It took fifteen more minutes for her to get cleaned up enough for the girls to see.The last thing she wanted to do was retraumatize the girls.
Then she was out there with them.Markie was sound asleep in Clancy’s arms.Claudia, dressed in a far-too-daring-to-be-believed slinky black dress, held the baby, feeding her a bottle.And pacing.Barefooted.
She had a half-wild, scared look on her face that tore right through Auggie.
Em and Junie were near the window, just waiting.She didn’t know how much any of them had been told.
Claudia came toward her.“Auggie.”
Everyone went quiet.Even the kids.“Any word on your brother?”
“Not yet.He’s in surgery.”Claudia held Maeya closer.Auggie wanted to hold her baby, but her arm was hurting too much.She didn’t want to risk dropping her.“How badly are you hurt?”
“Bruises and stitches,” Auggie’s breath caught again.She wasn’t going to start weeping in front of the girls.It would just terrify them even more.“Your brother pushed me out of the way and got between us.He jumped Jacob to get the…to stop him from hurting me.”
“Sounds exactly like something my brother would do.For the people he loves.”Claudia’s voice hitched, too.“He loves you.”
“I know.We love each other.We figured that out tonight.And I’m never going to forget it.And when he’s out of here, we’re going to make a plan together.And then…maybe…make a few more.”
Because she wanted that more than anything right now.She just wanted that man to be okay.
Her sisters came to her—Em, Junie, January.Auggie reassured them thatshewas okay.
And then the Weatherbys and Zach Lowell and Joel were there.Maybe…they’d even been there all along?She looked at Joel, her cousin Phoebe’s husband.“You probably need my statement, don’t you?”
“Yes.We’re putting some things together.We have what you recorded with your phone.And Jack could hear, from where he was, somehow,” Joel said.“He was picking the lock on the back patio when the first shots were fired.That cousin of mine might just have a few moreskillsthan I am aware of.Cat burglar type, I think.”
“He showed up when we needed him most.Him and Gabe and Cloe.And when I saw Clancy by the kitchen—” She bit back the tears.“I was terrified because Markie and Maeya were sleeping in Clancy’s room.So close to where we were.I was terrified he’d kill us and then find them.”
Claudia’s hold tightened on Maeya.
Then Joel’s hand was wrapped around her elbow.“Let’s go find a place to sit down.You can tell us what happened.Joint interview so we don’t have to keep going over the same things and so you can be with the girls while you wait.”
71
When he openedhis eyes there was a beautiful face looking down at him.With blue eyes so perfect he would never forget them.Would probably keep dreaming about them, too.“Hi, beautiful.Would you like to keep me as breeding stock?”
A sexy laugh came out as she dabbed a wet cloth against his lips lightly.He appreciated it.His mouth was seriously dry here.
“I would unequivocally say yes to that.More, I’ll keep you as the man I want to spend forever with.If you are ready.And whentheyare ready.”
“Excellent.But…you cannot share me with Em and Junie.Just saying.”
“Noted.You will definitely make gorgeous babies, if and when the time comes.”
He smirked.“While I don’t think this is hell, exactly.I don’t really remember the trip to get here.That keeps happening to me lately.”
“You rode on the chopper.Cloe and Gabe Masterson accompanied you.Jack Masterson brought me.That man came in handy.So did his brother.”
“No kidding.You look beautiful.How badly were you hurt?”
“Not that bad.Three-inch graze.Stitches.A few pulled muscles.You were the one who really scared me.”
“So how much damage did that asshole do to me?”
“Not as much as you did to him when you were after that gun.He took one straight to the stomach, I heard.It hit his spine just enough… He’s not going to ever walk again, Cal.He’s paralyzed from about the ribs down.He’ll…pay…for what he did for the rest of his life.He’s been down the hall, yelling at his father that it was allKameron’sfault.That it was because his father loved Kameron more.He’ll never accept responsibility for what he did.He just won’t.Playing the poor martyr, the victim.”
“Kam?Is he?—”
