Chapter 26
Watching Scarlett leave was one of the hardest things Limit had ever had to do.
He knew it wasn’t forever, but he didn’t know how long she would be gone.
Weeks?
Days?
Months, even?
He was sitting with Emily and Green outside, smoking a cigarette. Scarlett and Ox had been gone for hours and apart from a few texts from her, he had no idea what she was up to.
“I can’t believe Maddie is that bad already,” Emily said.
Green had a hand around her waist and she was resting against his chest.
Limit had to wonder if they were getting serious or not, because from what Scarlett told him, Emily had the hardest time opening up. It made him understand her a little more.
“I think this visit will be good for Ox.”
Green’s words surprised him.
“Why is that?”
“Maddie is a sore spot for him. He really loved her. He never really got over what happened with her, maybe hearing the reason why she left him from her mouth will finally give him the closure he needed to move on,” Green explained.
That made sense.
Limit and everyone else knew that Ox and Laura had a thing for each other, but neither one of them seemed ready to pull the trigger on it. Even though Scarlett and Laura got along really well, Limit had been wondering what was holding his president back from getting an old lady of his own.
Suddenly, Slayer’s words filled his head.
“Just watch, you’ll be the next one to settle down.”
Fucker wasn’t a psychic, but he was right.
Limit had every intention on settling down with Scarlett, and after all the wrong he’d done her, she deserved everything he could offer her and more. He didn’t know how yet, and he wasn’t sure if she would still accept him after they had time apart, but it had only taken minutes after she left for him to realize what an epic fuck up he’d been.
When a woman like Scarlett offers you her heart, you take it and you treasure it.
Limit hadn’t treasured much of anything in a long, long, while.
Earlier in the week when he’d talked to his mother, she’d informed him that he was an absolute ass and that he better do everything in his power to make his little woman happy because love doesn’t come along every day, and he certainly wouldn’t find someone willing to work so hard for him.
Not under him, no, for him.
To love him and understand him and give as good as he gave.
Scarlett had proven that she was more than willing to give him whatever he needed, if only he would let her.
Emily was right, she did deserve better than him, but all he could do was thank his lucky stars that even though he’d tried his best to convince her and himself that she should move on and choose a better partner, she hadn’t given up on him.
“I hope he finds what he’s looking for,” Limit said softly.
Emily turned to look at him.
“You do realize that you’re still in the dog house, right? Scarlett just left here to basically bury her mother and I’m having a really hard time figuring out why you’re still here.”
Green reached around to place a calming hand on her thigh.
Limit flinched at her tone of voice, but as Scarlett’s best friend, she had every right to be protective. Emily had the loyalty that the Seven Deadlies were all about, and he couldn’t fault her for that.
“You’re right. The reason I’m still here is because I told Scarlett I had a few things to handle. She needs this time with her father and mother. She doesn’t need me there as a fuckin’ distraction, Emily.”
Emily’s dark eyes narrowed.
“You do understand that I don’t care if you’re basically a hitman for hire, right? Scarlett has been through a lot and you haven’t exactly been a cake walk for her. If you do anything to hurt her, you better learn to like the taste of nuts buddy, because I’ll kick yours into your throat!”
For a second Limit didn’t know what to say to the fiery blonde.
But, he had to admit that he liked her.
A lot.
“You’ll do just fine around here, Emily.”
Her face pinched with confusion, but Limit didn’t stop to explain himself.
He motioned towards Green.
“I need some help with my money. You got a few?”
✽✽✽
Scarlett stepped out of her car at the same time Carter stepped onto the front porch. He showed no surprise at seeing Ox standing there with her, and Scarlett had to wonder if he ever really expected Ox not to come.
Ox wrapped an arm around her shoulders as he gestured towards the car.
“I’ll grab the bags. You go on inside.”
“Okay, dad.”
The word slipped out and she knew that Carter heard her, but he made no comment on it.
“I’m glad you’re back, honey. Your mom is still awake if you want to go inside and see her now.”
One sentence that sounded so simple to anyone else rolled off his tongue like a loaded gun. Carter hugged her close for a second, and she took the time to tell him that she’d missed him. And, she had. She hadn’t lied when she said that he was a wonderful caretaker, she had no complaints.
