Chapter 31 Braxton
Braxton
“Dad,” I say with infinite patience, dragging each word out to ensure he hears them and plans accordingly. “Mom will notice that her air fryer is missing. She uses it almost every day.”
My father hums absent-mindedly, his wrist still twisting the screws on the bottom panel of the appliance. “I’m not doing anything to it that she won’t like.” A beat later, and his head rises, mouth tugging down. “That sounded like something out of Analise’s books.”
I freeze, my eyes wide. “What is she reading? And more importantly…how would you know?”
I don’t know that I’ve ever seen my father blush until this moment, his eyes focusing on a point beyond my head. “I picked up her electronic reader thing, and it just…It turned itself on.”
I stifle a laugh, chiding, “Dad, that’s just as bad as looking through a woman’s purse.” I shudder dramatically. “I don’t even want to think about the kind of stuff sweet Annie is reading.”
My father mumbles under his breath, something that sounds a lot like sweet Annie, my butt. He turns back to the air fryer, the screwdriver still tucked into his palm. “What do you want, anyway? Did your mother send you out here to spy on me?”
“Why would she do that?”
Dad’s eyes shift around guiltily. “No reason.” He clears his throat. “No reason at all. Now, if you don’t want me to print out pictures of you wearing makeup and your mother’s good pearls and plaster them all over the fire station, I would keep your mouth shut.”
My mouth twitches even as I give him a wounded look. “You threatening me, Dad?”
“If that’s how you want to take it,” he says darkly, but his eyes are twinkling. He wiggles the screwdriver in my direction.
I bark out a laugh. “I don’t know what your secret is, but it’s safe,” I promise. “Anyway, Mom’s not home. She went to take banana bread to one of the neighbors.”
Dad’s shoulders ease. “Oh, good. She’ll be gossiping for at least an hour or more.”
I shake my head with a grin as my phone rings, and I dig it out of my pocket. Nick’s name flashes across the screen, and I accept the call, getting, “Hey, man. You getting off early?”
“Braxton,” he rasps, breathing hard like he’s in the middle of a hard run. “Just got a 911 call. It’s Gracie.”
My stomach drops. “What?” At the sound of my voice, Dad turns to look at me curiously, concern flashing across his expression as he gets a look at my face. “What happened?” I demand urgently, ice slithering through my veins.
Flashes of car crashes—more than one—all slam into my head, merging into a disjointed puzzle that makes no kind of sense. Everything goes out of focus, Nick’s words coming from a long distance when he says, “A burglary.”
“Tell me she’s okay,” I demand, my voice cracking. A hand lands on my shoulder, fingers digging in, grounding me. I glance at Dad, but he doesn’t say a word, just waiting.
“Someone broke into Blossom Boutique, and Gracie was inside when it happened,” Nick says. “She’s hurt, but—”
I don’t let him finish. “I’m on my way.”
“Braxton—”
I’ve already disconnected the call, cutting him off. Dad doesn’t let go of me, and our eyes lock. “I’ll drive you.”
“No.” I blow out a breath, shaking out my hands. “I’ll be okay. Just…let me get a lay of the land first.”
Dad’s brow creases, worry flashing across his face. “Are you sure? Gracie’s ours, just as much as she’s yours.”
“I’m sure,” I tell him, wrapping my arms around him in a quick hug. He hugs me back tightly enough to make my ribs ache.
I go to pull away, desperate to get to Gracie, but Dad doesn’t immediately let me go. I sink into him again, just as he whispers, “You’re ours too.”
It feels like it takes me hours to get to the town center, but in reality, it takes less than ten minutes.
My hands are clenched around the steering wheel as I turn onto the street where the florist is located.
I expected to see the flashing lights of the cruisers, and even the ambulance, but panic still surges, making my vision swim.
“Gracie.”
The name is enough of a reminder that I can park the truck, and then I use the breathing techniques to calm the terror, even as I climb out and head to the crowd gathered around the shop at a lope.
“Brax!” I hear Nick, my head swiveling as I search for him. I see him break away from two other officers, heading for me.
“Where is she?” I ask, and his eyes shift, moving to the ambulance.
I take a step in that direction, but Nick latches onto my arm, holding me back. “She’s in shock, Braxton. You…” He blows out a breath. “Go easy, man.”
I don’t bother responding, tugging my arm out of his.
I can see her on the stretcher as I approach, lying on her side and with a thermal blanket wrapped around her.
An EMT is bent over her, talking softly.
I step into the rig, making it rock under my weight, and he looks up.
Recognition flares through me, having worked with him on more than one callout.
“Darren,” I greet. “Do you mind if I…?”
“Braxton, hey. You know her?”
