The Love He Craves (The Love She Craves: Selling Her Soul to Declan Book 2) (7 page)

He laughed, but there was little humor in it. “No it’s not. Maybe it’s a virtue at best, but a life skill? Never,” he said. “The desire to never share is more of a life skill. It drives people to work hard and to protect what is theirs.”

She stared at him until his eyes left the road and met hers. “That’s the message you want to teach my kids?”

He shrugged. “You know it’s against my nature to yield anything, but I also know I am the novice here.”

“And I’m the master?” There was a playfulness in her tone that nearly made him laugh.

“Keep up that shit and we’ll see who’s the…boss.”

Nyxie flashed a quick smile then scrunched up her nose at him.

“You’re the one who broke a rule, not me. I’m merely pointing out that we agreed you wouldn’t spoil my kids.”

“I bought them crayons,” he said, pulling into the hospital parking lot. “Get over it.”

His tone bore a hard edge that Nyxie knew meant he was finished discussing it.

“Well, I’m sure I can figure out a punishment for breaking the rule.” Nyxie stared straight ahead, pointedly ignoring him—an ill-concealed wide grin.

“We’ll see who gets punished,” Declan said under his breath.

Chapter 7

Lotus and Reina wore their backpacks into the hospital and Declan prepared them for what they would see. He told them to treat Cody as if he was made of glass and not to squeeze him because of his broken ribs and recent abdominal surgery.

It had been close to three weeks since Cody’s accident, and most of his minor bruises, abrasions and swellings had healed, but the weakness to his left side made half his face a little slack and changed his appearance.

Cody was asleep in a recliner when they arrived and Declan sent the girls into the bathroom to wash their hands before they woke him up.

Nyxie instructed the girls to stand where they’d be the first things he saw when he opened his eyes. When they were in place, she leaned over and said his name in his ear, then gently put her hand on his shoulder.

Like Nyxie, Cody awoke instantly and with an alertness that bordered on fear. But as quickly as he realized he was safe, his anxiety vanished and he grinned at Lotus and Reina.

“Hey,” he said.

Reina squealed and launched herself at him. Declan reached out with his athletic reflexes and grabbed her before she reached him.

“No,” he said sternly. “Remember what we talked about.”

“I just wanted to hug him,” she pouted.

He picked her up, one hand under her stomach, the other around her thighs and held her in a facedown plank as he airplaned her over Cody until her arms surrounded his neck. “Gently,” Declan warned. “Watch out for his PICC line.”

Cody’s arms slowly lifted to circle her neck. “I missed you too, brat,” he said affectionately, each syllable coming out painstakingly slow.

“I’m glad you’re not dead.”

He first lifted off his broken arm, breaking the embrace, and then the other one, and Declan lowered Reina to her feet. “More r-room in the b-bed if I was,” Cody said with a laugh.

Declan turned and held his arms out to Lotus in invitation to do the same thing, but his arms fell away as he saw her stricken face. Nyxie saw her tears at the same moment.

“Lotus, what’s wrong?”

“I’m sorry I forgot to call 9-1-1,” she blurted, her voice choked with emotion.

Nyxie pulled the girl into an embrace. “It’s okay, Lolo. The driver had his cell phone. He called when it happened.”

The girl clung to Nyxie and cried.

“Have you been feeling guilty this whole time?” Nyxie asked, making Lotus nod her head. “Oh, sweetie, it’s okay. The ambulance was probably halfway there before I answered the phone.”

Nyxie set her back and wiped away her tears with her fingertips. “You’re only ten, Lotus. You did a great job. You called me, and you took care of Reina. Do you want Declan to lift you up so you can hug Cody?”

Lotus’s chestnut hair fell in her face as she nodded. Declan pushed the wayward strand behind her ear before he helped her into a position where she could give her uncle a much needed hug. “I’m sorry,” she whispered repeatedly. “I’m sorry.”