As he released her from his hug, she opened the front door and stepped into her childhood home. It wasn’t a modest house by any means; it was huge.
She was used to perfectly decorated rooms and a tennis court. The driveway was almost as long as a city block, but now it all seemed so…extra.
Spending time in her apartment and Ox’s clubhouse had obviously changed her opinion, and she was saddened beyond belief when she realized that the big house she’d grown up in no longer felt like…home.
“Mama?”
She called for her mother as she stepped up the stairs, her feet dreading the journey nearly as much as the rest of her was.
How am I supposed to act?
Do I pretend like everything is okay?
The same stairs she’d taken prom pictures on, the same ones she’d greeted her first date from, the very same stairs she’d taken a tumble down at eight years old.
Now?
Now, she felt like she was walking towards something that she couldn’t escape. A fate she hadn’t expected, not even for herself.
Her mother had always been so strong, so secure, so when Scarlett saw her lying in bed hooked up to IV bags and looking worse than she’d ever seen her, she had to cover her face with her hands.
The tears didn’t stop, no, they soaked right through her palms.
“Come here, Scarlett. Sit with me.”
Her mother’s tone held no room for argument, but then, Scarlett hadn’t planned on arguing. She stepped towards her mother’s opulent bed and sat down gently so as not to jar her.
Her mother smiled softly at her as she lifted Scarlett’s hand into hers.
“I missed ya, baby. You look beautiful.”
The words sounded absurd to Scarlett because she was basically sobbing her eyes out and she had no idea what in the world she could say to ease the ache.
“I missed you too, mama.”
Maddie was wearing a delicate yellow nightgown made of silk and lace with a matching robe tied around her waist. Her dark hair was smoothed back into a bun at the base of her neck, and her wide green eyes looked tired.
Maddie rubbed her palms over Scarlett’s arm and frowned.
“What happened here?”
Scarlett’s lower lip trembled violently before she let out the breath she was holding.
“Ox is here with me. I think he should be the one to tell you,” She whispered.
Maddie’s green eyes widened before she looked towards the doorway.
“He’s here?,” She asked.
Scarlett watched her mother closely, looking for any sign of emotion from her, and she wasn’t disappointed. Regret, sadness…they practically painted her skin.
“Yeah, mama. He wanted to say goodbye to you. In person this time,” She said so Maddie would know that Ox had told her the truth.
Her mother sighed heavily and patted her hand before she shrugged.
“I loved him so much, Scarlett. You can’t even imagine how hard it was for me to leave him.”
Her words didn’t placate Scarlett one bit.
“Why did you, mama? He really loved you.”
Maddie blinked away tears as she kissed Scarlett’s hand.
“When I found out I was pregnant I realized it wasn’t just about us anymore. I wanted better for you, baby. I wanted a better life for you.”
Scarlett understood, but she still felt sad for the loss of what her and Ox could have had.
“I understand, I really do. I hope you’re not angry that I brought him… I thought it would be best for the both of us if he was here, too.”
Maddie nodded, but Scarlett could see she was still hesitant.
“He’s not mad at you, I promise. Hurt, but not mad. He should be. I sure as hell was. A part of me still is, mama. We didn’t deserve to be kept apart.”
Maddie’s green eyes were dewy when she placed a hand over her mouth.
“I know, but by the time I realized that, it was too late to take it back. I never meant to hurt him, or you. I loved him so deeply, Scarlett. I still do! It just wouldn’t have worked, and I wanted to save us both the pain. But, I was wrong. I shouldn’t have let my own fears keep me from being happy with someone who truly cared for me. Carter has given me a wonderful life, and I am so grateful that he was there for me and for you…but, he’ll never be my Dean.”
Dean.
Ox’s real name.
She’d only heard it once, from Laura, but she thought Ox suited him much better.
“I forgive you for keeping us apart. You two can sort that out amongst yourselves…but, why didn’t you tell me you were so sick? I never would have left if you’d have told me the truth.”
