Silas
“Jess,” I answered the phone. “Can I call you right back?” I was loading up the last bundle of flattened cardboard boxes into my truck.
“Better come up to the hospital.” My spine snapped straight. “Lissy’s here.”
“Two minutes.” I slammed the truck’s tailgate and jogged to the driver’s side door. “What’s going on?” In the background, someone called Jess’s name.
“I gotta go. Just get here.”
Fuck. Fuck. Something bad had happened. I dug out my phone to call Felicity while I drove. One ring. Two. My heart pounded. Three rings.
Come on, Lis. Please answer.
When I got her voicemail, my foot pressed harder on the gas. I was thirty seconds from the hospital when my phone rang and I blew out a relieved breath at the sight of Felicity’s name.
“What’s wrong?” I answered.
“Did Jess call you?” Felicity’s panicked voice didn’t calm my racing heart. “Are you coming to the hospital?”
“Yeah, I’ll be right there. What’s wrong?”
She started crying. “I’m having a really bad afternoon.”
Crying was good. Crying meant she was alive and not hurt. More often than not, crying meant she was mad. “I’ll make it better,” I promised. “I’m almost there.”
My stomach was in a fierce knot when I hit the parking lot, and seeing Paxon sitting on the curb outside the hospital’s emergency-room doors just wrenched it tighter. His head rested in his hands as his elbows dug into his thighs. Blood covered his fists and forearms.
“I’m here, babe,” I said into the phone as I hopped out of the truck. “Where are you?”
“In the waiting room.”
“Okay. I’m hanging up. Be right there.”
I tucked my phone in my pocket and jogged past the ambulance toward Paxon. When he heard my footsteps, he looked up, his face full of agony and torment. What the fuck had happened at that house showing?
“Pax, what’s going on?”
He shook his head and looked back to his feet. “I fucked up.”
I wanted to press further but he was shutting down and I had to get to Lis inside. “All right. Stay put and I’ll be back in a few.”
I rushed to the doors, and the second the glass doors slid open, Felicity was in my arms. My hands traveled down her arms and up her back, searching for an injury. I pushed her away so I could inspect her face and when I saw it was unharmed, just scared, I pulled her close again. “You’re okay?”
She nodded and buried her face deeper, clinging to the sides of my shirt with all her might.
“Talk to me.”
“Derrick almost killed Khloe today.”
My whole body jerked. “What?”
She took a step back and opened her mouth to explain, but I held up a finger. “Come on.” I grabbed her hand and led her to the waiting room to sit. Three sheriff’s deputies stood outside one of the ER rooms while Jess and Milo talked to the doctor. We sat down on one of the wider seats and I tucked her into my side.
“Okay. What happened?”
She took a deep breath and started explaining, starting with Paxon’s flashback and tackling her at the cemetery, then recanting everything that happened when they’d arrived at her house.
“Derrick was a split second away from punching me. A split second. I can still see his fist coming at me.” She shuttered and burrowed closer. “But then Paxon was there. He was all over Derrick in a rage. I’ve never seen anything like it before, Silas. Two hits and Derrick was unconscious, but no matter what I said, Pax wouldn’t stop punching him. I kept hitting Pax’s back, grabbing at his arms, but he just kept pummeling Derrick’s face.”
My arm banded around her tighter when her eyes filled with more tears.
“There was so much blood,” she whispered. “It was so violent. I didn’t know what else to do so I stun-gunned Paxon. Then I called 9-1-1 and I just had to stand there, staring at all of these unconscious people.”
“You did just the right thing, Lis.”
She shook her head. “It doesn’t feel like it. I should have thought of it sooner. What if Derrick doesn’t make it? What’s going to happen to Paxon if he dies? I should have done it sooner.”
“Hey,” I stopped her, “you did the right thing.”
Her blue eyes locked with mine. She was close to unraveling.
“Khloe still hasn’t woken up yet,” she said. “The other guys that attacked us are in jail. One of them threatened to sue me.”
“It’ll all be okay. We’ll get through it,” I promised. We would get through this.
Sliding one arm under her legs, I threw them over my thighs. Then I reached around her back and pulled her completely onto my lap.
“Can we stay until Khloe wakes up?” she asked.
“Of course.”
Stroking her hair, I held her close and took a few deep breaths, letting the panic from earlier subside. The hospital buzzed with activity behind us, but we just sat and held one another.
