“Yes, I did.”
“Are you okay?”
I tell him I am, but I’m not so sure it’s true. Are you okay if you wake up terrified from nightmares every single night? Or if the thought of going anywhere outside the hospital makes you feel like throwing up?
Some of the kids tell me why they’re here the way an adult tells you what they do for a living.
“I’m Shawn. Leukemia,” an adolescent says to me.
The way he says it tells me his disease is part of him now, and it always will be. I feel the same way about what happened to me.
We play games, talk, and dance to some of my music. The kids don’t care that my leg isn’t completely right. They’re just enjoying every moment. When they start asking me to take pictures, I don’t even consider saying no.
Photos of me have to hit social media at some point. Might as well be these photos, where my smiles are genuine and my spirits are high.
After a couple hours with the patients and Merona’s kids, I’m feeling tired. The dancing was more physical activity than I’ve done since the attack. I say my goodbyes to the kids, and they get a laugh out of seeing Andre lift me into the laundry cart to go back to my room.
I wave at them, my hand the only part of me they can see as Merona wheels the cart away. And as soon as I get back to my room, I text Justin.
Me: I just went to the Peds ward to meet the patients. It was awesome.
Justin: Good for you. They must have loved it.
Me: I did, too. Wish you could have been there.
Justin: Yeah, kids go nuts over us corporate attorneys.
Me: Aw . . . poor thing. I go nuts over you, if it’s any consolation.
Justin: I think I need to see you going nuts over me in person to decide. Want me to bring dinner? Some of that pizza you like?
Me: Yes.
Justin: Be there soon.
I set the phone down, my dreamy smile drifting away as I start to fall asleep. I’m going to need a little nap before spending the evening with Justin, who feels more and more like my man every day.
Justin
THE PARTNERS AT EGAN, Cargill, and Thompson got a cake to celebrate my last day with them. I just came in to get my things and say goodbye to everyone, but I stay for cake, too.
The secretaries and paralegals are apparently going to keep pumping me for information until I walk out the door for the last time.
“So, how’s Elle doing?” one of them asks me.
“I’m not the one to ask.”
“Oh . . . I thought I saw a picture of you going into the hospital?”
“The cake’s great, did you have a piece?” I ask her, deflecting.
“Are you going to keep seeing her? Come on, just nod or something.”
“I think I’m gonna have another piece of cake.” I hear her frustrated groan as I walk away.
For fuck’s sake. It amazes me how gossipy grown adults can be. I guess there are people like that everywhere, in small towns and huge cities.
I hired movers to pack up my apartment and move most everything into storage in Lovely. I’m planning to start my house hunt immediately, but in the meantime, I’ll be staying at my parents’ house. Elle can stay with me there, or in the guesthouse if she prefers. I’m not planning on rushing anything between us.
The Lovely police chief knows we’re coming, because Elle’s security team coordinated with him. I’m hoping we can make it into town without too much media coverage.
I say a few more goodbyes and then sneak into my old office to make a call from my cell before I leave. The detective I’ve been talking to at the St. Louis Police Department picks up, recognizing my number from the caller ID.
“Hey, Justin. I was hoping you’d call,” he says.
“Oh, yeah? You’ve got something?”
Maybe they arrested Beasley and I can let Elle know when I get to the hospital.
He sighs into the phone. “Nothing firm. But I wanted to let you know we’ve gotten a couple calls to the tip line about sightings of Beasley in the St. Louis area.”
“Shit.”
“If he’s here, it’s only a matter of time before we get him.”
“Yeah, but . . . damn.”
“I just want you guys to be on alert. We haven’t confirmed he’s here, but the calls to the tip line about sightings here had tapered off completely and now they’re coming in again.”
“Okay. She’s coming to stay in Lovely with my family, but she hired lots of private security.”
“Good. They need to secure her location and any spots he could shoot at her new location from. If he can’t get close to her, he may try to get to her from a distance.”
I run a hand through my hair, tugging on it out of sheer frustration. “There’s got to be a way to smoke this guy out. Do we need to increase the reward?”
“Wouldn’t hurt.”
“I’ll kick more money in. And I’ll talk to Elle about it, too.”
“Okay. Let me know. We aren’t releasing these sightings to the media right now because we don’t want Beasley to know we know he’s here.”
“Okay. Let me know if anything changes.”
“I will. Good luck with the move.”
“Thanks.”
I end the call and lean my back against the closed door of my office. I don’t think I’ll be able to relax until we’re safely in Lovely. We’re sneaking Elle out of the hospital in a delivery truck and then making the swap into an armored SUV in an underground FBI parking garage. Even if reporters somehow find us, we’ve got plenty of security to handle them.
But still. Given how terrified Elle is of leaving the hospital, I want things to go smoothly.
I’m about to head back out to the party when my cell phone buzzes in my pocket with a new text. I take it out and see a message from one of my brothers.
Austin: I just ran into Mallory Heller. She seems really damn happy you’re moving back . . . something going on between you two?
I furrow my brow as I read the message and then write back.
Me: Haven’t talked to her in four years.
Austin: Huh. She acted like there was something between you.
