“That’s what I’m here for, to make sure the kiddos of my kids are well taken care of.” She cups my cheek. “I’m proud of you.”
“About this Friday…” Nat says.
Aspen shakes her head. “You’ll come back when Keaghan’s healthy, okay? You two take care of yourselves.”
Once Aspen leaves, I ask, “Do you want me to make a few calls to find someone to take care of the practice?”
“We’ll figure that out tomorrow.”
“Are we okay, Nat?”
“I hope so. I don’t want to lose my family.”
“Families are forever,” I say, taking her into my arms and finally sighing with relief. “We’re going to be okay.”
Chapter Forty
Nathalie
The first night we stay in the hospital, Elroy is the one who checks on Keaghan every hour.
The following day, he leaves him under the care of Aspen. Though he has to go back to work, he’ll be available if we need him for another consultation. The first two days, we don’t move from Keaghan’s side. The third night, Beacon and Grace offer to stay with him.
After a week, we go to our home in Seattle. We want to be close in case we have to rush him to the hospital. Lang finds a doctor to take care of my practice. I hope that whoever is there is fine with getting paid with cookies, casseroles, and the occasional dozen eggs.
It’s late at night, after Keaghan is fast asleep, when Fisher tugs me onto his lap, brushing an impossibly gentle kiss against my lips. I shiver, fisting my hands in his shirt with a sigh.
“Shouldn’t we go to bed?”
“That’s the plan. I love you, and I’d like the opportunity to show you just how much I do, every single day, for the rest of our lives.” He kisses my temple. “One day, I’ll ask you to marry me.”
I wrap my arms around his neck, pulling him close and pressing a fierce kiss against his lips. “Is that a way of psyching me out? You want me to be on the lookout like you and your friends do, afraid of being pranked?”
“Not really. I just want you to know that I plan for us to be together forever. Neither one of us is ready to walk to the altar. A lot is happening around us, plus the wedding venue isn’t ready yet.”
“Obviously, that’s the best reason to wait. Just so you know, I love you, too.”
I lose myself in the sensation of his kisses, the heat radiating off his body as he pulls me close, and the solid feel of his arms wrapping around my waist.
“I love you, too. And I’m willing to do whatever it takes to figure out how we fit into each other’s worlds.”
Our kiss becomes heated, and we begin to pull off each other’s clothes. It’s been a long time since we made love. We kiss—his tongue strokes against mine in a gentle, coaxing rhythm that has me moaning and breathless. He places me gently on the bed. This time, there’s no foreplay, just two desperate souls seeking the warmth of their loved one.
He slowly pushes himself inside me, filling me, making me feel whole. Once he’s all the way inside, he begins to thrust in and out. Every stroke, every touch, every breath is gentle and reverent. He worships me. He makes love to me slow and deep.
My skin prickles with the heat of his body on top of me. I angle my hips to meet his and moan in ecstasy as the waves of pleasure crash against each other, flooding me with desire.
“I love you,” I whisper the words, then gently nip his earlobe, reveling in the shudder of pleasure I elicit from him.
Fisher dips his head and captures my mouth with his. “And I love you, Nat, more than you’ll ever know.”
His thrusts inside me speed up as we both succumb and free-fall into the pleasant, satisfied haze of my orgasm.
Three weeks later, we’re back in Luna Harbor. It feels like a foreign land. I love the town, but I think Fish’s sanctuary is my favorite place in the world.
Lang is in the medical office when I arrive. My stomach drops. “Why are you here?”
“I have a buyer for the practice,” he says.
“No.”
“Hear him out. I think his offer is going to benefit the town. And isn’t that what we all want, to make this place extraordinary?”
“Why are you so pushy?”
“My parents had high expectations from my siblings. They always considered me the defective one.” He tilts his head. “That’s literally what they said while I was younger. I’m trying to show them that I’m fucking awesome and better than them.”
“By being…well, you?”
He shrugs as if saying, ‘What are you going to do?’
“Fine, I’ll listen to him, but if I don’t like his face, I’ll walk away.”
He laughs. “He’s in your office. Good luck.”
I knock on the door before stepping inside. “Hi,” I greet him.
When he turns around, it’s Elroy standing there.
“What are you doing here?”
He taps my pink planner. “Other than waiting for my ten o’clock, I’m hoping to buy the place.”
“No.”
“Have you ever noticed that you always say no when I ask you a question?” He smirks, as if he finds it endearing.
“Why are you here?”
“They needed a doctor to cover while Keaghan was recovering. I volunteered. After talking to Fisher and his friends, it seems like there’s a plan to grow this place. I think my grandfather would love that.”
I stare at him for a couple of seconds. “Are you planning to move here?”
He nods. “Not just that. We’re going to build a center for rehabilitation. There are a lot of people who can benefit from it. It’ll bring a different life to this town. The girl next door sells aromatherapy oils. It’s something I can add to my practice.”
“Mom won’t approve.”
“Your mom would. Mine is going to have a heart attack. I don’t care. It’s time to forgive myself and stop doing everything she wants because I’m grateful that she raised my child. I’m upset at the way she treated you. It wasn’t until we talked that I realized the emotional abuse she inflicted on you. I’m sorry for the many ways I failed you.”
“You’re moving here full-time?”
“At least for the first year,” he continues. “I have plans to hire a couple of doctors. I want to work in Seattle, so I can be close to you and my grandson.”
“Why now?”
“Because it’s never too late to try to get to know my daughter and show her how much I love her.”
“It’s going to take me time to digest…” I exhale. “The pictures you sent me of her…I look a lot like both of you, but you know what I saw?”
He shakes his head.
“I saw you happy for the first time in my life. You adored her, didn’t you?”
“With all my heart.”
“I entrust this place to you. This can be your new beginning. Here’s where I found my family. Maybe you’ll be able to find your place too.” When I say that, I realize that not only did I find Fish, Keagh, and his strange and loving family, I also found my mom and probably my dad.