Page 113 of Hit the Ground
My mother wrapped her arm around Alice’s waist. “She’s been with you all night, Cay. I’d only just convinced her to take a walk with me to get a bite to eat. It makes sense your stubborn self would decide to wake up when she was out of the room.”
I closed my eyes as I bit back a laugh. “Jesus, don’t make me laugh when I have three broken ribs.”
My dad rumbled from my other side. “Maybe that’ll teach you not to drive like a maniac. You scared the hell out of us.”
I turned my head to look at him. “Then you know why I was driving that way.”
We exchanged a long, loaded look. I had a feeling he’d probably driven much the same way to get to me when he’d been alerted to my accident. There wasn’t anything that would keep me from trying to get to my boy, and he understood that all too well. After all, he’d been the one to shape me into the kind of father I was.
Finally, he nodded with understanding. “I get it. Doesn’t mean I approve.”
“Well, like you said, I’ll be taking it easy for a while.”
Alice’s cool fingers stroked my jaw. “And I’ll make sure you do.”
I turned my head to kiss her hand. “Darlin’...I’m so damn sorry I didn’t answer your call.”
“I know you would have if you could’ve.”
My mother gave Alice’s waist a shake. “She and Shelby took care of business. Not that I condone them chasing Kent down, but…well, the result was glorious.”
I blinked at her then Alice. “You…chased him down?”
Alice’s cheeks went rosy. “Shelby did. I was just the passenger. And when we caught up with them, she sort of…beat the living daylights out of Kent with a tire iron.”
I blinked even harder. “A tire iron?”
My dad took over. “I suspect he’s in even more pain than you. Shel managed to fracture several ribs, his arm and hand.”
“Mmmhmm,” my mother agreed. “I’m certain he’s in a world of regret right now. He should have just handed himself over to his loan sharks.”
“Shelby was really mad,” Alice added. “Reallymad.”
I stared at Alice, at the blush creeping up her cheeks, then at my mom, who looked downright smug. For a man laid up in a hospital bed with three busted ribs, I’d never felt more like laughing.
A tire iron. Damn. Leave it to Shelby.
“Never get between a boy and his mom,” I rasped, the corner of my mouth tugging upward despite the ache.
“You’re not wrong,” Dad said, his lips twitching.
Alice smoothed my hair back from my forehead and eyed my expression. “Don’t you dare laugh, Cay. You’ll tear something.”
I caught her fingers in mine, holding tight. “I’m trying not to, darlin’. I’m just…I guess I’m feeling grateful. My boy’s safe. Shelby handled Kent. And you—” My voice went rough as I pulled her hand to my lips. “You’re here.”
She dipped down, her hair brushing my face, her lips grazing my temple. “Where else would I be?”
I shut my eyes, sinking into her touch. “Nowhere but here with me.”
Chapter Forty-six
Alice
DraggingamanCaleb’ssize wasn’t easy, but I somehow managed. Jesse would have died of mortification if I hadn’t. As it was, we were the last parents to leave. Even Shelby had driven away before us.
I understood why he was having a hard time leaving Jesse after everything. He’d spent the last few weeks watching him like a hawk, searching for signs of trauma.
As always, Jesse was resilient. He had three sessions with a therapist, but when it came time for the fourth, he’d asked if he could skip it. Through it all, the one thing he’d been most concerned about was his mom. Once assured she wasn’t going to get in trouble for injuring Kent, he was ready to move on.
