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Joy’s Homecoming

Page 154

by Caitlyn O’Leary

I clung to him, breathing in his familiar scent. Slowly, the panic ebbed away, replaced by his solid presence.

“How did you get there? You were in the hospital.”

Graham laughed, the sound rusty but genuine.

“Nothing would have stopped me from coming after you. I could have had two broken legs, and I still would have been leading the charge.”

Despite everything, I found myself smiling.

“You're an idiot.”

“I’m your idiot.”

“My idiot.” I reached up and touched the bandage on his neck. “Are you okay? Really okay?”

“Couple of stitches. Nothing that won't heal.” He caught my hand and pressed it flat against his chest, right over his heart. “What about you? How's the shoulder?”

I flexed it experimentally and winced. “Hurts. But just a little.”

“Liar.”

I gave him a small grin.

“The doctors said the surgery went well. Full range of motion should return with physical therapy.”

“What about everyone else? Randy and Seth? Simon and Jase?”

“Everyone's fine. Your brothers have been driving the nursing staff crazy, demanding updates every fifteen minutes.” Graham's mouth quirked up at the corner. “Roxie had to threaten to sedate Randy to get him to calm down. Your dad’s even worse when he’s not comforting your mom.”

Relief washed over me. My family was safe. Graham was safe. It really was over.

“How did you find me?” I asked.

“It was Ava and Roxie thinking about Glenda’s boyfriend Rob, who Hart couldn’t trace. It got everybody thinking. They finally got a lead on a dead co-worker named Robert Chen who was run over the night you sang karaoke.”

“What? What are you talking about?”

“Glenda didn’t have a long-term boyfriend named Rob. From what we could gather, she had a one-time date with a co-worker named Robert, who she killed after they went to Louey’s. It was his lake house where you were being held.”

I didn’t understand it all completely, but I tracked it enough. What I understood was that Glenda had killed a man after hearing me sing. I’d think about it later. What I would focus on is that they found me. That was what mattered.

A soft knock on the door interrupted my thoughts. Graham looked toward the sound, then back at me.

“Joy, honey?” I heard my mom’s voice and I burst into tears. “Oh my baby.” I couldn’t see anything past my tears, but I could feel my mom’s palms covering my cheeks, her lips pressed against my forehead.

“Wouldn’t you know you wake up when we’re in the cafeteria,” my dad grumbled.

I held out my arms, and he pushed in beside Mom. I was surrounded by my parents, and I felt almost as safe as I did with Graham. Almost.

“You scared the hell out of us, JoJo.” I could hear the tears in my dad’s voice.

“Of course your brothers didn’t tell us anything until it was all over and you were here in the hospital. You must have been scared out of your mind,” my mom whispered.

I turned my head and looked up at Graham, who was standing on the other side of the bed. “I wasn’t. I knew I’d be rescued.”

Mom and Dad looked up at Graham too. Mom’s face softened. “I’m sure you did, honey.”

“With your brothers, Simon and his team, and Graham looking out for you, of course you’d be rescued.” The conviction in my dad’s voice was rock solid.