Part 30 (1/2)
Henry said, ”I guess there was never any stopping this thing between the two of you.”
Jase felt surprise, but his fear of this confrontation was gone. He gathered his words carefully before he spoke. ”I'm not sure any of us knew that until today. And it certainly wasn't for lack of trying.”
”Son...”
”You can kick me out of the club,” said Jase, even though he couldn't look at Henry when he said it. ”I've had it both ways, Henry. I know what life is like without her now, and it's not the same. Even at its best with the MC, even the days I was happy, it wasn't like this.” He shook his head. ”I'm not losing her again.”
Jase turned. For the first time he could remember, he saw pain on Henry's face, and deep in his eyes.
”Jase, that hadn't even crossed my mind. Why would it? You saved my daughter. Without question you have done everything you can, every hour, to help me keep her safe since she arrived.”
Jase flushed and looked at his feet.
”Maybe you two weren't certain until today, but I saw this coming years ago,” said Henry. He swiped self-consciously at a tear and let out a chuckle. ”I saw this coming from the first time you two traded comic books with each other at the clubhouse. I had never seen a boy make Maggie laugh so much. And it was the first time I saw you acting normal since your dad died.”
Jase felt a deep, almost painful grat.i.tude for Henry's words, even as he laughed lightly at the memory.
”I should never have stood in the way,” said Henry. ”It was a fool's errand. I won't keep it up now. Even if I wanted to, I owe you that much for saving her life.”
He turned and looked Henry in the eyes. ”I love her, Henry; more than anything,” Jase answered.
Henry nodded and gave Jase an emotional smile. ”Good. Keep it that way.”
The paramedic wanted Maggie to head to the hospital, worried she might have suffered some head trauma from the abuse or the rough van ride, but she refused to leave without Jase. Jase didn't hesitate to climb into the bus with her and sit next to her stretcher, his hand curled into hers.
”Love you,” said Maggie to Henry as he stood at the edge of the open doors. ”Thank you for saving me.”
”This is your home, sweetheart. We will always protect you here,” said Henry. ”I'll be right behind you once I get things sorted here.”
Jase nodded to Henry again before the paramedic closed the doors and signaled the driver to make his way down to the interstate.
~ Nineteen ~
The doctors made Maggie spend a full overnight in the hospital for observation. Since the Taser knocked her unconscious, they didn't want to take any chances. Despite the death or capture of nearly all the men involved, the sheriff put a deputy outside her door, to go along with the three Black Dogs already posted up there as her guards.
Well, four, counting the one in her hospital room. Jase refused to leave her side, and had no trouble barking commands to the others to make sure she still wanted for nothing. The pain meds kept her floating in and out of sleep, but every time she woke up, he was still there on the side of her bed, holding her hand. Sometimes, he was watching her sleep. Once, she couldn't open her eyes, but could hear his soft breathing on the edge of her consciousness. And twice she woke only to find him sleeping with his head perched on her leg gently.
Maggie smiled and found the energy to lift her hand and stroke his raven-colored hair while he slept. He made a soft little groaning noise in his sleep, and moved a little under her touch. She didn't want to wake him, but she played softly with his hair until she fell back asleep herself.
By afternoon the following day, she was feeling better, and the docs didn't see any signs of worry. Like a patient guardian, Jase listened to a doctor describe her recovery treatment. Henry stood in the back of the room, waiting to help transport her home. Jase was careful as he scooped her up from the bed and into a wheelchair. Henry walked alongside her as Jase pushed. The doctor had offered, but Jase refused to let him.
Henry stood by as Jase helped her carefully into the pa.s.senger seat of his truck. Once she was belted in, he came up and took her hand. He planted a gentle kiss on top of it. ”Tell me this is the end of the family curse.”
Maggie smirked at him, still not quite herself under the painkillers. ”I hope so, dad.”
Henry had a confused smile on his face. ”You haven't called me dad in a long time.”
”I'm on a lot of drugs. I probably won't remember it tomorrow, so don't get used to it,” she said. For once, Henry just laughed at her backtalk. Jase climbed into the driver's seat and double-checked her seatbelt before he started the ignition.
”Sheriff's digging out the last of the Rebel Cross boys from their chapter in Howlett. Most of them had nothing to do with it, but he's not taking any chances,” said Henry. ”Things should be safe now with Evan eliminated, but keep your eyes out just in case for the next few days.”
”I dare them to try again,” said Jase with a grin as he started the truck. ”The higher my body count, the s.e.xier she thinks I am.”
”It's true,” said Maggie. She laughed much harder at the joke than it deserved, which only made Jase and Henry laugh at her.
”Take care of my little girl, Jase,” said Henry before he closed the door.
Jase saluted him with serious eyes. ”Always, boss.”
Maggie smiled at her father through the truck window and waved as they backed out of the hospital parking lot. For sure, she knew now, it was the painkillers giving her such ease of emotion. But as silly as she felt, it was a welcome relief from the horror of the past week. She let it envelop her as she turned to look at Jase in the driver's seat, watching the road. His hand had already wandered over to find one of hers in her lap. Every now and again, he would sneak a look over at her, and she would already be watching him and grinning. Jase would laugh and turn red a bit before he went back to watching the road.
”I'm glad to see you sitting there,” he said at one stoplight. He squeezed her hand when she told him she was thinking the same thing.
Jase took them back to his house. He set her up in bed and demanded her orders. ”Anything you want, I'll get it for you. Just say the word.”
”Anything?”
”Yep.”
”A puppy?”
”Done. What else?”
”A gla.s.s of whiskey.”
”As long as you don't tell the doc. Next?”
”Some crack cocaine?”
”Sure. Wait, what?” said Jase with a laugh.