I turned to Avery and told her what I should have said to her months before. “I love you, Avery Grace. I love you, your children, and our child.”
“I love you, too, Kellan. We all do.”
“I don’t want you to go,” I confessed and didn’t give a single fuck at how that made me sound.
She smiled shyly. “I don’t want to go either, but you need to rest, and Copper and Layla will be here with Riley and Braxton any minute.”
“Can they come visit me?” I asked hopefully. I had been repeatedly reassured that the children were okay, but I wanted to see them for myself.
Avery shook her head. “No, they can’t. The hospital policy doesn’t allow children in the ICU. Trust me; they’ve asked every nurse and doctor they’ve met in this hospital if they could come visit you.”
“Tell them I love them and that I can’t wait to see them.”
“I will,” she said and then her eyes widened. “I almost forgot. Um, Riley told Copper she now hates mermaids because that’s what caused you to wreck. Do you have any idea what she’s talking about?”
My brows furrowed and I shook my head. “I don’t have a clue what she could be talking about, but the last thing I remember is the teacher helping them into my truck. How in the hell would a mermaid cause me to have a wreck?”
Avery shrugged. “I don’t know. I was planning to ask her about it when Copper brings her to visit, but I thought I’d ask you first.”
“Well, let me know what she says.”
“I will,” she promised and leaned forward to kiss my hand.
I brought her fingers to my lips and kissed the back of her hand in return. “I love you, Avery. Thank you for making me a father and giving me a beautiful baby girl.”
Her cheeks flushed and she looked down at her lap. “I love you, too.”
“Oh, send Copper up when he gets here,” I said as she was being wheeled away.
“I’m here,” Copper said. I watched as he took Avery’s hand and spoke to her for a few moments before he entered the room. “Fuck, brother, it’s good to see you awake and talking. You scared the ever-loving shit out of us.”
He reached out and I thought he was going to shake my hand, but to my utter surprise, Prez pulled me in for the gentlest of bear hugs. “Thanks for saving my ass, Prez.”
“Don’t thank me. I let you fall.”
“Fuck that. I thought I was fine. Neither one of us knew I was going to faint. And they way it was told to me, you jumped into that cold ass water to get me, not knowing how deep that water was.”
Copper waved his hand dismissively. “Me and a few of the brothers jumped off that bridge a few times when we were in high school. We knew how deep it was.”
“Seriously, Prez, you pulled us all out of that wreck and got us to the hospital. May not have been the way you intended, but it all turned out the same. Thank you.”
“Aw, are you fuckers gonna cry without me?” Bronze asked as he made his way into the room.
Copper slapped the back of his head. “Who let you in here?”
Bronze looked over his shoulder and turned back with a sly grin on his face. “That pretty little nurse over there.”
“Please don’t fuck over the people who are keeping me alive,” I said.
“That means don’t fuck the people keeping him alive,” Copper added.
Bronze scoffed and feigned offense. “I’m hurt.”
“You’re going to be if you don’t shut your mouth and keep your dick in your pants,” Copper grumbled.
I laughed and then groaned in pain. “Look what you did. Out, Bronze.”
Bronze got to his feet. “Yeah, yeah, brother.” He reached out and shook my hand. “Glad you’re on the mend, man. He’s been a cranky asshole since we fished you out of the water.”
34
Avery
I survived the following few days solely because of the women from Kellan’s club. Leigh and Layla helped me with everything, and I do mean everything—from helping care for my children to helping me take a shower. River and Kennedy made sure everything was okay with Kellan, Sienna, and my mother when I wasn’t at the hospital to hover over them. Much to my chagrin, I couldn’t be at the hospital as much as I wanted.
Once I was discharged from the hospital, I was torn between leaving and staying. Mom, Kellan, and Sienna were all still there and would be for some time while Riley and Braxton were at home. Leigh offered to drive me to the hospital whenever I wanted to visit. When Riley and Braxton were home from school, Layla offered to stay with them. However, that option didn’t work out as planned because they wanted to visit Nana, Kellan, and Baby Sienna as often as they could. Ultimately, I visited for a few hours in the morning, came home to rest, and went back with the kids for a few hours in the afternoon.
After a week in the hospital, the doctors finally said Kellan was ready to be discharged. “I want to make sure I’ve been very clear about this; you are ready to be discharged from the hospital, but that does not in any way mean you are ready to resume your regular activities. Will you have someone available to help you for at least the first few days?”
“Yes, he does. He will be staying with me,” I answered before Kellan could utter a single word.
“Avery, I’ll be fine at my place. When Coal isn’t there, one of the brothers can come by if I need anything,” he countered.
I blamed the pregnancy hormones for what happened next. Without preamble, I unleashed an angry tirade. “I can’t run all over town checking on everyone. I need my people in one place, and until that happens, I refuse to have them in more than two places. So, you will be with me,” I demanded.
Kellan cupped my cheek and never took his eyes off of mine when he said, “Looks like I’m staying with her, Doc.”
“I think that’s a wise choice,” the doctor joked. “I’ll get started on your orders and we should have you ready to go within an hour or two.”
“Thanks,” Kellan replied but kept his attention focused on me.
