Which is why I snagged two pieces of cake.
If he gets angry at me, I may be able to win over the little girl. Pathetic, I know, but weaponizing the cake sounded like my best option.
I pull into the familiar parking lot of Sunset Pavilion with Mom’s supper. This time, I ordered a good old-fashion pork barbecue. Plus, I applied makeup and curled my hair. I’m bringing my A-game.
I enter the building, and The Warden buzzes me in.
“Let me guess. Your mom forgot her supper?” Gladys asks, her smile all too knowing,
“It seems to be her Saturday routine.”
Gladys laughs and calls Mom. When she gets off the phone, she says, “She’ll be right down.”
“Thanks, Gladys.”
I glance around the great room and bask in the twelve-foot ceilings. Sunset Pavilion caters toward the wealthy, and they’ve spared no expense in their grand room. Two types of residents reside here, separated by the East and West wings. The assisted living side is where Mom works the majority of her shifts. She barely makes it over to the West Wing. I’ve never even seen that ward. But there has never been a reason to visit the long-term care side. When my grandma was sent to a nursing home, she certainly didn’t come to this swanky place.
“Oh, honey. I’ve been waiting for you to come back.”
My attention pulls to an older woman. I smile as she parks her wheelchair by me. “How are you doing, Matilda?”
“Oh, I’ve seen better days. But enough about me. Whatever happened between you and the boy? You know, the one who had eyes for you. And the cute ass.”
I choke on nothing but air. Matilda may not be able to walk, but there was nothing wrong with her eyesight. And she’s not wrong. Garret does have a rather fine ass. “Nothing yet.” But I’m working on it.
“Ah, woman, you need to be checked for cataracts. Quit giving this girl hope. That boy comes here every weekend and has lunch with his girlfriend.” Mr. Miller ambles up to Matilda.
The blood drains from my face as I stand there, not moving. I don’t know what to say, so I say nothing.
“What are you talking about?” Matilda asks.
“Don’t you see him come here every weekend?”
“I’ve noticed, yeah, but are you sure?” Matilda acts as shocked as I feel.
A girlfriend? Has he lied to me this entire time? I say nothing as Mr. Miller continues as if he isn’t slowly sticking daggers into my heart.
“Yeah. Her name is Liv or Livvy. Something like that. I heard the nurses talking.” He waves his hand in the air and laughs. “He brings that little girl with him every weekend. She’s the cutest little thing.”
I grab the wall to steady myself. Holy shit. Garret said Livvy was short for Olivia. How many lies has he told me? His girlfriend works here? Liv. Olivia. The names play through my head. Is Liv Olivia’s mom? I suddenly feel sick.
Turning back to Gladys, I ask, “Can you give this to Mom?”
“Sure, honey. It’s no problem.”
I pass off the food and stumble toward the entry door. Nothing makes sense. Everything in my brain jumbles. I don’t even acknowledge Mr. Miller as I make it toward the entryway.
I’m in a daze as I navigate through the traffic to Garret’s house. Cars pass by in a blur, but I manage to make it to his street. Thank God, I preprogrammed the address. There’s no way my fumbling fingers would be able to type it in back at the nursing home. I can barely think. Considering I don’t remember all the streets leading me here, I shouldn’t be driving.
Tears prick my eyes. How stupid am I? I knew, knew, all men cheated. My dad proves it over and over. How many times do I need to be made a fool?
I park along the curb and kill the engine. I take in the modest stucco style home, similar to the one we live in as I grip the steering wheel. The bright, hot sun filters through the trees, casting the shriveled blades of grass a golden hue. I take a few encouraging breaths and try not to compare my heart as broken as the dead grass. With determination, I exit the car and march across his front lawn, each crunching step bringing me closer to the answers Garret will give. I’m tired of the lies.
I reach the front door and pause. You can do this. Steeling my back, I ball my hand into a fist, and with quick repetition, I pound the door.
Miller barks in the background, making my heart clench. I’m actually here at Garret’s home. The door swings open.
