Embracing Danger (21 page)

“I told you before I’m not going anywhere.”

A short, graying man in green scrubs came through a set of swinging doors and headed straight for them. “Are you family to David Hollis?”

Arden jumped to her feet. “I’m his niece. Can you tell me if he’s going to be all right?”

The doctor rubbed the back of his neck and winced. “Your uncle is in very serious condition. He was shot in the chest and has been taken into surgery. You may want to go home as it could take six to eight hours before you hear anything. We can call you when he’s out of recovery and in a regular room.”

There was no way she was leaving. “Thank you but I think we’ll stay.”

“Suit yourself. If you do leave to eat or anything, just give your cell number to the nurse’s station so they can get in touch with you.”

The doctor turned to leave but Arden still had questions. “Wait, how did this happen?”

“That I don’t know. You’ll have to ask the police. We weren’t given any details.”

Shane stood and pulled his phone from his pocket as the doctor disappeared behind the swinging doors. “I’ll call Jason and see if he has had any luck finding out some details. If not, maybe we can bribe a journalist or something. That worked last time.”

“Last time? When you were helping West?”

“No, when I was helping Travis find a killer. His fiancée was suspected of the crime so we needed to find the real murderer.”

Arden stared at Shane, realizing they had been apart for a long time. “What the hell have you been doing the last fifteen years? It’s like you’re James Bond. Can I expect this behavior in the future? Do I need to buy you a bulletproof vest for Christmas?”

Shane winked and grinned, showing off that dimple in his cheek. “Baby, James Bond has nothing on me. Now what are we going to do for the next eight hours?”

Worry.

*     *     *

They ate lunch
at the restaurant across from the hospital. It was ordinary burgers, fries, and several varieties of chicken sandwiches but by noon Arden had been starved. They could have served all you can eat gruel and she would have scarfed it down gratefully.

“You’re doing great, Arden. I’m really proud of you.”

As much as she loved this man – and she did love him – the cheerleading was beginning to get on her nerves. He was walking around her as if on eggshells waiting for her to either explode or perhaps simply melt into a puddle. She wasn’t a grenade with the pin pulled and she didn’t want to be treated like she was.

“Thank you,” she said through gritted teeth. “But I wish you wouldn’t keep saying that.”

His brows pulled together and his smile vanished. “I’m sorry. It bothers you?”

She didn’t want to hurt his feelings because he’d put up with all her bullshit on this trip and so many other things she couldn’t even begin to list. He had the patience of Job and she’d meant it earlier when she’d said it wasn’t fair. He was doing all the giving and she all the taking. She couldn’t expect him not to get damn tired of it eventually. Maybe she should be pussyfooting around waiting for
him
to explode.

“It bothers me,” she replied, knowing she had to be honest. Not wanting to hurt each other was how they got in trouble last time. “I know we’re both waiting for my meltdown but I feel a little like an animal in the zoo. You’re observing me hoping that when the shit hits the fan it won’t be too bad.”

“I’m just worried about you. Are you still feeling numb?”

Taking a moment to answer, Arden thought hard about how she felt at this very moment. She’d been avoiding taking any sort of inventory but that couldn’t, and wouldn’t, last forever.

“I’m not sure. I don’t really know how I feel right now except that it’s a mixture of so many emotions. I feel angry at my father and grandmother that they kept so many important things from me. I feel hopeful that my uncle will live through surgery and I’ll get to meet and talk to him. Even if he isn’t my real father I’d like to get to know him, especially since he loved my mother. And I feel sad that you and I lost so many years. Even though I can’t be sorry because I did what I thought was right at the time, it’s still sad. We loved each other all along. When I left, I only wanted you to be happy.”

That was a bunch of sloppy emotion and so far she’d been able to control it but she didn’t know how long that would last.

“I was happy…in a way. I just wasn’t happily in love.” He grinned and bumped her foot under the table with his own. “You’re worth the wait.”

The ice cube encasing her heart cracked a little. “So are you.”

His fingers played with hers across the table. “Did you love your husband?”

The flash of hurt in Shane’s eyes when he asked the question made the guilt churn in her gut. “I cared about him as a person but we were really friends. We both went into the marriage with eyes wide open and I hoped that we could be happy with friendship and respect. Turns out it wasn’t possible. He fell for his assistant and last I heard they were very happy together.”

“I can put a hurt on the guy for you, if you want.”

She was tempted but Michael was the past. He didn’t deserve any more of her thoughts.

“Save the offer for my father. I have a feeling the next time I see him things are going to get ugly.”

Shane paid the check and they left the restaurant to head back to the hospital. Standing on the front sidewalk, he helped Arden pull on her jacket, tickling her ear with a strand of hair. He was standing close to her, their bodies touching, so when he froze she felt it instantly. He was staring across the street to the entrance of the hospital.

Her own gaze followed to where a man was climbing out of a cab. “What?”

