Even Cross wiped his face, his big beard shaking as he let out a sigh.
“That kid is breaking our hearts,” Prior said, rubbing his chest.
“Tell me about it,” I whispered.
I hadn’t meant to fall for a family, but here I was, waiting to see the woman that I loved, and holding the kid that I thought of as my own.
I just hoped that Dakota hadn’t been scared off by everything that’d happened. Because I knew how she was. Dakota would build up a wall and try to push everyone away.
But I’d do my damnedest to make sure she didn’t do that to me.
Because I loved Dakota Bristol.
And I would do everything I could to make sure she understood that I wasn’t going anywhere.
Chapter 20
Dakota
I leaned back against the pillow and moaned. I was finally alone. The detectives, the nurses, and the rest of the staff had finally left to give me some time to sleep. Only I couldn’t. I wanted to see Joshua. Macon. I wanted to see the family I’d made.
And it scared me to even think that. But I wanted Macon near me.
I couldn’t believe I’d been shot. A bullet had pierced my flesh, had torn through my calf muscle, but at least it hadn’t damaged anything too vital. I would be left with a scar, and with physical therapy, hopefully, I’d be able to walk as if nothing had happened. But it would take time.
And I would use all of that time and more.
Because that meant I was here. I wasn’t gone. I hadn’t left my son. I hadn’t left Macon.
There was a tap at the door, and I looked up, my heart racing just a bit.
“Can we come in?” Macon asked, that deep voice going straight through me.
I nodded, tears pricking my eyes at just the sound of his voice. “Please,” I said, realizing afterward that he couldn’t see me nod.
He opened the door fully, and I knew who else was here.
Macon stood there, Joshua in his arms, my little boy leaning on him as if he had been doing it his entire life rather than just the short time we had known Macon.
It had been over a year of having the man in our lives, far longer than my brain even let me admit sometimes. Because Macon had healed since his gunshot wound and was perfectly fine fighting and acting as if nothing was wrong.
I knew he still had nightmares, like I probably would for the rest of my life.
But we were safe—all of us.
And Adam would never hurt us again.
“Baby,” I whispered.
“Mommy,” Joshua said, his voice small, sounding so much younger than usual.
I held out a hand and then patted the place next to me. I had already scooted over in anticipation of him coming into the room.
The doctors had told me that he was allowed to come in for a short while, but then he would have to go. I needed to sleep and heal. And they didn’t want to traumatize him. I was all for making sure my baby was as safe as possible.
Macon came forward and gently placed Joshua on the bed. Joshua didn’t touch me. Instead, he just looked down at the blankets and then up.
“Hey, baby. I’m happy you’re okay.” My voice broke, but I did my best not to cry. He had already seen me broken. I didn’t want to scare him today. He had seen me cry before. But I never wanted him to think that crying or weakness was bad. However, after so much in one day, I didn’t want to overwhelm him either.
“Are you really here, Mommy?” Joshua asked.
This time, the tears did fall, and there was no holding them back or hiding them. Macon pushed my hair back from my face, and I looked up at him over Joshua’s head.
“Thank you,” I whispered.
“Joshua, I think your mommy needs a hug. Gently, though.”
“I really do,” I said, looking down at my son.
He reached up and mimicked Macon’s move by brushing my hair back from my face and then wiped my tears with his little hand. I cried harder, and then he gently hugged me as if I were porcelain and then patted my shoulder.
“I love you, Mommy.”
“I love you, too, baby boy.”
“I’ll always be your baby.”
That got me. I cried harder and held him close while Macon ran his hands over my hair, and Joshua’s. After a few more minutes of tumultuous peace, I pulled back.
“You’re okay? I know the doctors told me you were fine. But talk to me, baby.”
“I’m okay. I was scared. But everybody’s been really nice, and they’re not going to let me be alone. I was really, really scared,” Joshua said, his little lip trembling.
He had pulled himself from the rope and had run towards his home. I had walked those trails with him in the forest before, and he had found his way back. He had saved himself in the end—my little boy, who was far too strong for his age. Had seen far too much.
And he would be very lucky if I ever let him out of my sight again once we got home.
Macon must’ve noticed my determination and gave me a tight nod. “Okay, now, Ms. Hazel and Cross are going to take you back to their place. They have the kittens there, too. And Momma Cat,” he added.
“I’m going to stay there?” Joshua asked.
“For now. Just for a bit. They’ll be with you all night. So will everybody else. It’s probably going to be very crowded, and there will likely be a lot of food. And cupcakes.”
“I like cupcakes,” Joshua said solemnly. He looked up at my face. “What about you, Mommy?”
“I need to stay here for the night, just so the doctors can keep an eye on me and make sure I’m okay.”
“I saw a lot of blood. I don’t like blood.”
I swallowed hard, my hand convulsing at my side. Thankfully, he couldn’t see. “I