“Did you already give your statement?” I asked.
“Yeah. I was talking to Milo when you called. What were you doing in town?”
“Picking up boxes.”
I had come into town after my confrontation with Dad and gone straight to the hardware store for boxes. I’d originally planned to stay at her place tonight, but now that her place was a crime scene, I wasn’t sure where we’d go. Maybe the motel. Maybe the farmhouse with Jess and Gigi. If she wanted to camp out in the back of my truck, that would be fine. I’d take her wherever she wanted to go as long as we were together.
“Why do you need boxes?”
I turned my nose into her hair to breathe her in. “So I can pack up my place and move.”
Her arms around my waist squeezed tight. “How did you know?”
“Paxon texted me. He told me Dad said something to you that made you upset, so I confronted him about it.”
She leaned back to look at my face and tensed. “Whatever you decide is fine with me. If we need to cancel the wedding, then—”
“Do not finish that sentence.”
She relaxed but her eyes were still worried. “I don’t want you to lose the ranch.”
“Me neither.” I stroked her cheek with my thumb. “But you’re more important. Dad isn’t going to dictate our lives. Besides, it’s just a place. It doesn’t mean anything if I can’t share it with you.”
“Silas, you love that place.”
“Felicity, I love you more.”
She settled her head back on my shoulder. “I hate that it’s come to this.”
“Me too.” Me too.
I had no idea where we would live or what I would do, but the days of living on the Lucky Heart were over. The idea of working on someone else’s ranch left a bitter taste in my mouth, but I’d swallow it down. Soon I’d have a wife to support and, hopefully, kids not long after. It didn’t matter where I worked or where I lived as long as I got to come home to them.
“Felicity.” Jess’s voice made us both turn. “Khloe’s awake and asking for you.”
She leapt off my lap and rushed through the waiting room.
Jess and I followed but stopped in the lobby. “How bad is it?” I asked him.
“Physically? She’ll be fine, but I just took her statement, and mentally, she’s a fucking mess. That bastard husband of hers tried to kill her. His blood alcohol is through the roof. Same with his two friends.”
“How’d he even find her?”
Jess shook his head. “Derrick’s friends—the ones involved with the attack—are both in a cell. One confessed to Milo that he’d spotted Khloe downtown when you proposed to Lissy. The friend followed Khloe, then told Derrick where she’s been hiding. Guess all Derrick’s been doing these days is drinking. They all got loaded today and Derrick convinced them to help go after her.”
“How is Derrick?” I tensed and waited, hoping he wouldn’t say “dead.” Paxon had enough shit swirling. A manslaughter charge would push him over the edge.
“Gonna be in the hospital for a while, but he’ll pull through. Then his ass is in prison.”
My shoulders fell. “Have you talked to Pax yet?”
“Not yet,” Jess said. “Thought you might want to talk with him first before I take his statement.”
“Are you bringing him in?”
“Nope. From everything Khloe and Felicity told me, he saved their lives.”
“Fuck, that’s good news.” I clapped him on the shoulder before heading outside. I walked outside to Paxon and sat on the curb by his side. “Pax.”
He didn’t look up from the asphalt between his knees. “Did I kill him?”
“No.”
“Am I going to jail?”
“No.”
His head fell into his hands and his shoulders started shaking. I threw an arm around his back and sat silently as he wept. This was going to be difficult for Paxon to cope with, but I’d be there to support him. Christ, what would have happened had he not been there today? He’d saved Khloe’s life. I couldn’t stomach thinking about what would have happened to Felicity if she’d gone into that house alone.
Paxon pulled himself together and looked up. “I lost it today. Twice. I need some help.”
“Okay.” I squeezed his shoulder tighter. “Then we’ll get you some.”
“Paxon?” Felicity’s gentle voice sounded at our backs.
I stood and held out a hand to help my friend off the ground. Before he’d even steadied his feet, Felicity threw her arms around his middle. He hesitated for a moment before bending down and hugging her back.
“It’s going to be okay,” she promised.
He held her for another second before they broke apart.
“The deputies would like to take your statement,” she told him.
“All right.” He tucked his hands in his pockets and walked inside the hospital.
Stepping into Felicity’s space, I pulled her into my arms. “What did Khloe say?”
