That was the reason he wanted to spend every night with her since finding her again. The reason that it was killing him to think about anything happening to her. He loved Gabriella with a fierceness that he’d never felt for anyone before.
And after the trial was over and Covington was behind bars, he was going to take her away from here. They could start over again without the reminders of all the ways Heartache had lived up to its name for them. Go someplace safe where they could be their own family. He had never had much luck with relationships in the past, but for Gabby’s sake, he was willing to try.
“I’ve got it,” Gabriella said right before the alarm system buzzed and the door opened, blue light spilling out into the closet.
For a frozen instant, Clay and Gabby stood face-to-face, phones to their ears in mirror images of one another. But a moment later he had her in his arms. Holding her tight. Breathing in her soft floral scent as he buried his face in her silky hair.
He didn’t want to let her go. He knew they would be here for a while tonight. Sam Reyes would need her to givethe police a statement. Her brother was already on his way back to Heartache to make sure she was okay.
“Thank you,” she whispered, her words a light brush of air over his lips while they stood in the closet, the scent of cedar winding around them. “I couldn’t have gotten through this night without you.”
“Yes, you could have.” He wanted her to know she was stronger than she realized. “But I’m glad you didn’t have to. I’m just damn sorry I wasn’t here with you.”
He eased back just enough to take in her expression. To cup her cheek in his hand and kiss her tenderly. “I wanted to face my old room by myself,” she admitted, trembling against him. “That part wasn’t as bad as I feared. The house is so different now and I realized that overdose wasn’t just a response to my attack. I mean, it was a response to that, of course. But it was also a plea for my mother’s attention. I never realized how much it hurt that she was so willing to just… let me leave.”
He edged back to look at her, whistling softly. “I’m so sorry she wronged you.”
She nodded. “I’m just glad that I sorted through those old hurts. I think that’s why I’ve been so insistent that someone step in and be a family for Mia. I’ve been living out my past through her. Too much, I guess.”
He kissed the top of her head. Sliding his jacket off, he draped the leather around her shoulders, wanting to stop her shivering.
“Mia is lucky to have you.” He stroked a hand over her hair. “And I’m damn lucky that your brother is a high-tech genius with a safe room. I owe him more than I can ever repay.” Clay wished he could take her in the safe room now, in fact, and close the door on the rest of the world until he caught his breath again. Until the fear in his gut eased awaycompletely. But he knew they needed to face Sam. “Are you ready to talk to the police yet?”
She nodded firmly, scrubbing aside the tears with her wrist. “I think so. But then I want to go to the hospital to be with you and Mia. Is she okay?”
“It was a rough night.” Briefly, he brought her up to speed with Pete’s failing condition. “But yes, so far, she’s doing well.” He led Gabriella out into Zach’s basement office to speak with the police, more certain than ever that he had the right idea to leave town with her and Mia so the three of them could have a fresh start in Memphis.
As soon as he could, he was putting Heartache behind him forever.
Chapter Eighteen
On the townsquare playground, Mia dug her toes into the sand and pushed off on the swing to start herself in motion. Davis had invited her to the Hasting reunion brunch today since they’d had so much fun at the party the day before. He was still working in the coffee tent, but he would be done soon so they could have brunch together.
She’d spent the night in the hospital, unwilling to leave her father’s side even though Gabriella and Clay had urged her to get some rest in a real bed back at the Chance house. But she couldn’t sleep while Pete fought for his life.
Strangely, though, her dad had gained strength after those terrifying moments when they’d almost lost him. The nurses all said they’d never seen anything like it. His color was better. His vitals were stable. He’d had enough energy to berate her for ten minutes straight about the “truly dumb-ass idea” of spending her day in “hospital hell” when she could be outdoors enjoying life.
His cursing hadn’t convinced her, but the energy behind the words had. She wasn’t worried about Pete dyingtoday. His doctor said if he continued to stay stable for twenty-four hours they were moving him to an assisted living facility.
Two days ago that might have seemed like the end of the world since it meant she would no longer be able to live with him. But after seeing him nearly die in front of her eyes, Mia knew she couldn’t think about herself anymore. Her father had given her all he could by getting her out of foster care and showing her someone cared. Even better? He’d introduced her to her half brother who seemed sincere about letting her weigh in on her next living arrangement.
Even if that was a foster home.
Now that Connor was in jail for robbing homes all over Heartache and along the interstate heading toward Franklin, Mia could think more clearly about her own future. She didn’t have to worry about her foster brother trying to find her anymore.
So the time had come to think about whatshewanted.
For today, however, she only wanted to have fun and hang out with Davis again. She gripped the chain swings tighter and slowed herself down, her eyes seeking him in the coffee tent. The lawn behind Lucky’s Back Porch wasn’t quite as full today as it had been yesterday. Some of the families had already gone home and there was no live entertainment or dance floor. But someone had hooked up an amp to a truck stereo playing country music. Two fire pits were going instead of the patio heaters. Tables were full of families eating pastries or sandwiches from a cold buffet. Gabriella was over there, she knew, since they’d ridden together.
Clay would be here soon. He’d spent the morning at the hospital to discuss the assisted living idea with Pete’s doctors.
While Mia scanned the party, she spotted two older girls headed her way—Bailey McCord and Megan Bryer. She kind of knew them from school, but Davis had introduced her to them yesterday and they seemed sort of cool. Megan played in the band with Davis, so they were friends. And even though Bailey had all the traditional trappings of homecoming sweetheart right down to the girlie clothes and beauty queen blond hair, she’d fallen out with the popular kids when her mother had an affair with Jeremy Covington.
Poor girl.
Mia understood how it felt to have kids judge you based on your parents’ actions.
The two of them carried matching coffee cups from the beverage tent. And, actually, it looked like they had an extra.
