The police officer who drove us here is standing at the far end of the hall filling out some paperwork as we wait for Madison and the lead detective to get here. Light tapping on the white linoleum floor has me lifting my head.
Madison runs down the hall toward me, her face streaked with dried tears. “Where is he?”
I nod my head toward Aiden’s room. “He’s in there. He’s sleeping.” I follow her in the room and watch her cover him in a blanket of kisses. I stand on the other side of the bed and brush a dark strand of his hair off his forehead. “The doctor will be back in a minute to talk you.” I say, looking over at Madison’s still panicked expression. “He’s gonna be fine.”
“Ryder I don’t know how to thank you.”
“You don’t have to thank me. I love him. I’m glad he’s safe.”
“I’m so sorry for everything. It was a mistake to let you go. Can you forgive me?”
Quietly padding over to her, I wrap my arms around her waist and she throws her arms around my neck, burying her face into my shoulder. I glide my hands up and down her back, trying to calm her down. “Shh, it’s okay. There’s nothing you have to feel sorry for. You were just trying to protect the boys from getting hurt again. I understand why you sent me away, but damn Madison it hurt so bad. So damn bad. I was miserable without you and the boys. Don’t ever leave me again, okay?”
“I won’t. You were right. We should’ve figured it out together. I love you Ryder and I don’t want to lose you again.”
I take her face in my hands and kiss her forehead. “I promise I’m not going anywhere.”
“Mommy?”
Madison whirls around and hugs poor Aiden so tight I’m sure his head will explode any second. “Aiden why did you run away? You know better than that.”
The tiniest bit of color has returned to his skin, but he still looks really weak. He winces when he tries to get comfortable on the bed and his voice is hoarse when he speaks. “I’m sorry Mom.”
“It’s okay, you’re safe now. Just don’t ever do that again.”
A woman in a white lab coat enters the room and walks over to the opposite side of the bed. “Well, it looks like someone is awake now. I’m Dr. Lewis. How are you feeling Aiden? Warmer?” He nods. She glances at the machine taking his vital signs, makes a few notes on a chart and peers up at Madison. “We’ve given him some warm I.V. fluid to get his temperature back to normal and get him hydrated. He’s suffering from hypothermia, but is recovering nicely. No sign of nerve damage to his fingers or toes. It’s a miracle he’s alive. Being as small as he is and out in these severe weather conditions with sub-zero temperatures for that period of time could have been fatal. Another few minutes and he wouldn’t be here with us right now.” She peers down at Aiden. “Why did you run away?”
Aiden looks around sheepishly before making eye contact with the doctor. “I was looking for my dad.”
“Your father dropped you off this morning. Why were you looking for him?” Madison says.
“Mitch is not my dad!”
The doctor settles a gentle hand on his arm. “It’s okay Aiden. Tell us who your dad is.”
He directs his gaze my way. “Ryder is.”
The pride swelling in my heart is overflowing and I have to fight back the sting in my eyes. It doesn’t matter that I didn’t physically conceive him or wasn’t present in the first seven years of his life. What matters to him, what matters to us both, is the unbreakable bond we’ve forged. A bond no one can ever break.
Madison breathes a dejected sigh. “Oh Aiden...Ryder…”
I squeeze her hand to cut her off, then hold out my fist for him to bump and smile. “That’s right little man.”
Dr. Lewis smiles at our interaction. “Aiden I’m going to talk to Ryder and your mom right outside the door, okay?”
Madison bends, placing a kiss on top of his head. “We’ll be back in a minute. Get some rest.”
He nods and closes his eyes, pulling the crisp white sheet up to his chest. I follow Madison and the doctor out of the room and into the hallway where more police officers have gathered. A few of them step into the elevator, giving me a clear line of vision of the man who started this whole mess to begin with. Rage rolls through me and all I can do is act on it.
Madison anticipates my intentions, trying to call me back to her side. “Ryder, don’t!”
