by Sherri Hayes
“I have to go out there. I have to make sure—”
“No,” Paul and the dispatcher said in unison again. It was like she was getting admonished in stereo.
“Stay where you are,” the dispatcher added. “When the officers ask, respond to them and do what they tell you.”
“She’s right,” Paul said in her other ear.
She didn’t want to stay put, but she trusted Paul. If he thought she should stay where she was for now, then she would.
Abby had no idea how much time passed. It felt like hours, but in reality it was probably only a few minutes. More people could be heard entering. More people were talking, shouting.
A flash of white appeared in the doorway. “Anyone in here?”
“Yes.” Abby’s throat constricted so much it was difficult to get that one word to come out.
“The officer is there with you?” The dispatcher’s voice jarred Abby out of her fog.
“Yes.”
“Okay, I’m going to hang up now.”
“Okay.” Abby let the phone drop from her fingers, not bothering to put it back its cradle as she crawled out from behind Trent’s desk.
The officer walked toward her, weapon lowered but still at the ready. “Are you the one that called 911?”
Abby nodded.
The officer motioned for Abby to come toward her. “Let’s get you out of here.”
“What about—”
The radio on the officer’s shoulder crackled to life. “The scene is secured. We have one down and another needing medical attention.”
“Trent.” His name came out as a plea of desperation. She needed to see him.
The officer grabbed hold of her arm as she started to rush out into the main room. “Ma’am, you can’t go in there.”
Tears stung her eyes. “I have to know if Trent’s okay. I have to . . .”
The woman didn’t waver. “We need to get you outside. Then we can get things sorted.”
It wasn’t what Abby wanted, but she nodded.
The officer gave Abby’s arm a small squeeze before letting her go. “Stay behind me.”
All Abby could see as they made their way through the main room were police officers, at least ten of them. Most of them were focused on the back room where she knew Trent had been. Was he hurt? Had whoever it was shot him?
She was guided to a waiting ambulance. “They’re going to check you out and make sure you don’t have any injuries.”
Again she nodded to the officer. Abby felt as if she was in a haze.
A man about her age hopped off the back of the ambulance and smiled at her. She smiled back out of habit as she hugged her arms around her waist.
It was then she heard muffled shouting. She glanced down and realized she still had Trent’s cell phone clutched in her hand. “I’m here. I’m here. Sorry.”
“What happened?” he asked.
“I don’t know. They won’t tell me anything.” The paramedic held a bright light up and shone it in her eyes. “They wouldn’t let me go . . .”
When Paul spoke again, reason had returned. “It’s a crime scene, Abby. They have to be careful that evidence isn’t contaminated.”
The female officer who had escorted her out reappeared and placed a gentle hand on Abby’s forearm. “You were asking about the owner, Trent Daniels, right?”
“Yes.” Abby held her breath, trying to prepare herself for the worst.
“He’s all right. They’ll be bringing him out in a minute to get checked.”
Abby took her first real breath in what felt like hours. “He’s okay,” she translated back to Paul.
“Good. Now take a deep breath and let the paramedic examine you. They’re going to want to take everyone’s statement, so you’ll have to go down to the police station.”
“Thank you. For staying on the phone with me.” Abby had no idea what she would have done if Paul hadn’t been there to coach her through everything.
“Anytime.”
Abby shoved the phone in her pocket and tried to answer the paramedic’s questions as best she could. He gave her a bottle of water and a blanket, saying he was concerned she would go into shock, and left her to sit on the back of the ambulance. They brought Joss out of the building looking shaken, but he didn’t look hurt. The same paramedic that looked her over began assessing Joss.
An officer hovered nearby as she sipped on her water. Abby didn’t know if that was because they feared there really might be something wrong with her or because they didn’t want her leaving the scene. Maybe it was a little of both.
She got her first glimpse of Trent several minutes later. He was ushered out of the building and taken to another ambulance at the opposite end of the parking lot. An officer was with him and he appeared to be unharmed.
As a paramedic checked him over, a man in a suit strolled up to talk to him. It took her a moment to realize that the man must be a detective.
Time seemed to stand still as she observed their conversation. She was too far away to hear what they were saying, but she honestly didn’t care about that. Abby concentrated on the way Trent moved his hands and how he held himself.
Abby was so focused on watching Trent that she didn’t notice when another man approached her. She jumped and spilled some of her water when he said hello.
“Sorry,” she muttered.
“My name is Officer Manns. I’ll be escorting you to the station so the detective can take your statement.”
Paul had mentioned that. She stood and followed the man to his cruiser. He opened the door for her and she slid inside. Even though she knew she wasn’t under arrest, it still felt as if she must have done something wrong to be sitting in the back of a police cruiser.
Trent turned to look at her as she drove away. She couldn’t read the expression on his face. It was somewhere between relief and regret.
When she arrived at the police station, she was taken to a nice-sized room with a table and several chairs. There were two bottles of water on the table and some small bags of snacks.
