Page 80 of Vengeful Lies

“It’s Essie and Cade,” Jake announced, somewhat unnecessarily as he crossed to the bed and curled his fingers around the guardrail.

“I figured, heard her voice and knew she wouldn't be here alone,” she said. Since she hadn't had cause to speak out loud much when she was in her hotel suite it had been a shock to hear how weak she sounded.

Gabriella was pretty sure that the only thing holding back the Charleston Holloway brothers from reading her the riot act for shutting them out and not asking for help when she obviously needed it was the fact that she was so very weak. The last several weeks had taken a toll on her body and her mind, not just the abduction but her refusal to acknowledge what had happened to her, and her inability to take care of herself.

“They want to see you,” Jake said.

“Today’s the twenty-second, right?” She was pretty sure it was, but everything was a little hazy and she couldn’t be sure.

“It is.”

“So, it’s Essie’s birthday.” Gabriella chewed on her bottom lip. There was no way she could say no to seeing her favorite person in the world on their fifth birthday, but she didn't want to see Cade.

Which meant she couldn’t see Essie.

Because there was no way Cade would allow his daughter out of his sight.

“You don’t have to see them, Gabs.” Jake reached out and took her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. “You’ve been through hell and deserve this time to rest and heal. I can tell them to go away.”

“I want to see Essie, it’s just …” she trailed off not wanting to say it out loud even if it was true. After all, Cade was Jake’s stepbrother, they were family, and she wasn't anything to any of them anymore.

“I’ll tell him he can't come in here then,” Jake said immediately.

“He won't let Essie come then.”

“Oh, honey, he absolutely will. Essie has been begging to see you every single day since you left. There is no way Cade is going to deny his daughter anything, especially not today.”

Before she could disagree, he headed back toward the door.

Since they were talking in hushed voices in the corridor, she couldn’t hear what they were saying, and her entire body was tense as she waited. She so badly wanted to see Essie again, she’d missed that little girl something fierce. Nothing would help her heal faster than being around that precious child.

“Gabby!” Essie’s squeal of delight had her breaking into the first smile she’d had in days and something inside her settled.

It didn't matter that she knew this wasn't going to last, that it would only make things worse when she had to say goodbye, she was going to soak up every second she got to spend with the little girl.

“Hey, cuddle bug,” she said as the tiny tornado of energy scrambled up onto the bed, bypassing the guardrails by climbing up from the end of the bed. “Happy birthday, baby girl.”

“I'm not a baby no more, Gabby. I'm five,” Essie said excitedly, holding up her hand with all four fingers and her thumb sticking out straight.

“You're such a big girl.”

Climbing over her legs, Essie snuggled against her, wrapping her little arms around Gabriella’s neck and planting a kiss on her cheek. “I missed you so much, Gabby. I didn't want you to go.”

“I didn't want to go either, cuddle bug.” While she wouldn't talk badly about Cade in front of his daughter, she also didn't ever want Essie to think that she didn't love her. The last thing she would ever wish was for Essie to feel for one second that she wasn't wanted and adored.

“But you're coming back,” Essie said so firmly that Gabriella didn't have the heart to break it to the child that this could be the last time they ever saw one another.

“Party time,” Cole called out as he burst into the room with a handful of brightly colored balloons.

He wasn't alone.

Behind him came Susanna, Connor and Becca, Cooper and Willow, Jake and Jax. They all carried either more balloons or presents wrapped in cute unicorn wrapping paper, the exact paper she’d picked out a couple of months ago when she started preparing for Essie’s birthday. Willow was even carrying one of the cakes in Essie’s top three from the list she’d compiled.

It looked like they were planning to do Essie’s birthday right there in her hospital room.

Why?

Cade wasn't even there. He hadn't come in with the others, apparently respecting her wishes that she didn't want to see him. Yet he’d allowed Essie to come in. More than that, he had to have been the one to gather together all the party paraphernalia and bring it to the hospital.

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