Chapter 37
THIRTY-SEVEN
D AKOTA
The next day, after a night of observation and Hazel hovering over me the entire time, I’m finally allowed to leave in the afternoon. I have a mild concussion, and the wounds to my head had needed stitched. Because of the blood and the concussion, they wanted to keep me for the night and run a few more tests, making sure that they hadn’t missed anything before they released me back to the wild. I was anxious to leave and find out what was going on with Seven Sins and with Grant.
Grant stayed with me for as long as he could at the hospital. But his phone hadn’t stopped silently buzzing in his pocket, and each time, the news seemed more dire than the last, judging by the look on his face—not that he shared anything with me. He was too concerned about my stress levels while I was recovering. I finally told him to stop worrying about me and go do what he needed to. When Hazel arrived with Ramsey, they eventually convinced him to get a shower and deal with business at home.
“I feel awful that you’re having to take care of me. You should be on your honeymoon.” I look at Hazel as she and Ramsey help me get out of the truck and into the ranch house.
“Don’t feel awful. I don’t want to be anywhere else right now. The wedding and the honeymoon are just getting moved to a new date. Right now, family is the priority.” Hazel smiles at me as she links our arms, and we walk up the steps together.
“Well, I love you for everything. I really can find somewhere else to stay if you all want to have the place to yourselves.” I feel guilty because I know Hazel made Ramsey wait all week, and the last thing he probably wants is me monopolizing all her time.
“You can find a place when you’re feeling better and have a chance to recover. You’ve been through a lot in the last twenty-four hours. Let’s focus on you first, okay?” Hazel gives me a meaningful look, and I lean my head against her shoulder.
“I don’t know what I’d do without you.” There aren’t good words for friends like her, the kind who take care of you through thick and thin—best friend doesn’t begin to cover it.
“I don’t know what I’d do without you . I was so scared when I heard, and then I just kept thinking about how chaotic the last month has been. You’ve been busting your ass for a month helping me get everything together, and now this. The world isn’t fucking fair, that’s for sure.” She leads me into a guest room, and I look around at what I recognize as Grant’s old bedroom. “Now there’s a bathroom off this room that’s all yours, and I brought some of my clothes in here for you so you have something to change into out of this. I got some basics for you at the store—bras, underwear, pajamas, a few T-shirts, and jeans. That stuff’s in the wash now, and I’ll have it for you in a couple of hours. The toiletries and suitcase you had at the Avarice are being sent over too.”
“I need to get food for Vendetta and get my prescriptions refilled.” I sigh. There was such a long list of things I’d need to replace. I feel tears sting my eyes just thinking about it. “I have to get my car from the Avarice.”
“Ramsey’ll bring it over later. Don’t worry about that. I already got some food for Vendetta. I don’t know if it’s up to her bougie tastes, but I grabbed some cream and treats, too, so she won’t go hungry. Can you call stuff in to the pharmacy in the city? We can run down if they’ve got it in stock.” Hazel reassures me.
“Yes. Thank you. You’re the best, honestly. I’m just so overwhelmed with how many things I have to think about.”
“I think being overwhelmed is allowed, given the circumstances. I would be too. But we got you. Anything you need, we’ll get it figured out. I didn’t want to get you anything too fancy clothes-wise because I figure you want to pick that stuff out yourself. I just wanted to get you through the week first.”
“Thank you. Truly. Are you leaving? I heard you guys talking.”
“Grant wants us all out of town. He thinks there’s something nefarious behind all this. That it wasn’t an accident. That’s all I know right now.” She sighs and sits down on the bed next to me. “Ramsey needs to be back in Cincinnati by late next week. I’d planned to go with him to get him settled after the honeymoon and then come back here for a bit. I’ve got everything I need there already, so there’s no reason I can’t go, but… I don’t want you here alone. You and Vendetta should probably pack up and come stay with us. I know that’s a lot of change in a few days, but…” Hazel’s brow creases with worry as she looks me over.
“I’ll talk to Grant. If he’s staying, I’d rather stay here. Maybe I can stay with Bristol or Marlowe.” I run my hand over the quilt on the bed absently.
“No, if you stay, you can stay right here. Even if we go, the house is yours. I don’t want to leave you here alone though. Feels like a bad idea.”
“I won’t be alone. The girls are here.” I needed to call Marlowe and Bristol and let them know I’m okay. I’m sure Hazel already has, but I know they’ll want to hear from me since I told them not to bother coming to the hospital today when I found out I was leaving.
“I mean, on the ranch. If it’s as dangerous as Grant let on. Dakota, there’s a lot you don’t know about this family. There’s a lot I can’t tell you because you’re better off not knowing. But I don’t want your association with us to end up with anything worse than what’s already happened. You could have died in that explosion, and if it turns out not to be an accident—” Hazel’s tone turns more serious.
“You don’t think it was an accident then?”
