Chapter 11
11
“ L et me go in first.” Kent kissed his daughter’s forehead.
“He’s never going to change,” Elle muttered.
“That’s not true.” Dixie took Elle by the forearm and guided her back to where Nicky sat on the floor with blocks. “Besides, he’s not going in there because he’s worried that man is going to hurt you or me. He’s doing it because it’s an honor thing.”
Thank you , Kent mouthed as he turned and headed down the corridor and into Simon Grant’s room. It had been three weeks since the shooting and the man was lucky to be alive. Even luckier that he would walk again.
Kent tapped his fingers against the door. “Simon? It’s Kent Carter. May I come in?”
“Yes. Please. I was hoping I’d hear from you.” Simon adjusted the blanket over his waist and did his best to sit up taller. “How is that precious daughter of yours? And your girlfriend and her son?”
“Everyone is doing incredibly well, considering.” Kent eased into the chair by the side of the bed.
“I’m real sorry about what I had to do. I tried to find other ways to approach the situation without blowing my cover. Kidnapping your family was the last thing I wanted to do. I did my best to keep them safe, and I would have stepped in front of a bullet to save them.”
“You kind of did that,” Kent said with a cheeky grin. “For which I will be forever grateful.”
“It’s my job. It’s what I signed on to do when I went undercover.” Simon shrugged. “But you’re no stranger to danger. Air Force. Firefighter. Aegis Network. Those are not for the faint of heart.”
“No, I guess not.” Kent nodded. “Listen, besides wanting to thank you personally for managing to reach me and the police and doing your best to diffuse the situation, I wanted to ask you if you would have a chat with my daughter Elle. While she’s bounced back and the therapist says she’s dealing with what happened incredibly well, she does occasionally have nightmares.”
“I’m not surprised by the bad dreams. What happened will haunt me for as long as I live. It doesn’t matter that I know I would have given up my cover if I had to in order to protect your daughter, but it doesn’t change the fact there were loaded guns.”
Kent took in a long breath. He wasn’t over that part and it might take the rest of his life to get that image out of his head. “Oddly, that’s not what she’s having nightmares about.”
Simon arched a brow.
“At first it was all about you dying. She’d wake up sobbing, begging me to call the hospital to check on you. Once you woke up, it became all about you slipping into a coma. For some reason, she feels responsible for what happened to you.”
“That’s a lot of worry for a little girl.”
“Unfortunately, she gets that from her old man,” Kent said. “Therapy is helping, but I thought it might do her some good to visit you. If that was okay.”
“Absolutely. I’d love to visit with her. I’m sure you don’t need me to tell you what an incredible young lady you have. She was quite brave. And Dixie, she really held it together when others might have completely lost it.”
“While I wished it had never happened or that I could have traded places with Dixie, I know how lucky I am that she was there and that she’s in my life.”
“She cared for that little girl like she was her own,” Simon said.
Thick emotion gathered in Kent’s throat. The bond that had developed between his daughter and Dixie was the kind of bond that couldn’t—and shouldn’t—be broken. He relished in watching them together as much as he enjoyed loving Nicky. It filled his heart and soul in ways he never expected. He fought the idea that bringing a woman into Elle’s life would be good for them as father and child.
He'd been wrong.
But so grateful he’d waited for the right lady to stroll into his life at exactly the right time.
“Let me text Elle. She’s in the waiting room with Dixie and her son down the hall.”
“I’m so sorry if I scared that little boy,” Simon said.
“He honestly barely remembers much. Little ones are resilient that way, but to err on the side of caution, his mother and I brought him to a pediatric psychologist who said he’s adjusting to the trauma appropriately, whatever that means.”
“I don’t have kids, so I can’t even begin to imagine what you all went through. I’m just glad it turned out the way it did.”
“We’re all incredibly grateful to your sacrifice and sincerely happy you’re going to walk out of this hospital.”
“I knew the risks when I went undercover eight months ago. It’s a hard life, and I look forward to some well-deserved time off,” Simon said.
“Will you go back to undercover work?”
“Probably,” Simon said. “I’m not an old man and like I said, I don’t have a family. It’s all I know and if I can get assholes off the streets, I’m glad to do it.”
Tap. Tap.
“Hi,” Elle said softly as she tentatively entered the room.
Kent looped his arm around his daughter. “Simon, you remember Elle.”
“I sure do.” He stretched out his hand. “Thank you for the cards and flowers. They have brightened up my room and have made me feel special.”
“I’m sorry that bad man shot you.” Elle sat on Kent’s knee—something she didn’t do often anymore. “How are you feeling?”
“Pretty darn good. The doctors tell me I can go home tomorrow,” Simon said.
“That’s great.” Elle sat up a little taller. “Do you have someone who can help take care of you?”
“I’m going to go to my sister’s house to recover. Once I’m completely healed, I will take a vacation to visit my brother in Alaska. After that, it’s back to work.”
“I’m glad you have family to look after you.” She patted the back of his hand. “But if there is anything we can do for you, I hope you’ll reach out. Maybe before you leave for your trip, we can all get together. Go fishing or something.”
