In His Keeping (Slow Burn #2)

Ari gasped because surely . . . No, he couldn’t think . . . Did he think her father had anything to do with his parents’ death?

Her father met Beau’s gaze unblinkingly. “If you’re asking me if I had anything to do with their deaths, the answer is no. I did, however, go to see your father. I went to warn him.”

“About?” Beau prompted.

“About the fact that there were some very discreet inquiries into Franklin’s business dealings. Particularly those involving his funding of CAS—Creative Adoption Solutions. And let me answer your next question before you ask. No, I had no idea at the time that Franklin had anything to do with Ari appearing on my doorstep. There was a note left in her car carrier begging us to take her in and raise her as our own daughter. So we did. It wasn’t until Ari was several months old that we made the move to Houston. When Ari was a year old, Franklin came to see me. To tell me about his role in Ari becoming my daughter. And I’ll be straight with you, son. The son of a bitch tried to blackmail me.”

Beau flinched, but he didn’t look at all surprised by her father’s accusation.

“If he tried to blackmail you, then why would you later warn him?” Beau asked.

Her father signed. “Because he had you. And three other children. He had a family anyone would be proud to have and his children didn’t deserve to suffer because of his sins. I’m just grateful that whoever did the job didn’t also kill you and your brothers and sister.”

“So am I,” Beau murmured.

Ari squeezed Beau’s hand this time, offering him reassurance and comfort. She knew his father wasn’t Father of the Year material but she hadn’t realized just how loathsome he was.

The two men talked a bit further, but the pain was starting to come back, and she drifted, trying to get comfortable on the narrow hospital bed. The doctor still hadn’t come by, so she didn’t know if she required surgery or not.

The idea of having to be off her feet for so long was irritating. But at least she could use her powers to float food and drinks to her. Or maybe Beau would sign up for the role as her personal assistant. The idea had merit. She’d make a very exacting job description for him.

She was about to hit the nurse call button, realizing her pain was only getting stronger, when she heard her name being called. Shaking herself, she looked up to see Beau’s concerned face as well as her parents’.

“Do you need pain medicine, honey?” Beau asked gently.

She nodded.

Beau reached over for the controller that operated the TV as well as the call button and punched it. Her father leaned closer to Ari, placing his hand over her forehead and wiping up and over her hair in a soothing motion.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked gently.

She knew he wasn’t acting about her physical hurts. He was asking if she was okay emotionally after having so many bombs dropped on her in such a short period of time.

She was silent for a moment and then she glanced up at her parents, love for them welling deep, so deep.

“Do you think it’s stupid of me to grieve the deaths of two people I never knew?” she whispered.

Ginger lowered the bedrail and carefully slid onto the edge of the bed so she faced Ari.

“You’ve always had such a huge heart, Ari. I’d be more shocked if you didn’t feel at least some sadness for the deaths of the people who gave you life. I owe them a debt I could never have hoped to repay. The only thing they asked in return for the blessing they gave us was for us to love you as our own daughter, and baby, that’s the easiest promise I’ve ever had to keep. No promise was required because we fell in love with you the minute we laid eyes on you.

“So, no, I don’t think it makes you stupid at all. It makes you human. It makes you the beautiful inside and out daughter we love with all our hearts.”

“Thanks, Mom,” Ari said, emotion thick in her voice. “I love you.”

Her mom leaned over and kissed the top of Ari’s head. “I love you, too, my baby. And you will always be my baby. I don’t care how old you are.”

“Same goes here,” her dad said in a gruff tone.

The door opened and a nurse came striding in, pushing a portable cart that held the computerized record keeping as well as meds and instruments for checking vitals. Ari’s mom and dad backed away from the bed to give the nurse access to Ari’s IV port.

After checking all her vitals, the nurse drew out a syringe already filled with medication, swabbed the port site and then injected the pain medicine into the IV line.