My jaw drops at her hateful, accusing words and I become aware that more than a few people are staring at our exchange. I even see a few phones come out.
Shit.
“Sir,” I speak to the guard, “Can we take this somewhere a little more private, please?” I nod at the kid taking video of us as if he’s filming the next Emmy-winning documentary.
The security guard looks around the waiting area to see the attention we’ve managed to draw. “Come on,” he says, grabbing Cassidy’s arm and parading her through the sea of onlookers as she throws a tantrum that I’m sure will be displayed all over the internet by sunrise.
We’re escorted to a private room near the nurses’ station. He shuts the door behind us and releases Cassidy, pointing to a chair while staring her down. Like a petulant child, she stomps over to it and sits down melodramatically.
“First off,” I tear into her, “the babysitter’s name is Amanda, not Miranda. Jesus, Cassidy, do you even know who you are leaving her with?” I shudder to think she’s not bothering to screen the people she’s entrusting the care of our child to.
“Whatever.” She rolls her eyes. “Who cares what her name is. Can we get back to why I can’t see my own daughter?”
The guard’s eyes ping-pong between us, seeming more interested in our conversation than doing his job.
I step closer to get a good look at her eyes. “You’re stoned out of your mind, Cass, and probably drunk, too. You can’t see her like this.”
The door to our private room swings open with such force, the handle puts a dent in the drywall. A tall man, much too thin for his frame, bursts into the room. Before he even speaks, I take in his bloodshot eyes and the ashy-grey hue of his skin. He looks emaciated, like he belongs in his own hospital bed.
“What the hell is going on?” His eyes dart around the room, and he sniffs incessantly as his gaze settles on Cassidy. “I thought we were here to check on the kid.”
“Check on the kid?” Rage boils my blood and my hands clench into tight fists as I walk across the room towards him. “Are you referring to my not-even-two-year-old daughter, who was abandoned by her mother and her drug-dealing boyfriend?”
“I suggest you back off, asshole,” he says, puffing out his gaunt, skeletal chest to try and make himself look larger. I look him up and down, noting he’s a different guy than she was with the night at the movies. But both seeming equally as drugged up as she is.
“How many guys are there, Cassidy? Are you bringing them around my daughter?”
“You chose to walk away, Mason,” Cassidy says, defending her actions. “Who I bring around isn’t your concern or your problem.”
“Not my concern?” A muscle twitches in my jaw as unrelenting fury adds venom to my voice. “She’s my daughter, Cass. There is no concern greater than her. I didn’t walk away from Hailey. I would never walk away from my child. I walked away from you.”
Cassidy’s nose starts to run and she pulls a tissue from her purse. “What about Snow White? You seem awfully concerned about her.”
My hard, corded body vibrates with tension as I keep her companion in my periphery. I take a breath to calm myself. The last thing we need here is more of a scene. “Piper is my girlfriend, Cass. Despite your attempts to break us up. That isn’t going to change. Well, until she agrees to become my wife.”
Cassidy squeals so loud she makes her date jump. “Wife? Are you fucking kidding me?” An icy-cold bitterness contorts her face.
“Is that what this is all about?” I flick my nose. “Me moving on? Because you’re delusional if you think I will ever get back with you. And you sealed that deal when you tried to mess with Piper.”
She tries to get up, but the security guard puts his hand on her shoulder, forcing her back into the chair.
“Get your hands off her!” her date barks at him, shoving him away from Cassidy and hard against the nearby wall.
Then it all happens in the blink of an eye.
He and the guard start to scuffle and the guy reaches for the guard’s gun. Before he gets a finger on it, I tackle him to the floor, pinning him face down with my knee in his back. That’s when I notice several small packets of white powder have fallen from his pocket in the time it took me to wrangle him to the floor.
Another guard bursts into the room, pulling his gun on me. I keep my weight on my knee, not letting the prick out from under me, but I hold up my hands in surrender.