Maddie blinked away her tears as she smiled at her daughter.
“I know. You needed this time to find out who you really are, and I wasn’t going to take that from you. Scott took so much from you, so much more than he ever had the right to. I didn’t want your whole life to be defined by a man like mine was. I wanted you to decide if you wanted to be Scarlett Hunter, the country club debutante… or Scarlett Hunter, daughter of the Seven Deadlies president,” She explained.
Scarlett huffed a breath.
“Why can’t I be a little bit of both?”
“You can, baby. But, it had to be your choice. We’ve known from the beginning I wasn’t going to get any better. I know I fibbed a little the last couple of weeks and told you I was getting better, but I wanted you to enjoy your father. He’s a wonderful man.”
Her words eased a part of the ache Scarlett was feeling, because now she knew that her mother did love Ox. It was written all over her face, and something told Scarlett that Carter knew it, too. It made her feel bad for him, because he’d been so good to her over the years.
“I don’t want to say goodbye to you,” Scarlett choked out.
Her mother’s chest trembled with a sob as she pulled Scarlett into her arms.
“I’m so thankful to have raised such an amazing daughter like you. I wouldn’t change a thing about you, and I hope you know that. I see so much of your father in you sometimes, but that’s a good thing,” Maddie cried.
Scarlett’s grip on her mother was the tightest it had ever been in her life.
Maddie wasn’t letting up on her hold of Scarlett either, but it healed Scarlett the slightest bit.
She hadn’t known what to expect when they pulled into the driveway but she was so grateful her mother was awake and conscious that it almost had her fooled into thinking that Maddie would get better.
“Tell me about the man who stole your heart, Scarlett.”
Scarlett frowned.
“I don’t know-”
“Don’t lie to me. I can see it in your eyes. I know my daughter, and I know that look.”
Scarlett blinked away a few tears as she laid down beside Maddie, their hands still intertwined.
“His name is Colton, and he’s been a complete ass for the most part.”
Maddie laughed, her eyes crinkling at the corners.
“Aren’t they all?”
“I made a promise to go back to him, but I don’t know if I should. Isn’t it supposed to be easy?,” Scarlett wondered.
“Nothing worth having is easy, baby. Especially when it comes to love.”
Maddie shifted so she was facing Scarlett better before she continued.
“Has he told you how he feels?”
“Finally, yes. He pushed me away, rejected me, and then finally pulled his head out of his ass and told me the truth,” Scarlett quipped.
Maddie grinned again.
“You’re so much like me sometimes. I know it’s hard. You come from a completely different life. It’s why I feared for you learning the truth. You’re so sweet, Scarlett. It’s one of my favorite things about you, but it doesn’t always mix well with men like your father.”
That’s the damn truth.
“What would you do?”
Maddie’s eyebrows hit her hairline as she gestured towards her bedroom.
“We both know what I chose to do. I’m not saying it was wrong, and I’m not saying I regret it, but I want to tell you what no one stopped to tell me: the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. It’s greenest where you water it. Running away won’t solve a damn thing for you. This man of yours, he may not be perfect, but you have to remember that no man is.”
Scarlett felt her eyes well with tears when she thought about how much her mother had missed out on because she was afraid to take a chance.
“Thank you for finally telling me the truth about my dad. I honestly don’t know what I would do if I didn’t have him right now,” Scarlett admitted. Maddie’s eyes shadowed over.
“I do regret keeping you two apart. He would have been a wonderful father. I was young, and afraid, and I didn’t know what the ‘right’ decision was. I hope he can forgive me, too,” Maddie said as she wiped her own tears away.
“I think he already has, mama.”
Scarlett was staring at the doorway behind Maddie’s shoulder, where Ox had just stopped to listen.
“Hi, Mads.”
Maddie’s entire face crumpled like an old coke can when he said that, her thin shoulder shaking against Scarlett’s side.
Scarlett’s own eyes filled with tears when Ox stepped into the room and pulled a chair up to the side of her mother’s bed.
Carter stepped into the doorway and nodded in Scarlett’s direction before he pulled their bedroom door closed softly.