She took a seat and less than a minute later a tall man with sandy blond hair walked in. He pulled out the chair across from her and took a seat. “Hello. Miss . . .”
“Hoffman. Abigail Hoffman.”
He smiled and wrote her name down. “I’m Detective Kent. I need to ask you a few questions about what happened today. You were the one to call 911?”
“Yes.” Abby took a deep breath and launched into the explanation of how she’d come to Trent’s office to surprise him only to realize her boyfriend was being held hostage.
He asked her a few more questions to clarify the order in which things had happened, thanked her for her cooperation, and then handed her a business card. “If you think of anything else, don’t hesitate to call me.”
She took the card and shoved it into her bra. There wasn’t anywhere else to put it since she’d discarded her jacket somewhere in Trent’s office when she’d been waiting for the cops to arrive.
When she had finished giving her statement, Detective Kent walked her to the front of the station. She turned the corner and saw Mike and Marilyn Daniels waiting.
“Abby!” Marilyn rushed over to her and pulled her into a bone-crushing hug. “Are you okay?”
Mike came up beside his wife and stood with a concerned look on his face as Marilyn doted on Abby.
“I’m fine. But I don’t know where Trent is. The last time I saw him, he was talking to a detective.”
“He’s giving his statement,” Mike said. “Paul said it’s standard procedure.”
Marilyn guided Abby to a row of chairs along the wall and sat down. Mike lowered himself into the seat next to his wife.
“How are you so calm?” Abby asked them.
Marilyn grinned. “I raised four boys. I’ve learned not to stress about things I can’t change. Besides, Paul says this is normal. I trust his judgment.”
Abby didn’t like waiting, but she didn’t see that she h
ad much choice.
An hour passed and they were still waiting. Abby’s leg was bouncing up and down and she didn’t care. What was taking so long? At least two dozen police officers had passed by them with barely more than a glance. Marilyn had done her best to ease Abby’s tension. She’d even called Paul again and had him tell Abby personally that this was all routine. It didn’t help. Not in the slightest.
“Ma? Dad?” It wasn’t the voice she’d wanted to hear. When she looked up, Chris and Elizabeth were headed their way.
Mike stood. “Did Paul call you?”
Chris nodded. “We came as quick as we could. Is Trent still in there?”
“Yes. It’s been over an hour, so I’m hoping it won’t be much longer.”
Chris gave his mom a hug and then took a seat next to them.
Abby got up. She had the sudden need to move around. Sitting still was slowly driving her insane.
She’d made it down to the end of the hall when Trent came around the corner. Detective Kent was with him, but she barely spared him a glance before she shot down the hall and ran into Trent’s arms.
“Hey,” he whispered into her hair as he wrapped her in his warm embrace.
She glided her fingers over his head and down the side of his face as she held his gaze.
The detective cleared his throat. “You’re free to go, Mr. Daniels. We’ll be in contact with you if we have any more questions.”
Trent nodded.
As soon as the detective walked away, the rest of his family descended. They all hugged him. Trent returned the show of affection, but kept one arm firmly around Abby’s waist at all times.
“Let’s get out of here,” Mike said. “I’m starving. What do you all say we blow this joint and go grab a bite to eat?”
There were a few chuckles, and then everyone was moving. She went along even though she wasn’t sure she would be able to eat anything.
Trent and Abby slid into the backseat of his parents’ vehicle. He pulled her close to his side and she snuggled into him.
“What are you in the mood for, son? I’d say after the day you’ve had, the choice is yours.”
“Anywhere’s fine, Dad.” Trent answered his father, but he never took his gaze from Abby. He kept stroking her hair and brushing his lips against hers.
Mike drove to a steak house a few miles away and they all piled out of the car.
Dinner wasn’t bad. Abby ate more than she thought she would. Now that she could see that Trent really was safe, her appetite returned.
Everyone had questions. They wanted to know what had happened, who the guy was, and why he’d targeted them. When it came out that Paul had stayed on the phone with her through the whole thing, Trent commented that he was going to owe his big brother an extra Christmas present this year.
Abby was just glad Trent was all right. He’d sworn to her and his mother that there wasn’t a scratch on him. While she believed that he was physically unharmed, she had to wonder how he was doing with the rest of it. Trent had killed a man. Even though his life and those of his employees had been in danger, she couldn’t imagine what that would be like.
His main concern seemed to be for Trinity. She’d been taken to the hospital to make sure nothing was broken and that there was no internal bleeding. Trent had called her on the way to the restaurant. The doctors had bandaged her up and sent her home with some medicine for the pain. It would take a little while for her to heal, but she was going to be okay.
On the way back out to the car, Chris walked over to them. “We’re going to head home.”
Trent embraced his brother. “Thanks for coming down.”
“Anytime.” Chris looked over at Abby. “Take care of him.”
Abby grinned. “I will.”
Chris smiled back and waved goodbye. It was the first time Abby felt as if maybe, one day, things would be back to normal between them.
Mike and Marilyn drove Abby and Trent back to his office so they could get their vehicles. Trent stood off to the side as Abby opened the door to her car.
