Total pages in book: 62
Estimated words: 57099 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 285(@200wpm)___ 228(@250wpm)___ 190(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 57099 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 285(@200wpm)___ 228(@250wpm)___ 190(@300wpm)
“I was scared too,” Brynn said suddenly, her voice small. “When they first told me about my kidneys. Not so much for me, but…” She swallowed hard. “I kept thinking about how Mom would have nobody if I died. She’d be all alone.” The raw honesty in her voice sliced through me like a blade. I set down the rook I’d been about to move, my hand not quite steady. “I think that was when I started hating you.”
“I can understand that. And it’s nothing I didn’t deserve. When I got that email from your mom, it scared me,” I confessed. “Terrified me that I could lose you before I got to know you.” I met her eyes across the board. “Still am, sometimes.”
She looked down at the chess pieces, blinking rapidly. “That’s stupid,” she muttered, but there was no heat in it. “The doctors said everything looks good.”
“Doesn’t stop me worrying. Pretty sure that’s part of the whole dad package.” The word felt strange on my tongue, but right somehow. “Listen, Brynn. If this transplant ever fails, you know I’ve got a spare, right? I’ll be on dialysis myself before I let anything happen to you.”
She rolled her eyes, but I caught the slight tremor in her hand as she moved her queen. “Pretty sure that’s not how transplants work, but whatever makes you feel better.”
“I’ve done my research,” I insisted. “And I’ve got friends in low places. We’ll make it work if we need to.”
“You’re such a weirdo,” she muttered, but I saw a fragile trust begin to take root right in front of my eyes. And maybe even the beginnings of respect.
Chapter Fifteen
Lavender
I smoothed the fresh sheets over Brynn’s bed, tucking the corners. Two weeks since the surgery, and finally -- finally -- we were bringing her home. Everything had gone according to plan, but Dr. Patel wanted to keep her longer than strictly necessary to make damned good and sure they got on top of any bumps in the road.
“You’re going to wear a hole in those sheets if you keep fussing with them,” Ada said from the doorway, a steaming mug in each hand. She crossed the room and handed me one. Chamomile with honey. “She’s going to be fine, Lavender. She’s tough as nails, that kid of yours.”
“I’m so glad you all took her in.” I wiped my palms down the front of my jeans. Nerves made my hands clammy. “She’s happier than I’ve ever seen her and I really thought she was a happy kid before.”
Ada smiled, her eyes crinkling at the corners. “I’m pretty fond of being Aunt Ada already. Besides. It’s not only her we accepted into the family.”
I took a sip of tea, letting the warmth seep into my hands. “Thanks for helping with all this. I don’t think I could have managed alone. Thank you for… well, everything.”
“That’s the point, honey. You don’t have to do things alone anymore.” Ada smiled, squeezing my shoulder as I headed back to the living room.
A hand-painted banner lay across the coffee table. Bold letters spelled out “WELCOME HOME BRYNN” in electric blue -- her favorite color. Ada, Penny and Penny’s twin girls Zelda and Kira had spent hours on it last night, insisting on making it themselves rather than buying one from the store. Violet’s son Caleb and Tiny, Penny’s man, had volunteered to hang the big-ass banner before Knight and Brynn got home. They’d painted tiny motorcycles in the corners and what looked suspiciously like chess pieces along the border.
In the kitchen, I arranged Brynn’s favorite foods in the refrigerator. The freezer was already stocked with homemade meals from the old ladies with enough to feed us for days.
I went from one task to the next, not finishing anything. Ada crossed the room and placed her hands on my shoulders, forcing me to meet her gaze. “Lavender, breathe. You’ve handled every challenge that’s come your way so far, and you won’t be doing it alone anymore. Knight would walk through fire for that girl. Hell, the entire club would. Besides. Whatever happened between Lana, Knight, and those two doctors had a ripple effect.”
“What do you mean?”
“Dr. Patel wanted to keep Brynn as long as possible.”
“Yes. She told me that from the beginning. That she’d take the maximum days our insurance would allow us to keep as close an eye on her as possible since we only got one shot at this.”
“Well, she got those two assholes to approve as much time as she wanted to give Brynn. In fact, they gave Dr. Patel total discretion on her discharge. Anything the insurance didn’t pay for, the hospital will write off.”
I gasped. “I had no idea. I’ve been so busy trying to take care of everyone I never really thought about the length of her stay.”