Chapter 49 Piper
FORTY-NINE
Piper
We stayed up half the night in the family waiting room, reminiscing.
Grayden and Teller shared stories about the Mangy Moose, back when it was a filthy dive that didn’t check IDs. Then they started in on Callum about his antics as a kid.
We passed around the rest of the snacks Callum had raided from the vending machine. Grace and I chimed in with the things we’d overheard as kids when our brothers hadn’t known we were listening. Ha.
Ashford was quiet for a lot of it, but he cracked a few smiles. Brought up their mom, and then the reminiscing had turned more heartfelt and sad.
Yet it meant so much. The four O’Neal siblings, able to share these memories together. The good and the bad. I loved having Teller there too. All the people I’d grown up loving. Who’d given me happy memories of childhood instead of just darkness.
Eventually, I passed out with my head on Grayden’s shoulder.
My dreams were hectic. Full of shouts and confusion. My mom and dad were yelling at each other. Arguing about me. Again.
Then it was Ashford shouting, then Danny. Men and women in uniforms, but I couldn’t tell if they were trying to help me or drag me toward the danger. Hands reaching, trying to pull me away from my son.
I dreamed Ollie and I took shelter in a quiet room. And Grayden was suddenly there. Like he’d just appeared, an answer to a prayer I hadn’t known I made. But he held us. Kept us warm and safe.
The danger was still outside, but with Grayden, I wasn’t afraid to face it.
I blinked, opening my tired eyes. Beige walls, nondescript chairs. My back was killing me from sleeping in a weird position, half sitting and half sprawled over the man beside me. Ow.
Then I noticed Grayden’s breathing was shallow. I glanced up and found him looking back at me.
“Morning,” he murmured. “Everyone else is still asleep.”
Teller and Ashford had pulled chairs across from them to prop up their feet. Grace had her head on Callum’s shoulder, and Callum was snoring quietly. A few other people in the waiting room, those who’d stayed overnight like us, were just beginning to stir.
A hum of noise came from outside the waiting room.
The hospital day was off and running. Any moment, a doctor or another family would step into the room, dealing with their own personal nightmare.
But there hadn’t been any news about Danny since yesterday, and I assumed that was good. Meant he was still stable.
I sat up a little more. Grayden was leaning way back in his chair, head against the wall. I put my head against the wall as well, the two of us inches apart.
“Strange day yesterday,” I said.
“Very. Would not want to live that one over again. Except maybe the parts after midnight.”
“That was today, technically.”
After he’d told the others his story.
The revelation about Grace’s scholarship had gutted her. I finally understood why Grayden feared the truth would make her feel guilty. She’d thought she earned that money through her academic record, and it turned out to be payment for her brother’s freedom.
She’d sobbed in my arms in the hallway. She hadn’t wanted Grayden to see her fall apart like that.
“I would’ve given up anything if it would’ve brought Grayden back to us,” she’d said.
“We can’t change what happened. But he’s here now.”
“I know.” She’d wiped her tears away. “I have to go back in there. I don’t want him to think I’m mad at him.”
Because, no matter what, Grace chose love where Grayden was concerned. She was true to her name.
We were all ragged after yesterday. My nerves were raw and my heart was bruised. But seeing the four of them, even Ashford, hugging Grayden had been beautiful. Same with seeing him and Teller together. All those wounds weren’t healed yet, but I was sure we’d get there.
“Today’s a new day,” I said.
“Sure feels like it.” Grayden’s hand rose to press against my cheek. His thumb moved over my cheekbone. “I love you, Piper.”
Everything inside me stopped. “What did you say?”
Because it couldn’t have been what I thought I’d heard. Just coming out of the blue like that.
“I’m in love with you.” His gaze still held its usual intensity, but the flecks of gold were softer.
Liquid. His hand was warm and dry against my skin.
“Might be telling you that too soon. But I can’t help it.
