Chapter 29

Ellie

 

Isabella wouldn’t let me go. I didn’t mind. I didn’t want her to.

 

We sat at Mom’s bedside, her hand in mine. “I don’t see why they want to keep me here,” she protested grumpily. “I feel fine.”

 

“You have a concussion, Mom. That’s kind of a big deal. They just want to keep an eye on you overnight to make sure you’re okay. Hey, it’s either them or me. I would keep you up all night long, and you would get sick of me.”

 

She smiled, reaching out to touch my face. “I wouldn’t get sick of you.”

 

“You’re sure about that? I don’t know. I can be pretty annoying.” I smiled, so full of gratitude I didn’t know what else to say. She was safe, and so was my daughter. So was I, for that matter.

 

“How is he?” she asked, and I knew who she meant.

 

“He’s all right. The last I checked, they were taking him in for x-rays. I think he has a few broken ribs, but that’s the worst of it. Though who knows—he might have a concussion, too, after the way they hit him.”

 

“Parker was a superhero,” Isabella whispered.

 

“He was a superhero. He saved us because he cares so much about us and wants us to be okay.” I stroked her hair, sure I would never be able to let her go after what happened that day. She would have to take me along with her to college. That was just the way it would have to be.

 

“What about Connor?” Mom asked, her voice very quiet.

 

I wasn’t so sure what to say about him, not in Isabella’s presence. I chose my words carefully. “He and Parker talked it out.”

 

“Oh, did they? And he’s still alive?”

 

I let out a short laugh, then looked down at Isabella. “I don’t think that was the way Parker wanted it for a while, but yes. He’s still with us, somewhere.”

 

“I didn’t see him on the way home, Mama. Where did he go?”

 

“Oh, I don’t know, baby. I think he rode with one of Parker’s friends. Remember, we met them after Parker saved us.”

 

“Right. That one man was scary. The one who wore the glasses.” I was surprised, since Hook would have been the one who scared me.

 

“That one boy, the blond one, he’s gorgeous,” Mom said, smiling dreamily.

 

“Which one? Mason?”

 

“Mm-hmm.”

 

I grinned. “Yeah, he’s the pretty boy of the bunch.” I was glad Isabella helped change the subject, since I didn’t want to have to tell her that her father had ridden home in the trunk of his car. Nobody trusted him to ride inside the car like a normal person, and they didn’t trust him on their bikes either. So we had to improvise. Parker, meanwhile, was like a man missing a limb after we left his bike on the side of the road, waiting for a tow. He gave his guys the coordinates according to his phone’s GPS, and they were probably on their way back with it by the time I sat with my mom. We’d driven home together, with Parker in the driver’s seat. I thought that was just another little dig at Connor, another man driving his precious car.

 

“Did he go to the hospital?” Mom asked, referring to Connor.

 

“I guess he had to. I don’t know. I know he wouldn’t have stepped foot in this one. I think Parker made it clear he’s not to bother us ever again.” I widened my eyes, speaking slowly to convey my point without spelling it out. Connor had been told in no uncertain terms never to come near any of us again.

 

“Do you think he’ll keep his promise?” Mom asked.

 

I shrugged. “All I can do is hope. I can’t live the rest of my life in fear of him.”

 

“Nor should you. I think it will all work out.”

 

“You seem very positive, given all that’s happened.” I eyed her cautiously. “Are you sure you don’t have more than a concussion? I’m not sure I trust anything you say.”

 

Mom chuckled. “I know what I’m saying, and I mean it. I trust Parker.”

 

“Well, alert the press.” I laughed, clapping my hands. Isabella laughed with me, though she had no idea what I laughed at. “What brought this change of heart?”

 

“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe the way he looked when he knew you were gone. How determined he was to get you back, even though he was in terrible shape himself. Oh, Ellie, I’m so glad you didn’t have to see him like that. It nearly made me sick to my stomach.”

 

“Oh, poor Parker.” I hated even thinking about it.

