Will kept gawking at Grant. If he was trying to win the older man over, he was doing a piss-poor job.
“I know I can’t guarantee that Sophie will be safe. But then again, can you guarantee her safety, sir? I wasn’t involved in her life when she went to prison, you know.”
“What?” Will shot back angrily. “You’re trying to tell me your entire family wasn’t involved in setting up my daughter?”
“No, sir,” Grant replied nervously. “Uh, truthfully, I don’t know if anyone besides Logan was involved in Sophie’s arrest. All I know is I didn’t have anything to do with it. The first time I met her was outside our PO’s office. I swear.”
Will’s only response was “Humph.”
Longing to get to Sophie, Grant pressed on. “I’m sure you don’t believe me. Why believe a criminal, right? And I know if you had your way, I’d leave here and never come back. But this is Sophie’s decision, sir. I have to hear it from her. If she doesn’t want me here, I’ll leave.” It will hurt like hell, but I’ll leave, he silently promised himself. “But please, let her make the decision. Please, sir.”
Rubbing his jaw, Will glared at Grant. Then he dropped his arm to his side and let out a defeated sigh. Looking down, he stated quietly, “She’s all I have now.”
Grant winced, thinking about Sophie’s deceased mother. Her recent death must be much fresher in both their minds than the loss of his own mother.
“I know I can’t control her,” Will admitted. “I can’t stop her pain. But don’t you dare put her in danger again. If she’s at risk, you must leave her. If she’s in danger, you have to walk away to keep her safe. Can you promise me that?”
Considering his demands for a moment, Grant said, “Yes, sir.” He would be the first to walk away if it meant protecting Sophie from danger. Will examined his face for any sign of dishonesty, but found none.
Standing up taller with his shoulders pressed back, Grant asked, “May I go in now?”
Nodding his head, Will frowned and walked away.
This time Grant did not hesitate when entering Sophie’s room.
*
She was still sleeping, and he crossed with soft steps to sink into the chair formerly occupied by her father. Quietness blanketed them as he watched the steady rise and fall of her chest. She looked so calm and comfortable, and he longed to join her, to wrap his body around hers in that thin hospital gown and drift off to sleep. Would they ever be together again? Or would she flinch in fear upon seeing him?
He leaned forward to investigate the gauze bandage peeking out from under the tan-colored sling and felt utterly disgusted. The crack of the gunshot echoed in his head, followed by the vision of Sophie slumping back against the sofa. Grant shuddered.
Sophie rolled to her left side, and the pain from her wound startled her awake. Her cry of anguish pierced Grant’s guilty heart. She managed to sit up without further jarring her injury, and her right hand instinctively cradled her left elbow. Her shoulders hunched and a tear rolled down her cheek. She was still so exhausted, completely worn out from physical pain and unremitting emotional worry for Grant. She was not surprised to find herself crying yet again.
“Please, Dad, don’t bother the nurse again. It’s feeling better today, I promise.”
“You’re in pain,” Grant said in a choked voice. And it’s my fault.
Sophie whipped her head around to find Grant with a white-knuckle grip on the chair’s armrests. Inhaling sharply, she felt tears begin to flow as she gazed into his clouded blue eyes.
“If you want me to leave, just say so, Sophie.”
She gave him a baffled look. How could he ever think she’d want him to leave? “I, um, I—these are tears of joy, Grant. You’re here. You’re free. You’re not in prison.” Smiling through her tears, she added, “How did you get here?”
“Thanks to your quick thinking in calling Jerry, I only got another year of parole.”
His silky smooth voice and good news was a salve for her wounds. For once she did not feel the throbbing ache in her elbow. “So, you probably have another year with Jerry, then. Can you handle it?”
Grant was finally able to breathe again. “I’m not sure I can tolerate that Cubs fan for another whole year, but I’ll do my best.”
They felt drawn to each other by a palpable force. Finally Sophie asked, “Why aren’t you holding me?”
Grant was next to her bed in a second. All he needed was an invitation, yet he still hesitated before touching her. “I—I—I don’t want to hurt you anymore.”
“The only way to hurt me is if you don’t get your butt in this bed this instant.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Grant gingerly climbed in, taking painstaking care not to bump her left elbow. There was just enough room for him to fold his body around hers, resting his hand on her hip. As her back met the warmth of his chest, a happy smile danced across her face.
Their right hands stroking and caressing, Grant nuzzled into her strawberry tresses and planted a soft kiss on the back of her neck, which elicited shivers of excitement up and down her spine.
“Your dad is going to love this,” he whispered.
“Where is my dad?”
“Probably standing outside your room like a vicious guard dog. I had to fend off his snarling threats to get in here.”
“Oh, Grant, I’m sorry.” She blushed.
“That’s okay, Bonnie. You’re worth it.”
She sighed. “He doesn’t like me being with bad boys.” Then she chuckled. “Though I don’t know why he thinks you’re one.”
As they lay together, Sophie recalled the last time they’d held each other—in Grant’s bedroom after she cooked him dinner. So much had happened since then. It had all gone to hell. She cringed, remembering Grant’s anguished expression when she’d screamed at him on the ship the next day.
“I’m sorry for yelling at you,” she said.
“What?” Grant’s body tensed.
“On Rog’s ship—when I accused you of lying to me. I just was so overwhelmed to find out about Logan—”
“Shh,” he tried to soothe her. “It’s not your fault, Sophie.”
“I’m sorry. I’ll never doubt you again.”
Grant’s voice filled with remorse. “Please don’t say you’re sorry, when I’m the one who should be apologizing to you. I never should have dragged you into this mess.” He sighed guiltily. “I never should have involved you in my family’s affairs.”
“No, I did that all by myself, Grant. I’m the one who got involved with Logan.” She felt his body tense again. “I’ve been beating myself up for not recognizing that you and Logan were brothers.”
She drew a deep breath, and Grant’s body seemed frozen, listening to her intently. “When I saw the two of you together, you looked so alike!” She took his trembling hand into hers. “But then it finally dawned on me why I didn’t see it.”
He studied the back of her head nervously, steeling himself. “Why was that?”