CHAPTER ELEVEN
I once read that scars are evidence of a life fully lived, but that not all of those scars are physical. I think the ones that aren’t physical leave the most evidence.
~Text from Anna to Hanna~
Hanna
This evening we’re having a family dinner at the clubhouse with Cade’s family coming, and I think a couple of his teammates are planning to come up and join us as well.
Mom outsourced the cooking for tonight to some of the other women in the club because we are spending the day running wedding errands.
After the eventful news of the morning, Mom and Cara decided we should focus on wedding and reception planning.
We just met with a florist who’s going to do some beautiful garlands to hang in the barn.
We have cake tasting next, then Mom made an appointment at the bridal shop in town for me to try on dresses.
Cade mentioned bowing out of that and going with Zane for a bit.
Everyone is checking out the new bake shop next to the cake store, as our appointment is at the top of the hour.
Well, everyone but Pops, who’s outside leaning against his truck.
I can’t see him, but that’s what he’s been doing every time we’ve stopped somewhere.
He’s come along to everything, but not come inside to hear any details.
I squeeze Cade’s hand as we’ve been walking hand in hand through the shop. He stops and looks at me.
“I’m going to go out and talk to Pops. I can’t handle him not talking to me anymore.” He doesn’t stop me or even offer to go with me because he knows this needs to be between me and Pops.
Cade leans in and gives me a quick kiss. “Love you.”
I make my way outside and tell Tucker we’re going to find Pops.
He leads me down the sidewalk. There are several open parking spots, and then I can make out a truck and know it’s Pops’.
I’m about halfway through the open parking spots when I hear tires squeal and an engine rev.
The next few seconds pass in a blur. One moment I’m walking toward Pops and the next, he’s running at me and shoves me back and onto the ground.
Tucker’s on top of me and I hear a car hitting a person, then crashing into a building.
“Pops! Pops, where are you?” I can’t see a lot other than rubble and a sedan that’s halfway inside the building it just crashed into. Tucker’s by my side. I reach and find his leash.
“Find Pops, Tucker!” I get to my feet, and Tucker moves fast and gets me to the other side of the car, where Pops is lying on the ground.
“Pops!” I fall to my knees and reach for him, but I’m afraid to hurt him more.
I hear him moan and know he’s at least alive.
I vaguely hear voices in the background yelling that they’ve called 9-1-1 for help.
Pops’ hand reaches for mine, so I take it and move in close to him, tears falling from my face. “Help is coming, Pops. Stay with me, you have to stay with me.”
He opens his eyes and smiles at me. “You know your brothers called me Pop till you were born. When you were little, you always added the s. After that, it just stuck. That says everything. You changed my world the moment you were born. My princess, a force to be reckoned with just like your mom.” He coughs and lets out a moan.
Where’s the ambulance? I squeeze his hand.
“Don’t talk, Pops, help is coming!”
He squeezes my hand. “Do you remember the song we used to sing every night at your bedtime?” I immediately think of the song and nod. He starts humming, and with tears that won’t stop, I hum with him as he sings.
“I promised I would never leave you…” He reaches up with his other hand and cups my face, looking at me with a tear in his eye as he continues.
“I will never be very far away…” He coughs again, and I squeeze his hand.
“Just rest, Pops. The ambulance is almost here. I can hear it.”
He shakes his head but doesn’t keep singing.
“I love you, my princess. I need you to know that I will always walk with you, wherever you are. Being your pops has been one of the greatest gifts the gods saw fit to give me, and I am thankful every day.” Before I can say anything, the ambulance pulls up.
“Help is here, Pops!” There’s a commotion, and I hear Mom cry out as she makes her way around the mess to us. She takes Pops’ hand from me. He looks up at Mom, but doesn’t get a word out before she whispers in the tone that says she means business.
“You promised to grow old with me, so you don’t even think about giving up.
You’re gonna let Logan and this other medic help you.
You’re going to get medical attention. They will fix you up, and we’ll get you healed.
We’ll get you healed, and you’re gonna walk our girl down the aisle and dance with me.
You promised to grow old with me and sit on our porch with our rocking chairs and a home filled with grandbabies.
