Only Her (Haley Cove Book 1)

by Lee Wardlow

  “I got a call from Isaac,” Brett said.

  “And?”

  “Tag’s out. They District Attorney won’t charge him based upon Ava’s statement.”

  Luka shook his head in irritation. He squeezed Skylar’s hand. “It might be better this way. Less Ava has to go through,” she said to him.

  “I’ll be happy to put him in his place if he comes near you or Ava again,” Luka responded.

  He glanced down at Skylar because she gripped his hand hard. “No Luka. I don’t want you to get into trouble and that is exactly what Tag would want.”

  “She’s right,” Brett agreed. “He’ll be wanting to get you two into trouble now that you’ve made him look bad.”

  “We’ll keep a low profile,” Skylar said.

  Ramona laughed. “That won’t be difficult. Sky, you don’t go anywhere except to Ava’s soccer games and Friday night dances with Tag. I assume you won’t be dragging Luka to those now.”

  “I won’t. I hated those damn events.”

  Ava stretched. She had heard her father’s angry voice. “What’s going on?” She asked. Ava rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

  “Nothing,” Luka told her.

  Skylar scowled at him. She felt Ava needed to know the truth. “Ava, Tag is out of jail already. I feel like you need to know this so you are always aware and can be safe.”

  “Why? He tried to hurt you.”

  Skylar smiled at her daughter. “Sometimes people in high places get what they want and the truth doesn’t matter. The District Attorney won’t press charges.”

  “I’m sorry Momma. Did I do something wrong?”

  Cupping her daughter’s face in her hands, Skylar repeated, “Absolutely not.”

  “Okay.”

  “Hey, Little Mess, we are taking you back to the farm. Aunt Ramona has the night off tonight. Her Assistant Manager is running the bar.”

  “Assistant Manager?” Skylar repeated.

  “I hired her yesterday. She is great and can call me if she needs me. I won’t have to work so many nights.”

  “That is wonderful,” Skylar told her sister.

  Ava hugged her mother hard and let Brett pick her up. He leaned across the bed and kissed Skylar’s forehead. Then he stepped back to the door and waited on Ramona who said goodbye to Skylar next. “We’ll see you tomorrow,” Skylar told her.

  “If they let you blow this popsicle stand,” Ramona said.

  “They better,” Skylar insisted. She wasn’t staying a moment longer than necessary. Brett and Ramona took Ava home. Skylar watched the door close leaving her alone with Luka. She glanced at him rubbing his hand tiredly over his jaw.

  “You’re stuck with me tonight Skylar. I’m staying.”

  “Fine but if you start snoring you’re out of here,” she informed him.

  He chuckled. “Just poke me in the belly and I’ll quit snoring.”

  She snorted and turned on her side away from him. He rose over her and kissed her cheek. “Rest now Sky.”

  Chapter 15

  In the morning, the doctor released Skylar. She showered while he waited. His mother brought clothes from Skylar’s house for both of them. Luna left shortly after dropping off the clothing.

  Their conversation last night was weighing on him. He hadn’t wanted to listen to how badly he had hurt her. He hadn’t wanted to hear about the doubts she had about him now. He knew it wouldn’t be easy to walk back into town and back into Skylar’s life and damn he hadn’t expected a child but Ava was the best surprise of all.

  He gazed down into the parking lot and he saw Tag near his fancy car. His initial reaction was to leave Skylar and go down to the lot and kick the shit out of him. He took his phone out of his pocket and dialed Isaac’s number. He had called last night and left it with him. “Hi, it’s Luka. Our Mayor is hanging out in the parking lot at the hospital.”

  Isaac’s sigh was heavy in his ear. “What the hell?”

  “He’s standing by his car for now,” Luka told him.

  “He thinks he’s above the law.”

  “No Isaac. He thinks he can challenge me enough he’ll piss me off to the point that I’ll attack him.” He knew guys like Tag. He had seen enough of them over the years. Guys with complexes who needed to prove a point.

  “Skylar getting out today?” Isaac asked.

  “She’s showering as we speak.”

