Chapter 21
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
brADY
“ Y ou’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” I mutter as I brush Blackjack. “She’s been lying to me since the day I met her, boy. How can I even know her, really know her, if I don’t know her name?”
He blows out a breath and nudges my shoulder, hoping for an apple.
“Exactly, I can’t. I’ve held her while she screams and cries and has a breakdown about night terrors that I thought were about the bullshit she went through as a teenager.” I shake my head and move around to the other side of the horse. “And maybe there was some of that laced in there, but it was really about shit that I didn’t even know about. Because she didn’t tell me.”
My heart won’t quit hammering. From the minute she got out of that car this afternoon, my heart has been hammering like a jackhammer. And when I saw that missing person’s poster on Chase’s phone, I thought I was going to come out of my skin.
“How am I supposed to help her, when I don’t even know what’s going on? I can’t protect her like this. What else is she hiding from me, for fuck’s sake?”
She told me that she had secrets. She never lied about that, but I thought that over the past couple of months, we’d worked our way through them.
We’ve been living like a motherfucking family for weeks. I have house plans, and the septic has already been dug and set where I plan to build her a house, for the love of God.
Everything I’ve done has been with her in mind, and she’s been lying.
“Sure, she was scared,” I concede as I pull an apple out of a barrel and hold it out for the horse to munch on. “And I get that she could have some trust issues with the past that she has. But Jesus Christ, this is me. I’m supposed to be her safe place. I’m supposed to be the one that she can count on for anything.
“I thought she was that for me, and now I don’t know. I felt so guilty over that stupid commercial, and now my whole fucking world has fallen apart.” I lean my forehead on Blackjack’s neck and take a breath. “She talked about leaving, and I can’t have that happen. Because as fucking pissed off as I am right now, I love her. I can’t do this life without her. We’ll figure the crazy lady out because she is not leaving.”
I hear footsteps behind me, and hope fills me that it might be Abbi, but when I spin around, I find Rem, Ryan, Chase, and Millie watching me.
“I know,” I say before they can speak. “I shouldn’t have walked out, but I was about to say some shit that I couldn’t take back, and I needed a minute.”
“I get it,” Millie says. “As long as you’re not going to do something stupid and give up on her or something.”
“No. I don’t think that’s possible. She’s my heart, beating outside of my chest.”
I look at the four of them and shove my hands into my pockets.
“I’ve already figured out who this Janet person is,” Ryan informs me. “It’ll be taken care of.”
“You’re kind of scary, Ry.”
“I know.” He doesn’t smile at me.
“If she’d just said something a year ago, it would all be over by now,” Chase says, shaking his head.
“She doesn’t trust people very easily. Even when she loves them,” Remington replies. “And, with all of the shit she’s been through, I can see why. We’ll just have to keep showing her why she can trust us.”
“How is she?” I ask, kicking a rock. “Is she okay? Is she crying? Shit, I should get back in there.”
“She’s gone,” Millie replies. “She scooped up Daisy and left.”
“What the fuck do you mean, she’s gone? ”
“She’s pretty insistent that she doesn’t want us to help her,” Ryan says. “She says that she won’t bring that mess here, so she’s planning to skip town with Daisy and run.”
“And you let her go ?” I stare at Chase. “You fucking let her go?”
“She hasn’t done anything wrong,” he replies. “The missing person’s bulletin is trash. So, she changed a name here and there; it’s not illegal. She is free to go wherever she pleases.”
“Fuck that.” I push through them, ready to go to war to make sure Abbi does not leave. “I have to go get her.”
“Good luck,” Millie calls after me.
“I’ll be behind you,” Chase adds. “I have to stop at the station and then get Abbi’s official statement so I can resolve the missing child bulletin that was sent here.”
I’ve never driven into town so fast, and I curse a blue streak when I get stopped at a red light in town, but then I’m off and running again and pull into Abbi’s driveway behind her SUV.
I ring the doorbell, but no one answers.
“Come on, Blue Eyes,” I call out. “Answer this door!”
Still nothing, so I unlock it and walk right in.
And then feel my blood go cold. Standing in the middle of the living room is a middle-aged woman with wild eyes, holding on to Daisy as if she’s a lifeline.
Daisy’s crying, and Abbi’s face is sheet white.
