Page 82 of My Heart To Heal

‘Only you can make that call, Miss, but I think he’s probably going to be wondering where you are and missing you like crazy by now.’

‘Right, you’re right.’ I’m agreeing when there’s a knock at the door, and I turn to Nick. ‘Can you answer it?’

Without question or annoyance, Nick rises and moves to open my door, and my heart stops as my baby runs in — then freezes.

‘Mama,’ he gasps, and I lower to kneel on the floor.

‘It’s okay, baby. I’m okay.’

I hold out my arms to him as Nick talks to Doug and Cara. They don’t come in. I guess they know I need time with Jonah.

Jonah turns to Nick with thunder in his eyes.

‘Did you hurt Mama?’ he asks, shocking me, and I turn to see Nick freeze, his mouth falling open like a fish out of water.

‘Baby,no. Why would you think that?’

‘Because when Daddy was your boyfriend, hehurt you, and now Nick is your boyfriend.’

Wow, there’s a lot to unpack there.

‘Oh, Jonah, no. Nick didn’t hurt me,’ I turn back to look at him briefly, then back to my son. ‘You knew Daddy hurt me?’

He nods sadly. ‘I saw him.’

I hang my head, heartbroken. I didn’t know that.

‘Jonah, it was your daddy who hurt me this time as well, but I’m okay. Nick stopped him, and Auntie Bree took him away.’

‘To jail?’

I nod, yes. ‘Yeah, Jonah, to jail. He’s never going to hurt me again, okay?’ He throws himself at me, his arms around my neck.

‘I don’t ever want to see him, Mama.’

‘You never need to see him again, Jonah.’

I make a promise I hope I can keep as my son pulls back and touches my hair. ‘Where did your hair go?’

I smile. ‘I felt like a change. Do you like it?’ I ask, and he smiles, so I do the same. ‘Sweetie, you can go and play, and I’ll make you some lunch, okay?’

He runs off to his room and I turn to find Nick, arms folded, watching me.

‘I didn’t know he’d seen anything.’ My bottom lip wobbles with the emotion threatening to burst out of me and Nick steps forward, toward me.

‘He saw you pick him up and leave, honey. He saw you keep him safe and trust me, from a little boy who didn't get that from his mom, that is everything. You're his hero.’

He opens his arms to me, and I step into them, letting him hold me.

‘Do you feel like getting out of town for a few days?’ I pull back to look up at him, wondering what he means. ‘Kacey said she can take care of everything in the salon, and Lance can run the clinic. I have somewhere I want to take you and Jonah — get some peace andquiet.’

I take a few seconds to think about it before smiling and nodding yes.

‘That sounds perfect.’

Lumbersnack’s Got Nothing On You

Nick

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