  “I’ll be over to the hospital in a few minutes. Don’t leave until I get there. You’ll have a police escort. Maybe we can spoil whatever plan he thinks he has.”

  “Thanks Isaac. This won’t get you into trouble will it?”

  “No man. It won’t. The Chief is a family friend but he wasn’t too happy with how he was talking at the station about Ava. He tried to shut him up because he knew Ava could hear him.

  “He also wasn’t happy the D.A. pressed no charges at all against Tag. A little harassment is one thing I guess but trying to hurt someone goes above his principles?”

  Luka laughed. “Okay, see you soon.”

  She stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around herself. Her body was tender from being thrown off Majestic’s back to the ground. Her muscles were stiff and achy. She went to her room and saw the clothes Luna had left for her. Luka was standing at the window. He didn’t hear her come out of the bathroom. “What’s wrong?” She asked.

  He was tense. She could see it from where she stood by the bed. He didn’t turn around. Luka continued to stare through the window so Skylar slid her underwear up her body. Then her jeans. She still had the towel wrapped around her as she snatched up the bra and turned around with her back to Luka in case he decided to turn away from the window.

  Dropping the towel on the bed behind her, Skylar put her bra on. Then she faced him. It was kind of silly hiding herself from him. He had made love to her recently. He knew what she looked like naked. She put the cotton shirt over her head. The motorcycle emblem emblazoned on the front. The color, a deep magenta warmed her cheeks.

  She walked barefoot over to the window and laid her hand on his back. She peeked over his broad shoulder startling him. “Hell, I didn’t even hear you,” he said.

  “I know.” She didn’t have to ask what was so exciting outside. She saw for herself. Tag was leaning on his car. Tall, beautiful Tag. He wanted something. “What do you think he’s doing down there?”

  “I don’t know but we’re about to find out,” he told her glancing over his shoulder at her. Isaac’s police car was coming down the drive. He parked right beside Tag and got out then he walked over to his car. They were talking. Tag shook his head no.

  “What is Isaac doing here?”

  “I called him,” Luka told her.

  “Thinking instead of reacting for a change Luka?” She asked.

  “Yeah, I’m not playing games with Tag, Skylar. I have too much to lose.”

  She was impressed. The nurse came to the room to give Skylar her discharge papers. Luka walked away from the window. “Are you going home barefoot?” He asked.

  “It hurts my head to bend over,” she told him.

  He grabbed her white gym shoe off the floor and slipped her foot inside. His thumb caressed her sensitive instep as he helped her get her shoe on her feet and she breathed in sharply. Her eyes flew to where his hands were now tying her shoes. “I’ve never done this for you before,” he teased.

  “You would have when I was pregnant,” she told him. “They all did. Even Benji. I was so big I couldn’t reach my toes let alone tie my shoes.”

  “I saw that in the pictures from your baby shower.”

  “Mom took that picture. I think she enjoyed torturing me.” He tied the other shoe. “I had made my bed and she wanted me to remember it. Funny thing was I had no regrets about Ava. From the first moment I held her I loved that child.”

  “I could see that too in the pictures. You couldn’t take your eyes off her.”

  “Your family and my sisters loved her too,” she told him.
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  “But not your mom and dad?” He asked.

  Skylar glanced up as he sat her foot on the ground carefully. “Luka, she was always cruel. You know that. She wanted the four of us to do something different with our lives than what she had done. She was fond of the phrase, Luka Shaw’s bastard.”

  He flinched.

  “It was so hurtful. I didn’t know how she couldn’t love that innocent little girl. I hate to say this but I’m just as glad they aren’t around still to hurt her not that I wanted them to die.”

  “I get it Skylar. You could have told me. I would have come back to get you both.”

  She chuckled. “You know if they had lived I might have had no choice. Since they died I was so overwhelmed I could bury what you had done to me and pretend that you never existed except for every day of my life I looked into my daughter’s eyes and saw you.”

  He extended his hand to her and helped her to her feet. “I’m going to get the truck and pull up front. You stay inside until you see me.”