“I’d like that.” Simon nodded as the nurse came through the door.
“Come on, Elle.” Kent gave her a good nudge. “We best get going. It’s getting way too close to Nicky’s nap time, and you know how cranky he gets when he doesn’t get a good one in.” He took Simon’s hand in a firm shake. “Don’t hesitate to call us if you need anything at all.”
“And vice versa.” Simon nodded.
Kent looped his arm around Elle’s shoulders. “I’m so proud of you,” he said once in the corridor. “You’re turning into a fine young lady.”
“Thanks, Daddy.” She glanced up. “Does that mean I can go to the movies with Lucy and Kristen tomorrow afternoon? Without you sitting in the back of the theater?”
He laughed. “Only if I can take you girls out for pizza after.”
“Don’t get mad, Dad, but I’d rather Dixie take us out after. Make it a girls’ thing.”
Kent batted his little girl’s nose. She’d forever be that in his eyes. “I suppose it won’t kill me to hang out with Nicky and let you all do women stuff.”
“Thanks, Daddy. I love you.”
“I love you too, Buttercup.”
Elle rolled her eyes.
“I’m never going to stop calling you that, but I will promise to only do it during private moments like this.”
“I can live with that.”
“Elle! Kent!” Nicky jumped to his feet the second they turned the corner and entered the waiting room. “Look! Look at all the blocks and what I made.”
Kent leaned over. “Any idea what that is?”
“Your guess is as good as mine,” Elle said.
“It’s a fire station and I’m going to be a firefighter, just like Kent.” Nicky dropped to the floor, picked up a block, and made an engine noise.
Kent tapped the center of his chest and let out a long breath. “Elle, sweetie. Would you mind playing with him for a couple of minutes? I want to talk with Dixie in the hallway for a second.”
“Sure, Dad,” Elle said.
In a month, his world had changed in so many ways. Sometimes, it was hard to find the right time to express his feelings, and moments passed him by.
Not today.
“Is everything okay?” Dixie asked. “Did something happen while she was visiting Simon?”
“No. That went better than I could have ever imagined. My little girl is growing up right in front of me and I get I can’t stop it.”
Dixie rested her hands on his shoulders and smiled. “She’ll always be your little girl, even when she’s married with children?—”
“Let’s not push it, okay?” He laughed, cupping Dixie’s face. “I don’t believe I’ve ever said this proper. Thank you for taking good care of our girl under the worst of circumstances. Knowing she was with you was the only thing that got me through that horrifying two hours.” He brushed his lips over hers.
“Kent—” He pressed his finger over her lips.
“You know how much I love my baby girl. But she’s not the only one I care about. Not only have I fallen head over heels for that sweet little boy of yours, but I love you. I want to watch the sunset with you in my arms and our kids by our side. I want to wake up the same way. I want to be the constant in yours and Nicky’s life.”
She stared at him with wide eyes. “Did you use the word love in reference to me?”
“I sure did.”
“Wow,” she whispered.
“Is that all you have to say? Are you going to leave me hanging like that with my heart in my hand?”
“Interesting place to make a major declaration. I thought something like would have been done after a nice ride into the sunset on your Harley.” She smiled as bright as the burning sky scorched with dazzling oranges and reds as the sun sprinkled its rays over the earth.
He wrapped his arms around her body, heaving her against his chest. “I’ve wanted to say it for days, but finding the perfect moment isn’t easy with two kids underfoot all the time.” He arched a brow. This felt right, and I couldn’t let another minute go by without saying it. So, do I get to hear the words back?”
“I don’t know. I mean, I feel like I need to write a six-page document on how to date a lady properly because you suck.” She palmed his cheek. “But you get an A for effort and yes, I love you right back.”
“Finally,” Elle said, appearing in the hallway with Nicky on her hip. “You two are painful to watch sometimes.”
“No one gave you permission to come out here.” Kent lifted Dixie’s chin with his thumb and forefinger. “Now go back in the waiting room because your father is going to do something gross.”
“Pleeeaassse,” Elle said. “You think you’re so good at hiding all your kissy-kissy moments from us, but you’re not. We see it all the time. And for the record, it’s mostly not gross. Now get it over with so we can go home.” She breezed past him, stopping at the elevator and glancing over her shoulder. “And we could make this all easier if the two of you would agree to live together. Sneaking around is childish.” The elevator dinged. “I’ll see you downstairs in the lobby.” She disappeared.
Kent dropped his forehead against Dixie’s and groaned. “Did my daughter just say all that?”
“She did. Looks like someone really needs to talk with her about the birds and the bees.”
“Perhaps that should come from the woman in her life.” He kissed Dixie’s warm lips.
“I’m happy to chat with her, but two perspectives are better than one.” Dixie took his hand and tugged. “Having a dad she can talk to about anything is a gift that only you can give her and it’s one she’ll cherish for the rest of her life.”
“I don’t know what I’d do without you,” he said. “It’s my honor to love you.”