Chapter Fifteen
Lavender
I smoothed the fresh sheets over Brynn’s bed, tucking the corners.
Two weeks since the surgery, and finally -- finally -- we were bringing her home.
Everything had gone according to plan, but Dr. Patel wanted to keep her longer than strictly necessary to make damned good and sure they got on top of any bumps in the road.
“You’re going to wear a hole in those sheets if you keep fussing with them,” Ada said from the doorway, a steaming mug in each hand. She crossed the room and handed me one. Chamomile with honey. “She’s going to be fine, Lavender. She’s tough as nails, that kid of yours.”
“I’m so glad you all took her in.” I wiped my palms down the front of my jeans. Nerves made my hands clammy. “She’s happier than I’ve ever seen her and I really thought she was a happy kid before.”
Ada smiled, her eyes crinkling at the corners. “I’m pretty fond of being Aunt Ada already. Besides. It’s not only her we accepted into the family.”
I took a sip of tea, letting the warmth seep into my hands. “Thanks for helping with all this. I don’t think I could have managed alone. Thank you for… well, everything.”
“That’s the point, honey. You don’t have to do things alone anymore.” Ada smiled, squeezing my shoulder as I headed back to the living room.
A hand-painted banner lay across the coffee table.
Bold letters spelled out “WELCOME HOME brYNN” in electric blue -- her favorite color.
Ada, Penny and Penny’s twin girls Zelda and Kira had spent hours on it last night, insisting on making it themselves rather than buying one from the store.
Violet’s son Caleb and Tiny, Penny’s man, had volunteered to hang the big-ass banner before Knight and Brynn got home.
They’d painted tiny motorcycles in the corners and what looked suspiciously like chess pieces along the border.
In the kitchen, I arranged Brynn’s favorite foods in the refrigerator. The freezer was already stocked with homemade meals from the old ladies with enough to feed us for days.
I went from one task to the next, not finishing anything.
Ada crossed the room and placed her hands on my shoulders, forcing me to meet her gaze.
“Lavender, breathe. You’ve handled every challenge that’s come your way so far, and you won’t be doing it alone anymore.
Knight would walk through fire for that girl.
Hell, the entire club would. Besides. Whatever happened between Lana, Knight, and those two doctors had a ripple effect. ”
“What do you mean?”
“Dr. Patel wanted to keep Brynn as long as possible.”
“Yes. She told me that from the beginning. That she’d take the maximum days our insurance would allow us to keep as close an eye on her as possible since we only got one shot at this.”
“Well, she got those two assholes to approve as much time as she wanted to give Brynn. In fact, they gave Dr. Patel total discretion on her discharge. Anything the insurance didn’t pay for, the hospital will write off.”
I gasped. “I had no idea. I’ve been so busy trying to take care of everyone I never really thought about the length of her stay.”
Ada chuckled. “Yeah, Knight wouldn’t let anyone talk to you about insurance or money. Made them all come to him. Said he’d take care of everything and he did.”
“That dirty rat,” I grumbled without any heat. “I don’t know whether to punch him or kiss him.”
“Hey. Any excuse to bust him in the balls, you take it.” Ada gave me a bright smile. “You can kiss him after.”
“Knight’s so good with her,” I said softly. “Gentle in a way I never expected.”
Ada nodded. “That’s my brother. Always had a soft spot for those who needed protection.” She glanced at the clock on the wall. “Speaking of, shouldn’t he be calling soon with an update?”
As if summoned by her words, my phone rang. Knight’s name flashed on the screen, and I answered quickly, putting it on speaker.
“We’re half an hour out, baby. Be home shortly.”
“How is she?” I asked, leaning toward the phone.
“Pretending she’s not excited to be going home. Doc said she’s doing better than she could have hoped. Kid’s got a spine of steel.”
Relief washed through me, so potent I had to sit down. “I was so afraid something would happen and she’d have to stay longer.”
“Nah, baby. She’s all good. Has her headphones on. You know. The universal sign meaning ‘don’t talk to me.’”
“I had that same thought on multiple occasions.” The smile that tugged my lips was wide and so fucking wonderful I wanted to feel this way forever.
“She’s asking for her own clothes. Says if she has to wear one more hospital gown she’s going to puke and that might pull something loose.”
I laughed, the sound surprising me with its lightness. “Tell her I’ve got her favorite Star Wars pajamas ready and waiting.”
“Will do. Be there in thirty. Love you, little flower.”
“Love you too,” I replied, the words still new enough to make my heart skip.