“I’m sorry,” I blurted. “I’m exhausted, and I had no idea how much different it would be to recover from a c-section than a vaginal delivery.”
He nodded and gave me a knowing look. “And what else?”
“What do you mean ‘what else?’ I’m stressed, Kellan. I’m worried about you, Mom, and Sienna. Christmas is just around the corner, and I don’t have presents for anyone. I’m trying not to even think about the fact that our little girl will spend her first Christmas in the hospital,” I explained quickly.
“Yeah, and what else? I know you’re keeping something from me. You have a tell,” he stated.
“A tell?”
“Yes, you avert your eyes and run your teeth over your bottom lip when you’re trying to avoid a topic. So, just get it over with and tell me.”
I sighed in exasperation. I should have known I wouldn’t be able to avoid it forever, but I just didn’t want to add to everything else we had on our plates. “After Ian died, the officers in his district put together a small fundraiser for the kids for Christmas last year and the year before. I received a call from Ian’s best friend and coworker, Mark, to tell me that they weren’t doing it this year since I moved away from Croftridge and have moved on with my life. And it’s not about the money, it really isn’t. I just didn’t like how he said it. I mean, regardless of what’s going on in my life, Riley and Braxton are still Ian’s children.”
Kellan’s face hardened. “Let me get this straight. Because of your relationship with me, they decided not to do the charity fundraiser for your kids?”
I didn’t know how to answer him. He was correct, but I didn’t want to add fuel to the fire that was clearly burning behind his eyes. “He didn’t use those words exactly.”
“When did this happen?”
“I’m not sure. A week or two before the accidents?”
He nodded and reached for his phone. After typing what appeared to be a lengthy message, he put it away with a satisfied gri
n.
“What did you do?” I asked.
“Rectified a situation,” he said cryptically. “Is there more?”
“I don’t know. I guess he hurt my feelings, too. Mark and Ian had been best friends since high school. When Ian died, Mark helped me and the kids through some really tough times. Even after we moved, he came to visit and spent the weekend with us every few weeks.”
“When was the last time he came to visit?” Kellan asked in a tone I hadn’t heard from him before.
“The weekend before the kids went on vacation with my parents,” I said carefully. “He was supposed to come up the weekend after they got back, but I ended up in the hospital. We haven’t rescheduled his visit yet.”
“You won’t be rescheduling.”
“What?”
“You will not have a man spend the weekend with you in your house, especially if I’m not around,” he said and stared at me in a way that dared me to challenge him.
“He’s a family friend,” I explained.
“Let me tell you something. Men do not spend that much time with a woman they think of as a friend.”
“I see. Would you like to piss on my leg while you’re at it?” I asked and stuck my leg out.
“Sweetness, I will pull my dick out every time you ask,” he said with a cocky smile. “Listen, I’m not saying you can’t be friends with him or that he can’t come visit. I’m saying I’m going to be there when he does.”
“Oh, good grief. Point made. You can stop now.”
“As you wish,” he grinned and changed the subject. “I want to go see your mom and Sienna before we leave.”
“Mom would love to see you, and there’s no way in hell I would leave this building without my baby being the last stop.”
Mom was released from the hospital two weeks after Kellan and just in time for Christmas. It took a little convincing, but I finally got her and Dad to agree to stay at my house through the holidays. Like I told Kellan, I wanted to keep all of my people in as few places as possible so we could all help each other. Mom could hardly walk two feet with a lot of assistance, I was on the typical restrictions after having a c-section, and Kellan had strict physical restrictions that would gradually lessen over the following four to six months.
Sienna was doing well and steadily getting stronger every day. She had gained some weight and was starting to look less like a sick preemie and more like an extra-small healthy baby.
I knew she was where she needed to be, but it killed me every time I had to leave the hospital without her. It wasn’t something I ever thought would happen to me, and I had a new appreciation for all the mothers who’d had to leave their babies in the hospital.
I was also having a tough time with her spending her first Christmas in the NICU, but Kellan reminded me that she wouldn’t remember any of it anyway. Mom also pointed out that at least she was here to have Christmas with us, regardless of where it was. They both had valid points, and I was still disappointed, but I tried to make the best of it.
“Are you going somewhere?” Kellan asked when I came down the stairs dressed in something other than yoga pants and a T-shirt.
I nodded. “Yes, Leigh said she would help me do some Christmas shopping for Riley and Braxton before they get out of school. She should be here any minute.”
Kellan smiled broadly. “Well, you two have fun and don’t overdo it.”
“I won’t,” I promised.
Right on cue, the doorbell rang. I picked up my purse, opened the front door, and froze at the sight before me. Copper was standing on my front porch with Layla by his side and a sea of leather behind them. I caught a quick glimpse of Leigh off to the side before I blurted, “What are you doing here?”
Leigh stepped away from the crowd and waved. “We’re helping with your Christmas shopping.”
I whirled around to find Kellan walking up behind me. “Surprise, baby,” he said softly.
“What did you do?” I demanded.
“I merely suggested the club focus on a particular family or two instead of doing a charity run and donating the money raised to an organization.”
“And you picked my family?” I asked even though I already knew the answer.
