Page 113 of Brooke's Bliss
Henry’s gaze was flat and he didn’t look back, didn’t try tocatch a glimpse of his wife and child.“I should clean up.Is Nell all right?”
Lucy stood.She’d gotten Nell and the baby comfortable.Well, as comfortable as they could be in a barn.“Mother and baby are doinggreat, and Noah’s good, considering.Brooke did an excellent job with the ducttape, though he’s going to need surgery.”
Why wasn’t Henry busting through to get to his wife?She hada baby in the worst of circumstances.Henry worshipped the ground his wifewalked on.He would do anything for Nell.It was wrong for him to be standingthere like he couldn’t care less.
“Good.”Henry started to turn.“I’ll go and clean up andI’ll be more myself when I come back.Should I bring you anything?”
Oh, she wasn’t the only one feeling the press of the day.Itwasn’t that Henry didn’t care.He didn’t trust himself, didn’t want his wife tosee him covered in blood.Nell was a pacifist.
But she was also his wife, and he’d saved them all.
“John Bishop,” Nell called out.“I said it wrong.I’m sorry.John Bishop, you get over here right now and you meet your daughter.”
He stopped and if she hadn’t been looking so closely, shewouldn’t have seen the slight tremble in his shoulders.“I need a minute, love.I can be Henry again.”
“I never said it.”Nell held her baby to her chest andforced herself to sit up.Her hair clung to her shoulders and cheeks, drenchedin sweat, but she was clear in what she wanted.“I never said the words to you.I love you, John.I love you when you’re Henry and when you’re John and anyother name you want to call yourself.You are my soul’s mate.All of you, notjust the parts I find comfortable.I love you and this is your child.You comeand meet your child, John.”
Henry turned, and those cold eyes were suddenly glassy withunshed tears.“I’m covered in…”
“I don’t care,” Nell replied in a firm tone.“I do not care.I want my husband.I want John Bishop and Henry Flanders, and throw in theformer Mr.Black if you want to, but get over here and hold your baby.Youdidn’t get to hold Poppy for long.I expect you to do your part with thisbaby.”
That got Henry moving.John.He was both.He was his pastand his present and his future, and in each he would love Nell.The dark sideof Henry loved her as much as the jovial, kind man they all knew.Henry’s beastwas Nell’s mate, too, but he rarely got to do the tender parts of love.She wassure John Bishop showed up for all the violence and likely some of the sex, butit was obvious this was new to him.
Brooke cried as she watched John take the baby into hishands.She watched as his jaw clenched but his eyes went soft.
“She’s beautiful, baby.Little Justice,” he whispered.“Iknow I said I thought we should try some other names, but it suits her.”
“I changed my mind.She’s Lucy Brooke Flanders, after thewoman who helped bring her into the world and the one who protected us while wedid it,” Nell announced.
“Uhm, am I chopped liver?”Noah asked with a grin and thenhe winced because he’d obviously moved too much.
Henry ignored him.“Lucy Brooke.I like it.It suits her.Hey, baby girl.I’m your dad.I’m going to be with you for everything.I won’tever let you down.I might not be perfect, but I’ll try for you.”
She felt Bay’s arm go around her waist, pulling her backagainst him.Shane moved in so he was touching her, too.
She heard the sound of sirens and knew she was safe.
* * * *
Bay stared at the copy of the drawing that had gottenthem into so much trouble.He’d handed the original over to Nate.
“So her name was Meli?”Brooke set a beer in front of him.They were back in the foreman’s house after hours and hours of talking to Nateand Elisa.They’d called in the Creede PD to help with processing the scenesince there were so many bodies.
He couldn’t forget the way Caleb had walked straight up toHenry and thanked him for what he called all theatlanto-occipitaldislocations.Henry had stood there with his newborn and told Caleb not tothank him until he saw what he did in the basement.
Then there had been lectures on blood and autopsies, andBrooke had been praised for her duct-taping skills and Zane had shown up withsandwiches and they’d all cleaned up the G so Miranda and her brothers wouldn’tcome home to a killing zone that would traumatize them for life.
“What did your brother say?”Bay looked up at Brooke.Therehad been that perfect moment when she’d told them she loved them, but there wassomething of a distance between them now.Because they hadn’t finished the vowsthey’d made in the barn.The real world had forced them apart for a while, buthe wouldn’t let it much longer.He glanced over at Shane, who gave him a nod.
Which meant he’d been downstairs and everything was inplace.
They had plans for their woman, their future wife.
She stopped, and a soft smile hit her face.Rye and Rachelhad shown up with Nate, holding hands and breathing sighs of relief when theyfound Brooke.Rye and Max talked to her privately, and she seemed much calmer.
“He apologized,” she explained.“He told me he loved me andhe’s not handling things well.He’s overwhelmed, too, but the last thing hewants to do is lose his family when he’s trying so hard to keep it alltogether.So Stef is giving them a loan for the new equipment, and they’regoing to sit down and figure out a solution for all the work because Rachelneeds something outside the home.Even if it’s volunteer work.I’ve heard theFarley brothers are thinking about offering nanny services.I don’t thinkFuberis bringing in the cash they hoped for.Now tell meabout the woman.I was in Elisa’s office when you went over everything.Whatdid Nate find out?”
It had been simple in the end, though it required a coupleof police departments to handle the whole thing.Once the Wyoming police foundout Kingman was dead, they talked to his wife who gave the bastard upwholeheartedly because she thought she would get to keep everything.
