Page 115 of Mensa's Match

I looked at Dad. “It isn’t his fault, Dad. He did everything he could to keep me safe.”

We went into a stare-down.

Finally, Dad glanced at Mom. “I agree with Wyatt, her new man should be her old man.”

I pressed my lips together to fight against my anger. My energy had been drained and I lost that fight.

“Dad,” I said, waiting for his full attention. Once I had it, I continued. “You haven’t even met him. He didn’t shoot me, someone else did. Weren’t you the one who told me to have an open mind? Weren’t you the man who taught me that there’s always two sides to every story? Now you won’t wait to hear me out? Or even meet the man I love?”

“Love?” Mom asked.

My eyes met hers. “It’s crazy. It’s fast, but he’s the one, Mom.”

A knock came at the door and I saw Aunt Nadia there. She grinned at me. “Sorry to interrupt, but Whitney, I’m so thrilled to see you awake.” She bustled over to Mom and gave her a hug, then did the same with dad and he offered her his seat.She glanced at me. “I couldn’t help but overhear you, and you’re wrong. It hasn’t been that fast with Mensa. The two of you danced around each other for over a year.”

Mom turned her puzzled expression from Aunt Nadia to me. “You never told me about a man you were dancing around last year. The only man you mentioned was the one you wanted to see get arrested.”

I gave her a small smile. “That’s the one.”

“Are you having a nervous breakdown, Whitney?” Dad asked.

“William!” Mom cried.

“She resigns from a very good job, moves out of her place in Jackson, and is in love with a biker, who I’m not convinced didn’t play a role in her getting shot in the chest. On top of that, this man is someone she once wanted to have arrested. Any one of those decisions sounds like a cry for help, and all of them together sound like she needs an intervention.”

“I don’t need help or an intervention. And I got shot in my shoulder, not my chest, Dad,” I corrected.

His eyes widened with his ‘Dad stare.’ “A bullet came out through yourchest. That’s what the nurse told us.”

I put a hand to my head because it felt like I had a migraine forming. “Dad, I love you, but I’m tired. If you can’t have an open mind about someone you haven’t even met, then I think you should head back to Wyatt’s.”

Dad sighed. “Sweetheart, I love you so much and I care about you far more than you’ll ever know.”

Aunt Nadia grabbed my hand. “When are they gonna let you outta this joint? Has anyone said?”

“She got shot, Nadia,” Mom said.

Nadia glanced up at Mom. “You don’t have to remind me, Margo. Good lord, the waiting took five years off my life, and I don’t have five years I can lose.”

“Aunt Nadia,” I whispered.

She gave me a sly grin. “I’m joking… sort of, as you say. When do they start you on the therapy? They mentioned that yesterday, that you’d need help to get your full range of motion back.”

“I don’t know. I’m guessing it will be later.”

Nadia widened her eyes. “You do all of it, you hear me.”

I raised my chin. “I’ll do my best. It’s going to take a lot of orders to cover my medical bills.”

She patted my hand. “Don’t you worry about that. I’ll help you out with whatever you need. Focus on getting better. I gotta get back to the shop.”

“Bye, Aunt Nadia.”

She stood, when she was half way to the door, she stopped. “Ooh! Look who’s here. How’s it shakin’, Mensa?”

I looked to the door with a big smile on my face, but it dimmed when I saw how ravaged he looked.

He raced into the room, pausing long enough to squeeze Nadia’s shoulders, then he came around the bed and propped his hip on it before sliding both hands along my jawline holding my face still.

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