“She’s scared but grateful we came when we did.” She shuttered and hugged me tighter. “I was going to take Paxon to the coffee shop, Silas. If he hadn’t tackled me and gotten my shirt dirty, we wouldn’t have saved her.”
“But you did. You got there and she’ll be okay.”
I rubbed her back for a few minutes, just holding her, until she leaned back and said, “I’m okay.”
My thumbs gently stroked her cheeks. “That’s my Lis.”
“Can we leave? I want to go.”
Looking up and over her head, I found Jess watching us from just inside the glass doors of the emergency room. “She okay?” he mouthed and I nodded. He waved and turned back into the hospital where his deputies were questioning Paxon.
“Come on, babe.” I folded Felicity into my side and guided her into the parking lot. “Let’s go.”
I helped her inside the truck, and after hopping in myself, I grabbed one of her belt loops and dragged her into the middle seat, not wanting her more than two inches away from me on a day like this.
We didn’t go straight back to the ranch. Instead, I drove her out to the river.
“What are we doing here?” she asked as I shifted the truck into park.
“I thought we could watch the sunset. I’m still on edge and so are you. Maybe an hour of quiet will do us both some good.”
She snuggled further into my side. “Good idea.”
An hour later, the sun was filled with orange and pink and the knot in my gut was finally coming loose. Felicity was doing better too because she’d stopped picking at the seam on her jeans.
“How did it go with your dad?” she asked. “Was the fight really bad?”
“No fight at all, actually.”
She leaned back and studied my face. “Really?”
“Really.” I pulled her back in close and smiled. “This woman once told me that I’d have better luck making my point if I didn’t let my temper get the best of me. She was right.”
“She sounds smart. You should keep her around.”
“For all of the days of my life.”
We stayed close and quiet, holding each other until the sunset faded away. By the time we pulled into the ranch, the stars were ready to greet us.
And so was my dad.
Waiting for us on the front steps, he stood when we pulled up to park.
“This can’t be good,” I muttered and opened my door.
Felicity hummed her agreement and slid to the passenger door to hop out of the truck.
I barely had my feet on the gravel when Dad was in my space, locking his arms around me for a tight hug. “I’m sorry, Silas. I’m sorry.”
“Dad, I—”
“Please let me explain.” He let me go and stepped back. Even in the dim moonlight, I could see the regret in his eyes. “Please.”
“Dad, can we not do this tonight? Felicity’s had a bad day and I’d like to just go inside and give her some quiet.”
“Oh, um, sure.” His eyes darted to Felicity, who had rounded the hood of the truck and was standing by the fender. “I’m sorry. I’ll let you guys go but I wanted to say that first. I’m very sorry.”
Felicity stood stunned for a minute, like she was waiting for him to take it back. But Dad was being sincere. I knew it, and after that minute, so did she. She turned to me and said, “I’m okay,” then looked to Dad. “I think I’d like to hear what you have to say, Elliot.”
“Are you sure?” I asked. “We were at the hospital not two hours ago. Let’s not push it.”
“The hospital?” Dad took a panicked step toward her. “Are you all right?”
She sighed. “I’m fine, but let’s save that story for tomorrow. I’d rather not hash it out again.” Pushing away from the truck, she came to my side and threaded her fingers with mine. “Come on. Let’s go sit down.”
I looked at Dad and gave him a silent warning. You’d better not fuck with her.
He got the message. He nodded and led us over to the front porch steps of his house. The light was shining brightly through its windows but I couldn’t see Mom anywhere inside.
“Did you want to go inside?” I asked as he took a seat on the top step.
“No. I’m . . . locked out.”
Felicity’s choked laugh came out fast and she coughed to cover it up.
Dad’s eyes found her and my muscles tensed, waiting to see how he’d react. “It’s okay to laugh. I deserve to be sleeping with the horses tonight. Please, sit down.” He patted the wooden step.
Felicity and I sat, me taking the middle to act as a buffer between them.
“I’m sorry, Felicity,” Dad said, looking past me to her. “I’d like it very much if you’d give me another chance.”
Her fingers, laced with mine, squeezed a bit as she said, “I’d like that too.”
Fuck, I hoped this was real. I hoped that this wasn’t some sort of dream and I was asleep at the river. Life would be a whole lot better if Dad would treat Felicity with the respect she deserved. Life would be a whole lot better if we didn’t have to leave the Lucky Heart.