“Not him,” the first security guard says. He nods to Cassidy’s drug-dealing boyfriend on the ground beneath me. “Him.”
I get up, leaving the dirt-bag to the two guards, one of whom has radioed for the police. I look over at Cassidy whose only concern seems to be the drugs lying on the floor. A trickle of blood trails from her nose as she stares at it.
My stomach clenches when it becomes all too clear. My kid’s mom is a junkie.
“I have to get back to my daughter,” I tell the guards. I grab a piece of paper and pen from the table in the lounge and write my name and number on it, handing it to one of them. “My name is Mason Lawrence. My two-year-old daughter took a fall and is being treated here.” I nod to the piece of paper. “That’s my private number. If you need me for anything, call me. But you’ll have to restrain me, too, if you want to keep me from my family any longer.”
The guards look at each other and nod, one of them still keeping the scrawny asshole in a choke hold. “We know who you are, Mr. Lawrence,” the guard who saw it all go down says. “You are free to go, but the police will want to get a statement.”
“Thank you,” I tell them. I turn to Cassidy on my way out. “If you ever want to see Hailey again, you’d better get clean.”
She falls to her knees, crying and begging for me to stay. The other guard holds her back as I leave the room and shut the door on her and her pathetic snivels.
My nerves are completely shot as I wade through the people vying for position to see what’s going on in the room I just left. My hands are shaking and my heart races a mile a minute. I can’t have Hailey see me like this. I make my way out the emergency room doors into the welcoming burst of fresh outdoor air. I race around the corner before anyone can follow me, and then my hands falls to my knees to catch a much needed breath. I stay here for a few minutes, breathing the cool air in and out until my body no longer trembles with anger.
On my way back in, I see an all-night coffee cart and stop to place my order. Piper must be on the brink of collapse. At least I got a few hours’ sleep after my run. Exhaustion hit me like a ton of bricks the second I got out of the shower at the gym. I went to lie down for a minute in the owner’s office, but I passed out until almost midnight, when I woke up to a massive crick in my neck from the lumpy sofa.
I return to Hailey’s room to find the splint removed from her arm; replaced by a small arm brace.
“You okay?” Piper asks, making me realize how wrecked I am by what just happened.
“Will be,” I say, putting the two coffees on the bedside tray before I walk over to pick up Hailey. “How’s our little angel?”
“She’s going to be fine.” Piper smiles at our embrace. “It’s not broken. Just a contusion, I think they called it. A bone bruise. The brace is so she doesn’t hit it on something and hurt herself. She’s going to be just fine,” she reiterates. “We all are.”
With Hailey in my arms, I walk over and pull Piper into our hug. “You were great tonight. A real lifesaver. I don’t know what I would do without you.”
“Maybe you never need to find out,” she says, smiling down at Hailey as her hand traces my shirt over my new tattoo.
“I love you, Piper Mitchell.” I lean down to kiss her on the top of her head.
“I love you, too, Mason Lawrence.”
Relief rushes through my body; my soul. Relief over Hailey being okay. Over Piper being back where she belongs. Over the three of us standing here like a real family.
I sit down, Hailey now sleeping in my arms, and I reac
h over and grab a coffee cup from the tray, offering it to Piper. “I brought you a latte. It’s been a long night. Thought you could use it.”
She looks at the cup, studying it intently before turning her attention back to me.
I give her a reassuring smile. “My eyes never left it, sweetheart. Not even for a second.”
Her hand slowly rises to take the cup from me. She opens the lid and pulls it to her lips, taking a drink as her eyes remain locked on mine. Her tired eyes. Her alluring eyes.
Her trusting eyes.
And while she drinks—I breathe. I breathe what I know is the first air of our new life together.
chapter thirty-three
piper
Two things never happened in the past few weeks. I never went back to sleep at Skylar’s townhouse. And Hailey never went back to Cassidy’s.
