Chapter 40
FORTY
SAVANNA
Slamming my shifter into park, I jump out of my Jeep, running through the hospital parking lot straight through the automatic sliding doors. My heart pounds out of my chest, eyes searching out the information desk in the hospital lobby.
The second Hudson got through to me at Salty’s, I dropped the ice buckets I was refilling, the cubes shattering like glass against the bar floor. My brain hardly registered the sheer panic in his voice when he told me Drew got hurt at Dalton’s mom’s house—and to get to the hospital right away.
My sneakers come to a screeching halt in front of the information desk. I grip the counter, chest heaving. “Emergency department?” I say, breathlessly.
The woman from the counter peeks up from her computer. Her eyes roam over my disheveled appearance. “Down that hall,” she says, pointing behind her. “Take a left, then take the first right.”
I give her a nod. “Thanks,” I mumble before picking up my pace again.
Weaving through the lobby chairs, I run down the hallways, searching for the Emergency Department—searching for Drew.
Through Hudson’s cracked voice, it was hard to make out what exactly happened. I caught the words of a broken arm—possibly something more—while Dalton’s voice soothed Drew in the background.
As I take the first left down the hallway, my mind races for the reason she was there in the first place—especially after what happened between us last night. Hudson never mentioned Dalton’s house being in the babysitting plans for this afternoon.
Rounding the first right, I see the Emergency Department. Scanning the crowded lobby, I find it empty of Drew.
“Excuse me?” My voice comes out ragged, blood pounding in my ears. “I’m looking for Drew Davis?” I ask the nurse at the nurse's station.
“Are you family?” she asks, peeking up from her glasses as she sits behind the desk.
“Yes,” I shriek, swaying on my feet. “I’m her mother.”
“Great. She’s back with her father in room three. I’ll buzz you in now. Take your first right.”
My heart stops. I do a double take.
Her father? Did Dalton tell the hospital he was her father when they admitted her?
“Thank you.” My voice trails off, already leaving the nurses’ station to make my way through the automatic steel doors.
My feet stop at room three. Pulling the curtain back, I find Dalton sitting in an armchair next to the hospital bed, his jean-clad knee jerking in a nervous tic, head buried in his hands.
“Dalton…” I stammer.
His face shoots up from his hands, eyes locking with mine, making my breath hitch.
“Savanna,” he says, relief washing over him.
Stalking across the room, he takes my face in his hands. His palms slide across my wet cheeks. “She’s okay,” he breathes. “She has a broken arm. They wheeled her down to radiology. She should be back any minute.”
Nodding my head, my chin wobbles in his grasp.
“I’m so sorry, Savanna. I shouldn’t have let her on the swing. I knew that thing had the potential to snap at any second,” he confesses, his eyes searching mine for forgiveness.
“It was an accident, Dalton.” My voice shakes.
His neck flexes with a hard swallow. “God, Savanna, I’ve been in some scary situations in the military.” He shifts his weight, a labored breath leaving his lungs. “But seeing our daughter lying there still on the ground was the scariest moment of my goddamn life.”
My body stills in his hands.
Our daughter.
Dalton’s thumbs trace my jawline, his eyes restless against mine.
“Right behind the moment I watched you walk away last night.” His voice cracks.
I draw in a breath, fingers inching closer to his hands framing my face.
“I’m so sorry for not coming after you last night, and for calling you selfish.” He releases a shaky breath, eyes burning into mine. “For not coming back to you when I promised.”
“Dalton, I’m so sorry—”
“No, you need to hear this, Savanna. You are an incredible mother.” His thumbs caress my cheeks. “You raised such a strong, fierce little girl, who brings so much joy and love to everyone’s life, all alone.” He shakes his head. “I could never be mad at you for that.”
“Dalton—” My voice trembles.
He cuts me off. “Say it...” he says, his eyes locked on mine, refusing to blink.
My forehead pinches in confusion. “Say what?” I breathe.
“What you told me under the pier last night.”