“I don’t know. But… the fire at the barn last year wasn’t, and neither were a lot of other things that went wrong over the years. I don’t know what Grant has told you yet, but, it’s bad.”
“I mean. I was suspicious about some of it.” We exchange awkward glances. I know she probably can’t tell me the family secrets. As close as Grant and I have gotten, as much as these people feel like family to me, they’re not. I can understand wanting to keep some things quiet.
“Like I said, it’s better if you don’t know all the dirty details. I’d rather let Grant share things with you. But I couldn’t live with myself if something else happened. I think you’d be better off coming back with us to Cincinnati. You could stay with me, and we could come back here together. Give yourself some time to recover and plan what you want to do next. I’d say Hayden’s there too, but it feels like maybe that ship has sailed.” She gives me a questioning look, and I know what she’s asking without saying the words.
“You could just ask, you know.”
“Okay. Well, I know he could have had other reasons to be there, but it was awfully early in the morning, and the way he was panicking about you being hurt at the hospital… I’m kind of making some assumptions. You can tell me they’re the wrong ones.”
“No. You’re right to assume, but I don’t know what we are. Or if we’re anything. Things have been different between us this last year, and then it started escalating. Last night was the first time we actually slept together. Feels like a pretty bad sign when the whole place explodes the next morning.” I laugh even though the tears are still threatening to fall again. Yesterday morning I’d been the happiest I can remember being in a long time. Today feels impossibly bleak in comparison, and I don’t think I’ve even fully comprehended all the consequences yet.
“If he’s anything like his brother, that just kind of happens. Usually not quite so literally though.” Hazel laughs and nudges me gently.
“It’s been fast and intense the last few weeks, but it felt natural like… Everything just led us here.” I sigh. “I don’t know that he feels that way. In fact, I think after this morning, he probably feels like it was all a giant mistake. Especially given how he feels about Jesse and the past and all that.”
“How do you feel?” She gives me a thoughtful look, her eyes searching mine.
“It was… it felt right with him. For the first time in a long time—maybe ever. We just get each other in a way that I don’t think is possible with anyone else. He knows me in a way I’ve never been able to let anyone else in. But… I feel like he’s gonna break my heart one way or the other. I’m not stupid. I know who he is. I kn ow a man like him isn’t the kind you make a boyfriend out of. He’s not made of the right kind of material. Hell, he’s not even Ramsey material.” My lips twist to the side as I try not to cry again. “But I can’t stop hoping it works out somehow. Is that crazy?” The tears come anyway, and Hazel wraps her arms around me.
“I don’t think it’s wrong to hope. Not at all. Honestly, I think he loves you in his own way. He’s just bad at showing it sometimes. Even with his own family. And the history you two have—it’s obvious he cares about you deeply, Dakota.”
“I know he cares. That’s all I need to know right now,” I say softly, hugging her back. “I’m just scared he’s going to push me away after all this, and other than you and the girls, he’s the person I need right now. You know?”
“I know.” She brushes my hair out of my face. “Just be careful with your heart, okay? Don’t let him break you because you gave more than he deserved. I don’t want to have to fight him.”
“I won’t make you fight him.” I laugh.
“Good, because he did kinda squash his curmudgeon-ness for me and put up with a lot of my bullshit leading up to this wedding. But I’d cut him in a second if I thought he hurt you deliberately.”
“I know you would.” I offer her half a smile, and she rubs her hand over my back. “Speaking of. What are you doing about the wedding? Is there anything I need to do? I can help now that I’m out.”
“Absolutely not. Bristol, Marlowe, and Aspen put my brothers to work, and between them all, they called the whole guest list and got it all handled. Delayed until further notice. Ramsey’s already talked about a quick trip to Vegas this week or a courthouse in Cincinnati. That’s how our friends did it, but I’d rather wait and see. I still think we might be able to sneak in a wedding somewhere before the season. Just nothing quite so fancy like he wanted.”
“I’m so sorry, Hazel. I hate this for you. You two deserve the big wedding and the big fancy honeymoon. Could you still do that at least?” I squeeze her hand.
“We were able to get our money back. So I don’t know. I suppose we could still go if Ramsey wants to at some point. But again, with everything going on… I don’t think he could relax and enjoy it. I definitely couldn’t, but I’d try to make the best of it if it would help him get ready for the season.” She lets out her own long sigh.
“I mean it, if there’s anything I can do. I’ll just be sitting around until I find out what insurance will cover and what the fire department has to say about causes. I can be put to work!”
“I love you for that, but I’m thinking we just eat some of the wedding food and cake. I don’t know about you, but I could stand to drown myself in some buttercream frosting right about now.”
“That sounds perfect.” I grin at her.
“All right. Get yourself a shower and whatever else you need, and I’ll meet you back out in the living room in a bit. I’m gonna check on a few things, and then we can relax. Sound good?” Hazel smiles at me, and I hug her one more time.
“I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“Same.” She squeezes me tight and then leaves me to my thoughts, closing the door in her wake.