  “I will. Don’t get into trouble.”

  “Remember, I said I had too much to lose.” He was looking at her waiting for her to respond.

  “I do remember that.”

  “I will remember that as well,” he promised Skylar.

  He stopped at the nurses’ station to tell them he was getting his truck so Skylar didn’t have to walk any further than was necessary. Her nurse promised she would have Skylar waiting inside at the doors.

  At the elevator he wondered if Isaac had convinced Tag to leave. The Mayor had something on his mind. Most likely something about his arrest. He was probably pretty pissed right now. Luka chuckled. You don’t go shooting off a rifle at someone creating a situation with consequences if you aren’t prepared for the shit to hit the fan, Luka thought.

  He took the elevator to the lobby and exited. He was breathing in and out like he used to before a cage match. He was getting into the zone where nothing and no one could touch him. He strode through the lobby to the front doors expecting to step into the sunlight and see Tag with Isaac right outside the doors and he was not disappointed as he exited into the bright sunlight.

  Tag pulled himself away from the expensive vehicle that was meant to impress. Luka was not impressed. He had more money than Tag could dream of having. He had rubbed elbows with celebrities. He might be Jacob Shaw’s kid from the wrong side of the tracks a long time ago but he was now Luka Shaw undefeated champion of the MMA heavyweight division. He had the belt and the balls to prove it. Tag meant nothing to him. He didn’t give a fuck if he was the Mayor of Haley Cove. That was smalltime compared to what he had done. He wasn’t intimidated.

  “Now Tag, I told you, you can’t confront them here. Skylar is recovering from her accident.” Isaac was walking after Tag. He grabbed his arm to stop his forward progress.

  “And I told you to fuck off.” Isaac was pissed when Tag shoved his hand away from him.

  “Let him speak his mind Isaac because when I bring Skylar out he’s not saying a word to her,” Luka told him.

  “And who is going to stop me?” Tag smirked at Luka.

  “I am,” Isaac said.

  Tag looked over his shoulder at him. “You’re going to stop me?” Isaac spoke into his radio attached at his shoulder.

  “I have a disturbance at the hospital. I need backup.”

  His dispatcher came on the radio asking him for more details. It didn’t take much before he was told that more officers were being sent. Tag glared at Isaac. “You can’t harass people coming out of the hospital Tag,” Isaac informed him. “No matter who you are.”

  “Her child lied about me. That obnoxious brat has always hated me and now she’s ruining my reputation. I expect a full apology and for her to admit she’s lying.”

  Luka chuckled then he rubbed his hand across his chin. “Ava spoke the truth about what she saw Tag. She will not be issuing any apologies. So deal with it.”

  Heading past Isaac and Tag, he hesitated when he heard the threat loud and clear. “Then she and Skylar will suffer the consequences.” Luka turned and glanced at Tag.

  “What do you think you can do Tag?”

  “I have my ways Luka,” he told him. “My Dad’s stock makes us majority owner at the bank where Skylar’s mortgage is. I’ll call in her loans on the ranch. I’ll slowly ruin her the way her daughter’s unfounded accusation is coming down on my head.”

  “No problem Tag. I’ll pay off her loans tomorrow when the bank opens.”

  Tag sputtered then he regained his composure sure of his position. “She owes about three hundred fifty thousand on the ranch Luka.”

  He smiled at Isaac, “He didn’t hear me did he?” He asked his friend.

  “Apparently not,” Isaac replied. He crossed his arms over his chest and he waited for Luka to calmly reply. They had both experienced the obnoxious attitude of the Richardson family over the years. Isaac was enjoying this as much as Luka was.

  “I’ll pay off her loans tomorrow just like I paid off Momma’s loans last year even when she didn’t want me to,” he told Tag. “What else you got?”

  “I have friends Luka. Your brothers need jobs.”

  He shook his head. “I could support my brothers for the remainder of their lives,” he responded. “You got anything else because I really want to get Skylar home.”

  He started to walk away. “She humiliated me. I was arrested in front of my mother. Led off like a common criminal. I received a call from a member of the town council suggesting I should step down in the wake of the scandal. It wasn’t good for the town’s image that the Mayor had been arrested.”