I swallow hard, my body suddenly humming with nerves. “Drew’s your daughter,” I whisper.
A flicker of warmth begins to spread across his face, his mouth curving into a smile. “Damn right she’s mine.”
The air leaves my lungs, heart pounding in my chest when his blue eyes land on my lips.
“And so are you,” he says in a rush, his lips landing hard against mine.
Reaching on my tiptoes, I throw my arms around his neck, melting into him. My body instantly recognizes the familiar feeling of Dalton’s lips on mine.
Recognizing the feeling of home.
When we hear three taps on the door, we pull apart.
“Savanna?” Hudson chokes, his head hanging low, eyes glued to the coffee carrier in his hands. “I’m so sorry Drew got hurt today.”
I pull apart from Dalton, wrapping my arms around him at the door, burying my face into his athletic jacket.
“It was an accident,” I mumble into his collar.
Raking his free hand through his dirty blonde hair, regret laces his voice when he swallows. “Shit, I really need to make it up to her.”
Pulling apart, I give him a watery smile. “Please, no ponies.”
Hudson chuckles lightly. “I really can’t make you any promises at this point. After the fall that girl took today, she deserves a goddamn zoo,” he says, walking over to the armchair Dalton was just sitting in.
Taking a coffee out of the carrier, Hudson takes a sip. “Jesus, couldn’t you two wait until you got home? You just had to traumatize me more than I already am by letting me walk in on you guys, huh?
Dalton chuckles, reaching for my hand. “No, that one couldn’t wait.”
I smile, giving his hand a firm squeeze.
From under his breath, I hear Hudson mumble, “Well, he’s no Channing Tatum.”
Dalton and I both shoot him a glare as Drew gets wheeled in by the nurse.
“Mommy!” Drew’s eyes light up, the free arm that's not in a sling reaching for me.
My eyes land on her petite face covered in scratches and the brown bandage lying horizontally across her left cheek.
“Drew baby!” I rush over, hugging her. “You’re so brave!” I say, kneeling at eye level.
“I went so high, Mommy!” she exclaims, beaming.
“Well, maybe a little too high, little bean,” I confess, my hands resting on her knees tucked beneath dirty overalls.
The nurse smiles at us, propping her hands on her hips. “Well, good news. No concussion. All of her vitals look good. Just a fractured forearm and a good scare.” She winks at Drew, earning herself a giggle. “The doctor recommends eight weeks in a cast. Then she will be as good as new!”
A wide smile spreads across Drew’s face, making her freckles disappear. “Can I get a pink cast?”
A knowing smile lines my lips as Dalton already answers from behind me. “Of course, princess.”
Three hours later, we finally make it out of the hospital with Drew’s pink cast, the sun already setting. Walking over to where I parked my Jeep, I open the back door for Drew.
“Alright, Drew baby, let’s get you home and all cleaned up,” I say, picking out a few flakes of dirt from her blonde hair.
Just as I’m about to help her inside and buckle her in, Dalton jerks me back. “Yeah, right. You think I’m letting the two of you out of my sight after what just happened?” he says, eyes darting between Drew and me. “Over my dead body.”
Chewing on my cheek, he gently pries the keys out of my hand, tossing them to Hudson behind us. “Meet us at your sisters’, will you?”
Hudson catches the keys, giving him a two-finger salute.
“We have a quick stop to make, then we’ll be there,” Dalton adds.
Making our way to Dalton’s truck, he lifts Drew inside, paying careful attention not to bump her pink cast when he safely buckles her in.
Turning to me, he opens the passenger door, eyes pinning me with a mischievous look when he lifts me into the truck.
His hand gives the backside of my blue jeans a gentle tap.
“You’d better get used to me being there for you, Savanna.”
I suck in a breath, my gaze hardening on his.
“I’m going to be there for you so damn much that you're going to be sick of me,” he says before shutting my door.
My body straightens against the seat, hands twisting in my lap.