“Lexie.” Shock registers in his voice as his wide-eyed gaze darts behind him, but when he faces me, his voice comes out harsh. “What are you doing here?”
Chapter Thirty-Three
Garret
Current Day
When two worlds collide.
Adrenaline pumps through my veins as I stare at the last person I ever expected to see standing outside my door. But damn, her platinum blonde curls hang softly over her shoulders. She’s so fucking beautiful.
“What are you doing here?” I cringe at how harsh my words came across, but she surprised me. As much as I want to invite her into my world, I can’t risk it. Especially now. I step outside and try closing the door, but Miller nudges his way past my legs. I let him go, not caring if he’s loose. The only person I care about right now is the little girl who needs to remain unseen.
“I asked you straight up if you had a girlfriend. You told me no.”
“That’s right. I don’t.”
“You don’t.” Those cute tiny lines form across her forehead as she ponders my words. I have no idea where she’s going with this.
“No. I don’t.” I want her to understand that even though I’m not free, I don’t have a girlfriend. Not in the way she’s thinking. I cheated once. It was the biggest mistake of my life. One that I will never make again. But how do I explain being a selfish bastard is the only way I know to protect my daughter? That since our biggest threat knows my plans, it’s now more critical than ever to keep things under wraps. Any explanation will only place Olivia in further danger. I can’t take that risk—no matter who I hurt.
“Then, who the hell is Liv, and why do you have lunch with her every weekend?”
Fuck me. I stare at Lexie, unblinking. How on earth does she know about Liv? “How’d you…” I let the question die on my tongue. It has to be from her mom. But doesn’t that break some kind of patient confidentiality laws? Does the law even apply to visitors?
“God, Garret. I trusted you when you said you didn’t have a girlfriend.” Tears coat her eyes, but I’m too shocked to say anything. Years of protecting my daughter jeopardized mere months before graduation. Too ashamed to face her, I drop my gaze.
“I’m sorry, but it’s not what—”
“Save it. I don’t want to hear any more lies. You knew I hated cheaters. We had discussions about this, and you didn’t say a word. You let me fall for you, anyway.”
My head snaps to hers. She’s right about the cheater’s comment, but for different reasons than what she’s thinking. “I didn’t make you the other woman. It’s not like that.”
But is that true? I will always be tied to Liv. She’s Olivia’s mom, and I made a promise to her. One I planned on keeping. No matter what, Liv is a huge part of my life. I owe her.
Perhaps, it’s best to let Lexie think I’m a piece of shit. Maybe if she thought I had cheated on her, the end of our friendship would be easier to digest. There is no future for us. The only future I have is raising my girl and visiting Liv. My devotion lies with Liv and Olivia. I owe them that much. And I owe it to my unborn son I killed.
But seeing the hurt in Lexie’s eyes is gut-wrenching. No matter what I need to do, I want to spend my future with this girl standing in front of me.
“Then how is it, exactly? Because I can’t think of one scenario that being tied to another girl wouldn’t be considered having a girlfriend.”
I don’t know what to say or how to respond. At my continued silence, Lexie lets out a sob. Miller joins her by letting out a low whine.
“All I ever wanted you t
o do was let me in. Anytime I got close, you pushed me away. Who is she, Garret?”
My mouth parts, but I can’t speak. I’ve gone almost four years keeping this quiet. Playing Mr. Fernandez’s games. As much as I want to tell her, I can’t.
“Let me in.”
“I can’t.” My words are gruff but effective enough to get the job done.
Lexie spins on her heels and stalks toward the street, heading straight to the car parked along the curb. I stumble back from the bout of dizziness that smacks into me as if I got hit by a two-by-four. The entire scene feels way too familiar.
She’s six feet away from the sidewalk when the realization hits, snapping me out of my funk.
“Lexie, no.” I jolt across the yard with Miller by my side. “You can’t drive this upset.” I won’t let anything happen to you.
