9. Chapter Nine
Chapter Nine
C ody’s temper simmered beneath his grief as he thought about what Adam had done to Brooke and how the governor had swooped in to cover it all up. He wanted to know why Brooke went along with it, instead of calling for Adam’s head on a fucking platter.
Maybe it was as simple as she just couldn’t deal with it right now. As he’d seen, just breathing was all she could manage some moments. Her emotions seemed to be all over the place.
Not surprising given the hormones she was probably dealing with because of the pregnancy and birth, plus the trauma.
He remembered the way she’d drifted off while he tended her wounds, how the light literally went out of her. She wasn’t in any frame of mind to make sound decisions right now.
He'd keep a close eye on her.
The governor had the advantage, took it, and ran with it.
Cody wouldn’t allow him, or anyone else, to harm Brooke in any way.
Brooke was lost in overwhelming emotions and pain. Nothing would bring back their little girl. She needed time to grieve. To heal. To find her way out of this dark and devastating time.
Adam Harris was locked up—in a hospital for now, jail soon if Cody had anything to say about it.
Brooke wanted to be left alone. That might change, but right now, she needed time to sort out her feelings about what happened while mired under grief and depression. Soon, she’d get angry. It was an inevitable emotion and part of the grieving process.
As a lawyer, he’d seen enough tragedy hit his clients and their families. Sadness and depression gave way to not believing the event could have happened and bargaining with the universe to change things. Inescapably, somewhere in those stages came the anger. Brooke would go through all of that, and he would be there to help her through it until she came to accept what happened and find a way to move on with her life, absent their daughter.
He’d have to find a way to do the same. Again. He’d focus on Brooke, and in helping her, he’d help himself cope.
First he needed to know what information was out there, so he’d know how best to keep Brooke safe. He opened Brooke’s laptop and logged in with the password she’d shared with him years ago. For the next twenty minutes, he mined the internet for information on the attacks on campus and Adam Harris’s attempted suicide. It didn’t surprise him that very little information made the news. Mostly the information gave a vague description of the attacker and an account of what happened to each of the unnamed women. Police and campus security were at a loss in identifying the attacker and most of the articles ended with warnings to women on campus to always stay in groups.
The articles about Brooke’s attack didn’t name her either, but gave the location and the general information of what happened.
If the press learned Adam Harris had been responsible for the attacks, they’d be unmerciful in uncovering the victims’ names. They’d hound Brooke for her story. Cody would do everything in his power to shield her from having to talk about the murder of her baby and relive the attack and the loss over and over again.
As much as he wanted to yell to the rafters that Adam Harris tried to kill Brooke and had murdered his daughter, he wanted Brooke’s privacy protected.
He wanted her to grieve in peace, while he found a way around the governor to the son who should rot in prison the rest of his life. There was no statute of limitations on murder. Let the governor think Adam was safe in the private, swanky hospital, getting well. All that meant was he’d be ready to stand trial.
Mindy Sue unlocked the door and walked in carrying coffee and breakfast. “Extra-large for you. Sorry, I could only get sugar.” She pulled several packets out of her pocket.
He took them and set them on the desk. “No problem. I take it black. Thank you,” he said, and took the large paper cup and the bag from Mindy Sue.
“How is she? Are the cuts healing?”
“All except the one on her abdomen. I’ll keep an eye on it. Other than that, she seemed okay for a little while after you left, then she started drifting in and out. She jumps at things like he’s coming for her.”
Mindy Sue’s eyes filled with concern and sadness. “That fucking piece of shit. It’s like she can’t get rid of him.”
“It’s over now. He’ll never get close to her again.”
Mindy Sue pressed her lips tight and stared at Brooke passed out on the bed. “She lost a lot of blood. The doctor said she’d be fatigued for weeks until her body recovered from the trauma.”
Cody nodded and took a long sip of the hot coffee. He needed the caffeine kick. He’d think more clearly once it took effect. His gaze stayed on Brooke. “So many fucking scars.”
“They’ll remind her for the rest of her life of what he did and what she lost.”
They both stayed silent and unmoving for a long moment before Mindy Sue dug through the bag of food and handed over two breakfast sandwiches to Cody. “She needs to eat. She needs to work on getting her strength back. And those are some heavy-duty meds they gave her.”
“I’ll wake her soon. She just settled down. Let her have a few minutes of good sleep. It’ll help her get through the next couple of hours.”
“Speaking of which… I went by her business management class and talked to her professor. He’ll let her come in early to take the test alone. He said the dean told him she was going to take an incomplete, but I told him she wanted to finish the class and get her grade. She’s got an A minus. If she can get through the test, she might keep it. I think it’s best she finish for her own peace of mind. Adam has already taken so much from her, I’d hate to see him take away her graduation after all her hard work despite everything he’s put her through all these months.”
