Page 33 of The Keeper

“Fine.” She shot Dane a withering glare. “But don’t come crying to me when he breaks your heart.” The door slammed behind her, leaving an awkward silence in its wake.

He sank onto the edge of the bed, his gaze never leaving Avery’s face. “I’m sorry I walked out like that. It was…a lot to take in, and I needed a minute.”

My eyes brimmed with tears. “I’m so sorry, Dane.”

“She’s mine,” he said flatly.

It wasn’t a question.

I nodded. “I should have told you back at the hotel?—”

He held up a hand, cutting me off. “Not here. Let’s get her taken care of first. The rest can wait.”

Was he angry?

Did he hate me now?

“Okay,” I finally said, unable to read his expression.

We slipped back into an uneasy silence. My mind swirled with the what-ifs and could-have-beens until the nurse returned.

“All right, sweetie, let’s get you patched up,” she said before turning to me. “Just try to keep her as still as possible, Mama. She’s not going to like me messing with it.”

She didn’t. Avery whimpered and clung to me as soon as the nurse touched her head. I stroked her damp hair with my free hand while the nurse cleaned the wound.

“It’ll be over soon.”

In response, she arched her back and let out the unholiest shriek while battering my thighs with her heels.

I was seconds from joining her when Dane’s hand found my shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. I leaned into his solid presence, letting myself pretend we were a normal family.

Even if it wasn’t real.

“You’re being so brave,” he said. I didn’t know if he was referring to me or our daughter, but his low voice calmed us both. By the time the nurse finished, Avery was asleep in my arms.

The nurse went over the discharge paperwork, explaining what to give her for pain and when to follow up with her pediatrician. I nodded along, trying to absorb it all while simultaneously worrying about the conversation still looming over us.

“Someone will be in shortly to discuss payment options,” she said as she headed for the door.

My stomach tightened. The last thing I needed was another medical bill.

“I’ll take care of it,” Dane said, releasing his grip on my shoulder.

I craned my neck to look up at him. “You don’t have to?—”

“Not asking for permission, Piper,” he said, silencing me with a look.

After settling the bill, Dane led us out to my SUV. I buckled a sleeping Avery into her car seat while he stripped off his kutte and placed it on the backseat.

I reached for the driver’s side door handle before hesitating. “I can take you back to the hotel.”

“Why would I want to go back to the hotel?” he asked, adopting a challenging tone.

“Um, I didn’t know if you wanted to get your motorcycle or...” I trailed off with a shrug.

He frowned. “Thought we’d go back to your place to talk…unless that’s a problem.”

“No! I mean, no, as in it’s not a problem, not that I don’t want you to come to my house. That came out?—”

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