Zoe raised her head and stared into his soul. “So you’re my daddy.”
From the moment he’d found out Charlotte was dying and had realized he was going to walk out on her, he’d carried around a weight in his chest. It was as if that action had somehow locked his heart in a small box that was both heavy and painful.
Zoe’s innocent, trusting, scary-as-hell words had just opened the box—and for the first time in over a decade, it didn’t hurt to breathe.
“Yes, Zoe. I’m your daddy.”
ELISSA RESURFACED in a hospital room where a brisk, efficient nurse explained she would be kept overnight for observation.
“The doctor will be by later to discuss your injuries,” the woman said. “Basically you’ve got a broken arm and some internal bruising. Nothing’s seriously damaged, though. You got lucky.”
Lucky was an interesting word for what happened.
“My daughter,” Elissa said. “Where’s Zoe?”
“I met your little girl. She’s a sweetheart. That big handsome man of yours said to tell you he was taking her home to a Mrs. Ford and he would be back later tonight.”
Elissa closed her eyes and breathed a sigh of thanks. Zoe must be all right or she wouldn’t have been let out of the hospital. Thank God.
“You can have more pain medication now,” the nurse told her. “But as it seems to knock you on your butt, you might want to wait until you’ve seen everyone. Unless you don’t want to see them.”
Elissa still felt fuzzy. The details of Neil’s rampage were still completely clear in her mind, but she was less certain about what had happened after that.
“Everyone?” she asked, shifting, then wincing as waves of pain shot up her arm. She glanced down and stared at the cast covering her left arm from just below her wrist to above her elbow. “I slept through getting a cast?”
The nurse grinned. “Honey, you slept through more than that. Are you up to seeing the herd?”
She had a herd? “Sure.”
A few minutes after the nurse left, her parents entered, followed by Bobby. Her mother and father rushed to her side.
“Are you all right?” her mother asked. “I couldn’t believe it when Walker called us. Oh, baby, your face.”
Elissa touched her swollen lips and had a feeling she looked even worse than she felt. “I’m all right, Mom. Zoe and I survived, thanks to Walker’s help.”
“I wish he’d killed that bastard,” her father said, his gaze intense. “I’d like to do it myself.”
Elissa waited for her mother to scold her husband for being so aggressive, but she only stroked the uninjured parts of Elissa’s face.
Bobby stepped closer. “You’ve got a black eye. Cool.”
Elissa couldn’t help smiling. “Black-and-blue?”
Bobby squinted. “More purple-and-red.”
Her mother shushed him. “How’s your arm? It must hurt.”
It throbbed, but Elissa didn’t want to take any pain medication until the visit was over. Right now the fussing felt really good.
“Knock, knock.”
Elissa looked up and saw Dani Buchanan hovering in the doorway.
“Are we interrupting?” Dani asked.
Elissa smiled. “Of course not. Come on in.”
Dani entered, followed by Reid and Cal.
“Penny’s at home with the baby,” Dani said. “Otherwise she’d be here.”
Elissa was more surprised that they were here. “You didn’t have to come to the hospital.”
Reid smiled at her parents, then leaned in and kissed her unbruised cheek. “Sure we did. You’re Walker’s girl.”
Tears filled her eyes. She appreciated the sentiment, even if it wasn’t true. Walker’s girl. She liked the sound of that and she would have given a lot to make it happen.
Cal walked over and squeezed her hand. “You don’t look so bad.”
“Good to know.” She introduced the Buchanans to her parents.
After they’d chatted a few minutes, her mother excused herself. “I’m going to go pick up Zoe. Mrs. Ford called me earlier and said she was fine. Still, I want to see for myself.” She hesitated. “You don’t mind, do you? You’re going to be in the hospital overnight so I thought…” Her voice trailed off.
“I don’t mind,” Elissa told her. “I’m glad you’re going to take care of her. I know she’ll be safe with you.”
