
Wondrous shock gleamed in her eyes, and even though it wasn’t a question she still answered.
“Yes.”
One word that said hundreds more—all of them I loved.
I slid her ring on and bent forward, not bothering to ask her to kiss me even though I knew she’d sweetly say okay.
I took my time, giving her everything she gave me. I broke the kiss when the clapping and cheering around us got louder, and when I pulled away, Addy was smiling huge and her family was circling us.
Yeah, I’d take this memory.
Five minutes later, a stoic Jasper walked Hadley to Brady. The man looked positively pained and full of joy. I didn’t understand how Jasper could feel two extreme emotions at once but his face stated plain he did.
Ten minutes later, Hadley and Brady were pronounced Mr. and Mrs. Walker.
Brady kissed his wife and he did it for a long time. Long enough that everyone nearly busted a gut when Jasper grumbled.
I glanced over at my fiancée just as she was wiping away a tear. I bent and kissed the top of her head when Jasper and Emily joined us. Emily came straight to me and kissed me on the cheek. When she stepped aside, Jasper moved in and offered me his hand.
“I see you forwent asking for my permission.”
Emily sucked in a breath and Addy moved closer, readying herself to take my back.
“Thought I had,” I returned.
“When was that?”
“When I was standing in a cabin with a hole in my shoulder after saving your ass.”
Jasper’s head dipped, he shook it, then he roared with laughter.
Emily was still not over the incident, which started with her husband getting jumped while he was out for a run. Jumped being in a literal sense—Belview had jumped out of a bush and hit Jasper in the temple with the butt of his pistol. Then he’d carried Jasper to his car and drove him to the cabin. When Jasper had woken up, he was tied to a chair.
Flawed (Triple Canopy Book 2) Page 27