She bit into her sandwich and drank her coffee as they sat eating and watching Brooke sleep. “She can turn in her paper to her other class anytime today. She just needs to drop it by her professor’s office. She planned to stay with me until after graduation and your honeymoon. I think she should go back to the ranch and spend some time with her mom. But if Kristi will be there…”
Cody could finish that sentence. Brooke had been through enough, especially this morning as he tended her wounds and she faced another day without their baby. “I will take care of Kristi as soon as I can. I’ll take Brooke back to the ranch. I don’t want her so far from home while she’s in this condition. I want to take care of her, so that she sees I still care, that I need her as much as she needs me to get through this.”
Mindy Sue eyed him, her father’s tenacity glinting in her eyes. “I’m going to hold you to making Brooke happy again.”
“That’s all I want.” He took another bite of his breakfast sandwich, chewed, swallowed, and changed the subject. “Tell me why Brooke agreed to keep things quiet.”
“She didn’t so much agree as she wasn’t in any shape to do anything about it. That very private hospital the governor sent Adam to costs a fortune and specializes in mental health, but…”
“It’s a country club psychiatric ward,” Cody finished for her.
Mindy Sue scrunched her face. “He needs medical help, but he also needs to pay for what he’s done, not live like he’s spending time at a retreat and spa.”
“He will.” Cody would make sure of it.
Mindy Sue’s eyes filled with regret and guilt. “We all hung out together several times. It was fun. Nothing stands out that came off creepy or weird. He just seemed…shy. He had a chance to ask her out the right way many times, but he didn’t take it. Instead he…” Mindy Sue’s gaze settled on Brooke.
All those bandages. All the harm he caused.
He killed their baby.
“Fuck,” Cody barked and scrubbed a hand over his face, feeling the rough abrasion from his beard coming in.
Brooke rolled over with a wince and stared at him, concerned. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m sorry, honey. I didn’t mean to wake you.”
“You woke up the children sleeping in China.”
He smiled half-heartedly and unwrapped Brooke’s breakfast sandwich. “Eat this, sweetheart. You need the energy. Want some coffee?”
“No. Water.”
“Good. More coffee for me.” He pulled a bottle of water out of the mini fridge and handed it to her.
“Sounds like you could use the whole pot.”
“You’re always looking out for me, sweetheart.”
He helped her sit up and tucked a pillow behind her back so she could lean comfortably. Well, at least as comfortable as she could be. He took her hurt foot and propped it on his leg, ever watchful while she nibbled at her food.
“Mindy Sue spoke to your professor. After you eat, I’ll take you over for your test if you’re up for it. Then, I’ll go and turn in your term paper. I’ll come back here and pack whatever will fit in my car.”
He turned to Mindy Sue. “Can you pack up the rest? I’ll have a moving company come in the next few days and ship it home.”
“Sure. No problem.”
Cody glanced back at Brooke. “We can hit the road after your test if you’re up to it.”
Her head tipped down and she stared at her lap. “Cody, I don’t know what I want to do yet. I have to—”
“You need to take care of yourself.” He wouldn’t take no for an answer. “There’s only a week, maybe a little more of classes left before the entire campus goes home. I’m not leaving you here alone.”
She finally looked at him again. “I’m not alone. I have Mindy Sue and Julie and all my other friends. They can help me.” The tears spilled down her cheeks. She looked overwhelmed and exhausted.
“Honey, you can barely walk. You can barely stay awake for any decent amount of time. You can’t tend to your wounds on your own. And judging by the fifty times you’ve looked at that door since you woke up this morning, I’m guessing you don’t feel safe here. Let me take you home. I’ll take care of you. Your mom will spoil you.” He hoped that got her home. If she wouldn’t come for him, which hurt to his soul, she’d do it for her mom.
“I don’t know what to do.” Her weak voice matched the uncertainty in her eyes.
He saw how hard she tried to think through her options.
She didn’t have any, she just didn’t want to admit it. He was taking her home.
She needed to remain in bed a few more days, or at least passed out on the couch in front of a TV, binge-watching something lighthearted and funny.
This wasn’t the place for her. Soon, someone would leak that one of the victims was staying in the dorms. Reporters would camp outside for a chance to get to her. They might even sneak in to see her. Cody needed to get her out of here and back to the ranch, surrounded by familiar things and the ones who loved her most.
He needed to get her well enough and stable enough to listen to him and understand that everything was going to be different now.
Mindy Sue took his side. “Brooke, sweetie. Go home. See your mom. Cry on her shoulder and let her spoil you. Get away from here and everything that’s happened. I’ll come out to the ranch soon to see you. I promise.”
Someone knocked on the door.
Brooke nearly jumped out of her skin.
Cody put his hand on her thigh. “You’re okay, sweetheart. I won’t let anyone hurt you.”
Mindy Sue jumped up just as two girls peeked inside. “We’re all set downstairs.”
“Perfect timing.” Mindy Sue turned to Brooke. “Sweetie, we have a little surprise for you. Come with me.”