Scarlett mentally told herself to remember that moment later and to thank him for being so considerate and for taking care of her mother and her.
“Dean,” Her mother cried softly.
Ox’s expression was pained when he reached for her hand and kissed the back of it like they’d never been separated.
“You’re just as beautiful now as you were twenty years ago,” He murmured brokenheartedly.
Maddie lifted his hand to her cheek and closed her eyes against the feel of his touch.
“I’m so sorry I left you. Please tell me you can forgive me.”
Ox didn’t even hesitate to run his fingers along her cheek.
“I forgave you years ago, Maddie. All I ever wanted was for you to be happy. Were you happy? Can you tell me that?”
Scarlett got the idea that for him to move on, he needed to hear that she was happy with the path she chose to follow.
The one without him.
“Yes, I’ve had a good life. But, I always loved you,” She whispered softly.
Ox’s dark eyes narrowed as he fought for words, words that Scarlett didn’t know if he could even say out loud.
“I’ve always loved you too,” He said through clenched teeth.
Scarlett could tell that he was trying not to cry, and she decided that maybe her mother and Ox needed a moment alone.
“I’m going to check on Carter,” She murmured as she eased herself out of the bed.
Neither of her parents even looked up from one another.
As Scarlett closed her mother’s bedroom door, she took a second to wipe her face clean and pull out her phone to send Limit a text.
Scarlett: Miss you. Call soon.
Her phone vibrated almost instantly with his response.
Limit: Miss you, too. K.
Tucking her phone into her pocket, she glided down the stairs in search of her step-father.
She called his name a few times before she heard him call back to her from the back patio.
“Back here, Scarlett!”
As she stepped outside, the sun was setting. She watched the colors in the sky swirl into a fiery pattern that was beautiful and poignant all at the same time.
How many more sunsets does my mother have?
When Scarlett turned to face Carter, she was shocked to see that he was smoking.
“Carter? Since when do you smoke?”
“Since three days a week seventeen years ago. I’ve always been very discreet,” He told her.
His dark hair and blue eyes were so different than hers, but his facial expression was the same. He was hurting, just like she was.
“May I have one?,” She asked.
He blinked at her before he held the pack out in her direction, a lighter soon to follow.
As soon as she had hers lit, he spoke.
“I didn’t expect to see your father here, today. But, I can’t say I’m surprised.”
Scarlett leaned against the railing.
“Are you okay?”
He choked out a mirthless laugh as he shook his head.
“Your mother was a whirlwind for me. I loved her from the second I saw her, but I knew better than to think I was the only man that had a hold on her heart. I know that she loves me, cares for me deeply…but to her, I’ve never been the man upstairs. It was startling to see him here, with you. I always did my best to take care of the both of you,” He said.
Scarlett gripped Carter’s shoulder hard.
“You have taken wonderful care of me, and of mom. I know that you love us both. You’ve treated my mother like a queen, and you took me into your home when you didn’t have to. You never made me feel like a third wheel, either. You’ve been so good to us, Carter.”
His shoulders fell at her words, and Scarlett could tell that much like her, he was barely keeping it together.
“That woman upstairs is the love of my life, but right now, she’s saying goodbye to hers. I shouldn’t be talking about this with you, it’s not fair to you.”
Scarlett rushed to reassure Carter.
“Don’t say that. I know what you’re going through, Carter. I can’t even imagine how hard all of this has been on you. Maybe I should have stayed-”
Carter wrapped his arms around her, his cigarette now nothing more than a filter tossed into the yard.
“No, your mother and I thought it would be best to tell you the truth. I’ve known about Ox since day one, but it was her decision to make and I had to respect that. Doesn’t mean I agreed with it, but she’s your mother. You deserved a chance to get to know the man whose overshadowed me your entire life,” Carter said into her ear.
Scarlett was back to crying, back to sobbing, but she wanted to make sure that Carter knew how much she appreciated him.
“Ox is my father, but you’re a parent to me, too. I don’t want you to forget that, because I certainly haven’t.”
Carter smoothed her hair out of her face as she exhaled heavily.
“This hurts so bad,” She whispered.
“I know, sweetheart. I know.”