Because I would doanythingto protect Piper. Do anything to keep from hurting her.
Even something monumentally stupid.
FORTY-FIVE
Piper
“Mom, I want to stay,”Ollie begged.
“You can’t, buddy. Aunt Grace is going to take you back to Silver Ridge. You need to sleep, and if you feel well enough, there’s school in the morning.”
“School?” He spit that word out like a curse. “But what if Dad needs me? What ifyouneed me?”
I hugged him close, knowing I absolutely would need him. His humor and his big spirit and the way he cut through the b.s. of adulthood and spoke the truth. My son was such an amazing kid.
About half an hour ago, I’d taken Ollie to Danny’s hospital room to see him. Danny had never looked so diminished. Helpless. Ollie had cried and held his dad’s limp hand, and it had cracked my heart down the middle.
Danny had to make it. For Ollie. He owed it to our son to survive.
“I’m the mom, and that means I have to take care of you. I have to make this decision for us. That’s just how it is. Even if it sucks.”
It wasn’t an easy decision, sending Ollie home. But I was afraid he’d hear someone talking about Grayden and the suspicionaround what had happened. On top of the stress of seeing his dad hurt and just being here, that would be too much.
Ollie’s mouth ticked up just a little at the corner. “It does suck. But you’ll be here at the hospital with Dad? He doesn’t have anyone else.”
“I’ll be here.”
Not for Danny. He hadn’t earned my loyalty. But I would do this for Ollie. Because Danny was my son’s father, and Ollie couldn’t do this himself.
“I won’t be alone,” I added. “Uncle Callum’s on his way. He’s bringing dinner for me.”
“I guess I could make a card for Dad.”
“That’s a great idea.”
Ollie looked up at Grace. “Can we get art supplies on the way home? And chicken nuggets?”
She ruffled his hair. “Sure can. And I’ve got some cookie dough at home. We can bake cookies together.”
Ollie shrugged. “I guess that could be cool.”
“If you want, you can come back to the hospital tomorrow,” I said. “Instead of school. Okay?”
I hugged him one more time, and then Grace. “Please tell me if you hear anything about Grayden,” I whispered in her ear.
“Dane’s working on getting a lawyer here for him,” she murmured back. “For now, we just know Grayden’s still at the police station. But we’ll be okay, Piper. We’ll figure this out.”
“You stole my lines.” I’d always been the one telling her we’d be okay. But right now, I wasn’t so sure.
My insides were twisting all over the place as I pulled back. I waved to them as they walked toward the exit. There were messages on my phone, and I kept skimming over them. But none were from Grayden.
Memories echoed in my brain. Like the day Grace and I found out, in our first year of high school, that Grayden had been arrested. That feeling of despair and loss.
I couldn’t take it if today ended the same way.
About twenty minutes later, the door to the family waiting room opened. “Dinner delivery has arrived,” Callum announced.
He walked in laden with takeout bags. His easy smile and backward cap were familiar sights, and they calmed me.
