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I turn back to Katie. “I can’t believe I’ve been out that long.”
“How are you feeling?”
“About as bad as you’d expect, I guess. Moving any part of my body sucks right now.”
“I heard you finally decided to wake up.” A man in a white coat strides into my room, with Adam following behind. “I’m Doctor Raynard. I performed your surgery, and I’m happy to see you awake.” He starts checking over my vitals while he explains what they did in surgery and what happened afterward. He asks me about how I’m feeling and checks over my stitches. It’s a little overwhelming after only being awake for twenty minutes.
Dr. Raynard steps back from my bed and puts his hands in his coat pockets. “We’re going to keep you here for a few more days to ensure there aren’t any lingering issues. Make sure you’re resting. I know it can be hard now that you’re awake, but sleeping is the best way to heal.”
I nod at the doctor. Sleeping won’t be a problem. I’ve been on the edge of passing out since he started talking. After he leaves, I reach my hand out for Katie’s. When she slides her palm against mine, I bring her knuckles up to my mouth and press a kiss against her skin. “I love you, little dove.”
Tears fall from Katie’s eyes. “I love you, too.”
I squeeze her hand and close my eyes. I can’t stay awake any longer. The last thing I’m aware of is Katie’s lips against my hand. It brings a smile to my face as I fall asleep again. My family is safe. I’m going to be okay despite the long road to recovery, and everything I ever wanted is within my grasp.
This may not have been the ending I expected, but all that matters is that I get my happily ever after.
And I’m going to do whatever it takes to keep it.
CHAPTER 42
Katie
ONE YEAR LATER
Giggles have me lowering my Kindle to see what’s going on. Cody hangs over Nolan’s shoulder as he sprints into the waves, the blue water splashing up around them with every step. He slowly lowers Cody into the waves. The second his feet land, Cody sends an arc of water toward Nolan.
They’re both laughing now, their tan skin glistening in the sun. From here, Cody looks like a teenager. I still can’t believe he’s ten now. It doesn’t seem possible.
Nolan had the brilliant idea to go on vacation to celebrate my thirtieth birthday along with Cody’s tenth. We waited until spring break to get the most out of our time. We’ve been in Puerto Rico for three days, and we’ve never had this much fun together.
This past year has been both the best and worst year. It took Nolan a long time to get back to normal. His body remained weak for months after he was shot. He needed physical therapy to help his core muscles work as they should, and we all needed regular therapy to help us cope with the trauma. It took us a while to feel normal again.
This vacation came at just the right time because we’re finally in a place to move on. All three of us are happy again, which makes this trip even more of a celebration than it was originally supposed to be.
Bryce was charged with attempted murder and kidnapping, to which he pleaded guilty to get a lesser sentence. He has to serve a total of thirty-five years in prison without the chance of early parole: twenty for the attempted murder and fifteen for kidnapping. I was happy we didn’t have to go through some long, drawn-out trial. It was over quickly and without any major fanfare. Well, for us anyway. Bryce and his family were vilified by the press. Thankfully, they didn’t hound us for very long. After a couple of weeks passed without us adding to the story, they moved on to other news. Our biggest worry was Bryce’s parents seeking custody of Cody or trying to obtain grandparents’ rights, but they never filed a motion. Dani even reached out to Bryce’s lawyer to double-check, and the guy said they weren’t interested in suing for custody. They thought Bryce was telling the truth when he told them the court had placed Cody in his custody. Since that wasn’t the case, they didn’t want anything to do with Cody.
The relief we felt after the confirmation was immense. We haven’t heard from any of them since. It’s been wonderful.
“Mom! Come swim with us!” Cody calls from the water. I grin as he waves like a maniac. I tuck my Kindle into my tote bag and walk to the water. Nolan’s eyes stick to me like glue. It’s been interesting sharing a hotel room with Cody. We got a suite that has a separate bedroom from the living room. I felt a little guilty making Cody sleep on the pull-out couch, but it’s more comfortable than I thought. I’ve started napping there in the afternoon while Nolan and Cody go on adventures.
Nolan’s stare hits me straight in the gut, as it always does. I head straight for him. He wraps his arms around my waist and kisses me on the cheek.
“You looked like a siren coming into the water. Are you planning to seduce me?” Nolan whispers in my ear.
I grin up at him, shaking my head at his ridiculousness.
“Dad, are we still going snorkeling today?” Cody asks as he surfaces from diving for sea shells. The massive goggles on his face are adorable. I can’t wait to see the red ring on his forehead when we get out of the water.
He started calling Nolan “Dad” about a month after Nolan got out of the hospital and moved in with us. Cody said that only a dad would be willing to die for his kid, and Nolan deserved the title if he wanted it. Naturally, I cried my eyes out, and Nolan hugged Cody until Cody squirmed out of his arms. Nolan has been Dad ever since.
“We can if you want.”
“Maybe we should just hang by the pool or something this afternoon.” Cody shrugs. “A sign in the lobby said they were serving snacks today.”
I grin. Leave it to Cody to be enticed by the snacks. “I’m about ready to wash up for lunch. What about you boys?”
“I could eat.” Cody shrugs.