Me: We slept together once, four years ago. Guess I’m just that good in bed.
Austin: Or maybe she’s just desperate.
Me: Gtg, asshole, I’m at my going-away party.
I put my phone back in my pocket and go back out to the main office area. Even though I’m smiling and making conversation, I’m thinking about Mallory.
She must still have a thing for me, which is weird since we never had anything serious. We went to school together and were always friendly. One night when I was home for the summer after finishing college, we went out drinking with friends, and one thing led to another.
Once I get back to town with Elle, word will spread that we’re together. We’re not officially together yet, but the Lovely gossip mill will churn anyway. Hell, it probably already is, given the media coverage of me coming to see Elle in the hospital.
Hopefully, that’ll be enough to put Mallory off. I hate letting any woman down, and she’s a nice one I’ve known my whole life.
When I’m about to leave the party, my phone buzzes with another text. I assume it’s Austin again, but it’s not.
Elle: Missing you.
I smile and write her back.
Me: Missing you, too. You all packed and ready for tomorrow?
Elle: Packed, yes. Ready? I guess so.
Me: It’ll be great.
Elle: Are you coming for dinner? I’m having it catered by an Italian place for everyone who’s taken care of me here. You’re on that list.
Me: Wouldn’t miss it. Have to go settle up paperwork with my landlord and the movers, and then I’ll be there.
My pulse picks up with nervous excitement at just the thought of bringing Elle home with me tomorrow. I’ve never felt this way about a woman before. Hell, I’ve never even brought a woman home to meet my parents,
let alone moved one into their house.
My parents knew the Lovely girls I dated in high school, because everyone knows everyone in Lovely. In college and law school, I deliberately kept myself unattached because I wasn’t ready to settle down.
For the first time, though, I’m thinking about a committed relationship. Since the first time I saw her, when she was hanging between life and death, she’s been the only woman on my mind. At first, I thought it might be because I was concerned about her. But now, as I see her fight to get stronger, both inside and out, I know it’s because of the woman she is.
Elle is one of the most famous people in the world. Will she return to her career and leave Lovely, and me, behind? It’s more likely than I want to admit to myself. Right now, I just want to bring her into my world. It’s much smaller than hers, but it’s filled with good people.
I don’t know what the future holds for us. All I can do is enjoy the now and hope she’ll want something more with me, too.
Elle
AS WE LEAVE THE city, I can’t help thinking about the way I thought I’d be leaving St. Louis a little more than six weeks ago. I was supposed to be on my tour bus, catching a nap on the way to Chicago. The concert in St. Louis and my night at the Marquis were supposed to be just a blur in my memory of touring by now.
Instead, it changed my life forever. That day will always haunt me. Not just the attack, but the what-ifs and the fallout it caused.
Andre is at the wheel of the dark SUV we’re in, and Justin is in the back seat with me. He squeezes my hand gently, and I give him a grateful smile. I know from the long talks we’ve had during his visits that the what-ifs haunt him, too. What if he’d walked in a minute earlier? What if he hadn’t let Gary Beasley walk away?
I tell him not to beat himself up about it, and he tells me the same. I don’t know that anyone else will ever understand how I feel as well as he does. He’s the only one who saw the life draining out of me on the bathroom floor and the only one who saw the same madness I did in Gary Beasley’s eyes that day.
“The security team has my parents’ guest house swept and secure for you,” he says. “It’s small but nice. I think you’ll like it.”
“What about you?”
He grins. “Staying in my old bedroom. That’ll be a trip.”
“Isn’t there room for you in the guest house?”
“There’s a queen bed and a couch. I thought you’d rather be alone, but if not, I’ll take the couch.”
“I’d like that. What about the security team? Do they need somewhere to sleep?”
He brings my hand to his lips and kisses it. “Andre’s got it covered. They’re going to work in three shifts, six at a time. They’re staying at a local hotel in their off time.”
I take a deep breath, reminding myself that I can do this. I have lots of people looking out for me.
“Hopefully, Gary Beasley is in another country by now,” I murmur. “I want him caught, but I also want him as far from me as possible. Have there been any sightings lately?”
Justin shakes his head. “You’ll be safe in Lovely, Elle. Don’t worry.”
We ride in silence for a while, and I just enjoy the feeling of Justin’s hand around mine as I watch the scenery through the SUV’s dark-tinted windows.
I’ve never had a man take things slow like Justin is. It’s usually a race to try to get me in bed and get serious. Many, if not all, of the relationships I’ve had as an adult have ended because I realized the men I was with weren’t in it for the right reasons.
A few men saw being with me as a status symbol. Others considered me a meal ticket that would pay for lavish vacations and vehicles. One even tried to get me to buy him a house.
Justin is the first man I’ve been with—well, if we’re even together, which I guess we technically aren’t—who seems more concerned about what he can do for me than what I can do for him.
The trip goes by quickly, and soon I see a “Welcome to Lovely” sign surrounded by hundreds of colorful tulips. They seem to be everywhere in the small town, and there’s something about all those tulips that puts my mind at ease.