You still have to make me a rocking chair. ”
Pops looks at Mom, and I can see their love in his eyes. It’s a love that’s grown for decades and is deep in their souls. Pops doesn’t tell Mom he loves her, he doesn’t say any goodbyes. He just smiles and responds, “Yes, ma’am.”
Cade
The last few minutes have been pure chaos.
Chaos and fear. One minute, Hanna was telling me she was going to talk to Wyatt, and the next, a car barreled into the business next to us.
It buried the door, and it took a good couple of minutes for me to get through the rubble and search for Hanna.
As soon as I made it around the car, I could deduce what happened.
Wyatt pushed Hanna out of the path of the car and took the hit himself.
I look toward the car, and Dad has whoever is driving barricaded so they can’t get out. Whoever it is, is screaming and yelling, but isn’t fighting hard against Dad.
The ambulance comes quickly and gets Wyatt onto a stretcher. Anna goes with him to the hospital. I move and help Hanna up, as the sheriff and several officers show up.
Jackson comes over, and Hanna falls into his arms, crying and trying to tell him what Wyatt did. He held onto my woman as the police moved in and pulled out the driver. I look over and see it’s Cindy- er, Trixie being pulled out of the car.
“My foot slipped! I swear! I was coming to pick out the cake for my wedding! I’m marrying Cade and the Axemen!” She turns and sees me for the first time. She struggles with the officers to get free.
“Tell them! Tell them, Cade! Tell them that you and the entire team are gonna marry me! I’m gonna have the biggest reverse harem ever! But, Cade…Cade, you’re going to be my legal husband. Tell them!”
One of the officers looks at Hanna, and I can tell he knows her and the whole family because he tells the other officer, “Hold on tighter to her. We let her go, and you will see just how much Hanna takes after her mom.”
None of that stops Trixie from screaming out.
“Cade! Tell them how much you love me! Tell them how much you love to watch me ride the other guys! Tell them you love me!” She’s screeching and struggling more, though the officers are almost to their patrol vehicle.
I watch, unable to move as Hanna moves out of her dad’s arms and moves the five feet or so over to the officers.
She gives them a smile that’s beyond unnerving.
“Deputy Wood, you aren’t going to arrest one of your wife’s best friends, are you?” The officer glares daggers at her.
“What the hell are you thinking?” Hanna smiles even bigger and looks at the psycho who’s almost foaming at the mouth.
“I’m thinking you and your partner here both need to close your eyes for approximately seven to ten seconds. When they open again, this one here is just going to need all her injuries from the accident closely documented, don’t you think? Just not before you close your eyes.”
The other deputy opens his mouth to say something, but Deputy Wood just shakes his head and lets out the biggest sigh I think I’ve ever heard.
“Believe it or not, this is easier. You don’t want to deal with her mom because she will get my mom and all the moms involved, and there is not enough coffee in the world for us to handle the mound of fucking paperwork that would require! ”
Deputy Wood looks down at Hanna. “You have nine seconds and not a millisecond more. I will be counting, and you better tell Kinsley that she owes me something good for letting you do this shit.” Hanna nods, and the smile she gives them has certain parts of me trying to crawl back up inside my body.
I watch the deputy whose name I don’t know close his eyes along with Deputy Wood, who starts counting as Trixie continues to scream about marrying me and having her own reverse harem, whatever the fuck that is.
The scene in front of me is beyond description, and I wouldn’t believe it if I wasn’t seeing it with my own two eyes.
I watch as Hanna takes one step closer to Trixie and cocks her head as she looks at the woman who’s caused this mess. In the blink of an eye, she punches Trixie, causing her head to fly back and hit the door of the patrol truck. Only my woman would hit once, and the person gets injured twice.
Jackson and Dad are standing next to me. Jackson shakes his head at Hanna, but I see a grin forming. He slaps a hand on my shoulder and looks at me. “Well, son, as it turns out, she’s just like her mother.”
I watch as Hanna lets Tucker lead her over to Mom, who gives her a hug. I don’t know what she says to Mom, but I watch as Hanna throws her head back in laughter. I look at Jackson and shake my head.
“No. There’s only one of her, and I’m the luckiest man on the planet because I married her.”