“I know. I just don’t want my child to worry about his or her father like that. And Lance is in a dangerous business. He and his brother are mercenaries—they could get killed any time.”
But I remember that’s not really true. Lance told me he’s nearly indestructible. And I saw how quickly he healed from dozens of gunshot wounds.
“There is no perfect, Charlie. Your dad and I did the best we could. That’s all you and Lance can do, too.”
I let her words wash over me, realizing how true they are. My mom was younger than I was when she got pregnant with me. She was in the Air Force, which made starting a family less than ideal. She wanted better for us, but she did what she could.
“I get that you want to shield your child from pain, but the fact is, there are never any guarantees when it comes to life. Or love. We risk our hearts every time we open them, and believe me, this child will throw yours wide open. And honestly? It seems to me like Lance has, too.”
“Yeah,” I admit. “He has.” Images of his handsome face flash in front of my eyes. I pick up my phone and stare at it. Should I call him? Tell him I’m coming back? Maybe he’s too angry to take me back.
That thought stabs me straight through my gut.
“I miss my friends, too,” I realize aloud. Tabitha, Sadie and Adele are like sisters to me now. If it takes a village to raise a child, they would have been my village. Why would I move away from that?
“I think you had a trauma. Getting kidnapped scared you and set fire to your worries over creating the perfect life for your children. It made you want to run and hide in a hole, so you came here. We must’ve done something right if your safe place is still with us.”
I let out a watery laugh. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”
But my safe place isn’t still with them. I just thought it was. My safe place is with Lance.
All the time I was kidnapped, when I was freaking out, I just kept thinking that he would come and save me. Of course, he did. And when things went wrong on the rescue, and it looked like we were going to die, he saved me again. Easily. With a smile. Lance isn’t afraid.
He isn’t human— he doesn’t have the same fears I do.
But he does have needs. And he told me that one of them is staying close to me—his mate—and protecting his pup.
So I did the cruelest thing possible in leaving him. Taking away his family. How could I be so thoughtless?
I rub my head, and my mom pats my shoulder. “Get some rest. You’ll feel better after a nap.”
I trudge back to bed, and curl up around a big pillow. I’ve only closed my eyes for a few minutes when my mom sticks her heads into my room. “Charlie? There's someone out here to see you.”
What? Who would come visit me here? I don't know anyone in Arizona, other than my folks. “Who?” I slide off my bed. Maybe Tabitha, Adele and Sadie made a road trip—but Adele is still dealing with the fallout from her business partner's death, and I told Sadie and Tabitha privately to stay to support her. But jumping in a car to do a crazy road trip is something Tabitha would do.
“Just come see.” My mom walks away and I scramble after her.
“Did they say what they wanted?”
“No.” My mom squints at me, looking amused. “Charlie, did you order a new car?”
“What?” I quicken my steps and head to the door. My mom is right. In the driveway is a shiny, silvery blue minivan. Brand new. There's even a red bow on the front.
“My god.” I walk barefoot down the drive. The minivan is bigger up close. A boat-sized monstrosity, designed to haul kids and dogs with optimum safety. A soccer mom’s fantasy. No sign of who brought it.
There’s a beep, and I jump as the minivan’s passenger doors glide open. There are two brand new car seats in the back. One is designed for a baby, the other for a toddler. I know this because I’ve been shopping online for car seats. A stroller rolls out from behind the car—light blue to match the car seats. Pushing the stroller is Lance. “Hey, baby.”
My jaw drops to the pavement.
“Check this out.” He rolls the stroller up to the baby car seat, and unhooks the top part somehow. “If the baby’s napping and we want to get her in or out of the car…” A click, and he sets the baby car seat backwards on the stroller. “Easy peasy.” The matching stroller and car seat become one. Lance lifts the whole thing easily to show me. “It’s called the all-in-one baby travel system.”