Andre drives down a brick street and parks in the driveway of a sprawling, well-kept white Victorian with rocking chairs on its huge front porch.
SUVs carrying other security people park on the street, and I’m flanked by men in dark suits as Justin leads me to the back of the house, a screen door allowing the spring breeze inside.
“You made it.” A smiling woman with a graying chin-length bob greets us as we walk in. I like that Justin greets her with a hug and a kiss on the cheek.
“Mom, this is Elle,” Justin says. “Elle, my mom, Grace.”
Grace’s eyes lock with mine, and her smile widens. “Welcome, Elle. We’re so glad you’re here.”
She hugs me and then introduces herself to the security team and offers everyone lemonade, iced tea, and cookies. It’s almost surreal how normal I feel in her presence. I don’t feel like Elle Tyler here. I’m just Eleanor Simpson, though I’m not even sure I know how to be her anymore.
I smile when Justin insists on carrying my bags into the guesthouse, refusing the offer of one of the security guys to take care of it. Before he returns to the main house, a tall, broad-shouldered man with salt-and-pepper hair and friendly brown eyes approaches and shakes my hand.
“I’m Justin’s dad, Henry,” he says warmly.
“It’s nice to meet you. I’m Elle.”
“We want you to make yourself at home here. The place can get a little crazy when all the kids and grandkids are here, so just slip away to the guesthouse whenever you need to.”
He winks, and I like him immediately. I see where Justin gets not just his looks, but also his charm.
Justin is back at my side shortly, and he hugs his father and then gives me a serious look.
“The Lovely police chief just texted me that there are reporters in town looking for you. Andre thinks we should stay put in the guest house for now.”
I nod, and he leads the way out the back door. There are security guys spread out around the property, reminding me that even this quaint small town may be a dangerous place for me now.
Gary Beasley is still out there. And much as I hate to admit it, I’m still terrified of him. I keep my head down as we walk along a curving brick path to a smaller version of the main house. It’s also white with an arch above its front door, and colorful spring flowers in planter boxes.
This place is straight out of a magazine. Grace and Henry obviously aren’t the sort of retirees who spend their time traveling and square dancing. Keeping up a place like this the way they do has to be a lot of work.
Inside, the guesthouse is even more spectacular. The Victorian design isn’t carried through here. Instead, it’s wide open. Even above, there’s no ceiling, but an open, lofty space with exposed beams. The floors are lined with a light gray tile that looks like wood, and the walls are all a soft cream color. In one corner of the large, open space, there’s a queen-size bed with a bright white down comforter and loads of colorful pillows. There’s a small but functional kitchen area with a table and chairs, and a leather sectional in front of a big-screen TV.
“This place is amazing,” I say, admiring a watercolor painting on one wall.
“My parents had it built last year. They always have to have a project, and they’ve remodeled every square inch of the main house.”
I sit down on the couch, glad to finally be alone with Justin. “You said your dad is a retired judge, right?”
“Yeah.” He sits down next to me. “He still does some work here and there. He’s a pilot, too, so he likes to take the family places. And his parents left their business to him, so he keeps a hand in that, too.”
Reading between the lines, and from what I’ve seen of his parents’ home, I can tell Justin’s family has money. Not that I care, because money will never be a concern for me, but it tells me more about where Justin comes from. The more I know
about him, the more I want to know.
“So you grew up in this house?” I ask him.
“I did. I’m the youngest, so the folks just showed me to my bedroom and gave me a utility knife when I was born. They told me I could take it from there.”
I laugh at the visual. “I’ve heard the youngest gets less attention.”
“And all the hand-me-downs.” He shrugs. “But I thought it was cool as hell when I grew into my brothers’ outgrown clothes. I always got new pants, though, because boys tear out the knees of pants.”
“Five boys.” I shake my head at the thought. “Your poor mother.”
“Yeah, I can’t even imagine.”
“Do you want kids someday?” I find myself hoping so hard that he’ll say yes.
“Definitely, yeah. My brothers all have kids, and they’re the greatest.” A beat of silence passes before he says, “How about you?”
“I want kids. More than one. I was an only child, and it was kind of lonely sometimes.”
“I took it for granted that I always had my brothers to play with.”
Elle looks at the door, then back at me. “Hey, did you want to see your brothers? I don’t want you to feel like you have to stay here just because of me.”
“I can see those ugly bastards later. Let’s just relax and spend today alone.” He considers, then adds, “And with my mom, who will be bringing in snacks constantly.”
“She seems nice.”
“She is. Sometimes she gets a little too involved, but I guess moms are like that.”
I roll my eyes and nod. “You know how my mom is. I’m surprised she didn’t weasel her way into coming here with us.”
“Yeah, I think one mom at a time’s enough.”
I get a text from Chloe checking to see if we made it here okay. While I’m texting her back, there’s a knock at the door, and Justin lets in a couple guys from the security team.
“It’s standard,” one of them tells Justin.
“Okay, it’s fine.” Justin turns to me. “I have to go get fingerprinted and get a background check done.”
“What? Why?”
“It’s standard, ma’am,” the security guy says again.
Hidden Depth (Lockhart Brothers Book 4) Page 9