Page 24 of Finally Home

At least for three more years. That was all he got with her. Three more beautiful Christmas trees. Then it was ripped away from him. She was ripped away from him.

Fuck.

“Come sit in my lap, baby girl, let me hold you.”

Shelby continued laughing and putting tinsel on the tree.

It was a memory. Not something he could change. He knew that, but all he wanted to do was hold her tight one more time.

God, was that too much to ask? Just let him hold her one more time.

His chest tightened, and he sobbed.

“West?” A voice pulled at him. It wasn’t Shelby. And it wasn’t Tiff.

He didn’t care. He wanted to stay there a moment longer. See her a moment longer.

“West, come back to me.”

That voice. As much as he wanted to stay in the memory, the need to follow that voice was stronger.

Who was it?

Cami. It was Cami.

Recognition hit him. He blinked his eyes, and tears fell on his cheeks. He rubbed them away only to have more fall in their place.

A sob tore through him.

“West, I’m here.”

“Yes, but she’s gone. Shelby’s gone.” Another sob racked his body.

Arms wrapped around him, and he found himself pressed against Cami’s chest, her heartbeat grounding him.

She held him for God knew how long, running a hand down his back and pressing gentle kisses into his hair. She didn’t push or pry; she just let him sob in her arms.

Fuck, he hated she was seeing him like that, but he also knew it needed to come out. He’d been holding on to this pain for so long. Trying to pretend he was okay when he was anything but.

And if he was honest, as much as he hated it, she was the only one he would allow to hold him through it.

“Thank you,” he whispered against her.

“I’ll always be here.” Cami brought a finger to his chin and tipped it up until he was looking at her. “You want to talk about it?”

“No.” And he truly didn’t want to. “But I need to. I need to tell you.”

He untangled himself from her, and Cami tugged a blanket over them. She handed him a glass of water he didn’t remember her getting.

West chuckled. “I might need something stronger than that.”

She got up, and instead of grabbing the wine, she brought him over a bottle of whiskey. “I figured you’d want the hard stuff.”

“You know the way to my heart.” He uncorked the bottle and took a long sip. “I suppose I should start from the beginning. You asked who Shelby was. She was my daughter.”

CHAPTERNINE

CAMI

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