“I’m not your responsibility.” She doesn’t stop. She reaches the edge of the sidewalk as I close in on her.
“You’re not driving.”
“You can’t stop me.”
I grab for her but snag her purse instead. She stumbles back, knocking us off our feet. We’re too caught up in each other to hear the creak of the door. We fall to the ground with a resounding thump that drowns out the patter of footsteps along the concrete steps. It isn’t until the little voice yells, “Daddy,” that I see Olivia running across the front yard toward us. Then, everything happens in a blur.
The worst sounding growl pierces our ears right before Miller pounces on Olivia. She lets out a blood-curdling scream. I scramble to my feet, followed by Lexie and run toward Miller. Half in shock that he would attack Olivia. I get about six feet away when Miller shakes his head violently back and forth, a mixture of growls and tearing. My heart pounds. And then the loudest, most excruciating whimper slices through the air. He bares his teeth, and that’s when I see something long and slender rip apart. Holy shit.
“Olivia,” I reach her and give her a quick once-over. I pull out my phone and press the emergency button. As soon as the operator answers, Miller collapses.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Lexie
Current Day
What the hell is happening? It takes a moment for my brain to register the need to move. Everything happened so fast: Garret practically tackling me to the ground, the piercing screams, and Miller. Oh, Miller. His lifeless body lying on the ground jump-starts my heart. I spring from my position, my heart pounding. I suddenly feel like Superwoman as I race to Miller. There is no time to freak out. I drop to my knees beside him, and a shiver runs down my spine when I spot the rattlesnake lying next to him shredded in half. Holy shit. I waste no time in calling Cara’s number. The little girl whimpers beside Garret as he holds her against him. Jesus, please let the girl be okay. He fires off the address to the emergency operator as Cara answers.
“What’s up?”
“Miller’s been bitten by a rattlesnake. He’s barely breathing. I don’t know what to do.”
“Oh, my God. Okay, can you get him to my clinic? We have Antivenin on hand. I’ll call ahead and meet you there.”
“Okay, I’ll see you in a minute.”
I take in the fifty pounds of dead weight and groan. There’s no way I can get him in my car without help. My head whips to Garret as he hangs up. “I need help getting Miller in my car. Cara’s going to meet me at her clinic.” Thank God she got that internship there.
“Olivia. I’m going to put you down for a minute. I have to help put Miller in the car so they can take him to the doctor. He needs help, okay?”
She lets out a sob, but her little head nods. The pang in my chest tightens when she grabs hold of her leg.
“Jesus, is she okay?”
“I don’t know. The snake penetrated her skin, but it doesn’t look bad. I’m not sure how quick the venom works, though.” He scoops Miller under his arms and lifts him as if he was lifting a bag of potatoes. Damn, I knew Garret was strong, but just…damn.
Garret places him in my back seat next to the slices of cake. I want to cry. The day started with good intentions.
Sirens wail in the background. I look down his street and start to feel a little better when I see the flashing lights.
“They’re taking her to Mercy General.”
I nod in appreciation, surprised he told me. “Okay. I’ll get Miller taken care of and meet you later.”
“Are you okay to drive?” His watery gaze bores into mine, and I know he isn’t asking in passing. He’s genuinely concerned—like legit worried. I’ve never seen Garret look so intense.
“I’m fine. Go take care of Olivia.” I slip into the driver’s seat.
“Please drive carefully. I love my dog, but he’s not worth risking your life over.”
“I’ll be fine.”
He nods and then sprints back to his daughter.
I punch in the address to Cara’s clinic and then drive away, my mind spinning in a million different directions and still confused as ever.
The little girl had called him daddy. I was right on that note. But from the way he acted, he didn’t want me to know she even existed. Why would he want to keep her a secret? And the same could be said about Liv. Who I’m ninety percent sure is the girl’s mother. What is with all this secrecy? A huge chunk of the puzzle seems to be missing.
