“Go, get out of here,” he ordered as he slammed the door. “Head for my mom and dad’s and don’t slow down until we’re there.”
CHAPTER 21
***WALKER***
Walker pulled Maddie back into his arms as soon as the truck was on the road. He wasn’t sure which one of them was trembling more, but having her there made some of the panic and fear fade away. He felt Justin beginning to squirm under the jacket and eased up a little, then pulled the oversized coat Maddie was wearing back to reveal a little face looking up at him. The baby smiled up at him, then reached up and touched his face before pulling his hand back with a little squeal of laughter, and he couldn’t help but smile.
“He’s not scared,” he said, looking over at Maddie. “I thought he’d be terrified after what you’ve been through.”
“He can sense that he’s safe,” she said, still a little breathless. “I’m not scared, so he’s not either.”
“Can I hold him?” he asked, pulling the coat back some more. “I don’t want to scare him, though. I’m more or less a stranger.”
He saw the regret on Maddie’s face. “It was my own fault, I pushed you away, I have no one to blame but myself, I was about to tell you that when I discovered what happened,” he said. “I’ll always regret missing the first few years of Justin’s life, but there’s nothing I can do to change the bad decision I made backthen. I promise you that old Walker is long gone, and I’m going to be here every moment of every day from now on.”
“I know you will, and that’s good enough for now,” she said, smiling up at him. “We’ll figure out the rest later.”
Maddie pulled the baby out of the coat and shifted him to Walker’s lap, then shrugged out of it and threw it down on the floorboard with a shudder. “We’ll throw that away the first chance we get,” Walker said, but his eyes were on Justin, who was studying him like only a toddler could. “Should I do something? He’s just staring at me.”
“I think he’s trying to figure out who you are,” Maddie said with a shrug of her shoulders. “He might feel the connection between us, he’s pretty in tune with my moods, but you’re the one who knows about this stuff.”
“I suppose it’s possible, but honestly I have no idea,” he said, stealing a glance over at her. “I guess we’ll have to figure out all that too. I’ve never been bonded to anyone before.”
“I’m certainly glad to hear that,” she said, a smile on her face. “That makes two of us.”
He laughed, then looked back over at Justin. “Well, little man, you and I have a lot of catching up to do,” he said. “I think we should start with getting you a basketball and maybe a baseball. It’s probably too soon for football, we’ll see.”
The baby laughed, then reached up and patted his cheek. “Dada, dada, dada,” Justin babbled, “wanna ball..”
His eyes instantly filled with tears, and a feeling of love he’d never experienced before washed over him. All he could do for a few seconds was stare at the baby. “Did he just…no, he couldn’t have…I mean…” he stammered, then looked over at Maddie, who had tears in her eyes as well. “He didn’t just call me Dada, did he?”
“I think he did,” she said, her voice husky with emotion. “I talk about you all the time and not in a bad way, maybe…I don’t know…he senses that’s who you are.”
“You know what, it doesn’t matter how or why, I’m just glad to be here with him,” he said, grinning at her. “My mom is going to flip out when she sees him.”
“Is that where we’re going?” she asked, then remembered they were not alone and leaned into the front seat. “Thank you for coming after us, all of you. I wasn’t sure how I was going to find help, then you were just there.”
“Anything for family,” Ryan said. “I don’t know if you remember me, but I’m Ryan, and this is Jackson. The rest of the boys are going to meet us at Walker’s parents’ house. This is far from over.”
Maddie looked over at him. “I’m afraid he’s right, Thomas isn’t going to give up unless you…” he let the words trail off. “How did you get away?”
“Sleeping pills,” she said, shrugging her shoulders. “He wasn’t a very good kidnapper. I had them in my purse, I managed to slip some into his drink, and he was out in ten minutes.”
He leaned over and gave her a big kiss. “Smart, brave, and beautiful, I really hit the jackpot,” he said, pride welling up inside him. “You’re all mine, and no one is going to take you away from me.”
“I like the sound of that,” she said, snuggling down into his arms. “How far is your parents’ house?”
“It will take a couple of hours to get there,” he said, smiling when the baby settled down in his arms, his head against his chest, eyes drooping. “Maybe you both should try and get some sleep, it might be all you get tonight.”
“I’m not going to argue with you,” Maddie said, yawning. “I am tired, and we’re safe now. I think I will try to sleep a little.”
He kissed the top of her head. “Sweet dreams, princess,” he said. “I’ll be right here watching over both of you.”
***Maddie***
Maddie woke when the truck came to a stop and opened her eyes, confused for a second about where she was, then it all came rushing back to her. A fresh wave of panic and fear started to rise inside her, then she looked over and saw Justin asleep in Walker’s arms. It faded away instantly, replaced by the warmth of their connection, and she let out a sigh of relief, then smiled when she realized that Walker was sound asleep too.
Sitting up a little, she stretched up and gave Walker a kiss on the cheek. “We’re here, sleepyhead,” she said. “Your mom is waiting for us.”
