CHAPTER 9
THORIN
Several months have passed since Scarlett and Juniper drove up the mountain. Several months since Scarlett got out of the car, bloodied, and called out Juniper’s name before she passed out in my arms.
I hate looking back on that first day. The fear I felt until she woke up. I never want to experience that again.
But everything has gone smoothly since then. As smoothly as it can be. Scarlett wants to get up and move around, which she is now free to do. When she would get dizzy and pale, I had to put my foot down.
I look over at Scarlett, playing with Juniper. A smile grows on my face as Juniper smiles and makes noises back.
Our daughter.
I’ve said it several times in front of Scarlett, and she’s never corrected me. Call me an asshole, but I don’t care. I love the way it sounds, and I love Juniper like she was my own flesh and blood. I love Scarlett.
I’ve felt this way since the night they arrived, and it’s never wavered. If anything, it has grown with each day, with each interaction.
“What are you looking at?” Scarlett asks, turning her head to face me.
“You two.” I smile.
Her cheeks blush a rosy red, and I can’t help but chuckle. It’s almost like every little thing I do makes her blush, and I fucking love it.
I love her reactions.
I love the fire inside of her.
I love Juniper.
I love her.
I so badly want to tell her, but I know it’s too soon. I’m sure she will freak out if I tell her I love both of them.
“Why are you looking at us like that?” She tilts her head to the right.
“Looking at you like what?” I ask, changing my facial expression.
No doubt I was looking at them with love. She’s caught me and asked a couple of times. Maybe I just need to tell her and say it’s never going to change.
“Like you…” She stops herself.
“Love you?” I fill in for her.
Her eyes go wide, and she nods. “But that can’t be possible. You’ve only known us for a few months.”
I slowly walk toward her and sit down. Cupping her face, I cradle her cheeks. “But I do love you two. I have since you called out Juniper’s name and fell unconscious in my arms.”
Her mouth falls open.
“No,” she whispers.
“I’m not lying. I’ve loved you two since the first day. I felt a connection with both of you, and I can’t deny it. The spark between us. It’s there. I know you feel it as well.”
I didn’t actually know, but I’m not going to tell her that.
“How?”
“How did I know?” I ask.
She nods.
“The way you gaze at me when you don’t think I’m looking. The way your cheeks turn pink when I say things. The way you clench your legs together when I talk sexy to you,” I point out.
I can’t help but smile as her mouth drops open. She probably didn’t think I was going to go into detail about it.
“Wh-what?” she whispers.
“I could list other things, but I think you get the gist. You also feel it, don’t you?”
She nods again. “I thought I was the only one. I didn’t say anything because I didn’t want to get rejected. I didn’t want to get made fun of,” she says on an exhale toward the end.
I grab her hands and give them a squeeze. “You never have to be afraid to tell me things. I will never judge you or reject you. I love both of you so much.”
Tears pool in her eyes. “I love you, too.”
I carefully help Scarlett and Juniper get into my lap and hold onto them. This is what I’ve always wanted and now I finally have it.
“I’m never letting you guys go,” I declare. “You aren’t going anywhere. you’re stuck here with me for the rest of our lives.”
“I should be mad and say you can’t decide that for us, but I can’t find it in myself to be. I don’t want to leave.” She nestles her body even more into mine.
“Then you don’t have to.”
She goes silent, and I know there’s something on her mind. I’ve known since the first day. Who would drive for hours so soon after giving birth?
Someone who is in danger.
I haven’t said anything because I don’t want to spook her. I want her to feel comfortable enough to tell me herself. I don’t know when that will be, but I hope it’s soon.
Is the person still after her?
“Scarlett,” I gently say.
She cringes. “You called me by my first name.”
“You aren’t in trouble, but it is serious.” I run my hand up and down her arm, wanting to let her know she’s safe and okay.
“You want to know?” she asks.
She looks down at her hands, and I see Juniper is holding her finger.
“Are you in danger?” I ask, not wanting her to get lost in her thoughts.
She shrugs. “Maybe? I don’t know. I honestly don’t. I left in the middle of the night when he wasn’t at the hospital, so he wouldn’t know I had gone.”
“Who is he?”
“My ex-boyfriend. Well, he was my boyfriend, but he doesn’t know we broke up. I figure me leaving with our daughter that he didn’t want would let him know I broke up with him.” She trails off.
“Is he dangerous?” I can’t help but ask.
“Maybe? He has dangerous friends. Evil, truly evil friends.”
“Names. I want names,” I demand.
“What are you going to do?”
I kiss the side of her head. “You don’t need to worry about that.”
“I don’t want you to get into trouble. I don’t want you going after him and getting thrown in jail. What am I going to do if you go to prison?” she asks.
“The people here will take care of you. They know that you are mine. They will treat you with respect and make sure you have everything you need if I ever go to prison,” I explain. “But I’m not going anywhere.”
“But you said you are going to go after them.” She turns her head to look at me.
“I never said I would go after them. You said that. I’ve got friends who are powerful and can help me out. It won’t come back to me.”
Mafia friends are what I wanted to tell her, but I don’t. She doesn’t need to know that right now. As much as Miles and his boss, Rogan, are good friends of mine, I don’t want her meeting them. They would never hurt her, but I don’t want her mixed up in their world.
“Like dangerous friends?” she whispers, her eyes wide.
I nod in agreement. “Really dangerous friends.”
“I don’t know if I should tell you then. I don’t want them getting in trouble for me.”
I cup her face with my right hand and kiss her nose. “You are too kind,” I tell her quietly.
“There’s nothing wrong with being kind,” she grumbles.
I smile. “There isn’t, not when it comes to you, but I am going to protect you.”
“Protect me from being too kind?” She looks at me, confused.
“Yes. I don’t want you to get hurt. I don’t want people to take advantage of you.”
“Oh, I guess I didn’t think about that,” she whispers after several seconds.
I move my hand from her cheek and run it through her hair several times.
“That’s okay that you didn’t. I’m just letting you know so you aren’t blindsided when I do something,” I gently inform her.
“Like what?”
“Telling you no if you want to do something,” I throw out there. “Shielding you from what people say. Stopping people if I know their true intentions are to hurt you and take advantage of you.”
She relaxes into my embrace, and I continue to run my hand through her hair. It’s an awkward angle, but she sighs and closes her eyes.
“Thank you,” she whispers.
“Anytime, Little One.”
“I love it when you call me that. And when you call me love,” she confesses.
“I’ll make sure to call you those all the time then.” I kiss the side of her head.
We sit in silence for several minutes, just enjoying being with each other and watching Juniper. She is so precious holding with Scarlett’s fingers. I look over at the clock and huff.
“We need to go into town for your appointment,” I whisper.
She whines. “Why can’t Aiden look at me and we’ll call it a day? I don’t really want him to, since I know we are going to be friends and I’ll be seeing a lot more of him, but I don’t want to go to some random doctor.”
“You need to. Aiden can’t do everything.
He doesn’t specialize in post-partum women.
He knows the basics of what he is looking at and for, but I want to get the OB/Gyn’s opinion,” I explain.
“Aiden already told me he’s going to be doing research and talking to other doctors, so if you ever get pregnant again, he can take care of you.
He’s already looking into buying an ultrasound scanner. ”
She stares at me in shock, and I can’t help but smile. Aiden wants to be prepared. He didn’t like it when he wasn’t fully prepared for Scarlett and Juniper.
“That’s so sweet,” she whispers.
“It is. Now, let’s go get dressed so we aren’t late to the appointment.” I tap her nose.
She whines once again. “I don’t want to go.”
“No buts. We’re going.” I give no room for discussion.