“Follow me home?” he asked.
She looked him dead in the eye before lowering herself into her seat. “If you think I’m letting you out of my sight, Trent Daniels . . .”
He gave her one of those smiles of his that had her heart racing. She wanted to rip off his clothes right then and there.
Trent leaned down and gave her a lingering kiss. “I’ll see you at the house.”
The drive back to his place—which would soon be her place, she reminded herself—only took a few minutes. It was late and most people were already home for the evening.
She parked her car in the garage beside his and followed him inside. They made their way down the hall to his bedroom. He pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it into the hamper. “I need to take a shower. Do you want to join me?”
Abby tilted her head to the side. “Did you miss what I said earlier about not letting you out of my sight?”
She hummed when he bent down to nuzzle her neck.
“I didn’t forget.” He placed one arm under her legs and lifted her into his arms. His mouth found hers once more as he strolled into the bathroom.
Trent lowered her feet to the floor again outside the shower. He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear before reaching to turn on the water.
All the love she felt for him surged through her with an undeniable force. He had changed her life in more ways than one. Trent had given her back the family she thought she’d lost because of a stupid decision she’d made. He’d shown her that she didn’t have to give up on love—that she deserved it.
She took a step forward, closing the distance between them, and caressed the side of his face. “I love you.”
Trent kissed the inside of her palm. “I love you too, baby. Always.”
“Did you mean what you said last night? About us living together, I mean?” she asked.
“You know I did.” He placed a kiss on her wrist and then continued down the length of her arm. It was hard to remember what she’d been about to say.
“I think I want to.”
Trent halted his movement and met her gaze.
“I want to move in here with you. That’s . . . that’s what I was coming to tell you today.” She swallowed. “And then we can talk about the other.”
He dropped her arm and cradled her face between both his hands. “You won’t regret it, Abby. I promise.”
Abby didn’t think she would either. Trent made her feel as if the future was full of possibilities and she never wanted to let that go. Not ever.
Epilogue
Abby stood at the railing of the paddleboat, looking out at the Ohio River. The wind whipped her hair around her face as they made their way along the water, but she didn’t care. Today she was officially becoming a member of the Daniels family.
It was hard to believe that less than a year ago she’d been living in New York. The life she’d had there seemed a world away. Ohio was her home now. Trent was her home.
Max leaned against the railing beside her, squinting against the sun. “You ready for this?”
She smiled. “More than ready.”
“No cold feet?” he asked, giving her shoulder a bump. Max had softened considerably toward Trent and the Daniels family in general. He still wasn’t a big fan of Chris, but Abby wasn’t sure that was ever going to change.
“Nope. Not even a little.”
Max placed his hand over hers and squeezed. “I’m glad you’re happy. Trent . . . he’s . . . he’s a good guy.”
Abby narrowed her eyes a little. “Are you feeling okay? I mean, you don’t have a fever or anything?”
He chuckled and shook his head. “I just want you to be happy, Abby.”
“What about you?” She leaned into his side and wrapped her hand around his bicep. “When are you going to find some nice girl to settle down with? Maybe that new assistant of yours?”
Max rolled his eyes. “You need to stop play
ing matchmaker.”
“I like Amber.”
“Considering you’re the one who picked her out, I would hope so,” he commented.
“Yes, but you hired her. You could have rejected my recommendation.” She looked up at him with mischief in her eyes. It was one of the things she missed about not being Max’s assistant. She couldn’t tease him like she used to.
“While that might be true, today isn’t about me. It’s about you.” He glanced down the walkway that led to the back of the boat. The captain, who was performing the ceremony, stepped into view, catching Max’s gaze. “I think that’s our cue. Last chance to back out.”
Abby nodded to the captain and ran her hands down the front of her white dress. She’d picked a lightweight dress that came down to her ankles. It reminded her of the beach. All she needed was one of those large-brimmed hats. “I’m not backing out.”
Max grinned and offered her his arm. “Let’s get you to your groom, then.”
Threading her hand through his arm, she let him lead her down the walkway that ran along the side of the paddleboat. Abby and Trent had decided that instead of a church wedding, they would have the ceremony on the same paddleboat where they’d spent their first official date. It had been the beginning of their romantic relationship. Why not have it be the place where they began their marriage as well?
Everyone who meant something to Trent and Abby were waiting at the back of the boat. They turned as she and Max came into view, their faces lit with happiness.
Abby looked through their friends and family until she found Trent. He was standing to the right of the big paddle wheel, next to the captain. When their gazes met, his smile widened. She still had to pinch herself some days to believe he was really hers.
As she took those final steps toward him, she thought back to the conversation they’d had two nights ago. They’d gone to one of their favorite restaurants and had sat next to a young family. The couple looked to be around their age and they had two kids under the age of two. For the first time since Kaylee’s death, Abby felt something more than the loss of her baby when she saw the happy family. She’d laced her fingers with Trent’s across the table and asked him if he was ready to start trying for a little one of their own.