The tears in her eyes had me leaning over her sitting form to kiss her forehead, then her hair, and finally her cheek. My hand instinctively rested on her bump, hoping andneedingto feel our baby kick.
“Are you okay?” I murmured into her hair.
She nodded, and I pulled back enough to look her in the eyes. I tucked her hair behind her ears and cupped her cheeks, swiping a rolling tear away. “We’re okay.”
Air rushed out of me, and there was no stopping the flood. I wrapped my arms around her shoulders, tugging her to me as I kissed the top of her head over and over and over again.
“You’re both okay,” I whispered, needing to hear it again.
Her head bobbed and she sniffled into my shirt.
Relief had never been a more blissfulfeeling than in this moment. All the guilt, the pain, thewhat-ifs—they melted away until there was nothing but Parker in my arms.
“Beck, baby.”
I pulled away just enough to meet her gaze, and when I did, she reached up and gently wiped my cheeks.
“We’re okay,” she said again.
“I know—” I swallowed, forcing the lump of emotion away. “It killed me, Parker. All of this. You possibly being hurt. When I found you were gone, I—I thought—” I shook my head.
Her hand snaked around my head to the back of my neck, and she pulled me close until we were nose-to-nose. “I was scared, too.”
“I know, baby. And I’m so sorry.”
“But you found me,” she reassured in a whisper, and the faintest smile spread across her lips. It was forced, but it was enough.
“I’ll always find you, Parker. Fate works that way for a reason.”
“For the two of us, it always will.” This time, her smile was genuine. Bigger. Beautiful. “Don’t you know we can’t be apart?”
I grinned, and every worry melted away with the sight of our love shining in her eyes. “I’ve been waiting for you to catch up.”
Then I kissed her.
Slowly. All-consumingly. And I didn’t let her go until the doctor came in to go over the tests with me. Parker already knew all the information aside from a few of theblood tests, but other than them wanting to continue monitoring the baby’s heart rate and have us track the baby’s kick counts at home, Parker and our baby were in the clear.
We discussed signs to look for in case the baby declined for any reason, and set up a weekly appointment to be on the safe side since Parker’s due date was fast approaching. They kept her there until the early hours of the morning, offering multiple times to take a look at me. I’d refused, but Parker finally insisted I at least get my vitals checked.
I was fine, and by the time I was done, we were being discharged.
Parker was wheeled out, and while I walked, I thought of how we’d be doing this same walk not too long from now, but with our son in our arms. That had the emotions hitting all over again, because we should’ve never been here. We should have been safe at my house, soaking up some quality time as just the two of us.
When we walked through the waiting room on our way out and my family was there waiting for us, neither of us could hold back our tears. We were exhausted, crashing from the night’s events, and as always, the Bronsons were there. To hold us when we felt like crumbling, to bring gifts and food and make sure we were okay.
I watched as Lettie, Sage, Brandy, and Oakley wrapped Parker in their embrace, all the girls crying andsmiling and squished together, and I’d never felt more full.
Parker had a family now, and it was all I’d ever dreamed of.
A family with me.
As exhausted as we were, the second thing Parker and I did when we got home was strip down and take a warm bath together. First, she’d wanted to see Tex, so I let her have her moment with him. The horse offered a sort of comfort no person could provide—not even me.
Now, I ran circles over her belly as her head lay back on my chest, her eyes closed and her body slowly relaxing further with each breath.
The sudden burn of oncoming tears would hit every so often, but I did my best to hold them back. Parker was safe. I had no reason to worry any longer. Her uncle was dead, and with that, the threat on her life was gone. There was no longer the question of who had been stalking her social media.
And still…