Does this mean he’s staying? That he’s moving back to Tybee?
Rounding the bumper of his Chevy, he hops in and, without hesitation, grabs my hand from where it’s tucked between my thighs. Pulling out of the parking lot, we turn left, in the opposite direction from home.
“What do you need to do?” I ask, cocking my head sideways to look at him.
“Oh, just something I should have done six years ago.” He winks, giving me the side profile of his sharp jawline
My heart races, my gaze landing on our entwined fingers on his console. Stealing a glance at Drew from the rearview mirror, a fluttery feeling takes root in my stomach.
We need to tell her soon.
Fifteen minutes later, Dalton pulls into his mom’s driveway. “Wait here, I’ll be right back.”
Putting his truck into park, he hops out and jogs up the porch steps before disappearing behind the front door.
“Where’s he going, Mommy?” Drew questions from the backseat.
Creasing my forehead, I study Anne’s red Craftsman door through the windshield. “I’m not sure,” I mumble, biting my thumbnail, waiting for him to reappear.
A few minutes later, my heart rate picks up when Dalton opens the front door, his camouflage duffel bag from the military slung over his shoulder. My breath stalls when he gives me a wide grin while walking toward us and placing the duffel bag in the bed of the truck.
Opening the driver’s door, he slides in.
“Where are you going, Dalton?” Drew asks, frowning from the backseat.
“Your house, princess.” Sliding his key into the ignition, he turns to give her a wink.
My eyes widen, mouth slack.
“What?” he says with a sheepish grin. “You didn’t think I was just going to drop you guys off tonight, did you?
Drew squeals from the back seat. “Like a sleepover?”
“Exactly,” he says, pointing his index finger at her.
Drew gasps from the backseat, eyes lighting up. “Mommy?” she whisper-shouts, cupping her hand as if Dalton isn’t sitting right next to us.
“Yeah?”
“A boy is staying the night?” she whispers, her eyes turning into saucers.
Dalton lets out a throaty chuckle, stealing a glance at Drew from the rear-view mirror before settling on me.
I turn around from the front seat to look at her, brows furrowing. “Is that okay?”
Drew nods rapidly. “He can come over for a sleepover anytime!”
I glance over at Dalton, my eyes narrowing on his smirk. “Oh yeah? I’ll keep that in mind,” I say, cheeks turning crimson.
Dalton clears his throat, squeezing my hand while he reverses his truck down the driveway. “Well, I was thinking we could do another sleepover tomorrow night, too.” He steals another glance at me.
“Tomorrow, too?” Drew shrieks, her free hand landing on her cheek.
“Mhm. And the day after that...” he trails off.
I shoot him a look, pulse quickening.
“And the day after that,” he says, shooting me a wink. Lifting our entwined hands from the console, he brings them to his lips, placing a kiss on the back of my hand.
When Drew sees it, she giggles. “Whoa! That’s a long sleepover!”
“It sure is, princess.” He grins at me, the corner of his eyes crinkling up.
“Mommy?”
I turn around to see Drew’s head tilted to the side.
“Is Dalton now one of those boyfriends you and Auntie Hailey always talk about?”
My eyes bulge, vision darting between Dalton and Drew. “Umm…” I stammer, unable to think. My teeth dig into the inside of my cheek.
I have no idea what Dalton and I are now.
Laughter falls from the front seat, a smile beaming across Dalton’s face when his gaze lands on me. “Yup, Drew. I’m one of those boyfriends.”
She squeals, making his smile curve higher.
“For now,” he says with a wink.
A warmth pulses through me as my lips display a smile I can’t contain.
Dalton Hayes is my boyfriend—for now.
My body softens against the fabric of the passenger seat, hand melting into his. Once we hit the main road and drive toward my bungalow, I tilt my head toward Dalton and raise a brow.
“What did you need to do for your mom that you should have done six years ago?”
Dalton gives me a sidelong glance from the road, keeping one hand on the wheel.
“Stay.”