“He is down the hall.I’m not entirely certain his condition, though.I do know he was upgraded from critical to stable late last night.I don’t know if he’s awake yet, though.”
“I want to know, when you can…he’s my best friend.I want him to know…I love him and am not going anywhere.I’m here if he needs me.”Cal grimaced.He was hurting, no denying that.But at least he hadn’t lost his best friend right now.“Once I stop hurting, anyway.”
“I know how you feel.We…have matching scars now.You could have been killed.I knew what you were going to do and I didn’t know how to stop you.”
“I haveyou.That was worth any risk.You are here with me.Kam is alive, Cloe and Clancy could have walked right into that.He’d have killed them too, to cover up what he’d done to Kameron.It would have just spiraled.Or that moron could have killed both of us and found Markie and Maeya.I don’t know what he would have done if he thought Markie could identify him.Or if he had taken them.I don’t even want to think about it.I just want to think about what happensafterI get out of here.I want to think of what we have to do to get the girls okay with me being around.Me being there with them, when I am with you.Because I promise you, I amnotgoing anywhere.”
“I am going to hold you to that, Calloway Ellis.I spoke with the girls.I told them how I feel about you.And what I would like to happen.And I promised them that we would take our time, until they are ready.That we would never do anything to hurt them.”
“How did they take it?”
“Jules thinks it’s very romantic.She heard someone say how you pushed me out of the way and now she thinks you are a hero from a romance novel.Avril does whatever Jules does—but she did tell me that she likes you because you don’t yell and you take good care of Markie.Markie already adores you—that’s hard to miss.But she did say you have to teach her what comes after ‘furrteen’ and take her to see the kittens.When asked, Mae-Mae just babbled, but I think she’ll love having you around.”
“Tobi and Jan will struggle the most.”Because they had been the ones hurt the most.He understood.
“Tobi says I’m only allowed to be withyou.Because you are Claudia’s big brother and you saved me and Markie and Maeya from the bad guy.She trusts you.”
“That’s one of the greatest gifts I’ve ever been given.How do we help Jan?”
“Just time.She is so hurt still.She will be for a long time, I think.She just needs to see that you will be there, be a man of your word.She needs to see agood manmore than anything.”
“I’ll show up.Every time they need me to.Until the day I die.However they want me to—brother-in-law, that’s my first plan.Maybe evendadwhen they are ready.I’ll keep showing up.For all of you.You have my word.”
“That’s good enough for me.”
She leaned forward, and pressed her lips to his.
He couldn’t handle allthreeof those evil she-devil-creatures, but he could handlethisone.
Forever.
Cal was more than good with that.
Epilogue
Claudia puther hand on the teenager’s shoulder, and held a finger to her lips.They backed away.She slipped the door closed, giving Auggie and Cal some much-needed privacy.“We’ll go grab something to drink in the cafeteria, okay?”
She’d somehow ended up with January after breakfast.Auggie had insisted on staying at the hospital with Cal.Cadell had stayed as well—in case either of them had needed anything.January had been upset—she’d needed to see Auggie.To make sure she was okay.
Claudia had understood.She wanted to see them herself—and she was a full-grown adult.
Now, here they were.They’d sent Cadell home to shower and get some real rest.Almost everyone had remained at the hospital until almost two a.m., when Cal had been taken into recovery.Some of Auggie’s family had shown up to get the girls and take them back to Gil’s.Claudia had ended up there, too.She hadn’t wanted to be alone at her place, and Cal’s house was now a crime scene.Clancy, too, had ended up at Gil’s, with Em and Junie.And a steady stream of Tyler cousins in and out.Claudia was now ninety-nine percent certain she was engaged to Derrick Tyler.She was going to have to figurethatout later.
Cloe had stayed at the hospital, too.It had been a chaotic night for all of them.One she would never forget.
When they were in the cafeteria, January looked at her.Sometimes, it was like hopping back in time, to look at her.Even the way she tilted her head was Auggie all over again.“Auggie really loves him?”
“I think she does.It scares her, the idea of it, I think.I really don’t think she was planning to get involved with anyone until you kids were older.”She was always honest with January.The girl saw through lies better than anyone Claudia had ever met.“She didn’t think it was fair to split her attention that way.”
“Like…because there are so many of us and she doesn’t think there is time?”
“No.More like…she felt she was devoting a part of herself to raising you girls and she didn’t know if there was room to devote herself to being the woman Cal needed as well.Romantic relationships can be very complicated.”
“It isn’t really fair that she has to take care of us, is it?Even though no one ever really asked her.She just kinda has to now.Hedidn’t.He didn’t care who took care of us after him.”
“No.I don’t think Bruce does.He is very selfish.But Auggie loves you girls and loves taking care of all of you.She didn’t even hesitate when the social workers asked her if she wanted to take you girls, baby.She just also loves Cal, too.”
“It’s scary.How do you know when you should trust a man?”
