Page 23 of Irrevocably Mine

“Yes, man, it’s for real. I wasn’t planning on making direct contact, but it was what she wanted and how it played out. I was following a lead to Macy. I found the old lady, Adelaide Jerkins, Macy was staying with while Sam is in rehab. The old gal slipped and fell last week. Admitted into the hospital for a broken hip. Too drugged out to chat with me much, but I did meet her daughter who was looking after Macy and not happily so, while her mom is unable.”

“Did you say Jerkins? I never even thought to check with them. They were family friends of Sam’s when she was growing up, but I assumed that Old Addy, the only one to move away, was too old or had passed.” Dax felt a lead ball form in the pit of his stomach for not looking up the Jerkins’. He knew Sam would turn to them if she got in a bind, but shit, Addy was living the AARP life when they were in kindergarten. Dax just assumed…Really, Dax, you should’ve known that old lady would still be kicking and screaming.Memories came flooding back. Addy was the rowdiest woman he knew. She never acted her age and was always Sam’s protector. “Damn it. I probably could’ve saved myself years if I had just thought of Addy.”

“Don’t beat yourself up, man, the lady I met came over on the Mayflower. Shit, if she hadn’t told me I was a hot slice of beefcake, asked me for a sponge bath, then pinched my ass from her hospital bed, I would’ve sworn she was dead. The important thing is, Macy is coming home. I visited Sam at the request of Addy’s daughter. Sam had paperwork in place for Macy to come to you if anything happened to her or Addy, but the daughter didn’t know. Apparently, she doesn’t give a damn about the mom and only came to take care of Macy because the hospital called her as emergency contact when they admitted Addy. Addy is bribing her to stay, from what little I could get from the old horn dog before the meds kicked in.”

“Home.” Dax breathed the word and let it fill his heart with warmth. “And Sam wants this? You’re sure. I know what your text said, but I don’t understand.”

“Short version. Sam had felt bad for a long time, according to her, she didn’t know how to approach you and the longer she waited, the harder it got. Then came a back injury from a car accident and the prescription painkillers. When that wasn’t enough, she turned to alcohol. During her last clean streak, she had legal documents drawn up in case something happened to her, but she didn’t know how to get in touch or how to take that step, you know. She was blown away when I told her you kept the same number all these years just for her. She seemed to be in a really good place in her recovery, and for what it’s worth, she regrets what she stole from you and Macy. There is more to the story she wants to tell you herself, but, bottom line, she wants you to pick up Macy and bring her home. Addy told me where to find the papers and I met your daughter. She’s beautiful.”

Dax was too stunned to speak or even stand. He fell to his ass on the insulated floor and cried into the phone. “This is really happening, my Macy Bug is coming home. What if she hates me? What if…?”

“She doesn’t, Dax. I’ve spoken with her, we spent a few hours talking, but that’s her story to tell. I’m waiting for you at the air strip with Andy’s plane. When you gather yourself together, meet me there.”

They said their goodbyes, but Dax would be hard-pressed to remember them. He was in a total catatonic state—confused but relieved, shocked but ecstatic.Stacy. That word whipped through his mind like a hurricane. So much he need to say, to hear. So much up in the air where she was concerned, and now he was bringing a child into this storm that had become his life. Where did they stand? Could Stacy give him all now? If not, did he have the balls to walk away until she could? He had to nut-up, for Macy’s sake. He couldn’t bring a child into an unstable relationship. It wasn’t fair to her. Hell, nothing about this mess was fair.

Still sitting on the floor, he dialed Stacy. She didn’t answer, so he left voicemail after voicemail. His biggest fear was she was avoiding his calls and not just busy. There was nothing he could do now but get cleaned up and go get his daughter. Stacy had to make her own choices, and if they involved him and Macy, he would have the life he wanted, and if they didn’t, he and his daughter would forge a new life that he could live with because at least he’d be with Macy.

After what feltlike hours of self-reflection, Stacy called her brother. John came over with two tubs of ice cream, tequila, and the best set of ears known to man. If anyone could pull her head out of her ass, it was John. He was her rock and, of course, Dax’s champion. John had grown close to Dax over the last year, too, and wanted them both to be happy.

As shitty as it started, it was turning out to be a great day, on a deeper level. Stacy hadn’t been this honest with herself, or John, in years. The exposure and self-examination did them both good.

“No shots for you, big brother?” John wasn’t much of a drinker, never had been, but he never shied away from Cabo shots with her when they needed to get to the meat and potatoes of the matter. Something was up and Stacy wanted to know exactly what. “Spill. You’ve listened to me drone on and on about myself, your turn.”

“Nothing to spill, little sis, I’ve gotta head to Alabama with Michael in the morning. I’m just along for the ride, but I don’t think it wise to tie one on tonight, but you enjoy, sounds like you need it.”

“Half-truth, big brother, half-truth.” Stacy would wager the thing occupying his mind started with a G and ended with anus,but she would let it slide for now, because she couldn’t really listen and be there for him with all the crap in her own head right now.