“That’s your dad.”

She did a double-take and realized Shane was right. Her father, the man they’d been searching for, was paying his cab fare. She waved her arms in the air and hopped up and down.

“Dad!” she bellowed as loud as she could. She wouldn’t let him get away from her after everything they’d gone through when he disappeared. “Ben Cavendish, look over here!”

The yellow taxi pulled away, leaving her father standing on the sidewalk staring right back at them. Shane grabbed her hand and they started to cross the street.

That’s when Ben ran.

‡

B
en Cavendish didn’t
have a prayer of being able to outrun Shane. The younger man kept himself in top shape at the gym and with a pickup game of football with a bunch of guys at the park once a week when the weather was decent. Ben, on the other hand, might watch what he ate but he hadn’t done anything more than a brisk walk in years. The outcome had been decided far in advance.

Reaching out his hand, Shane grabbed Ben’s arm as the older man darted down an alleyway. Slamming him into the brick wall, Shane placed his elbow under his hopefully future father-in-law’s chin and got right in his face. He was pissed the hell off that someone who was supposed to love his daughter had been so selfish.

“Stop struggling and tell me where in the fuck you’ve been,” Shane growled. “Arden has been worried sick and damn if you don’t have a hell of a lot of explaining to do. She’s found out a thing or two about you, Ben, and guess what? None of it’s good, not that it shocks me.”

Ben’s hand came up to push Shane’s arm away. “Let me go. I won’t run.”

Loosening his hold but not stepping back, Shane snorted in derision. “It wouldn’t matter. I’d just catch up with you again.”

Ben’s gaze darted up and down the alley, a sheen of sweat on his forehead. “Where’s Arden?”

“I left her at the entrance to the hospital. But I think we should start asking the questions. Are you ready to start telling the truth for once in your completely self-absorbed life?”

Ben shoved Shane but it barely moved him from where he stood. Not long ago, the older man might have been able to mix it up more but now he looked aged and defeated. Even his face looked grayer and with more lines, along with the purple circles under his eyes. Ben looked like he hadn’t had a decent night’s sleep in days.

Good.
Neither had his daughter and it was all Cavendish’s fault.

*     *     *

The three of
them were back in the restaurant, this time with cups of coffee instead of lunch. Ben kept his gaze on the table, barely able to look Arden in the eye, which angered Shane, but then everything her father did pissed him off in general. A man had to take responsibility for his actions and it didn’t appear that Ben was ready to do that.

Shane would have to persuade him.

“I’ve been worried sick,” Arden said flatly, giving her father no wriggle room. “You left with barely a word. I thought something horrible might have happened to you by one of your unsavory business associates. Do you ever think about anyone but yourself?”

“I don’t have–” Ben began, but Arden shook her head to stop him from going any farther.

“Save your denials. I’ve known for a long time. I’m not a little girl anymore.” She leaned forward, tears shining in her eyes. Underneath the table, Shane placed his hand on her thigh and squeezed, letting her know he was there. “In fact, it looks like I’m not even your little girl at all. Did you know that? Did Grandmother? Were you ever going to tell me the truth about my mother and David?”

Ben’s head jerked up and his eyes grew wide. “What–What do mean? Of course you’re my little girl.”

“The coroner’s report says something different. You and Mom can’t both be O when I’m A positive. Is David my real father?”

His face growing red, Ben pounded the table with his fist and heads whipped around to stare. “I am your real father. I raised you. David wasn’t capable of taking care of himself, much less a wife and child. I love you, Arden, and you are my daughter, blood or not. I tried to give you the best life I could and part of that was moving you out of Hemingdale and away from the past.”

Shane felt the tension leak from Arden’s body. “Then he is my biological father.”

Ben shrugged, his lips in a grim line. “What does it matter after all this time? He’s a fuck-up and always has been. I’m your father in the ways that matter.”

“Yet you were coming to the hospital to see him,” Shane stated, not feeling even a particle of sympathy for Ben. He’d brought all this on himself. If Arden never spoke to him again, she’d be justified. He’d lied and obfuscated about some pretty damn important things.

“He is my brother.” The older man hesitated and then exhaled heavily. “The fact is it might be partially my fault.”

Shane didn’t know what Ben was talking about, but again the man wasn’t willing to accept any responsibility.

“What are you talking about, Dad? What might be your fault?”

“Partially my fault,” Cavendish corrected. “It’s not all my fault. David was acting crazy, yelling accusations and waving the gun around telling me to leave.”

“A gun?” Shane groaned and struggled to rein in his temper. Ben Cavendish needed a good punch to the gut. Hollis might as well. “I think you need to start from the beginning.”

Ben took a gulp of his coffee and didn’t speak right away, obviously formulating his words. To Shane’s shame he couldn’t help but wonder if Arden’s father was trying to make whatever story he was about to tell shine him in a better light.