I check the rearview mirror and see Miller sprawled along the backseat. The swelling in the side of his neck has almost doubled in size, and he’s not moving. I check the GPS. Five more minutes until my arrival. But so much time has elapsed with this damn L.A. traffic that I don’t know if we’ll make it.
Cara stands by a woman dressed in a white laboratory coat on the sidewalk as I pull into the parking lot. A couple of burly guys hold a cot, while another holds medical supplies. They surround the car as soon as I park.
“Oh, Miller,” Cara cries as the back door opens, revealing Miller’s fate.
The veterinarian gets right to work. She administers the shot, and then they stick some breathing apparatus down his throat. Once the doctor starts an I.V. line, she backs out of the car, and a couple of guys move him onto the cart. I stand with Cara as we hold each other.
I don’t mention the reason I was at Garret’s house, and she doesn’t ask. I also stay mum about Olivia. I feel bad for yelling at Garret when I’m just as secretive, but his story isn’t mine to tell. Perhaps, I need to wait until he explains. If he ever does.
Once Miller is stabilized, I head to Mercy General. I need to make sure his daughter is okay. The only thing I’m unsure of is which Garret I’ll find. And how he’ll treat me.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Garret
Current Day
Past sins come back to haunt me.
In my former life, I’ve must have done some fucked up shit. It’s the only thing that makes sense because I’m constantly being punished. Here I sit staring at the same sterile walls with an all too familiar agony. Christ, when am I ever going to do something right in my life?
I drop my head down to my palms as I wait for the emergency room doctor to give me news about Olivia. This is all my fault. If I hadn’t left her alone, shit, even if I had confessed the truth to Lexie, none of this would’ve happened. I was trying to protect my daughter, but I may have just killed her, too.
“Son,” my dad calls out as he and mom enter the waiting room. Mom rushes to my side and hugs me.
“Have you received any news?”
“No.” I had called them as soon as they wheeled Olivia back. “They’re running tests.”
“Did you get a good look at the snake?”
“Yeah, it had the markings of the Western Diamondback rattler.”
Mom gasps and covers her mouth with her hand while Dad shakes his head. “She’ll be okay. She has to be okay.”
“This damn drought is driving them out of their habitat. Goddamn global warning.” Dad’s gruff voice sounds choked.
“The skin around the bite looks good, but I don’t know. Miller might
have gotten the brunt of it.”
“How is Miller? Any word?” Mom asks.
“Not yet.”
It’s hard to focus on anything but Olivia, but I’m worried about my dog, too. Miller saved her life. I’ve never believed in fate or karma. Sure, I’m a baseball player, so I naturally have superstitions, but I’ve never put my faith behind a specific belief system such as fate. Maybe I’m wrong. Miller was sent to me for a reason. And that reason may have been to protect Olivia.
“Mr. Cartel.”
My head jerks toward the swinging doors. I stand as the man in teal scrubs walks toward us.
“She’s going to be just fine.”
Tears well behind my eyelids as I still and let the relief sink in. My baby girl is going to be fine.
“We’re waiting on some blood results to confirm, but we think she suffered a dry bite.”
“What does that mean?”
“The rattlesnake didn’t release its venom into her.”
I blow out a relaxed breath, but I’m hardly comforted. “Our dog suffered the majority of the bite.”
His face relaxes. “Your dog saved your girl’s life. You can come back and see her.” He glances where my parents stand. “Are these the grandparents?”
“Yes, sir.”
“We’re a little crowded today, but one can come back with you.”
“I’ll go.” Mom steps beside me. Dad grumbles as he takes a seat.
“Follow me.”
We follow the doctor into the section where they’re holding Olivia. He explains what we’ll find.
“We have an intravenous line hooked up, giving her fluids and antibiotics. We want to make sure she doesn’t develop an infection. If her blood tests come back clear, she’ll be able to go home today. She won’t be in the clear. You’ll have to monitor her for any changes and bring her back if any develop.”
Full Count (Cessna U Wildcats Book 3) Page 17