“Of course she will be. She’s your daughter, Elissa. I would give up my life for her.”
“Oh, Mom.”
Elissa felt tears on her cheeks. Suddenly she and her parents were hugging. She opened her eyes and saw Dani sniffing and both Cal and Reid clearing their throats.
“Where’s Walker?” she asked.
Reid shrugged. “He said he had a couple of things to do, but that he would be back. He said not to worry.”
She didn’t know what that meant, but she smiled and nodded as if she did. She didn’t want anyone to know how much she missed him and wished he was with her. He’d saved her and Zoe. That should be enough.
But it wasn’t.
WALKER WAITED until the police officer in the emergency room had stepped out to grab some coffee and then he moved into Neil’s room.
Neil lay on the bed, his eyes closed. Two IVs connected to a single line that fed into his arm. Walker moved next to the bed and bent down so his face was close to Neil’s ear. Then he placed one hand on Neil’s chest and the other over the man’s mouth.
“How you feeling?” he asked, pressing against Neil’s nose just enough to let him know that breathing was a privilege, not a right. “Coming down from that shit yet? Is your skin crawling or do you still feel good?”
Neil opened his eyes wide. Panic tightened his face and his breathing increased, but he was smart enough not to struggle.
“I’m going to make this real simple,” Walker said quietly. “We can do this the easy way or the hard way. Personally, I’m in favor of the hard way. Nod if you understand.”
Neil nodded.
“Is there any doubt in your mind that I could kill you if I wanted?”
Neil shook his head frantically.
“You want to live?”
Neil nodded.
“I’m going to send somebody in to see you. He’s a lawyer. A real expensive guy in a fancy suit who knows all about the law. He’s going to give you some papers to sign and you’re going to sign them. Do you understand?”
Neil nodded again.
“Good. Once the police release you, hopefully after some serious jail time, you’re going to leave Seattle and never come back. You’re going to leave Elissa and Zoe alone. You’ll never contact them again in any way. Is that clear?”
Neil nodded again.
“Just in case you think you can get out of our deal, I’ll remind you that prison is a scary place. You’re kinda skinny, Neil. Some big guy could make your life there real unpleasant. And I know plenty of big guys. You got that?”
Neil nodded so hard, he nearly banged his chin against his chest.
“I thought you’d see things my way,” Walker told him as he straightened, released Neil and left the room.
AFTER EVERYONE HAD GONE and Elissa got her pain medication, she drifted in and out of consciousness for a few hours. When she finally woke up, she saw a very dapper-looking man sitting beside her bed.
“Do I know you?” she asked groggily.
“We haven’t been formally introduced. I’m Jeremy Fitzwalter,” he said in a faintly British accent. “Walker Buchanan retained my firm to help you with your problem with Zoe’s father. I stopped by to give you some paperwork.”
He handed her a folder and smiled. “I think you’ll like what’s inside.”
She looked from him to the folder. She remembered talking to Walker about finding a better lawyer, but she hadn’t known he’d gone ahead with the plan. “I’m still a little out of it. Could you just tell me what it says?”
“Yes, of course. Under the circumstances, that makes the most sense.” He shrugged. “Zoe’s father has signed away all rights. He’s given up his rights of custody and visitation. In return, you will not seek him out for child support. He agrees not to contact you or Zoe, however if Zoe wishes to get in touch with him after she’s eighteen, that’s fine with him.”
Elissa rubbed her temple and wished her head didn’t feel quite so big. Her arm throbbed in time with her heartbeat and her stomach and chest felt as if they were one giant, pulsating bruise.
“Neil won’t be back,” she said, barely able to believe it. “You’re sure?”
“I’m positive. He has no hold over you anymore. He can never get custody of Zoe or even threaten to see her. He also asked me to tell you he apologizes for what happened. The drugs he took really messed him up.” Jeremy leaned closer. “You’re done with him, Ms. Towers. You’re free.”