I ignore her and keep going. There are only two things I’m focused on right now; the deafening sound of blood rushing in my ears and beating this asshole to a bloody pulp. I brush past the two cops standing in my way. “You fucking son of bitch.” With lightning speed my fist makes contact with Mitch’s jaw, sending him reeling backward into a metal tray propped against the wall. He hits the floor, but before he can get up, I’m on him, punching him in the face, over and over. I don’t know how many times I hit him before I’m being pulled back by at least three big men. One of the officers pushes me in the chest until my back hits the wall, while two more hold each of my arms to keep me still.
By now, everyone in the vicinity has stopped what they were doing and turned their attention to the commotion I’m causing, but I don’t give a fuck. He deserved that shit and more. I couldn’t care less if I go to jail today or not. All that matters to me is that Aiden is safe now.
Mitch struggles to his feet, swiping the blood in the corner of his mouth. He points at me. “I want him arrested. I’m pressing charges.”
The detective strides over to him. “I’m sure Mr. Storm is quite distressed over the whole situation.”
“He’s distressed?! I’m the one who should be upset. It was my son who was missing.”
I fight to break free of the hands pinning me in place. “Aiden is my son! And he’s the one who suffered more than any of us. He’s just a little boy and he could have died due to your negligence and stupidity.”
Mitch addresses the detective. “Are you going to let this psychopath talk to me that way? Why are you people just standing around doing nothing? He should be in handcuffs. If it weren’t for him…”
The policeman to my left cuts Mitch off. “If it weren’t for him, your son wouldn’t be here right now.”
Madison runs over to where I’m being held. “Let him go. Please.” She asks pleadingly.
I relax my rigid muscles. “I’m good.” The officers holding me finally let me go and I pull Madison into me. Looking over her head, I give Mitch a smug grin. I know seeing her in my arms is killing him. Not because he wants her, but because he has lost this battle hands down.
Twenty-Six
Ryder
Madison and I are standing in a room on the opposite side of the two-way mirror, watching Judge Weaver speak to Aiden. We’re joined by a child psychologist and Madison’s lawyer. The judge interrupted the custody hearing and asked to speak to Aiden alone. As far as he knows, no one else is listening to their conversation. Judge Weaver notified us she’d be doing this in order to get honest answers from Aiden to determine who he’d be happiest living with full-time. Mitch of course, filed for an emergency hearing, accusing me of being a threat to the boys. So, here we are, listening like spies to a conversation that could change our lives forever.
Judge Weaver slides her chair in front of Aiden so they’re almost knee to knee. “I hear you spend a lot of time with Ryder.” He nods. “Do you have a lot of fun?”
Aiden straightens in his chair, a broad smile splayed across his face. “Yeah, he’s so cool.”
The judge smiles. “Is he? What makes him cool?”
“He has lots of tattoos and he takes me to really cool places.”
“What kind of places does he take you?”
“He takes me to the zoo and the park. We have a special bench to sit on at the park and we talk a lot.”
“Oh really? What kind of things do you talk about?”
“Lots of stuff. My mom, my brother, and sometimes Mitch.”
“Why do you call your father Mitch Aiden?”
“Becaus
e Ryder is my dad. He makes me and Caleb breakfast in the morning, he plays games with us, and watches T.V. with us too.”
“Ryder does sound really cool. Aiden, when you and Ryder talk about Mitch, does he say anything bad about him?”
“No. He tells me Mitch loves me a lot, but I don’t believe him.”
“Why?”
“Mitch is mean. He yells at me and my brother a whole lot and sometimes he never comes to pick us up to have a sleepover at his house.”
“Can I tell you a secret?” Aiden nods and she leans closer to whisper. “My dad was really mean too.”
Aiden’s eyebrows shoot up. “He was?”
“Yep he was.”
“Did your mom find another dad for you?”
“No, it was just me and my mom until I went to college. So, you know what?”