 

“No matter what, he was determined to get to you and Isabella. I knew then that he was the real deal. He was willing to go above and beyond for you—and from what you tell me, he certainly did. Climbing through the window like that, is he insane?”

 

“I asked him the same thing.”

 

“Mama hit him,” Isabella informed my mother.

 

I shushed her, turning red. “I did, though I know I didn’t hurt him. He wouldn’t feel a thing after what he went through. But, yes, I did, because I was furious. He might have gotten himself killed, and then where would I be?”

 

“Yes. Where would you be?” Mom smiled drowsily. “I’m awfully tired all of a sudden.”

 

“We have to keep you up for a little while longer,” I said. “I promised the nurse I would. They’re waiting for another round of tests to come back before they’ll let you go to sleep. Just to be on the safe side.”

 

“Oh, those sadists. I could kill every one of them.” Mom folded her arms, huffing.

 

“Hey. Let’s not throw words like that around anymore, okay?” I held Isabella a little tighter. A lot of things would be different in my life, thanks to what Connor had put us all through. Like I would never take anything for granted ever again. I was sure of that.

 

“Can I come in?” Parker, standing by the door. My heart skipped a beat when I saw him. My superhero.

 

“Parker!” He was the only person Isabella would leave my lap for. She went to him, holding her arms up for him to carry her. He looked like he wanted to, but frowned.

 

“Sorry, kid.” He got down on one knee. “I have a bunch of broken ribs, and I’ve gotta be careful picking things up. But I’ll give you a hug down here. Is that okay?”

 

“Okay.” Isabella put her arms around his neck, and he hugged her fiercely. My heart just about burst with love for the two of them. I didn’t know what I would do if I had lost either of them. I might not have been able to handle it.

 

I looked over at Mom, and her eyes were filled with tears, too. “You make a nice pair,” she said, referring to Parker and Isabella. I had a feeling she wasn’t only talking about them, however.

 

“How are you feeling?” Parker stood, going to her bedside.

 

“Just a concussion. No big deal. You?”

 

“Besides the ribs, not much. This cut, but you did a good job cleaning that up.” He took her hand, and they exchanged some wordless thing I couldn’t make heads or tails of. Exactly how close had the two of them gotten?

 

Parker turned to me, grinning. “You won’t have to worry about him anymore.”

 

I knew who he meant, naturally. “I should hope not,” I said.

 

“No, I know not.” He smiled at Mom and me, looking like he was ready to burst. “All right, I was gonna save it as a surprise, but I think you could both use the happy news.”

 

“I’m already pretty happy, but lay it on me,” Mom said.

 

Parker sat on the opposite side of the bed from where I sat. Isabella climbed into his lap—she would never let him go after he saved her, I thought. Any man who entered her life from that day on would have impossibly big shoes to fill.

 

“When he went to the hospital, some friends of his met him there. Well, he might not think they’re friends, but they were very excited to see him.”

 

“Who were they?” I asked.

 

“The cops,” he mouthed.

 

Mom and I gasped. Isabella was oblivious.

 

“You called them?” I whispered. There I was, thinking he didn’t want the police involved.

 

“Oh, I didn’t have anything to do with it,” he said. “That’s the best part. See, he’s been a bad boy. Not just today. For a long time.”

 

“What are you talking about? You’d better tell me right away, or I might lose my mind,” Mom said.

 

“Embezzlement,” Parker announced. “And fraud. Lots of it.”

 

I sat back in the chair, dazed. “I don’t believe it. I mean, I sorta believe it. He’s no saint.”

 

Mom snorted. “That’s putting it mildly.”

 

“But,” I continued, “I didn’t think he was a thief.”

 

“Well, believe it. Once we tipped his partners off to what he was doing, they decided to look a little deeper. This was going on for years. They turned him right over. They wanna work with the SEC and the clients to make things right, and that meant sending him up the river. We might have tipped off the cops that we dropped him off at the hospital, too.”