“I owe you both an explanation,” Dad said and took a fortifying breath. “You see, when I was in college, I was engaged to a young woman from San Francisco.”
What? How had I not know about this? I didn’t ask, though, just sat shocked as he kept going.
“She knew I wanted to come back here after college and take over the ranch from your granddad, so she came with me after we graduated. She lived in town and I lived out here, but she spent a lot of time on the ranch. She said she liked it. But two weeks before the wedding, I went to pick her up for a date and her house was empty. She’d moved back to California and told me in a note that she didn’t want to be a rancher’s wife. I never saw her again.”
Felicity’s hand clamped down on mine as I blew out a loud breath. “Holy fuck.”
So much made sense now. Dad had pinned his own broken heart on Felicity. Mom had said he’d had his reasons for not trusting Felicity. Not that Dad’s actions were right, but I could see now why he’d been so skeptical. In his eyes, Felicity was the fiancée that had abandoned him. She was the city girl who hadn’t wanted a ranch life.
Holy fuck.
Dad sighed. “It all worked out for the best. I met your mom a few years later and knew she was the one, but what my first fiancée did left its mark.” Dad leaned forward again to look at Felicity. “It wasn’t fair for me to compare you with her. I’m sorry.”
“I appreciate the explanation,” she said. “I get it, but please know, I won’t ever leave Silas again.”
“I see that now. Sorry it took me so long to pull my head outta my ass. I’m too stubborn for my own good.”
“Well,” she sighed. “I’m sorry I didn’t make that easier on you. And I apologize for flipping you off.”
Dad chuckled. “I may have flipped you off too.”
“You did?” she asked.
“Your back was turned. Sorry.”
She laughed and leaned further into my side.
“Why didn’t you ever tell me any of this, Dad?” I had missed out on a huge part of my dad’s life. I was mentally replaying so many arguments and discussions and seeing them from a new angle now. I would have done things differently had I known.
Dad shook his head. “Pride. I didn’t want my son to know how badly I’d been dumped. I was planning on telling you after Felicity left all those years ago but then we got into that big fight about you enlisting and leaving the ranch, and well, before we could talk, you were gone.”
Damn. I wished we had gotten the chance to have that conversation. “Well, I’m glad to know now.”
“I’m sorry, Silas. About everything. You said earlier that you wanted to run the ranch together. I’d really like that too, if you’d consider staying.”
“I’m done fighting with you, Dad.”
He held up his hands. “No more fights and I promise to be open to new ideas. Give me a chance to prove to you that I mean it. A month. Give me a month.”
We’d never gone a month without arguing. If we could make it thirty days, I might actually believe it was possible. “Okay. A month.”
“Thank you.” Dad clapped me on the shoulder. “We’ll make this work.” He stood and stepped down a step, holding out a hand to shake mine. Then he shuffled over and did the same to Felicity. “Welcome to our family.”
She shook his hand and smiled. “Thank you.”
“I’ll let you kids get home. Are you sure you’re not sick or hurt?” Dad asked her.
“I’m fine. We’ll tell you all about it tomorrow.”
“Okay,” he said. “If Olivia lets me back inside, maybe we could all have breakfast tomorrow?”
I nodded. “Sounds good. Night, Dad.”
“Night.” Dad walked down the remaining steps and across the gravel lot to the barn. When the door slid closed behind him, I scooted back behind Felicity, framing her legs with mine and wrapping my arms around her chest.
“Wow,” she said. “Did that just happen?”
“Ask me again tomorrow.” I chuckled. “I’m still not sure this isn’t all a dream.”
“I really hope he means it,” she whispered.
“Me too,” I whispered back. Only time would tell if Dad and I could run this ranch together. Only time would prove if he would treat Felicity like a member of this family. But we had time. And if it didn’t work out, we had each other.
Felicity rested her head against my chest. “Now what?”
“Whatever you want.”
“I want you to tell me that you love me.”
I smiled. “I love you.”
“I want you to kiss me.”
I leaned to the side, bent down and brushed my lips against hers. “Anything else?”
She smiled and my heart skipped. “I’m sure I’ll think of something.”
Yeah, she would. Life would never be dull or boring with my Lis.
And I wouldn’t have it any other way.