Heavenleigh
By the time I’d gotten to the hospital, everyone but my dad had left for the night since visiting hours were over. But there was no way I was going home without seeing Mom first.
I’d spent so many years worrying about my dad, it was hard to wrap my head around the thought of something happening to Mom.
Lana Stevenson was the person no one expected to get sick, the one who took care of all of us without thought or complaint.
Walking into the hospital room to see the woman I loved most in the world looking so pale and tiny, I lost it.
As much as I adored my best friend, if I’d known something would happen to my mom, I never would have gone to her wedding.
Then I saw my dad, his long hair pulled back in a man bun, face gray with worry, and I turned into a wreck.
“Heavenleigh.” Mom grabbed my hand, jerking me down onto the bed beside her and folding me into a hug. Mere hours out of surgery, yet she was strong as an ox. “Baby, don’t cry. I’m okay. Truly.”
“I shouldn’t have gone. You’re way more important than some wedding.” Even if it had been beautiful and I’d met the guy I was always meant for. It could have waited. The universe should have been more patient, damn it.
“Sweetheart, you couldn’t have known. No one is upset that you were away. We were simply worried because we couldn’t reach you.” She tightened her arms around me. “Although I distinctly remember calling you yesterday, and you never once mentioned that you weren’t home.”
Sniffling, I lifted my head from her neck, smiling sheepishly. “I didn’t say I was home either. Just that I was with a friend.”
“A friend with a very deep voice.” Mom looked over at Dad, who crossed his arms over his chest, trying to appear intimidating. We were the wrong audience for that, though. He’d never been anything more than a teddy bear to my siblings and me.
“Where is this deep-voiced friend?”
“I left him in Hawaii.” He gave me a disapproving glower.
“What? There was an emergency. I couldn’t find him or Yara, and Jordan was being all grumpy with his texts.
I texted him once the pilot was in the air.
The Wi-Fi was shitty, so I don’t know if he got it, though.
I’ll call him later. What matters is that I’m here and Mom is okay. ”
“You left the poor boy without an explanation?”
“Thirty-five isn’t a boy, Daddy. And yes, I did.
Things were chaotic, and he wasn’t there for me to give the explanation to.
So, that’s on him. Or the universe. I’m not sure at the moment.
That’s a problem for future me to solve.
” I dropped my head back down onto Mom’s shoulder.
“How did you trip? Was the surgery extensive? Are you going to need help when you go home? What can I do?”
They answered my questions one at a time, soothing me even though I was the one who should have been taking care of them.
I was twenty-four years old, owned my own business, and for all intents and purposes, it appeared I had my life figured out.
The majority of the time, I could roll with the punches, take anything with a grain of salt, and keep standing with a smile on my face.
But if even the smallest thing happened to either of my parents, I reverted to a helpless kid who needed them to hold my hand and walk me through the next steps.
This was not small, and I was a fucking mess.
I stayed until I noticed Daddy yawning. He wouldn’t leave Mom to go home and he wouldn’t rest until they were alone, so I forced myself to say goodnight.
Mom pulled me in for another hug and kissed my cheek, promising me that everything was going to be okay and she would see me soon.
It was after midnight when Daddy walked me outside to where one of Jordan’s drivers was still waiting on me.
Seeing that my dad was with me, the driver got back behind the wheel, giving us a moment of privacy.
I wrapped my arms around Daddy’s waist, inhaling deeply and forcing my muscles to relax when he hugged me back.
“No more sneaking off. If you travel, you tell us. Before, during, and after. So we know you’re safe. ”
“Yes, Daddy,” I promised without argument.
“And you take security with you if you’re leaving the state.”
“Daddy,” I groaned. “Come on. I’m a fully grown woman. I can take care of myself. There is no need to have some guy following me around. That’s creepy. And invasive. We’ve discussed this so many times.”
His eyes turned to slits. “You will take security when you travel out of state alone, or I will have Mieke freeze all your accounts. I don’t give a fuck how old you are or that you make your own money. You will travel with caution, or you won’t travel at all. Do we understand each other?”
“Dad—”
“Heavenleigh Evangeline Stevenson, I will not repeat myself.”
Damn, fully government-named twice in less than twenty-four hours. “Fine. But only if I travel alone.”
“Bliss doesn’t count,” he threw at me. “She causes more trouble than you do, so if you’re traveling with her, you need extra security, not less.”
“You’re a tyrant,” I grumbled playfully.
“Sure, sure. Go home. Get some sleep. Call the deep-voiced friend.” My heart lifted at the thought of hearing Jake’s voice again. “Bring him to see me soon.”
“Will you be nice?”
“If he deserves you, absolutely.” He dropped a kiss on top of my head. “Night, sweetheart. Love you.”
“Night,” I whispered thickly and slid into the back of the car. He shut the door and slapped his hand on the roof twice before stepping back. Only after the driver was heading for my place did I look at my phone.
Of course it was dead. I’d texted my sisters and brother so much from the time I’d landed that it had zapped the battery.
My phone was five years old; the battery was showing its age and the number of times I’d dropped it.
Sighing, I closed my eyes. At least my hangover had faded, although my head was still throbbing.
Keys in hand, I walked toward my door, already half asleep on my feet.
A few hours of shut-eye and then I’d call Jake.
Through the flight and visiting with my parents, I’d missed him like a phantom limb.
Hearing a throat being cleared, I lifted my head and instantly thought I was dreaming when I saw the man standing there.
“Hello, little bunny.”