“Lotus, it’s not your fault,” Nyxie said when the girl was back on the floor. “If you want to blame anyone, blame the kid who drove the pickup.”

She sniffled and nodded but continued to look miserable.

“Maybe this wasn’t a good idea,” Declan said. “We should have waited until Cody was more healed.”

“I don’t mean to be such a baby,” Lotus said, sniffling and wiping the back of her hand across her nose. “I’m glad to see Cody. I wanted to see him.”

Declan put a hand on her shoulder. “It’s tough to see someone you love in the hospital. But Cody’s doing so much better than before, and he’s going to keep getting better.” He turned to Cody. “Is this your first time out of bed?”

His lips struggled to form the word and he nodded to fill the gap until he could get it out. “Yeah.”

“You look pretty tired. Do you want to go back to bed?”

Cody shoulders dropped slightly, as if the prospect exhausted him. “Y-yeah,” he said.

“Do you want to try to walk, or do you want me to carry you?” Declan asked, lowering the bed rails.

Everyone waited patiently for Cody to fight the words out.

“The nurses help me walk over. I can d-do it.”

Declan knew he should probably call the nurses to move him, but didn’t want to bring attention to having the girls in the room. He lowered the bed to make it easier for Cody to get in. It was only a few steps, but to someone in Cody’s condition, it would feel like an aerobic workout.

He wore a wide belt around his chest just below his armpits that the nurses used to help support him. Declan positioned himself on the boy’s uninjured side, knowing if Cody didn’t have the strength, he could pick him up from that side more easily. He asked Nyxie to be on Cody’s other side because he knew she would be as gentle as possible. Lotus was given the responsibility of moving the IV pole and Reina was charged with supporting Cody’s leg when the recliner’s footrest was lowered.

After pressing the button on his pain pump, they slowly stood him up.

“Keep all your weight on your good leg,” Declan said. “Let Nyxie and me support you when you need to step on the other leg.”

It was a slow and painful process, but they eventually got him to the bed.

“Ew! I saw Cody’s butt,” Reina said suddenly as Cody turned to sit down.

“Reina,” Nyxie chided.

When Cody was situated in the bed, Declan waited for about thirty seconds for Nyxie to chastise Reina, but when she didn’t, he took matters into his own hands.

“Reina, I’d like to speak with you in the hallway.”

As he marched the eight-year-old out of the room, he gave Nyxie a look that dared her to say something. When the door was closed, he lowered himself to her level and took a hold of her upper arms. “If that were you wearing the hospital gown, and Cody saw your bottom, what would you have wanted him to do?”

Realizing she was in trouble, Reina’s big brown eyes were wide and her bottom lip stuck out in a pout. The girl shrugged. “I don’t know.”

Her voice was so quiet, he had to lean in to hear her and his face was mere inches away when he quietly, but firmly, spoke to the child. “The polite thing to do is look away, and don’t say anything. Can you do that next time?”

She waited a few seconds before nodding. She gnawed on her lip and he wasn’t sure if she was about to cry. “Don’t be mad at me, Papa.”

“I’m not mad at you. I just didn’t like what you said. Cody deserves for you to treat him respectfully.”

“I was just teasing him,” the girl said.

Her thin eyebrows lifted in an expression that showed she really had not meant to be rude. He had a strange desire to give her a hug and apologize to her for being so strict. Christ, how did parents do this?

“When he’s better, you can tease him. But for now, be nice.”

Reina looked like she was on the verge of tears when she nodded. Oh, if this child knew how cute she looked at that moment, she could have had him wrapped around her little finger in a heartbeat.

“Give me a hug, and then I want you to go in there and apologize to Cody.”

Reina launched herself at him with such force that, in his crouched position, he nearly lost his balance. And when she didn’t let go right away, he scooped her up and carried her back into the room.

Nyxie was biting her lip when they reentered the room. Her expression changed to relief when she realized Reina didn’t seem too upset. Had she been expecting him to spank her or raise his voice and yell at her?

