Tanner’s gaze widened as hot tears fell from the corners of his eyes and disappeared into his hairline. He cleared his throat, then said, “you stopped way more than I ever could. I was so scared when you collapsed.”
Violet shook her head. “That happens when I get too tired. Ned does it on purpose sometimes to make sure I’m not faking it.”
“Shouldn’t you be groggier from all the pain meds?” April asked.
“I asked them to hold off when the nurse came in while Mom was here. I wanted to be awake enough to see you both.” He winced then and April knew this was costing him.
“You shouldn’t have done that. I’ll let the nurse know to give you more pain meds. Come on, Violet. We’ll come back later. Let’s give your dad a chance to rest.”
“Okay. I love you, Daddy,” Violet said.
Tanner caught her hand before she could pull it away. “I’ll never get tired of hearing you say that. I love you, too, my amazing daughter.”
A knock at the door had April turning and Violet straightening to attention like she thought she was about to get in trouble. April hated how on edge her niece was, but April couldn’t blame her after everything she’d been through last night. “Don’t worry, Violet. I’m sure whoever’s knocking is here for your dad. Come on in,” April called out.
Skyla came in and carefully shut the door behind her. “Hey, I hope I’m not interrupting. I just had to sneak in. I wanted to see how you’re doing. Maybe offer a little help.” Skyla gave Tanner a meaningful look, but he just shook his head.
“Don’t you dare,” Tanner warned, his voice still groggy. “While I appreciate the offer, I think I’ll use my time off to get to know my daughter better and woo the heck out of her aunt.”
April smiled. She was definitely looking forward to all the wooing from this man.
“Alright, I’ll let you rest,” Skyla said. “Feel better.” She left, and Tanner tried to move, but winced in pain, then took a few shallow breaths.
April placed a gentle hand on his arm, wishing there was something she could do. “Blake told me about Skyla’s ability. Are you sure you don’t want to take her up on her offer?”
Tanner nodded without hesitation and took her hand in his. “What I’m sure of is that my daughter just went through hellbecause of something she can do. I’m definitely not going to use one of my friends’ gifts to help me when I know damn well my body can heal itself. I’m not Ned, April. I will never use someone for what they can do for me. Not my daughter, not my friends, not anyone. Ever.”
April swallowed, not sure what to say. She knew Tanner wasn’t like Ned, but she hadn’t expected him to turn down an offer that would help him get out of weeks or even months of pain and physical therapy. She wasn’t sure she could be that selfless. But the fact that Tanner was, didn’t so much surprise her as it warmed her heart.
“Hey,” Tanner said, stroking her hand with his thumb when her gaze left his and focused on her feet. “What are you thinking right now?”
April looked back up at him and smiled. “That you are exactly the dad Violet needs in her life.”
Tanner’s mouth curved into that sweet, crooked grin that had her falling for him in the first place. “And what about you? Am I exactly the kind of man you need inyourlife?” There was a teasing nature to his words, and despite the heavy meds he was on, she could swear she saw a light in his eyes that showed April just how serious he was about that wooing he’d mentioned a few minutes ago.
April smiled. Even after being shot and going through several hours of surgery, this man was awake enough to flirt with her and claim his daughter. He was clearly in a great amount of pain, and yet he still turned down the one thing that would’ve healed him instantly. Just to show his daughter that he wasn’t the kind of guy who took advantage of people for his own gain.
April closed the distance between them, and gently brushed her lips against his in a soft kiss that she felt all the way down to her toes. “You are the perfect man for me, Tanner Rhodes.”
Chapter 31
Three Months Later
“You can’t catch me,” Violet shrieked as she ran past April in her efforts to get away from Sienna. The girls were supposed to be winding down after a long day of celebrating Violet’s seventh birthday with their school friends and Tanner’s family, but they were still as excited as ever.
Tanner had given her a white horse just like April had said she dreamed of having, and his parents had given her one of Aster’s puppies after Tanner and April had agreed to let her have a dog.
“Save me, Buddy!” Violet shrieked between giggles, and the rambunctious puppy bounded for his favorite playmate, while Boo looked on from a safe distance.
Distracted by the cute bundle of fur, both girls paused their game to cuddle and pet the puppy that Violet had named after her favorite dog movie. She was still thinking about what she wanted to name her new horse, but as long as she was happy, April didn’t care.
“Time to start getting ready for bed girls,” April announced.
“Yes,” Tanner said.
“I agree,” Faith chimed in. The three of them had been trying to convince Violet and Sienna that it was time to settle down foralmost an hour now, but they didn’t have the heart to force the issue because the day had been so special and magical.
Violet had invited all her friends from school, they’d had horse and carriage rides around the property, a petting zoo, and various carnival games. The kids had a blast and all the adults loved seeing their big smiles, and of course, participating in all the fun.