I suppose the latter would have been difficult considering Cassidy went right from jail to rehab. She and the guy she was with were arrested on drug charges. Hers was reduced to a misdemeanor because she wasn’t carrying much on her, but only if she agreed to an inpatient program.
Mason has since filed for full custody. He’s scared to death to even consider the possibility of Hailey going through anything like what Charlie and I endured. He’s been more than fair about it, however, taking Hailey to see her mom when visitors are allowed.
Two things that have happened are that Mason is now looking for a house just outside the city, and we have been interviewing nannies all week.
His small two-bedroom condo has been pretty crowded since moving all of Hailey’s belongings in. I, on the other hand, only took up a couple of drawers and a few inches of closet space. Every day when I come home, I find more clothes; more undergarments; more of my favorite toiletries and cosmetics. He’s putting forth a true effort to make it my home as well as his and Hailey’s.
I take a peek over at Hailey playing in the corner of the church vestibule as she’s supervised by my mother while the rest of us participate in the rehearsal for Skylar and Griffin’s wedding.
Baylor nudges my shoulder. “Mom is perfectly capable of watching her for two minutes, Piper.”
It’s not lost on me that since the night of her accident, I know where Hailey is and what she’s doing at all times. My need to protect her is growing stronger each day I spend with her.
She is so much like Mason, not only in looks, but in personality. Even at two years old, she’s learning compassion, despite the fact she’s got a mother who possesses none. Just last weekend, at her birthday party, a little boy dropped his piece of cake on the ground. Hailey quickly walked over and offered her slice to him. Jaws dropped. People whispered about how cute it was. It didn’t even matter that we still had twenty pounds of uneaten cake—her small act of kindness was monumental. And it dawned on me that I was beaming with motherly pride.
“You’ve really taken to her,” Baylor says. It’s not a question. It’s a statement. A truth. My new reality.
I watch Hailey get down on her knees and try to show nine-month-old Jordan how to crawl. “What’s not to love?” I ask, laughing at the adorable little girl’s antics.
“Love?” Baylor’s voice raises by two octaves.
I give her a confirming nod. “I know she will never replace the little girl I lost. I don’t expect her to. And I know I’m not her mother. But, Baylor, she’s fantastic. That child is magical. A true gift . . .” My throat tightens and I can’t get any more words out.
Baylor hugs me. “You don’t know how glad I am to hear you say that, Piper. It makes all this so much better.”
I push her to arm’s length. “Makes what better?”
She swallows air. “Uh . . . this, you know, Skylar and Griffin’s wedding. It’s just all so romantic and perfect.”
I look at Skylar while she and Griffin talk to the pastor as we get ready to practice our walk up the aisle. “Yeah, it is pretty perfect.”
I get enveloped in a hug from behind. A hug I’ve been familiar with since childhood. Although not so much in the past few years.
Dad.
I turn around and let his large arms take me in completely. I’m not sure how many seconds or minutes pass while we share this reuniting embrace. He leans down to place a kiss on the top of my head like he always did when I was little. “I’m sorry, Peanut,” he says, using the nickname from my childhood. “I didn’t know how to deal with the situation. It threw me. It was more than this stupid father could handle. But that’s no excuse for letting you down; for further lowering your expectations of men.
“The day I found out you were raped was the day a part of me died. It will never compare to your own loss, but I let it consume me to the point of alienating you.” He pulls back, his wet face breaking into a prideful smile. “I have never been more proud of you. You have grown up to be a wonderful, compassionate woman despite all your hurdles, and I love you more than this old man’s words can even express.”
I throw my arms back around him. “I love you, too, Daddy.”
A small part of me wonders why he chose now to have this special father-daughter moment. Shouldn’t he be having a talk like this with Skylar? But I let him hug me as long and hard as he wants to because I know we both need it. And just like that—another piece of my heart falls back into place.
“You guys about ready to start?” Gavin asks. “We’ve got a seven o’clock reservation for dinner, so can we move this along?” He winks at Baylor and they share a look that makes each of them smile like they’re about to burst with a huge secret.
