I caught hold of her fingers and she stiffened for a second before seeming to force herself to relax. Her hand was so soft, so delicate. I wanted it stroking over my chest, over my thighs and wrapping around my aching cock.
“How did it go today? Did you and Mieke get along well?”
“We had a great time. I think she likes it here.” I grimaced, knowing I had to tell her the rest. “I had Natalie set up a dinner with just the guys. Everyone but Devlin tried to put the blame on you.” I watched as her jaw clenched and she lowered her eyes, not allowing me to see what she was feeling.
“Before I could set them straight, Mieke tore them a new one.” That had Annabelle’s head snapping up and I grinned. “Even Wroth. She’s got guts, I’ll give her that. But then again, look at her mother.” I tightened my hold on her hand. “You did a great job raising her, Anna. She’s an amazing kid.”
Annabelle swallowed hard once, twice, and then cleared her throat. “I saw that you had guests, so I don’t want to interrupt. Natalie messaged me earlier and said that she’d gotten your spare room sorted for Mieke. I don’t mind her staying with you while we’re in town, but we’ll be leaving the day after tomorrow.”
The thought of her leaving didn’t bother me as much as it might have before, because I wasn’t going to sit around in California while they went back to Tennessee without me. I’d be on the same flight with them, camped out in their front yard if I had to. I needed to be with them, but there were also things that I needed to do in Tennessee. First was to visit my baby daughter’s grave and tell her how sorry I was for not being there to hold her. And second, win back what I’d thrown away all those years ago when I’d left without Annabelle Cassidy.
“Thanks for letting her stay with me.” I rubbed my thumb across the back of her hand and had to suppress my smirk when I saw gooseflesh pop up along her arm. So she wasn’t any more immune to me than I was to her. That definitely worked in my favor. “Will you be at Emmie’s?”
She shook her head. “No. Nik and I had words this morning and I’d rather stay as far away from him as possible for the moment. Like the OtherWorld guys, he blames me for not telling you about Mieke.”
I dropped her hand, afraid that I’d crush it if I didn’t. “I’ll talk to him.” I hadn’t been expecting Nik to take sides in this shit-storm. I appreciated him sticking up for me, but not at the cost of Annabelle’s feelings.
Annabelle snorted. “Don’t bother. I’m not going to lose any sleep over what Nik Armstrong might think of me. I’m just going to get a hotel for the next few nights.”
“No.” There was no way in hell I was going to let her stay at a hotel. I was greedy for every second I could get from her, not to mention I would worry about her being alone like that. Whoever had shot Gabriella was still out there; who knew what else that crazy bitch would do next.
Sky-blue eyes narrowed on me, blond brows lifting. “No?”
“Don’t stay at a hotel, Anna. There’s no use wasting your money when I have a perfectly good bed right here.” I thought it was a good enough argument to make.
Her brows only lifted higher. “You have two bedrooms, Zander. One of them is Mieke’s and, while I love that girl with every breath in my body, I’d rather not have to see a chiropractor in the morning. She’s all over the place when she sleeps, all legs and arms that kick and flail.”
“So take my bed…” Blue eyes turned glacier and I rushed to continue, “…and I’ll take the couch. I swear I’ll keep my hands to myself. For now.”
Those eyes I’d always loved—would always love—lost some of their frost, but she was still narrowing them at me. “You’re awfully cocky, Zander Brockman. How did I forget that about you?”
I ignored her question, knowing without a doubt she hadn’t forgotten so much as the smallest detail about me over the years. Fuck, it was the same for me. “Stay here, Anna. Let’s give Mieke a taste of what having both her parents under the same roof would feel like.”
Annabelle lowered her eyes to the carpeted hallway and I knew I’d hit a nerve for her. By the way she sucked in a shuddering breath, it must have been a painful nerve. Damn it, I hadn’t meant to hurt her. My goal in life from that day forward was to never hurt her again.
“Hell, Anna. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—”
She shook her pale-blond and hot-pink hair back from her face, lifting her gaze back to mine. The look in her eyes was so sad it broke my heart a little more. “You’re right, Z. It would be nice for Mieke to have us both for once. Even if it is only for a few more days.”
I thrust my hands into the front pockets of my jeans so I wouldn’t reach out and tuck a stray strand of hot-pink hair behind her ear. “I’m going back to Tennessee with you and our daughter when it’s time for you to go, babe. I want to see Michelle’s…grave.” Just saying that one word felt like I was being stabbed directly in the heart with a thousand daggers. “Plus, I want the chance to get to know Mieke better…and you.”
She flinched at the last part and took what seemed to me to be an involuntary step back. “It would be good for you to see where Michelle is buried, and I love the idea of you spending more time with Mieke. She’s going to enjoy that. But I am featured nowhere in your future. I’m nothing but your daughter’s mother. It begins and ends there, Zander. Our chance was over a long time ago.”
“Maybe it was, but then again, maybe it wasn’t. We’ll never know unless we try, Anna.” I was going to try my damnedest to prove to her our time wasn’t over.
It was just the beginning.
C HAPTER T WENTY O NE
Annabelle
From the second I stepped off the plane in Nashville, I felt like I could actually breathe again. I didn’t know if it was because I was finally home again after so many weeks away, or because everything and everyone I loved was there, or maybe even if it was because I was so close to Michelle when I was in Tennessee. None of the reasons mattered. I was simply happy to be home. Where I belonged.
I stood with Mieke and Zander as we waited at baggage claim for our luggage. Either Emmie or Natalie had been able to get Zander a ticket on the same flight as Mieke’s and mine, and had snuck and upgraded our two seats to first class with Zander. I rarely flew first class, not because of the money—no, my brother still made enough off his royalties, and my own income was enough to keep my daughter and me comfortable for a very, very long time. I just didn’t see the point in wasting money for first class when all I needed was a seat on a plane that was taking me in the direction I wanted to go.
Mieke didn’t have any luggage to pick up since she’d only brought her backpack and a carry-on with her. I had two carry-on cases as well as a larger, heavy case I’d had to check. Zander had only brought one large bag that he’d checked. Seeing our bags coming our way now, he reached for both before I could even try.
Turning to me, he took both my carry-on cases, stacked one on top of each of the larger bags, and smiled that smile that had always melted me. “I think I see your brother.” He lifted his chin in the direction of where people were waiting for the disembarking passengers. “Bet he’ll be happy to see me, huh?”
I bit down on the inside of my cheek. Noah had been unusually quiet when I’d told him Zander was coming back with me. A quiet Noah was an unpredictable Noah. I had worried about his reaction to the sight of his old friend the entire flight home. Would he punch Zander on sight? Wait until we had gotten to my house—that just happened to be right next door to my brother and sister-in-law—before taking a swing at Z? Or would he put the past behind him, as I was trying so hard to do, and welcome his old friend home?