“Just because you and I are together and have a child doesn’t mean I’m going to stop doing things for Riley and Braxton. My reasons may have changed, but I still want to make sure they’re taken care of. And I figured this was the only way you’d accept,” Kellan said softly.
“But—” I started.
“But, nothing. Remember when you said it wasn’t about money? Same principle applies here. This isn’t about money. This is about your children never missing out on anything because of me.”
I could tell from the look in his eyes that he needed to do it. We’d spent a lot of time talking about our feelings regarding Ian’s death. I knew he was still carrying a lot of guilt, and probably always would be, just like I would carry the grief of losing my husband and my children’s father. It was a part of who we were and we agreed to be supportive of each other’s feelings.
“Okay,” I agreed and turned to face the motorcycle club standing in front of my house. “Please, come in.”
Copper grinned. “We won’t be long. We just need to know where you’d like us to put the presents that were too big to wrap.”
“What did you get that was too big to wrap?” I asked in surprise.
“We tried to get everything on the list Riley gave us,” Copper said.
“Except for the living creatures. We didn’t buy any pets,” Layla added.
“Thank you,” I whispered and tried to keep my emotions under control. Kellan gently placed his hand on my shoulder and squeezed. “I’ll go open the garage door and you can put the big stuff in there. I think there’s a tarp laying around somewhere to keep everything covered.”
I watched as they carried in present after present and placed them under the Christmas tree. Then, they filled a corner of my garage with two bicycles, two Power Wheels, a dollhouse that was taller than Riley, and a train table with an intricate set of tracks already setup.
“We went ahead and put the bigger stuff together for you. We thought it might be difficult for you two since you’re both still recovering,” Copper explained.
I couldn’t help myself. I wrapped my arms as far around the big man as they would go and hugged him. “Thank you so very much.”
Every muscle in his body tensed and he kept his arms held straight out to each side. “Uh…”
“You can hug her back, Prez,” Kellan said from behind me.
With Kellan’s okay, Copper returned my embrace. “We were happy to help. The Old Ladies love organizing these kinds of events. Speaking of, I believe they have another surprise for you inside.”
I could tell he was uncomfortable with my gratitude. Even though I felt like I owed him more than a few simple words, I let it go and went back inside to see what else they had in store.
“Surprise!” all the women shouted in unison.
“What’s all this?” I asked as I glanced around my kitchen.
“We didn’t get a chance to give you a baby shower before you had the baby, so we’re doing it now,” Leigh said excitedly.
And that’s when I did cry. Because I had little to nothing ready for Sienna. I hadn’t planned on having any more children after Braxton, so I didn’t keep any of the baby gear I’d used with both him and Riley.
“If you keep crying, you can’t have any cake,” Layla joked.
I wiped my eyes and smiled. “Thank you. I can’t even begin to express how much this means to me.”
“That’s how this works. We’re a family, not by blood, but by choice. When one of us needs help, we step in and help,” Leigh stated as if it was law, and I guess it was in their world.
35
Savior
While the women were occupying the kitchen and dining room for Avery’s surprise baby shower, the brothers and I had an impromptu meeting in the
living room. “Any updates on either accident?” I asked.
“Nothing solid,” Copper said and shook his head. “Spazz was able to match the vehicle description to footage from the drug store’s surveillance footage. He even got a clear shot of the license plate, but the tags were stolen. We couldn’t get a clear image of the driver, but the vehicle was a black Chevrolet Silverado.”
My eyes widened before I could mask it. “That mean something to you?” Bronze asked.
“I used to drive a black Chevrolet Silverado,” I mumbled as I fought to keep my mind from going back to the night of the wreck.
“Understood,” Copper said.
“What about the vehicle that hit me and the kids?” I asked.
Copper rubbed his chin. “Well, according to the police reports and witness statements, the only vehicle mentioned is a black Dodge Ram, and that’s your truck. Or was.”
“You’re telling me no one saw the other vehicle?” I asked in total disbelief. I was in the middle of school traffic when we were hit. There’s no way everyone around us missed the other car.”
“That’s what I thought, too. So, I called in a favor or two. It took a little longer than I would’ve liked, but I managed to get a list of the witnesses as well as the list of kids that were picked up right after you picked up Riley and Braxton. We’ll start working the list this evening and see if we can get some more information. Now, if you know how to keep Ranger from going door-to-door with his shotgun, I’m all ears.”
I chuckled and shook my head. “You’re on your own with that one, Prez.”
“Copper,” Layla called from the kitchen. “It’s time to pick up the kids.”
“Thanks, Locks,” he replied with a smile and turned to me. “You want to ride with me to get the munchkins?”
“Hell, yes. I haven’t been anywhere other than the hospital since I got out,” I said and quickly got to my feet. Avery and I were still on driving restrictions and I was starting to get a little cabin fever. I knew all I had to do was ask, and someone from the club would take me or her wherever we needed to go. But, they were already doing so much that neither one of us wanted to ask. Plus, between taking care of ourselves, the kids, her mom, and going to see Sienna, we were too tired to do much else.
Savior (Blackwings MC - Devil Springs Book 3) Page 16