“Sorry to interrupt,” I say, keeping my voice casual. “I didn’t realize you had company.”
“You bitch ,” Janet bites out as she cradles Daisy and runs her hand down the little girl’s hair. “How dare you steal my daughter?”
“Mommy,” Daisy cries.
“Shh,” Janet says. “I’m right here. Mommy’s here.”
That only makes Daisy cry harder.
“Hello?” I walk around the woman so she has to look at me. “Hi. I’m Brady. You must be Janet. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
Sure, it’s all recent, but I’ve heard a lot, nonetheless.
“Good, you’re here,” Janet says. “Call the police. I’ve finally found my daughter, and this little bitch needs to be arrested.”
She’s pointing at Abbi.
“Janet, you know that isn’t true,” Abbi says, keeping her voice soft. “You remember that Nate and I had a little girl, Daisy. This is Daisy , not Natalie.”
“You’re lying !” Janet screams, and Daisy wails with her. “This is my baby. My little baby.”
I hold my hand out without looking her way, and Abbi slides her hand into mine, palm to palm, and closes her fingers tightly.
“Janet, a policeman will be here shortly to help us straighten all of this out.”
“Do you know what she is?” Janet asks, gesturing to Abbi with her chin. “She’s a lowlife. She trapped my son into a marriage. He didn’t know what he was doing. She used her tits and her cunt to lure my poor boy in.”
Janet’s crying now, and I’m seeing nothing but red.
“That’s not true,” Abbi whispers.
“Chase is coming,” I murmur to her and squeeze her hand reassuringly.
“And now she’s found herself another rich man,” Janet continues. “A rodeo god. What a joke. You’re all a joke. And I refuse to let you have my daughter for even a moment more.”
Daisy is just whimpering now, not even fighting to get away from Janet. I don’t care if the crazy old bitch talks all night now that her grip on my kid has loosened.
“Janet,” I begin and lick my lips, “would you mind if we set Daisy on the couch where she’ll be more comfortable?”
“No.” Her grip tightens, and Daisy whimpers. “You’ll take her. You’re all trying to take her.”
“Janet.” My voice is hard now, no more Mister Nice Guy. Her head whips up as if I slapped her across the face. “If you don’t take your motherfucking hands off of my daughter right now, you’re going to regret it.”
Janet blinks and then frowns down at Daisy, but her grip has loosened, and she looks back at me. “Who are you?”
“I’m her daddy. Now, please hand her to me.”
“Oh.” With a scowl, she crosses over, and I take Daisy from her, relieved when the little girl buries her face in my neck and holds on. My shoulder sings from the weight of Daisy, but I don’t give a flying fuck. “But she’s my baby.”
“No.” Abbi’s voice is full of rage now that Daisy is safe. “This is Daisy , your granddaughter. Not Natalie.”
Janet is crying hysterically and sinks onto the floor, her arms wrapped around her middle, rocking as if to soothe herself.
And Chase walks through the open door.
“Just in time,” I tell him. “That’s Janet. She was trying to take Daisy.”
“I just want my baby,” she cries. “I want my Natalie. Where’s my baby?”
“Jesus.” Chase pulls his hand down his face. “I’ll call for the ambulance. She’ll be going to a psych ward.”
“You’ve got this?” I ask him.
“Yeah,” he says with a nod. “Get them out of here.”
With Abbi’s hand still in mine, and Daisy in my arms, I march us outside to my 4Runner.
“I’m taking you to my cabin.”
Abbi crawls into the back seat with Daisy, cuddling her as close and as hard as she can while I drive us back out to the ranch. I keep checking them in the rearview mirror, and as Abbi has a small panic attack, Daisy holds her tiny fingers up so Abbi can blow them out like candles.
It’s the sweetest and most heart-wrenching thing I’ve ever seen in my fucking life.
“Do you want the cabin, or do you want Erin?” I ask her after she takes a long, deep breath.
“Cabin,” she whispers. “Please.”
With a nod, I turn toward my little place and get them both inside and onto the couch, where they stay huddled up together.
“Baby.” I press my hand against Abbi’s cheek. “It’s done. She can’t hurt either of you ever again. I’ll make sure of it. It’s all done.”