I give a jerky nod, even as he shifts to the side to let me through. “Yeah, she’s my…” I close my eyes with a sigh. “She’s my Gracie.”
Someone calls Darren’s name, and he looks out of the back of the ambulance, before turning back to me. “I’ll be right back. We’ll be leaving in a couple of minutes.”
“Where you taking her?”
“Ashland.” He’s gone without another word, leaving me staring after him. The only reason to take Gracie there is if her injuries are serious enough that they can’t be treated at the emergency clinic.
Her eyes are open and unfocused, her skin pale, which makes the dark bruise already purpling the side of her face stand out even more. There’s a streak of dried blood smeared across her skin, and I suck in a sharp breath.
“Gracie,” I whisper, pressing two fingers to the unmarked skin of her jaw. “Baby. Rumpel.” Her lashes flutter, eyes lifting to mine, huge and haunted.
“Braxton?” Her voice is a throaty rasp. “What…what are you doing here?”
“Nick called me,” I murmur, glancing out of the rig. I can see him standing near two plain-clothed detectives, his hands gesticulating wildly and a scowl on his face. I focus back on Gracie. “How badly are you hurt?”
Her brow knits together, but she flinches when it pulls at the injured side of her face. “I don’t…” She swallows hard, rolling her bottom lip between her teeth, but it doesn’t hide the way her mouth trembles.
I slide my hand under the thermal blanket, finding Gracie’s hand.
She’s ice-cold, her hand shaking in mine, but she doesn’t pull away.
“They’re taking you to Ashland.” Her eyes flick up to mine, blank and hazy.
I don’t know how much she’s hearing or taking in.
“Let me come with you. I don’t want you to be alone. ”
“She won’t be.”
I look up, not surprised to see Nolan standing just outside the rig, his expression drawn tight, his attention wholly focused on Gracie.
“Hey,” I greet him softly, not wanting to startle her.
It feels like the word sticks in my throat, but this isn’t the time to force what I want on Gracie.
I won’t take more from her than I already have, and we aren’t in a place where she would ever choose me over him, as much as that fucking guts me.
“Gracie,” I murmur, looking back at where her eyes have fallen shut. “Nolan’s here.”
He steps up into the rig, keeping his voice just as low as he asks, “Do you know what happened? Gracie called, but she didn’t say much.”
It would have hurt less if he’d actually slammed my head into a brick wall. I don’t move, don’t even breathe, for several seconds, trying to force myself to think past the pain and guilt.
Gracie called him.
Her hand is still in mine, limp and icy, but Gracie hasn’t reopened her eyes. She’s not sleeping, but she’s not quite here with us either.
“Braxton?” Nolan prompts, a hint of impatience tinging his voice.
“I don’t know much,” I croak out. “There was a break-in, and Gracie was inside when it happened.” My eyes slide to the florist, all the lights on as police officers move in and out. “I don’t even know if they caught the guy.”
Nolan shakes his head. “I thought this town was safe.”
“It is…” I trail off as Darren reappears, peering into the ambulance at the two of us.
“We need to get going,” he says uncertainly, “but we can only take one person.”
Nolan immediately looks down at me, his expression expectant and eyes hard. He’s waiting for me to try to claim that spot, and he’s gearing up for a fight, but I just tip my chin at him.
“He’s going.”
Gracie’s hand tightens on mine, just briefly, and I glance at her, but she doesn’t move. I swallow past the lump in my throat as I stroke my thumb over her knuckles, bending back down and talking to her softly.
“I’ll come see you tomorrow, okay? Either in Ashland or at home.” Her lashes flutter, peering up at me with tired eyes, and I give her a small smile. “I’ll bring Mom.”
“Okay.” It’s almost inaudible, but it’s a coherent word, and relief swells in my chest. I stroke her hand one last time and then let her go. I stand up, walking past Nolan, but he reaches out, grabbing my arm.
“Thank you,” he says quietly. “For being here for her.”
I shake my head. “Don’t thank me for that,” I say gruffly. “I wouldn’t be anywhere else.” I hesitate, hating asking him for anything, but— “Will you keep me updated? Please.” The word gets stuck in my throat.
Nolan gives me an appraising look before nodding. “I can do that.”
“You need my number?”
He shakes his head. “No, it’s still in Gracie’s phone.”
“Thank you.” I give him a weak smile. At least she hasn’t completely erased me yet. “Take care of her.”
Nolan pats my shoulder, and then I’m jumping out of the rig, stepping away so Darren can shut the doors. Less than a minute later, I watch as they pull away, leaving me standing there feeling helpless and completely out of control.
The ambulance disappears around the corner, but I still don’t move until Nick comes to stand at my side.