“What?”
“I think you’re lucky to have Ryder as a dad. I think he loves you very much.”
Aiden grins. “He does.”
The judge laughs and stands, holding out her hand for him to take. “C’mon, let’s go find your mom.”
When the proceedings are over Mitch bursts through the courtroom door, leaving less than happy when the judge orders full custody of the boys to Madison and he can only have supervised visitation because of his threats to kidnap the boys and take them out of the country. Madison walks ahead of me with Tyler carrying Caleb in her arms as I stay behind to help Aiden tie his shoe. I stand from my kneeling position and take Aiden’s hand when the judge calls my name.
“Mr. Storm?”
“Yes ma’am?”
“I want to commend you for all you’ve done for those boys. I don’t get a lot of men that come through here who are as special as you are. Can I ask what you do for a living?”
“I’m a delivery driver.”
“Have you ever considered being a youth counselor or something along those lines? I think you’d be able to help so many other kids. Especially those in the system.”
“No. I don’t have the right education for that.”
“Then go back to school. It’s never too late to earn a college degree.”
I huff out a dismal breath. If only I were smart enough to do something like that. If only my learning disability didn’t hold me back. “I can’t go back to school your honor.”
“Why not?”
“I…” I don’t want to tell her about my disorder, but if I’ve learned anything by being with Madison, it’s not to be ashamed of something I have no control over. “I’m dyslexic.”
“So am I.” She stands and proceeds back to her chamber. “Don’t ever let it stop you from doing the things you love or from learning new things. If you ever change your mind, you know where to find me.”
Before I can reply, she’s gone. I’m too shocked to think straight, my brain still processing what she just said. If a person in her position could become a judge and overcome her struggles with the same learning disorder that I have, then maybe I’m not applying myself as I should be. Madison was right. I was scared to put myself out there because I didn’t want to be embarrassed in front of others. Hell, I was embarrassed around my own family. I think it’s time to put my insecurities behind me and do something I’ve always wanted to do. From this moment on I am making a commitment to do my best to succeed in a career that suits me. I want Madison and the boys to be proud of me as much as I am of them. I know they’d love me no matter what I decide. If I continue to be a delivery driver or want to open my own restaurant, I know they’ll stand by me every step of the way and support me with everything they have.
Aiden tugs on my hand, pulling me forward to exit the courtroom. “C’mon Ryder, let’s go home.”
Epilogue
Ryder
Two years later
“Quito! We open in an hour.”
“No me grites, okay. I heard you the first time.”
“I was not yelling. I was just informing you that we open in an hour.”
“You have informed me about a hundred times. Enough already. What are you nervous about?”
“Oh, I don’t know, maybe because Madison invested all the money from the sale of her house into this restaurant and if it bombs she’ll no doubt serve me with divorce papers.”
He slaps me on the back. “She would never serve you with divorce papers.”
“I hope not. I would never…”
He grips my shoulder. “She may give you your walking papers though.”
I shrug his hand off me. “Thanks. Real supportive.” I say snidely, straightening up the tables in the main dining room.
He chuckles. “C’mon, relax. Loosen up a little. Stop worrying about everything.”
I point at him. “You don’t worry enough.”
“What are you worried about anyway? You have the best partner helping you and Mommy is in the kitchen looming over us so there are no mishaps preparing her recipes. What more could you ask for?”
Exhaling a deep breath, I pull out a chair and sit at one of the tables. “You’re right. I just don’t want to disappoint Madison.”
“Have you seen the way she looks at you? I don’t think you could ever disappoint her, other than not doing your best; which you are. Anyone can see that.”
I smile, because there is no way I could ever erase the memory of the loving way Madison looks at me. Her heart-melting, knee-weakening gaze is forever burned in my mind. I see it every time I fall asleep and am blessed with the sight of those beautiful, sparkling blue eyes each time I wake up in the morning. “She does love me, doesn’t she?”
