Page 32 of The Keeper

But now I’d watched Dane walk out without a backward glance, and the fear crept back in. Only this time, I knew better.

No one would swoop in and save me.

This time, I was completely and utterly alone.

My mother’s eyes drilled into me from across the room, her disappointment especially palpable in the tense silence. If I knew her, she was putting the finishing touches on an epic lecture I was in no mood to hear but would be forced to listen to regardless.

The door handle turned with a click, and my heart leaped in my chest. But it wasn’t Dane returning.

“Ms. Kelly? Hi, I’m Dr. Diaz,” the woman said as she entered, blissfully unaware of the emotional storm brewing in the room.

After sanitizing her hands, she approached the bed, her face a mask of professional concern. “I understand Miss Avery here took a tumble. Let’s take a look.”

The fluorescent lights glinted off the bright, rainbow-colored frames perched on the bridge of Dr. Diaz’s nose as she examined the angry red gash, and I held my breath, silently pleading for good news. Anything to distract me from the gnawing ache in my chest.

“It’s okay,” I said when Avery flinched and began fussing. “Be really still so the doctor can make it all better.”

Unfortunately, one-year-olds were notoriously bad listeners, and instead of settling, my daughter fought back with everything she had. By the time Dr. Diaz finished her poking and prodding, I felt as if I’d just wrestled a honey badger. Sweat ran in rivulets down my spine, and I was certain at least one of the kicks would leave a bruise.

“Good news,” Dr. Diaz announced before straightening. “It’s shallow enough that it won’t require sutures. We’ll clean it up andapply Steri-Strips to help keep the wound closed while it heals. It’s important to keep the area clean and dry while those are on, okay?”

“So, she’s going to be okay?”

She nodded reassuringly. “She should be just fine. Concussions aren’t always easy to spot in little ones, though, so keep a close eye on her over the next twenty-four to forty-eight hours. If she’s acting sleepier than normal or begins vomiting, bring her back in so we can run some more tests.”

I nodded numbly, already imagining another sleepless night ahead. “Thank you.”

My mother waited until she left the room before rounding on me. “How could you be so reckless, Amelia? A biker? Really?”

“It’s not like I planned it,” I said through clenched teeth, trying to focus on Avery’s soft breaths and not my rising blood pressure.

“Oh, that’s blatantly obvious.” She pinched her lips together and shook her head. “Mark my words. A man like that is trouble with a capital T.”

“He’s her father?—”

“And where has he been while you’ve been raising his daughter?” she asked, her eyes flashing with frustration. “Riding with his club, free from all responsibility? That’s not a father, Amelia. That’s a stranger who happens to share her DNA.”

Her words landed with all the subtlety of a whip, but it wasn’t as if I could argue. We’d both watched Dane walk out when he put two and two together. Avery reached up, her tiny fingers grazing my cheek as if sensing my distress.

“Owie, A-ma.”

“Mama’s here.” I stroked the back of her hand with my thumb, softly singing a song that had helped me through my pregnancy and many sleepless nights as a new mom.

The door swung open, and I froze mid-verse, convinced I was seeing things. My heart lodged in my throat when Dane stepped into the room, his broad shoulders filling the doorway.

“Well, look who decided to grace us with his presence again,” my mother said, her eyes narrowing to slits.

His jaw tightened, but he didn’t take the bait. Instead, he approached the bed, each step slow and measured, like he was tryingnot to startle us. In his hand was a small stuffed bear, its fluffy pink fur matted from being squeezed too tightly.

“I thought,” he began, his voice gruff with emotion. “I thought she might like this.”

The simple gesture threatened to unravel me completely. I blinked rapidly, fighting back tears as Avery reached for it with both hands.

“You think a cheap toy makes up for?—”

“Mom,” I said in a carefully controlled tone. “Why don’t you head home?”

She looked ready to argue, but I cut her off with a sharp look. “Please. I need to do this alone.”

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