Brooke hesitated for a moment, all of them waiting for her to decide if she wanted to go.
Cody wanted to get Brooke up and out of the room and with her friends. He hoped it would boost her spirits and get her out of her head. “Let me help you up.”
She reluctantly leaned forward and swung her legs off the side of the bed. He steadied her when she stood and swayed.
Mindy Sue tossed the trash from their breakfast. “You come, too, Cody. This is for both of you. Brooke, bring the baby,” she said gently.
Brooke already cradled the silver vessel in her hand. She hadn’t let it go for longer than it took to get changed and redo her bandages.
Cody didn’t know what the girls had planned, but followed them without comment or questions. At the stairs, he carefully picked Brooke up and carried her down. She didn’t say anything and tried her best not to let on how much everything hurt her, but he saw every wince and felt every time she tensed to ward off the pain.
They stepped out the back door into a small courtyard filled with the students from the dorm. They’d all come out to see Brooke after they’d been told Brooke had been in an accident and lost the baby. They gathered around the fountain. He set Brooke on her feet and stood behind her with his arms loosely wrapped around her waist. His hands clasped over hers, holding their daughter.
The circular fountain had a young girl standing in the center with an umbrella over her head. The water came out of the umbrella top and rained down into the surrounding pool. Everyone held a white rose and a small pink candle.
Mindy Sue took her rose and candle from Julie. They began the process of lighting the strawberry-scented candles everyone held. In all, more than thirty people attended the ceremony. Everyone had come to join Brooke in the informal memorial service.
“Everyone, this is Cody Jansen. He’s the baby’s father.” Everyone stared at Cody standing with Brooke, his arms around her.
“We’re all here to say goodbye to an angel that never got the chance to grace us with her presence.” Mindy Sue swallowed hard. Her eyes glassed over with unshed tears, and she did her best to give Brooke and him sympathy and compassion for their loss.
“Brooke and Cody, there are no words that will make this time easier. Nothing we say or do will bring back your little girl. We’d all like you to know, we love you and are deeply sorry for your loss.
“Brooke, we spent the last six months dreaming with you about a little girl who’d have your brilliant smile and your sweet heart. I can only say, we’re all sorry we never got to meet her. If she was anything like her mom, she was beautiful inside and out.”
Mindy Sue gave Brooke the rose she held and set her candle in the fountain to float on the water. Julie did the same and both she and Mindy Sue stood beside Brooke as everyone came to her and gave her a rose and floated their own candle. Mindy Sue sang “Amazing Grace” and everyone joined in.
By the end of the ceremony, Brooke’s arms were filled with roses and Cody stood with her, holding his daughter for the first time. The cool metal against his skin was startlingly in contrast to the warm little bundle he’d have liked to hold instead.
Completely overwhelmed, Brooke turned with all the roses in her arms and smashed them between her and Cody. She held on to him and buried her face in his chest and cried her heart out as everyone came and gave her a pat on the back and said goodbye.
Maybe this was too much too soon for her, but he understood Mindy Sue and Julie, her best friends, couldn’t let her leave without acknowledging the loss and letting Brooke see how much everyone cared.
Cody held her until they were alone with Mindy Sue and Julie. He continued to hold Brooke when he addressed the other two women. “Thank you. I hadn’t thought to…we haven’t had time to…” He felt completely at a loss. He’d never seen such a display of friendship and love. Not like this. Brooke clung to him like she couldn’t stand on her own. He was practically holding her up and thankful the roses had been de-thorned, or he’d have been stuck like a pincushion.
“It’s okay, Cody. We did this for our friend. We did this for your daughter.” Julie brushed her hand down Brooke’s hair. “Brooke, look at the fountain. It’s beautiful, don’t you think? We wanted to do this for you tonight, but you’ll be going home. We didn’t want you to leave without our saying goodbye.”
Brooke managed to turn around in Cody’s arms and look at the little fountain. Lovely, the blue water against the white marble with all those pink candles sparkling, their sweet strawberry scent filling the courtyard. It reminded him of the lip balm Brooke used to always use when she was younger and still did in the summer.
Julie and Mindy Sue gathered the roses from her arms and tucked them into a huge vase. “We’ll take these upstairs. You can get them along with some of your things after you take your test. My brother’s friend works for a moving company. I’ll call him tomorrow. We’ll pack up your things and he’ll bring them to the ranch.”
Cody was touched. “Thank you.”
Julie nodded and gave Brooke a hug. “Be well, my friend. I’ll see you soon, I hope.”
Mindy Sue hugged Brooke and looked over her shoulder at Cody. “I’ll see you guys before you leave. Take care of her.”
“I will. Always.” Cody meant it with his whole heart. “We’ll see you in a couple of weeks at the ranch.” Meeting her gaze pointedly, he hoped Mindy Sue got the message. The next few weeks would be difficult for Brooke. Mindy Sue’s visit would help.