Elissa wasn’t sure what to do with that information. She was still trying to figure out how it had all happened when her mother showed up with Zoe that evening.
“Mommy, Mommy, you have a cast!” Zoe ran over and touched the hardened plaster. “Does it hurt?”
“The cast doesn’t. My arm is a little sore. But that doesn’t mean I don’t want a hug.”
Her mother lifted Zoe onto the bed, where her five-year-old hugged her as if she would never let her go.
What a horrible experience for her daughter, Elissa thought. Would Zoe have nightmares from this? Should she take her to a counselor of some kind?
“How are you feeling?” she asked tentatively.
“Okay.” Zoe showed off a couple of her bruises. “But Mrs. Ford read me three stories and Grandma and me made cookies. We would have brought them, but Grandma says we should wait until you come home tomorrow. Only maybe we can stay with Grandma for a few days. Wouldn’t that be the best? I have princess sheets at Grandma’s house.”
“I remember,” Elissa said as she glanced at her mother.
Her mother shrugged. “You don’t have to come stay if you don’t want to. I just thought while you were adjusting…”
“It would be great, Mom,” Elissa assured her. “Really. Thank you. I didn’t know how I was going to cope with one arm in a cast and the pain and everything.”
“Good.”
Zoe shifted so she could lean against her mother’s unbroken arm. “Are you better, Mommy?”
“I will be. What about you? That man…” Elissa wasn’t sure what to say about Neil. “He won’t be back to bother us again.”
Zoe looked up at her. “It’s okay, Mommy. I know he’s not my daddy.”
Elissa held in a groan. How was she supposed to explain the complexities of her and Zoe’s relationship to Neil?
“Actually, honey,” she started, then stopped. There weren’t any words, she thought.
Zoe smiled at her. “That bad man isn’t my daddy because he doesn’t love me. Loving a little girl is what makes a daddy. Walker’s my daddy now.”
Elissa glanced at her mother, who raised her eyebrows. All yours, she mouthed.
If the pain hadn’t been so bad, Elissa might have found the situation funny. Instead she felt herself wanting to cry.
“Zoe, Walker is a really good man,” Elissa said. “He’s—”
“My daddy,” her daughter said firmly. “I know he is. He told me and daddies don’t lie.”
THE APARTMENT BUILDING was in the University district, typical for the area. The fall quarter would be starting in a few days and already students’ cars lined the street.
Walker parked behind a beat-up truck and set his alarm before walking to the third floor of the building and knocking on the door marked 16.
The second the woman opened the door, he knew she was the one. He’d nearly forgotten that night in Kabul when Ben had gotten drunk and talked about Ashley’s hair being the color of a sunset. But now, staring at the auburn-colored strands, he remembered.
“Ashley?” he asked, wanting to hope, but not there yet.
“Yes,” she said, drawing out the word. “Do I know you?”
“I’m a friend of Ben’s.” He held out the picture he always carried. “Did you know him?”
“Ben?” She smiled and took the picture. “Sure. Wow, I haven’t talked to him in a while. Almost, what, a year? Sorry, I’m a little brain-dead. I was in the library all night. I’m working on a final draft of my dissertation, which is a mess. But yeah, I know him.”
Walker felt his pulse increase. “You went out, right?”
Ashley’s smile widened. “A few times. He was great. A lot of fun. He went into the Marines. We wrote a few times, but then we kind of stopped.”
They’d stopped? Because…“You weren’t in love with him?”
“What?” She took a step back. “No. I mean I liked him, but nothing really happened between us. I don’t even remember if we kissed. Why are you asking me this? Has Ben been saying stuff about me?”
Walker felt the heaviness of defeat rest on his shoulders. He’d tried so damn hard, only to fail right at the end.
“Ben thought you were great,” he said quietly. “He told me you were one in a million.”
“Yeah. Where is he now?”
“He didn’t make it back. He died a few months ago.”
“I’m sorry,” she said sincerely, but without any pain. “You were a friend of his?”