After all the confessions last night, I’m an open book. The barriers are down. I love you.”
My lower lip trembled. “Okay.”
He huffed a laugh and leaned in to kiss me deeply. The kiss held all those same words. I felt them like a mantra repeating in my head.
I love you.
“Gross. Get a room,” Callum said sleepily.
“Agreed.” Ashford stretched his arms over his head.
“I think they’re cute,” Grace said on a yawn.
Teller was blinking away sleep and intentionally not looking at us. “Anyone want a breakfast sandwich?”
Grayden and I both laughed. He nuzzled his nose against mine, then let me go. “Great idea. I’ll come with you, Teller.”
Grace wiped her face and smacked her lips. “My mouth tastes yucky. Does anyone have a mint?”
I grinned affectionately at all of them.
Yesterday had been agonizing. The waiting and not knowing. Today was going to be so much better.
We took turns going back to Silver Ridge to get cleaned up. Ollie was anxious to come back to the hospital, so Teller said he’d swing by Ashford and Emma’s place to pick him up. Ollie would be thrilled to see him.
Grayden and I were able to go to my house and take a quick shower. There wasn’t much time to enjoy each other, but we made the most of it. Kissing and washing each other and relaxing under the warm spray.
He loved me. I couldn’t believe he’d said that.
He didn’t seem upset with my ridiculous response either. Okay. A non-response, conversation ender. Probably because I just didn’t have the words yet to give him the reply he deserved. The reply I wanted to be able to give him.
But someday. I wanted to say it someday. Me, the founder of the Lonely Harts club. The woman who’d sworn she would never, ever say those three words to a man again.
Wild.
After freshening up, it was back to the hospital. No change yet in Danny’s status, but the doctor who spoke to me said things were looking good.
Ollie and I went in to see Danny again, and Ollie put a card next to his hospital bed with elaborate drawings inside.
“So that’ll be the first thing Dad sees when he wakes up,” Ollie said.
“He’s going to love it, Ollie-bear.”
He’d damn well better love it.
Back in the waiting room, Grayden and Teller were talking with their heads together. They both smiled when Ollie ran in. My heart swelled.
At one point, while Teller played some kind of game with Ollie on his phone, Grayden and I had a few minutes to talk about the “new evidence” he’d mentioned yesterday in Danny’s case.
We went to that quiet alcove again. Grayden told me about the bloody knife and sweatshirt the attacker had left at the Pine Cone Motor Lodge. How Teller had identified the knife as Ollie’s, and he and Chief Nichols had found the empty knife sheath in my garage.
“Unbelievable,” I said. “That’s why the person broke into my garage. I should’ve noticed the knife was missing.”
“It was probably mixed in with your camping gear. You thought it was Danny looking for your mom’s jewelry box again.”
But it had been someone plotting to stab my ex. Why? And why frame me and Grayden for it?
“One thing keeps popping up in my mind,” Grayden said. “Danny drove toward your house after the attack.”
“It’s strange. Why wouldn’t he call 911? Try to find medical help? Did he have something in his car he was trying to hide?”
“Doubt it. I figure Nichols would’ve mentioned that to Teller.” Grayden tucked my hair behind my ear, like he just wanted an excuse to touch me. “I’m not trying to give your ex any credit, but I wonder if he thought he was dying, and all he could think of was seeing you or Ollie one last time.”
I huffed. “Can’t imagine that.”
“Weird things happen in a guy’s brain when he thinks he’ll never see his family again,” Grayden said. “Who knows?”
But now that idea was stuck in my head too.
We talked a while longer about Grayden’s interrogation yesterday and all he’d learned. Then we returned to the waiting room to kill more time.
Thank goodness I had employees I could rely on to run Silver Linings. I checked in a few times over the phone, and my team assured me they were fine.
Ashford, Callum, and Grace came and went. They had their own responsibilities. Zandra and Dane stopped by, bringing food and company.