“You know,” Ada said softly, watching me with knowing eyes, “I always told Knight he was an idiot for letting you go. I’ve never been happier to see him fix a mistake.”
I smiled, blinking back unexpected tears. “Me too, Ada. Me too.”
Half an hour later I stood outside the warehouse in the parking lot where Knight stood on the passenger side of the Bronco. The open door revealed Brynn sitting in the back seat, her legs wrapped in a blanket and a nest of pillows. She looked on the verge of laughing.
He stood arms crossed over his chest beside Brynn in the open door. If his surgical wound pulled, I couldn’t tell from his expression.
“Knight, you literally got an organ cut out of you,” Brynn said. “Stop trying to make up for everything all at once. I can freaking walk.” Brynn shoved everything out of her way, including Knight, and climbed out of the Bronco like not a Goddamned thing was wrong.
The whole courtyard roared in laughter as they welcomed the pair home.
When Knight would have reached for Brynn again, Tiny scooped the child up and carried her.
Not surprisingly, Brynn didn’t protest. She liked to tell Knight how Tiny had become her favorite.
Knight, of course, always acted put out. It was a whole thing.
“Tiny, put her down! I’m carrying my daughter inside!” He trotted after Tiny looking like a kid chasing after his father. The sight made me laugh for joy. “I’ve been cleared for light lifting. She weighs what, seventy pounds soaking wet?”
“I’m right here, you know. And you’re acting like a lunatic. Besides. Tiny brought me Chunky Monkey ice cream. He can carry me.”
Knight’s jaw dropped. “Are you freakin’ kiddin’ me? You bought her off with a pint of Chunky Monkey?”
Tiny’s massive shoulders lifted in a shrug, his eyes crinkling at the corners.
Knight shook his head. “That’s cold, brother.”
“Jesus Christ,” Brynn muttered, but I caught the hint of a smile in her voice.
“Language,” Knight and I said simultaneously, exchanging a look that made us both laugh.
“Your castle awaits, princess,” Knight announced as he opened the door for Tiny to enter with Brynn.
Brynn snorted. “Do I look like a princess to you?”
“Nope,” Knuckles agreed cheerfully. “More like a tiny general. Which means you still outrank me.”
When Tiny set her down in front of the lift, I moved to pick her up, but she shook her head. “I can walk to the apartment. Just… maybe stay close.”
Knight and Brynn had gotten close over the last few weeks.
I’d even caught Brynn looking to Knight more and more for reassurance.
She still needed me close sometimes, even if she didn’t want to admit it, but I liked how she and Knight had found a happy place.
Hopefully, it would grow wider and brighter and we really could make up for the years we’d lost.
Knight hovered at her side as she made her way down the hall. The club had decorated the walls with welcome home messages and pictures of Brynn’s and Knight’s time in the hospital. They showed the journey the three of us had taken together. I could tell it touched both father and daughter.
“Welcome home, baby,” I said softly as she stood in the doorway, taking it all in.
For a moment, the tough exterior cracked, and I caught a glimpse of the overwhelmed eleven-year-old beneath. Her eyes widened at the gifts piled on the sofa. Everyone had brought assortments of books and games, as well as a brand-new laptop, still in its box.
“Is that… for me?” she asked, her voice smaller than I’d ever heard it.
“All of it,” Tiny confirmed. “The club takes care of its own.”
The apartment filled with people bringing in food, gifts, and well-wishes. Brynn sat on the couch, maintaining her cool facade, but I noticed how her fingers kept touching the soft throw blanket Hannah had draped over her lap, how her eyes kept returning to the tablet.
After about an hour, I caught the droop in her shoulders, the way her responses had slowed. “All right, everyone out,” I announced. “I’m fuckin’ tired.”
Everyone laughed. They all hugged Brynn, promising to check on her. One of Carrie’s cats seemed to have found a permanent home in Brynn’s lap. Every time Chains tried to pick it up, the damned thing hissed. He’d stopped trying, and as long as Brynn was happy, I didn’t care.
Knuckles organized the exodus, herding everyone toward the door with promises of beer in the clubhouse. When the last visitor had departed, Brynn finally let the exhaustion show.
“I think I need to take a nap,” she admitted, the admission itself a testament to how tired she truly was.
I helped her to her room and into her pajamas while Knight tidied up the remains of our little party. By the time I shut her door to go to Knight, Brynn was asleep, the day’s excitement having drained her energy fast. She had come so far, but she still had healing to do.