Abbi watches me with wide blue eyes brimming with huge, unshed tears.
“How can that be? It happened so fast. I’ve been protecting Daisy from her for years. ”
“I know.”
Daisy’s face is pressed to Abbi’s chest, and it looks like she’s fallen asleep, likely from the exhaustion of everything that’s happened over the last hour.
“I’m so s-s-sorry.” Abbi dabs at the tears on her cheeks. “I wanted to tell you so many times, but I couldn’t risk her. I just couldn’t, Brady.”
“Hey.” I lean in and press my lips to her forehead, breathing her in. “I asked you before if your secrets would hurt my family.”
“I don’t have any more secrets,” she assures me.
“But you lied.”
That has her stopping and staring at me. “I didn’t lie about that.”
“Yes, you did, because this secret did hurt my family. You and Daisy are my family. You’re part of my whole family, too, and this hurt all of us.”
“Brady.” Her voice is a whisper as she grips my shirt. “I guess you’re right because you’re my family, too. You’re ours. But when I promised you that, we weren’t what we are now.”
“Maybe not for you .” I grin when she gulps. “I know you well enough to understand why you couldn’t tell us, but, baby, that was one hell of a bomb to drop.”
“Yeah. Pretty dramatic, huh?”
“Pretty fucking dramatic.”
“Swear jar,” Daisy whispers, making me chuckle. She doesn’t even open her eyes or move away from her mom, but she’s obviously been listening.
“Would you have really left me?” I ask her as I drag my knuckles down her cheek, then brush her soft blonde hair behind her ear.
“Yes.” Her lip wobbles. “If it meant keeping Daisy safe, I would have. Although, Daisy and I were fighting about it when Ja— she rang the doorbell because Daisy was having none of it.”
“That’s my girl.” I brush my hand over Daisy’s hair. “My sweet princess. I want you to know that I would have followed you, and I would have found you. There is no world where you run from me, Abbi. You’re it for me. You are the love of my life, and I plan to make a home and a family with you out here. No crazy broad is going to ruin that for us. Not today or any other day.”
She sniffs and turns her face so she can kiss my palm. “I panicked. I can admit that now. I’d let my guard down for so many months and had become so comfortable in our life here, and when that threat showed up again, every instinct told me to run, to protect my girl.”
“And from now on, you run to me , and we figure it out together, no matter what it is. You do not run away from me.”
Abbi nods. “Cowboy?”
“Yes, Blue Eyes?”
“I love you. Forever. And I won’t run ever again.”
“Good.” I kiss her cheek and then her lips, and I slip beside her, pulling her against my side so I’m snuggling both of my girls, and this is where we stay for quite a while.
Until Chase comes calling, and then chaos ensues once more as we’re called back to the farmhouse so my girls can be fussed over, and Chase can ask Abbi some questions.
“It’s over,” Chase informs Abbi. “She’ll be moved to a psychiatric hospital in North Carolina. Her husband is on his way to collect her.”
“He doesn’t want to see Daisy, does he?” Abbi asks, fear moving over her face once more as she looks at the ceiling, where Daisy is in Holly’s room, playing.
“No,” Chase replies, shaking his head. “He didn’t say a word about Daisy.”
“What will happen to them?” Joy asks. “If she’s as mentally unstable as you say, Chase, what will happen next?”
“They’ll escort her to her home state, and she’ll be admitted. I’m no doctor, but based on what I saw, it wouldn’t surprise me if she’s committed for the rest of her life. But, just in case, we’ll file a restraining order, and if she does ever come out of the hospital, she’ll face charges of trespassing, attempted kidnapping, and a whole host of things. Basically, she’ll spend the rest of her life pretty miserable.”
“Good.” Abbi deflates in relief. “I’m sorry for all the drama, you guys.”
“Are you kidding?” Millie grins as she sips her beer. “We love some good drama. We’ll be telling this story for generations.”
“So, Abbi,” Remington says, catching our attention. “Do you still plan to move away?”
I start to speak, but Abbi shuts me up by pressing her hand to my mouth, making my family laugh.
“No,” she finally says, as if she’s really thinking it over, and then she grins. “I’m already home. Right here, at this ranch, with these amazing people.”
I kiss her palm and then move her hand aside. “Damn right, you are.”