While things for me felt more real than ever, and evolving, we both had pasts to face before we could truly find that forever kind of happily-ever-after. And while I knew therewas room for healing, I also knew for Jett the turmoil of what happened would never fully go away.
Jett had started working with the guys slowly, easing into it as he spent time adjusting and going to therapy. Recently, he’d been talking about taking a trip to visit his buddies' families to pay his respects—something he hadn’t been able to do while in the hospital healing.
It might just be some of the closure he needed, and I’d offered to go along if that was what he chose to do. He hadn’t confirmed or denied whether he wanted me with him. I knew that me—or anyone else for that matter—seeing his emotional wounds split wide open was still hard for him.
A part of him was still keeping his feelings close to his chest and bottled up.
For me, I had to get through a mediation with Chaz and his lawyers. Lawyers being his own father and their team. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but my nerves were a mess. That was my past that I had to disintegrate and leave in the dust so the wrong people—those who didn’t care about my son and only wanted to use him for show—didn’t get their hands on my child.
The only man who was Griffin’s father in every way was Jett, and he was the only person I ever wanted in that role because I knew they loved each other as father and son should. Was Jett still struggling with that? I knew he was. Not because Griffin didn’t mean the world to him, but because he still questioned how he felt about himself.
Healing wasn’t easy.
Out of breath, I slowed my pace, bringing myself to a walk just as Alley entered the room. As she approached, I came to a stop and hopped off the treadmill.
Giving me a knowing look, she said, “Blowing off some steam, huh? Did it work?”
Moving to the bench behind me that was against the wall,I grabbed a towel from my bag and wiped the sweat from my face. “Nope.”
She stared at me for a beat then, as always, with so much confidence, and provided her two cents. “If we could all go in that room with you, we would. Hell, I’d even take a bat with me for added measure. But I’ll be in the waiting room for moral support for you and my husband.”
Walking closer, she touched my arm, the softer side of Alley making an appearance. “But I know without a doubt that my husband is going to handle this for you.”
I could have responded by saying she might be a bit biased, but the truth was, from what I had seen and heard, Landon was a kickass lawyer. Not only that, he was as protective of his family and friends as all the military guys were—even though his life never took him into that line of work.
Suddenly, I didn’t know what happened. It was like all the months of stress, heartache, and worry hit me full force, like a landslide trying to take down anything in its path. The floodgates opened, and a mess of tears was set free.
I found myself pulled into the circle of Alley’s arms. She held me tight, just letting me get it all out without saying another word.
After the sobs started to subside, I hiccupped through the final tears. I pulled back out of Alley’s embrace just as the one person I desperately needed to see walked into the room, making a beeline straight for me, worry etched across his handsome face.
Once he stood in front of me, Jett’s gaze scanned my body from head to toe. “Are you hurt?”
Alley started walking away. “I’m going to let you two talk.”
When she was gone, my husband softly cupped my jaw in his hands, bending his knees a bit to look directly into my eyes. I swore sometimes that the bright blue sparkle of hisstare could heal someone from the outside in—his globes were like a magical force.
“Talk to me, baby.”
His warm breath and rich masculine scent swirled around me, calming me enough to voice how I was feeling.
“I’m scared they are going to get Griffin.” A shudder ran through me. “Even a second of time in their presence is too much.”
Another tear managed to break free. How was I going to hold it together in the meeting when I was such a disaster?
Jett brushed my tears away. “Listen to me. We are not going to let that happen. I have faith in Landon, and if all else fails, we will go on the run.”
I thought he was joking, but his face was nothing but serious.
“You’re kidding, right?”
“Hell no, I’m not. We will not let them touch Griffin.”
This was crazy talk but so freaking sweet.
“You would just up and leave your family?” I asked, knowing that would get him to retract what he’d just said. But instead, he floored me even further.
Wrapping his arms around me, he pulled me flush against him so our faces were centimeters apart.
