Page 61 of Seized by the Lawman

Chapter 21

“IT’S ONLY STITCHES. I’ll be fine.” Melly waved off both Nix and her father as each attempted to wait on her hand and foot. A week had passed since the incident with Spider. Nix had gotten her to the hospital in time where they were able to stop the profuse bleeding, stitch up the deep wound and bandage it. The baby was fine…everyone was fine. Nix had been staying with her and taking care of her—almost too good of care.

The men were still searching for Claire, but she was gone without a trace. Nix was right when he suggested she’d learned a thing or two by working with the Hawks. They believed she wouldn’t come back, especially knowing Spider was gone. They’d found out everything…even the letters she and Spider had written to each other while he was in prison. In them, she buried herself with guilt. Although Melly wanted the woman to pay for her role, she also felt a sense of understanding why Claire had partaken in the act. Growing up in an orphanage without nurturing and love, and being mistreated early on, she had found herself alone. Spider had manipulated her into believing he was the only man who would ever love her. Someone who craved love would gravitate toward anyone, even someone like Spider.

Today was the first day she’d been out and about, but her father had asked Melly and Nix to come for dinner because he planned to sign over Shy Brooke.

He sat down at the head of the table and shook the papers in his hand. “I’ve kept this for far too long. Now I’m going to do what I should have done years ago and sign over the deed.” He patted his empty pocket. “Darn. I forgot the pen.”

“I’ll go get one,” she said.

“No, I will.” Nix started to stand but she shook her head.

“Let me. I need to be up and moving. There’s nothing wrong with my legs.”

Nix nodded and smiled. He knew arguing would get him nowhere.

Going to her father’s office, she grabbed a pen from the holder and started to turn when a letter on his desk caught her attention. It was the words, “incurable cancer” that made her almost fall.

~~~**~~~

Nix was laughing with Carson about something when he saw Melly step back into the dining room. She was white and held a piece of paper. “What’s wrong?” Nix asked.

Her pale gaze stayed on Carson who was now standing, looking ragged himself. “Melly…?”

“Dad? What is this?” She dropped the paper onto the table as her bottom lip trembled.

Following suit, Nix also stood, realizing something was very wrong.

“I-I wanted to tell you, but the incident with Spider and you recovering all was more important. I didn’t want to bother you,” Carson said.

“The letter is dated five months ago. Five. Months! You have cancer, Dad. How could you not tell me?”

Nix’s heart skipped a beat. He wanted to go to her, to hold her, as she realized how sick her dad was. Nix couldn’t imagine hearing the same news about one of his parents.

“No time seemed like the right time.” Carson lowered his gaze. “Now I know you’ll be happy when I’m gone. That’s all I wanted.”

“Wait…what are you saying?” Her eyes widened. “Tell me, Dad, and don’t leave out anything.”

“There’s a lot you don’t know.”

“Honesty is best.”

“I knew you and Nix had met…”

Her brows scrunched. “You had me followed?” she snapped.

He gave his head a shake. “No, I had Nix followed. It’s protocol for a newbie. Jamison told me he saw you and Nix. I only wanted to give you two a shove…”

“Are you telling me that you set this whole thing up, making Nix come to Shy Brooke, as a ploy to get us together?” She laughed but it fizzled.

“It worked, didn’t it? You two belong together.”

She looked from each of them. “Dad, you can’t play cupid or master player of my life. And how is you having cancer, and not telling me, come into play?”

“Just as I told Nix, I didn’t want you to know. I want to live life my way right up until the end.” Carson took a seat.

Melly’s heated gaze came on Nix and he felt the penetration all the way into his bones. “You knew? All of this?” She swept a hand through the air.

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