Chapter 16
ELAINEawoke from of an unsettled sleep and sat up. She heard voices.
Someone was in their suite.
She turned to wake Connor, but he wasn’t in bed. Her heart thumped, a rapid call to arms. Moving swiftly in the dark, she reached for her housecoat and threw it over her naked body, tying it at the waist. She crept toward her open bedroom door and slid into the hallway. Andy’s door remained closed, but Layla’s was open.
The voices continued to murmur. Upon moving closer, Elaine recognized Connor’s baritone and Layla’s high pitch.
Thank God. For a moment, her sleepy mind thought Royal Hill had found his way into her suite, but it was just her family.
Her family. She hadn’t even questioned Connor’s place there.
Her face heating, not wanting to disturb their conversation, she peeked around the corner into the living area.
Connor and Layla sat together on the couch. He’d thrown on some flannel PJ pants. She was snuggled up to him, wearing her favorite princess pajamas. Her cheeks were wet with tears. He held a glass of water to her mouth and helped her sip.
“There,” he said. “Better?”
Layla shook her head.
“It was just a nightmare. It’s all gone now.”
“I’m still scared.”
“Why are you scared, munchkin?”
“Because I heard two policemen talking today. They said a bad man wants to hurt Mommy.”
Elaine held her breath.
Connor sighed and put the glass of water on the side table. He pulled Layla onto his lap and held her against his chest. “Sweet pea, no one’s going to hurt your mom. I won’t let them.”
“Mommy said the bad men hurt Daddy, and he died.” She hiccupped, trying to catch a breath through her tears. “I don’t want Mommy to die.”
“Oh, Layla, honey.” He rocked her, stroking her hair. “Let me tell you something about your Mommy and me. We have a very special friendship. I care for her and you and Andy more than anything in the world, and I would do anything to keep you all safe.”
“Even fight the bad men?”
“I would fight a hundred bad men for you guys. A thousand. But you don’t need to worry about it, okay? Everything is going to be all right.”
Elaine bit her lip, moved and saddened to the core. She doubted the officers had meant for Layla to hear their conversation, but her daughter was clever. She picked up on things other kids her age didn’t, and because of her experiences with losing her dad, she worried more than most.
“And you know what?” Connor continued. “Your mom’s a strong lady, and when she doesn’t feel so tough, I’ll be tough for her.”
“Uncle Connor?”
“Yeah?”
“When Auntie Gioia married Uncle Soren, Gunnar got a new daddy. Could you marry my mom and be my new daddy?”
“Well, I’m honored you would ask me, but that decision is really up to your mom. She needs to be the one to decide when, and if, you and Andy get a new dad. It might take her a while because it’s a hard choice to make.” He offered her a gentle smile. “But can I tell you a secret?”
Layla nodded.
“Nothing would make me happier than to be part of your lives forever.”
Her emotions running amok, Elaine pressed her back against the wall. She concentrated on her breathing.In, out. In, out. It didn’t matter. She couldn’t steady her pounding heart.Damn, stupid heart. She’d never been so aware of its pace before. She just wanted to forget her heart and live a normal life again.