 

Parker looked at me. “That’s why he was desperate today. It wasn’t just the restraining order. He knew they were on to him, that he would lose everything. So he figured, why not run away with you?”

 

“Yes, but what would have happened if you hadn’t shown up?” My imagination spiraled out of control. I could just picture him being desperate enough to kill Isabella and me when the authorities closed in on him. It made me shiver.

 

“It doesn’t matter, because that’s not even an issue. You’re both safe, right? And you don’t ever have to worry about him again. Ever.” Parker smiled at Isabella, who beamed back at him.

 

I didn’t know what to think, how to feel. Finally, I would be free of him. Finally. No more worrying about when he would show up, what he would try to do. Even though Parker had told me he’d promised to stay away forever, I didn’t believe it. I thought he’d likely get bored with his life outside the country and decided to take a chance, look me up, terrorize me a little. Knowing it was all over, I wasn’t sure who I was anymore. I was no longer the woman on the run from her ex-husband. I was me. Just me. It felt a little too good to be true.

 

It wasn’t. It was very real. I saw it in Parker’s eyes, the relief there. He was deeply relieved that we’d all be safe together. I could only hope he really wanted us to be together. That was a topic for another time.

 

“Mrs. Canale?” A nurse entered the room. “We checked out your last scan, and everything seems to be fine. We’ll still keep you overnight to monitor you, but you should be able to go home first thing tomorrow if all goes well overnight.”

 

“Great,” Mom breathed. “I already can’t wait to get back there.”

 

Parker didn’t look so thrilled. I knew what he was thinking—I hated to think of Mom going back to that house, where so many bad things had happened. I couldn’t imagine how much blood needed to be cleaned from the carpets. Mom didn’t seem to mind. If I’d learned anything about her through the experience we’d shared, it was how much tougher she was than I’d ever given her credit for.

 

***

 

“Will you sleep with me in bed, Mama? Can I sleep with you?”

 

I glanced at Parker. I needed him more than anything, but my baby needed me. “Okay, honey. I’ll stay with you tonight. You can share my bed.”

 

“Good.” The relief on her face told me I made the right decision, even if my body cried out for Parker. “Listen, I’ll tuck you in, and come out here to say goodnight to Parker. Then I’ll come to bed. Okay?”

 

“Okay. Goodnight, Parker.” She gave him another hug, and even tiptoed to kiss his cheek. I nearly melted into a pile of goo at the sweetness of it. From the look on Parker’s face, I had the feeling he felt the same way. I led her to the bed and tucked her in, promising to be back in a few minutes. I knew she would fall asleep almost instantly, though. She was already yawning with her eyes half closed when I tucked her in. I left the door open just a crack so she could see the light coming from the hall, then went back to the living room.

 

Parker waited there for me, smiling. “Well. Talk about a cock block,” he said.

 

I chuckled. “You’re in no shape anyway, mister. Not with those broken ribs.”

 

“I think I could’ve managed.”

 

The naked need in his eyes was enough to curl my toes. I felt a little breathless just looking at him. “I don’t think so.” I sat next to him, finally able to be alone and having no idea what to say. I rested my head on his shoulder closed my eyes.

 

“Are you okay? I mean, really okay?”

 

I shrugged. “I think so? I don’t know yet. I will be. It might take a little time is all. I have to be okay for her, don’t I?”

 

“You don’t have to be strong with me,” he said. “If there’s one person you can be exactly who you are in front of, it’s me. It’s all right. I wanna be that for you.”

 

I lifted my head, looking him in the eye. “You do?”

 

“Of course. And if you ever do anything crazy like fighting another person for a gun again, it’ll kill me. Please don’t ever do that again. I love you.”

 

My heart nearly burst wide open, flooding my body with indescribable love. “I love you, too,” I whispered, feeling overwhelmed, overjoyed.

 

He kissed me, taking my face in his hands, as tears streamed down my cheeks. His face was wet with them by the time we parted. I looked into his eyes and knew he was all I would ever want or need.