But as the day wound down, heading toward dinner, it was just Teller, Grayden, Ollie and me. I napped with my head against Grayden’s chest.
Until Grayden’s hand rubbed my back, and a new voice said, “Ms. Carmichael?”
I sat up. A nurse stood in front of me.
“Daniel is awake and breathing on his own now. You and your son are welcome to see him.”
“He may be confused from the sedation,” the nurse warned as we walked toward Danny’s room. “And he’ll have trouble speaking. But he’s doing very well so far. Ollie, your dad is clearly a fighter.”
More like an ornery jerk, I thought. I kept that to myself.
Grayden was walking with us. Just before the doorway, I turned to him. “You’ll wait out here?” I asked. Teller had stayed in the waiting room to call Ayla.
“Not going anywhere.” Grayden reached out and his hand brushed mine. Ollie’s eyes followed the movement, but mostly he was dancing back and forth with excitement.
“Dad!” Ollie cried the moment we stepped into the room. I put my hand on his shoulder.
“Remember, he’s weak,” I said. “Better go easy on him.”
Ollie slowed down and shuffled to the side of Danny’s bed. “Dad? It’s me. Oliver.”
A sad smile pulled at my lips.
Danny’s eyes opened halfway. The ventilator and bags of transfusion blood were gone, but he still barely looked like himself.
Ollie reached out and gently put his small hand over Danny’s, and there was a hint of some kind of emotion in my ex’s eyes.
“I made you a card, Dad. Did you see?”
Danny nodded his head, just slightly, which made Ollie grin ear to ear.
Ollie started talking rapid fire, catching up Danny on the hospital, the nurses, the cookies he and Maisie had baked with Dane. Anything and everything.
“Uncle Teller’s back, isn’t that cool? Mom’s been staying here at the hospital almost the whole entire time, so you wouldn’t be alone. Even though they have terrible coffee. Grayden’s been with her. He’s her boyfriend.”
So Ollie had noticed Grayden and me sitting together. I hadn’t told him we were dating, but yeah. Kids picked up on plenty. Especially mine.
My jaw tightened, and my gaze met Danny’s. I lifted my chin defiantly.
After a while, Danny’s eyelids drooped. I told Ollie to meet Grayden out in the hall. “I just need to say a few things to your Dad real quick. Okay, Ollie-bear?”
When Ollie stepped out, I closed the door behind him.
There were so many things I could say to my ex. I could ask if he’d ever cared about us at all. I could ask why he’d driven toward our house when he was bleeding out.
Even if Danny were able to speak, there was no way I’d get a satisfactory answer.
“Do you know who attacked you?” I asked. “Just nod or shake your head. Yes or no.”
He shook his head slowly. No.
Was that true? I had no idea.
“Grayden probably saved your life. I heard the nurses talking. If no one had slowed the bleeding right when he did, you’d probably be dead.”
Danny didn’t respond. His eyelids drifted closed, but I sensed he was listening. I went closer.
“Things have been bad between us for a while. You haven’t been a good father. You’ve been an asshole to me. But things are going to change, do you hear me?”
I picked up Ollie’s card and set it on the bed, right on Danny’s lap.
“You almost died, and nobody was here for you but me and Ollie. I was only here for his sake, not yours. Against all odds, your son loves you. He’s still willing to give you another chance.
I really hope you realize what a rare, precious gift that is. ”
Grayden had proven to me that second chances were real. I was getting my second chance at love. Grayden had a second chance at a relationship with his siblings.
I wanted to believe Danny could change. That he could earn his new chance too.
“I’m with Grayden now. But you’ll always be Ollie’s father. He needs you. If you can step up and be the dad Ollie deserves, then you’ll be welcome in our lives. If you don’t? Then we’re finished. The next time the worst happens, you really will be alone.”
I turned around and walked out. Grayden and Ollie were waiting for me in the hallway. My guys.
When the three of us were together, especially with our families around us, I felt like I could face anything.