She poked him in the ribs playfully and almost upended herself off the couch. “Damn it,” she slurred, not because she was angry about tilting sideways, but because of the lyrics running through her head.Tequila just hit me. Lyrics by Nickelback, which of course, brought her brain back to Dax. “How can I be in love with a man that likes Nickelback? Nickelback? Hey, I keep tipping over, is that why they call it getting tipsy?”

John took the tequila to the kitchen and cleaned up their ice cream bowls. Stacy rose to follow, probably to argue, but she forgot what about by the time she staggered over to the end table where he set her phone.

“I’m going to call that hunky man and get his ass over here—right now. He needs to…tell me how much I love him.” Her attempt to punch numbers was impaired. Before she could successfully scroll her contacts, John removed the phone and dropped it into his shirt pocket.

“Sorry, sis, but you are not drunk-dialing anyone. You may be pissed now, but you’ll thank me for it in the morning. You’ve had alcohol-induced revelations and soul-comforting butter pecan ice cream, let’s get you to bed and sleep it off now, shall we?”

Her brother shuffled her down the hall and tucked her in bed. John sat on the foot of the bed for a few minutes, just to make sure she wasn’t so drunk she would roll off. As sleep was closing in on her, she mumbled, “I need to come clean about seeing Hank. If I don’t, I’ll lose him.”

John was just rising to leave, and he froze. “When? When did you see Hank?”

Uh-oh.Stacy’s tequila-soaked brain registered her mistake. Shit, now she’d have to tell John before she told Dax. She didn’t want to tell John at all. He was the typical overprotective big brother and she didn’t want him or Dax going after Hank.

But, lying wasn’t an option—to John or Dax. With a sigh, she sat up and answered, “I thought I saw him across the street at the courthouse the other day. I wrote it off as nerves because I got notified of his release, but then…”

“Notified of what? Why didn’t you tell me? What did Dax say?” It had been a long time since she’d see John this pissed. But then again, she knew it would be that way when he found out, she’d just hoped to casually drop the news to her brother one evening, and move on. Seeing Hank killed that possibility. Yep, now she had to face the firing squad.Of course, John will be a cakewalk compared to Dax.

Her buzz became way less buzzy. Stacy leaned over and unlocked the drawer of her bedside table and moved her Ruger to retrieve the envelope that held news she should’ve already shared. She snapped the envelope in his direction. “They gave the asshole parole. And of course, because he’s such a fucking genius, he’s in town creeping around. At first, I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me, but it became apparent when it happened more than once. Last time, he smirked at me and when I did a double-take, he waved.”

John didn’t take the notice, instead he stalked in front of her, grasped her by her biceps and brought her to her feet with a shake. “Shit, Stacy, did you tell the cops? I’m sure that is a violation of his parole.” Stacy gave a small shake of her head, enough for her brother to understand. “Don’t you remember the threats he made? I’ll kill him if he touches a single hair on your head.”

“No, John, you won’t. I won’t have you getting yourself in a jam over a harmless asshole like Hank.”

“Harmless? Harmless? How can you say that after…”

“Easy. It was DJ that was the scary one. Hank doesn’t have the balls to do his own dirty work; he was a pawn being led around by his dick. DJ is still locked away, and without him, Hank is all bark and no bite.”

It was obvious John didn’t believe it, hell, neither did she anymore. What she said was true, but the eyes watching her from a distance were harder than she remembered. That was not something she would share.

John dropped to a seated position on the bed. “How is it Dax hasn’t slit his throat yet?” His eyes cut her way, and she dropped hers, and pushed her hair back. “Damn it, you not only didn’t tell him about seeing the bastard lurking around, but the look on your face tells me he doesn’t know he’s not locked away anymore, either. He can’t protect you if he doesn’t know there’s danger.”

That does it. Stacy donned her indignation like armor and leapt from the bed. All the buzzy feeling was completely gone now. “First, I did tell Dax he was paroled, thank you very much. Secondly, I don’t need a man to protect me. I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself.”

“Dial it back a notch, Killer.” John rose, folded his arms across his chest, and took a superior stance momentarily. That earned him nothing but a raised eyebrow.

His voice softened. “I know that, Stacy, just like you know that’s not how I meant it. I know you can kick ass and not even bother to take names, physically. It’s your heart I’m worried about and you know it. That bastard damaged a part of you that has never been the same since. I worry about you, it’s what I do.”

She mumbled her response, “I know, and I love you for it.” She stepped over to him and embraced him. Those were the only words spoken for a while. They just stood there, wrapped in each other’s comfort. She voiced what she’d been thinking for a while. “Sorry I kept you all night when you have a trip.”

“No worries, it’s just Michael, he’ll understand why I’m in the same clothes. But seriously, sis, your heart won’t recover if you lose Dax. And you will, if you aren’t honest with him. Even if you won’t let him protect you physically, you have to trust him to protect your heart. With a man like him, that’s not optional.”

She didn’t want to admit John was right, but she knew, deep down, that he was. She climbed back into bed to consider her options. The sounds of John locking up and leaving her house barely registered as the tequila lulled her to sleep.

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