Page 176 of The Persistence of Thornes
She rolls her eyes, even as they mist over. “Caleb.”
“I’m serious.” I grasp her hand, grateful for the feel of her fingers as she wraps them around mine. “This is nothing.”
“You wereshot. I wouldn’t call that nothing.”
With my free hand, I tuck a piece of hair behind her ear. “I’m still here, aren’t I?”
“Yeah, after a lot of blood loss and surgery.” She sniffles. “What if?—”
“Let’s not dwell on the what-ifs. What-ifs are the thief of joy. All that matters is that I’m alive.”
Halle gives a soft laugh. “I admire your ability to be optimistic in even the worst circumstances.”
My lips twitch. “One of us has to be.”
She shakes her head. “A couple of days ago, my brothers told me that you look at me like you’d jump in front of a bullet for me. I just didn’t think you’d literally put that theory to the test, especially so soon.”
I break into a genuine smile. I appreciate her attempt at levity. “Baby, when are you going to realize that you’re my world? I’d do anything for you.”
She leans over, pressing her forehead to mine. “I love you.”
I don’t say it back, because she already knows.
Seda’s hug is downright bone-crushing. It’s excruciating, really, but I don’t dare let my little girl go. I can’t even think about what kind of hell she went through yesterday.
She cries into my shoulder, my hospital gown wet with her tears.
“You gave us all quite the scare,” Salem says from the end of my bed.
“You really didn’t have to test how much we care about you by getting shot.” Thayer levels me with a stern look.
“Seda, sweetheart?” I say when her tears haven’t slowed. “Daddy’s okay. I promise.”
“I thought youdied,” she sobs.
I wince. I can’t imagine what was going through my little girl’s head yesterday, how hard it must have been on her, on everyone.
“I’m okay,” I say, gently stroking her hair. “I had surgery and I’m good as new.”
“I was so scared,” she says. “But Casen and Quinn kept me safe. They shoved me behind a table.”
My heart thumps heavily in my chest. I’ll have to remember to thank them for that, even if it was incrediblystupid of them to try to approach their gun-wielding mother.
When Seda finally lets me go, she wags a finger in front of my face. “Don’t you ever get hurt again, Daddy. Promise?”
I pull her closer and kiss her cheek, but I don’t make that promise. Any number of things can happen to a person, and I don’t want her to ever think I’d break a promise.
“I love you, sweet girl.”
“Love you too.”
When she hugs me again, I can’t help the groan that slips out of me.
“Seda, I think you’re hugging too tight.” Salem gently tugs our daughter’s shoulders, pulling her back. To me, she says, “Did Halle tell you your parents are here?”
I nod. Before my wife left to go home to shower and change—after much convincing on my part—she mentioned that my parents were in the waiting area. It might be selfish, but I have no interest in seeing them. But as a parent myself, I don’t have it in me to turn them away.
“Should I send them back?” Salem asks.