Quito laughs. “Let’s not get cocky.” He nods to the front door. “Speak of the devil.”
I turn in my seat, then stand, making my way over to Madison and the boys. I take her hand in mine, placing a kiss on her lips and guide her to the table where Quito is still standing. Pulling the chair out for her, I wait until she slides onto it ever so slowly. I drag a chair closer to her as the boys sit at the table across from us.
My hand automatically goes to Madison’s growing belly. She’s in her third trimester and the time can’t go fast enough for me until she gives birth. Waiting to see my son is the most nerve-wracking, exciting moment of my life. I slowly rub her stomach. “How are you feeling?”
She blows out breath. “Exhausted.”
“You should have stayed home. You shouldn’t be on your feet.”
She rolls her eyes at me. “If it were up to you I wouldn’t stand for the rest of my life.”
“I just want you to rest.”
“I do. Besides, I wouldn’t dream of missing your grand opening. You couldn’t keep me away even if a herd of wild horses came raging through here.”
I chuckle. “Well, I might have tried that if all our money wasn’t invested into this place.” She rests her hand on mine as I brush my thumb over her belly.
“Don’t be so nervous.”
“I’ve been trying to tell him that all day. Maybe you can get through to him.” Quito says, nodding in my direction.
“I am not nervous.”
“Yes you are!” Both Madison and Quito say in unison.
“Okay fine, I’m scared shitless I’ll…” Madison pinches my hand, then drags her eyes toward the boys. It takes me a second to realize my slip up. I’ve been trying extra hard not to curse in front of the boys, especially since we’re going to have another baby in the house, but fuck this shit is hard. “Sorry.” She gives me a warm smile, so I continue. “What if fail miserably? What if everything we worked so hard to accomplish blows up in our faces all because of me?”
Madison slides her thumb over my knuckles. “You are going to do fine. We are all here to support you because we believe in you.”
I bring her hand to my lips. “Thank you.”
“Oh, I talked to your mother this morning and she said she’ll be here a week before the baby is due and she’ll stay a week to help after he’s born.”
“My mother is going to stay with us for two weeks
?”
“Yes.”
“Good Lord help us.”
“You’re so mean. I love your mother.”
“Sure you do. You two are thick as thieves.”
She laughs. “True.”
“What about your Dad?” I ask, sitting back in my chair. Last year I suggested that Madison reach out to her father so they could reconnect and he could meet his grandchildren. It was really sad to me that she didn’t have a relationship with him anymore because of Mitch, but since he’s no longer in the picture, I thought it would be a good time to at least start talking to each other. She was apprehensive at first because they hadn’t spoken to one another for years and she felt guilty for putting an end to the connection they had. But I told her if it were me, I wouldn’t care if ten years passed or a hundred, I would still love my daughter and would want to see her. Of course I’d been right. Her father was all too glad to hear from her and now he visits almost every week.
“My father is going to take a week off from work when your mother leaves to help me with the boys while you’re here.”
“Good. We’re gonna need all the help we can get.”
“Also true.”
“The entertainment has arrived.” We all turn our heads to the door where Tyler is and watch him as he approaches the table before pulling a seat next to the boys. He winks at Madison. “So, did you tell him yet?”
“Tyler!” She admonishes.
“What? I was just making sure I didn’t miss anything.”
“Well, I kind of have to tell him now, don’t I big mouth.”
A bit of worry starts to form in my gut because I have no idea what these two are talking about, Madison always tells me everything. Knowing she’s hiding something from me has me a little on edge. “What’s going on? Are you okay Madison? Is something wrong with the baby?”
She huffs out an aggravated sigh and swats Tyler on the arm. “You see, now you have him all riled up for no reason.” She turns back to me. “No, the baby and I are perfectly fine.”
I release the breath I didn’t realize I was holding while I waited for her answer. “Good. Then what’s with all the secrets?”
Delivered Through the Storm Page 22