Page 32 of The Fear
Hala kept her mouth shut. Hala had already let things slip to Hudson when she’d realized the man who had attacked Gia almost three years ago was back in town. She wasn’t going to betray Gia’s secret any more than she already had.
“Well, she has George and Genny and Chad and Guthrie and Aubrey with her right now. And your brother. And I suspect my mom will show up at the ranch as soon as they get her there. I’m here to get you and Calvin and Ryan. I’m going to order pizza for everybody, too. I think Gunn is getting Greer and Ayla from wherever the two of them are now, too. How much longer do you need to stay here?”
She just stood there like an idiot, shaking in his arms. Gia had to have been so terrified today. Tears filled her eyes and spilled over. Why was all of this happening to the people she cared aboutnow?
“Hey, hey, none of that. Everyone is okay. I promise.”
Then strong male arms were around her and Grady was promising her everyone was going to be okay. That he wouldmake it that way, if she just didn’t cry on him. That he was too much of a wimp for a woman’s tears.
Especially hers.
She was too special to cry.
She’d lookedup when he’d walked in. He’d wished she’d smiled at him. It would have made him feel like the world was a little brighter. Hala looked adorable as a kindergarten teacher, with the little chairs and desks surrounding her and smiling cartoon faces on her bulletin board. She wore a pretty sundress with a denim vest on top. So…kindergarten-teacher-ish. He could imagine her surrounded by happy kids.
Now she stood there, hurt in her big eyes nearly destroying him. He didn’tthink,he just acted.
Grady lifted the woman closer and just held her. The boys noticed and came running, ready to slay dragons for her. Of course they would. She was the kind of woman a guy slayed dragons for without hesitation.
“Aunt Hala, what’s the matter?” the little boy who looked a great deal like her asked. He even had the same curly hair and big brown eyes. He looked just like his aunt had as a kid. “Where’s Daddy?”
“Your daddy took Gia to the doctor. She was hurt at work today. I’m here to get you three and take you back to the ranch. We’re going to eat pizza and wait for them to come home, okay?” Grady said. He hated seeing the fear in the kid’s eyes, just as much as he’d hated seeing the worry in the woman’s. He kissed Hala on the top of her head and just held her close. She felt like she belonged right there. It had been a crappy day all around,and now…it felt a little morerightagain. “Do you boys have your stuff?”
“Yep,” his own nephew said, patting Hala on the back softly. “Why is she crying like that? Is my Aunt Gia okay?”
He’d always been a perceptive kid. Grady nodded. “Hala is just worried, buddy. Aunt Gia hurt her shoulder and she’s pretty bruised. But she’ll be okay. She’s not even staying at the hospital all night.”
“Not hurt as bad as Aunt Genny was when the bad man hurt her? Or…like Miss Ayla was? Miss Ayla is going to help me learn to swim really, really, really good soon. She said when I asked. Aunt Gia is okay? You promise?” Of course. Calvin would have questions, considering everything that had happened to Genny, and Aubrey, Gunn and Ayla, and Chantal and Gene over the last month. Grady barely understood and he was a full-grown man.
“Is my daddy hurt, too? Did the bad guys at the court get him?” Ryan asked next.
Grady set Hala back a little. He kissed her forehead quickly. The big wet eyes were all it took.
Then he knelt down in front of the boys. He opened his arms, and both came to him. Poor little guys. Of course they didn’t understand this. “Your daddy’s cast broke, and he had to get a new one, that’s all. And it takes a while for the cast stuff to dry. The bad guy at court was really mad that he was getting in trouble and he pushed Aunt Gia. Then Ryan’s daddy grabbed the bad guy and threw him through the air so he couldn’t hurt anybody again. I heard the bad guy landed on a table and it broke into a thousand pieces. Then your daddy went with Gia to the hospital so she wouldn’t be afraid.”
“Daddy saved Gia from the bad guy? He took good care of her? You’re sure?” Ryan asked, like it was the most important question in the world. He really liked Grady’s sister—Grady had noticed that before. Kids always had. His sister would be awonderful mother someday, when she was ready. Just like his own had always been. Grady knew how lucky he had been to get the parents he’d been given.
“Yep. And everyone is going to be okay, but they had to wait for your Daddy’s cast to dry, so they couldn’t come get you and Aunt Hala as soon as he promised. So I’m here to get her instead. And you guys, since I had to come get Calvin, too. Calvin’s daddy took Chantal to her doctor’s appointment today and the doctor was really late. That’s all. I promise. Everybody is going to be okay.”
He stood back up and slipped his arm around Hala. “Get your stuff, honey. We’ll get out of here, so good old Luie can lock up.”
He shot Luis a look of challenge. Luis smirked at him. Luis wanted Hala. It was in the way the man was looking at her. Of course he did. Why wouldn’t he?
Well, Grady decided in that very moment, Luis Sandoval wasn’t going together. Grady pulled her closer, and kissed her on the forehead. Luis could go find another woman of his own out there.
He wasn’t getting this one.
She felt too perfect right where she was for Grady to lose her now.
23
The man’sbiggest endearing quality, Hala decided, was how good he was with children. That, and maybe that he did kiss really well, too. And he was just always there when his family needed him. There was that, too.
Of course, a woman would find that beyond attractive. Someone you could count on was utterly priceless.
He just took over after he explained to the boys what had happened. Hala found herself being lifted into the front seat of his big red truck, after he’d lifted the boys into the backseat, where he had two booster seats already waiting.
Like she couldn’t climb in by herself or something. She climbed into her brother’s nearly identical beast of abluetruck all the time. Hudson didn’t exactly lift her in like she was helpless.