“Was it fun to ride in a helicopter?” Lotus asked Cody.

“I rode in a helicopter?”

“He was unconscious, Lotus. He doesn’t remember,” Nyxie said.

“Cody,” Declan interrupted. “Reina has something she wants to say.”

“I’m sorry I said I saw your butt,” she said. “Is that good, Papa?”

He nodded and set her down.

“Papa?” Cody said looking at Nyxie.

“Cody, honey, we didn’t want to upset you, but CPS took Lotus and Reina from me after your accident. Declan married me to help me get them back.”

“That’s not why I married you,” he said. “When their adoption goes through, I guess I’ll be their stepdad,” Declan added, his eyes on Nyxie with lowered brow, but his words meant for Cody.

“You’re adopting them, but not me?” Cody asked Nyxie.

The hurt was written all over the Cody’s face as tears began flowing down his cheeks.

“It’s so Melinda can’t come back and take them away when she gets out of jail. It doesn’t mean I love them more than you.”

“Momma could come back and take me away.”

“Cody, it’s expensive….” She cast a helpless look at Declan. “I don’t think Momma is coming back. She loved you more than she loved anyone. If she could have come back for you, she would have already.”

“Maybe,” he said, his voice wavering. “Maybe she’ll hear about my accident and come back.”

Nyxie’s head tilted to one side, and tears pooled in her lower eyelids. The vulnerability Declan saw in her eyes did strange things to his insides—not just the inevitable rush of blood to his groin, but he also wanted to take away the pain that put it there—such a contradiction—to want to take away all things that put that vulnerable look on her face that normally turned him on.

“Nyxie, Cody’s right. I’ll call Junior and get him started.”

The smile of gratitude that Nyxie flashed at Declan made his breath catch. He wished she could look at him that way every moment of every day. She appeared so happy and he knew that he had put that smile on her face. Squaring his shoulders, he felt ten feet tall. Her expression at that moment, filled with love, blissful contentment and adoration, filled a corner of his heart with pride that he had never felt in his life.

~*~

Declan pulled his phone from his hip and stepped out of the room to call his lawyer.

“Why d-didn’t you t-tell me you got married?” Cody stammered out, still obviously upset.

“I didn’t know how to tell you. He has been helping me. If it weren’t for Declan, you and the girls would have spent the rest of your childhood in foster care.”

“Me too?”

“Yeah,” she said, nodding as she stepped up to the bedside and curled her hand around the fingers protruding from his cast. “Declan gave me back the three most important people in my life. How can I not love him?”

Declan poked his head back in. “Nyxie, may I speak with you a moment?”

She released Cody’s hand with a little pat and kissed his cheek before following Declan out into the corridor.

The moment the door closed behind her, he folded her arms over her chest and backed her into the wall.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, when she realized he was enclosing her into a small space the way he did when he comforted her.

“I just got off the phone with Junior. Before I tell you, I want to make sure you understand this is not insurmountable, so try not to get too upset.”

“Drawing it out and making this big production by confining me, is not helping. Just tell me.”

He took a deep breath. “Reina’s father is listed on her birth certificate. He’ll have to give up his parental rights before you can adopt her. Junior has his investigator trying to track him down.”

“Oh, my God. What if he’s a drug addict like Melinda? What if he won’t give up his rights?”

“You should be more concerned if he’s not. If he’s some hard-working Joe who wants his daughter, there’s not much Junior can do. I’ve authorize Junior to pay him off and offer him visitation without child support, but it could be a losing fight.”

She placed her head against his shoulder. “Sir, I know you’re going to do everything within your power to make sure I keep all three of my kids. I put my complete faith in you.”

He gulped, hoping he could live up to her expectations. Loosening his hold, he stepped back, and tilted her head up so he could look into her face. “Good girl,” he said. “I can’t tell you how much that pleases me.”