Page 131 of The Lucky Heart (Jamison Valley 3)
I turned my nose into her hair to breathe her in. “So I can pack up my place and move.”
Her arms around my waist squeezed tight. “How did you know?”
“Paxon texted me. He told me Dad said something to you that made you upset, so I confronted him about it.”
She leaned back to look at my face and tensed. “Whatever you decide is fine with me. If we need to cancel the wedding, then—”
“Do not finish that sentence.”
She relaxed but her eyes were still worried. “I don’t want you to lose the ranch.”
“Me neither.” I stroked her cheek with my thumb. “But you’re more important. Dad isn’t going to dictate our lives. Besides, it’s just a place. It doesn’t mean anything if I can’t share it with you.”
“Silas, you love that place.”
“Felicity, I love you more.”
She settled her head back on my shoulder. “I hate that it’s come to this.”
“Me too.” Me too.
I had no idea where we would live or what I would do, but the days of living on the Lucky Heart were over. The idea of working on someone else’s ranch left a bitter taste in my mouth, but I’d swallow it down. Soon I’d have a wife to support and, hopefully, kids not long after. It didn’t matter where I worked or where I lived as long as I got to come home to them.
“Felicity.” Jess’s voice made us both turn. “Khloe’s awake and asking for you.”
She leapt off my lap and rushed through the waiting room.
Jess and I followed but stopped in the lobby. “How bad is it?” I asked him.
“Physically? She’ll be fine, but I just took her statement, and mentally, she’s a fucking mess. That bastard husband of hers tried to kill her. His blood alcohol is through the roof. Same with his two friends.”
“How’d he even find her?”
Jess shook his head. “Derrick’s friends—the ones involved with the attack—are both in a cell. One confessed to Milo that he’d spotted Khloe downtown when you proposed to Lissy. The friend followed Khloe, then told Derrick where she’s been hiding. Guess all Derrick’s been doing these days is drinking. They all got loaded today and Derrick convinced them to help go after her.”
“How is Derrick?” I tensed and waited, hoping he wouldn’t say “dead.” Paxon had enough shit swirling. A manslaughter charge would push him over the edge.
“Gonna be in the hospital for a while, but he’ll pull through. Then his ass is in prison.”
My shoulders fell. “Have you talked to Pax yet?”
“Not yet,” Jess said. “Thought you might want to talk with him first before I take his statement.”
“Are you bringing him in?”
“Nope. From everything Khloe and Felicity told me, he saved their lives.”
“Fuck, that’s good news.” I clapped him on the shoulder before heading outside. I walked outside to Paxon and sat on the curb by his side. “Pax.”
He didn’t look up from the asphalt between his knees. “Did I kill him?”
“No.”
“Am I going to jail?”
“No.”
His head fell into his hands and his shoulders started shaking. I threw an arm around his back and sat silently as he wept. This was going to be difficult for Paxon to cope with, but I’d be there to support him. Christ, what would have happened had he not been there today? He’d saved Khloe’s life. I couldn’t stomach thinking about what would have happened to Felicity if she’d gone into that house alone.