Is this what love looks like after that many years? I mean, they met in college and they’re still crazy about each other. Yes, they spent some years apart, but that only seemed to deepen their bond, not break it. When I see them, I wonder if I could be looking at my future with Mason.
It amazes me still, how far we’ve all come to get to this very point. My sisters and I have all faced very different demons and come out on the other side. Better. Stronger. Tougher.
I can’t wait to make my toast tomorrow at the reception. They don’t know I know they postponed the wedding for me—so that I would have a fighting chance with Mason. But Mason and I have no secrets from each other anymore. We’ve spent countless hours lying in bed, talking. Well, more than talking if I’m being totally honest.
I look over to catch him staring at me and I blush. After almost getting caught bare-ass naked by one little Miss Curious on more than one occasion, Mason finally took me to his bed—our bed. He reminded me over and over that it was ours and ours alone. That no one else had ever or would ever be there except the two of us. He made love to me so passionately and gently that the rest of the world, along with my nightmares, simply melted away.
It’s not that I don’t have them anymore. I do. But now, Mason is there to comfort me every time. Just like I’m there to comfort him when he has his.
We support each other. We love each other.
We get each other.
I can’t take my eyes off him as he watches me. He shifts his feet anxiously—something I don’t normally see and I wonder if weddings make him nervous.
Baylor pulls me by the elbow. “There’s plenty of time to daydream about your hot boyfriend. Come on, we have a job to do.”
We all gather in the foyer of the church, just beyond the ornate double doors that lead into the large sanctuary. We line up in order, Maddox leading off the pack carrying a velvety pillow that has a fake ring attached to it.
Next in line are Baylor and Gavin. Then Mason takes his place next to me. I notice beads of sweat dotting his brow. “You okay?” I ask in a whisper, as Skylar barks out orders behind me about how slowly she wants us to walk up the aisle.
“Will be,” he says, reminding me of the same words he spoke in the hospital a few weeks ago.
Before I can question him, someone opens the doors and Maddox begins the procession. Music is piped through the sound system so we have an idea how it will be tomorrow with the live org
anist.
Maddox gets to the altar and moves off to one side. Then Baylor and Gavin reach the front. He kisses her on the cheek before they part, then he takes his place at Griffin’s side while she moves off to the left.
Mason’s elbow is squeezing my arm tightly, almost painfully, against his body. And even over the soft music, I can hear his deep, labored breathing.
I know Skylar must be about to walk in behind us, but instead of everyone looking at the empty doorway, they are all looking at me, huge grins on their faces. Even Griffin—who put this off for two months because of me—doesn’t look for his bride-to-be. In fact, when we make our final approach to the altar, he moves aside and stands closer to Gavin.
Confused, I look back to see that Skylar has raced up the aisle and is coming to stand beside Baylor. And my mom and dad are now sitting with the kids in the first pew. I draw my brows together, looking at Skylar while I try to pull away from Mason so I can take my designated spot. But I’m met with resistance and he won’t let me go. When I turn around to see why, my heart plugs up my throat, making it impossible for me to breathe.
Mason has dropped to a knee. He’s staring up at me, the expression on his face somewhere between looking ill and wanting to smile.
Oh. My. God.
Flashbacks of the first dream I ever had of Mason flood through me.
My eyes dart around slowly enough to realize that what’s happening here is not unexpected—well, except by me.
Maddox walks up to Mason, holding the pillow out to him. My eyes go wide when I see what I thought was a fake ring sitting on top of it. Getting a closer look, I gasp when I see a large sparkly diamond that’s casting prisms across the room as it catches the light beaming through a window.
Mason ruffles Maddox’s hair. “Not quite yet, buddy. I have to ask her first.”
Laughter from my family echoes through the large room as Maddox takes two bashful steps backwards.
The Mitchell Sisters: A Complete Romance Series (3-Book Box Set) Page 88