  Luka looked over his shoulder. “Then maybe you should step down,” he replied feeling a calmness he hoped he could maintain.

  He heard Tag shouting. He chose to ignore him. “I’ll find a way Luka. I’ll ruin her.”

  He was in his Escalade when he saw the other officers arriving even the chief came. Three cars stopped in front of the hospital. All of the officers got out and were talking with Tag. He was furious.

  Luka backed out of his spot and turned towards the front of the hospital. He saw Skylar sitting in a wheelchair waiting on him. Her head was turned towards Tag and the officers. She was worried.

  Parking the truck along the curb, Luka got out. The officers had created a barrier between them and Tag. That couldn’t shut him up though. He was shouting things Luka would prefer that Skylar didn’t have to hear. He went to her side and opened the truck’s door.

  Then he walked to the entrance and stepped inside. Luka scooped Skylar out of the chair. Her nurse looked at him with shock. “Faster this way to avoid that,” he nodded over his shoulder.

  She glanced around him and nodded. “Not exactly hospital regulations but I think I can bend rules for this.”

  “Thanks.”

  Skylar laid her head against his shoulder. “Hurry up. Let’s get this over with,” she whispered.

  He shielded her as best he could as he walked fast to the truck. He knew that she heard every word that Tag shouted before he got her in his vehicle. Then he shut the door. He glanced over his shoulder and the Chief nodded at him. They would be preventing Tag from leaving to give him a head start home.

  He jogged around the front and climbed inside. Soon, they were heading to the ranch.

  “What the hell was that about?” She asked.

  “He says he’ll call in your loans on the ranch. Revenge. A member of the council thinks he should step down because of the scandal of his arrest.”

  “Shit.”

  “Skylar, I told him I was paying off the loans tomorrow. I can and knowing your pride,” he said when she started to protest, “you can pay me what you were paying the bank.”

  She was in shock. “I keep forgetting that you can do those things.”

  “He didn’t know that I could do those things.”

  She laughed. “What is wrong with him?” She was shaking her head then she leaned against the window.


  “Ego,” Luka explained. “He’s always had a big ego.”

  She glanced over at Luka. “Did he think that acting like a fool in front of the hospital made him look any better?” She asked.

  “No,” he said softly. “He’s not thinking. He threatened my brothers too. Said, he could take their jobs from them too. He has friends.”

  “I’m sorry. I hope everyone isn’t affected by this,” Skylar replied.

  “Hey,” Luka said. “We’ll work it out. Let’s take the threat away from Tag and I’ll pay off the mortgage on the ranch.”

  She turned to him. “Only if we do it legally and you setup a payment plan for me to pay you back like I do the bank. I trust you more than I do Tag.”

  He frowned at her. “Thanks Skylar.”

  “I didn’t mean it that way Luka. I did just get out of the hospital with a head injury.”

  “I’ll cut you some slack,” he grumbled but he didn’t like how she had made her statement.

  **

  She was happy when she saw the ranch come into view. Even more so when Brett, Ramona and Ava walked out of the barn as they pulled into the drive. Her daughter threw her arms around her waist and hugged her hard when she got out of the truck.

  “Momma, I’m glad you came home today. I missed you last night.”

  “I missed you too.”

  “Aunt Ramona slept in my room and we giggled and talked about boys until after midnight. Uncle Brett was in Daddy’s room. He yelled at us.”

  “He did.” She looked at Brett who appeared tired.

  “I couldn’t sleep they were so loud,” he defended himself.

  Ramona slapped at his chest. “Please, we couldn’t sleep after you finally did. You snore so loud.” He just shook his head at her.

  “Have you guys had lunch? I’m starving,” Skylar told them.

  Skylar and Ramona went to the kitchen and made lunch. Brett and Luka sat in the living room with Ava playing a game.

  Ramona actually made lunch, Skylar watched her from a chair at the table. She was whipping up some tuna salad for some hoagie buns that they had just bought at the store yesterday.