Page 25 of My Stupid Heart

Molly wrapped her arm around her daughter.“How about Colorado?”

She was a clever kid and caught on instantly.Her smile made the pain in Ryker’s shoulder almost completely disappear.“Like on a ranch?With horses and cows and goats and stuff?And a dance studio with an amazing dance teacher who also happens to be married to one of my many uncles?”

“Is there such a place?”Ryker asked, scratching his chin.

Sasha beamed.“When do we leave?”

“Tomorrow?”Molly suggested.Ryker and Sasha looked at her like she was crazy, but she just shrugged.“Oooor two weeks so I can give my notice at the dental office and we can pack?”

Sasha nodded.“Two weeks.”

“I better call Asher and Nate and tell them we want some of their land,” Ryker said, just as the paramedics came into the kitchen with their bag of toys and fun painkillers.

“Let’s first get you cleaned up, then we’ll call them and tell them the good news in the morning,” Molly said, helping him to his feet.

He winced a little when his arm dropped to his side, then made his way over to the couch so the paramedics could assess him.

“So it was Susannah?”Sasha asked, snuggled on the love seat with Molly as the paramedics fixed up Ryker.

“Apparently,” Molly said.“I still can’t believe it.”

Officer Linden joined them and checked on Ryker, his gaze full of guilt.“I never should have left.I’m really sorry.”

Ryker shrugged his good shoulder.“Had it under control, man.Don’t sweat it.How’d you know to come back, though?”

“Olivia sung like a canary,” he said plainly.“She gave up Susannah to save her own ass.Sailor was bullied into stealing the film by Camden who got it for her mom.Apparently, Camden was well aware of what her mother was doing and helped, however she could.We have Olivia and Camden in custody as well.”

“So Coach Adrian didn’t do anything that we thought he did?”Sasha asked.

“He still went through Molly’s phone, stalked her and treated her like crap,” Ryker pointed out.“He’s not innocent, but he’s not guilty of the crimes we initially accused him of.”

“Mr.Huber is willing to cooperate in any way we need him to,” Officer Linden added.“He seemed genuinely remorseful for what happened to Mrs.O’Shea and understands that he handled things poorly.He’s not off the hook, but he’s not the one on trial for—”

“A butt load of felonies,” Ryker said.

The cop nodded.“Indeed.Mrs.O’Shea, do you feel okay to offer your statement now?Or would you prefer tomorrow morning?”

Molly glanced at her phone.It was well past midnight and dark bags of fatigue hung under her pretty green eyes.

“Tomorrow,” Ryker answered for her.“We need to sleep.But we’ll come down to the station and all give our statements.”

“I understand,” Officer Linden replied.He rested a gentle hand on Ryker’s good shoulder.“I’m glad you’re okay.But don’t ever do that again.”

“I will if there’s a gun pointed at either of these women.”

The cop pulled in a deep breath, but eventually nodded.“Yeah, okay.”Then he wandered away with a defeated head shake.

The paramedics advised Ryker to go to the hospital.He declined.He’d been shot up far worse than this before.He knew what he could handle.“Just give me some morphine and I’ll sleep like a baby.”

With eye rolls, they shot him up with enough morphine to have him smiling like an idiot on a white puffy cloud.“I’ll get him to the hospital tomorrow,” Molly said.“We all just need to be together in the house tonight.With the doors locked and the blinds closed.”

There was little room for anybody to argue with them.So eventually, the house emptied, Molly locked the door, closed the drapes everywhere, and set the alarm.

Sasha snuggled into his good side and Molly gently nestled into his bandaged arm with the sling.He closed his eyes, a big smile on his face.“This is heaven.”

They giggled.“You’re high,” Molly said.

“Even without the morphine, this would still be heaven.”

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