time to grow up and move on, and finally put all those old dreams behind him.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Two months later
Erin
The doorbell rang, shocking Erin out of a sound sleep. A quick glance at the clock revealed it was barely six in the morning.
Who in their right mind would be stopping by for a visit at this hour?
Maybe it’s not someone in their right mind. Maybe it’s him, maybe he was finally released from the hospital and he’s not in the mood to obey the restraining order.
Erin vaulted into a seated position. She hadn’t called to check on Scott’s status in a few days, but surely he couldn’t be ready to go home yet. His stroke had been massive and the doctors said he’d need months of physical therapy before he was anywhere close to fully functional again. They’d also promised to call her before they released him, since they knew about his history and the restraining order in place keeping him from seeing his ex-wife or child.
The bell rang again, making her heart leap into her throat. “Just a second,” she called out, jumping out of bed and taking a quick peek in Abby’s crib.
The baby was still asleep, thank God. Nothing could wake her until she was ready to get up, so hopefully she’d snooze straight through whatever madness might ensue if it really was Scott at the door.
One thing was for certain, no one was going to take Abby from her again. She was going to make damn sure of that.
She had the gun out of its shoe box on the top shelf of her closet and in her hand in seconds. If Scott violated the restraining order and tried to hurt her or Abby again, she’d shoot him and deal with the fallout later. Even standing trial for murder in self-defense would be better than letting him take Abby away.
The past two months alone with Abby had made her love for her daughter even fiercer than it had been before. She’d do anything it took to keep her safe.
“Who is it?” Erin asked once she was at the door, buying herself time as she peered through the peephole and saw the last person she’d expected.
“It’s Rafe,” he said, the words barely out of his mouth before she threw open the door. He took in her rumpled hair and pj’s with an apologetic smile. “Sorry about the early hour.”
“It’s okay. Come in,” Erin said, opening the door wider, scanning the stairs behind him, a foolish part of her hoping she’d see Blake.
But she should know better. Blake hadn’t even called to say hi since he’d left for Miami. He didn’t want anything more to do with her. He’d made that abundantly clear.
“I’m on my way to Hawaii and only have a six-hour layover,” Rafe said as he waltzed past her into the apartment. “Nice gun. You bring that to the door to greet all your visitors?”
“Only the ones who show up unexpectedly who I think might be my ex-husband.”
Rafe arched a brow. “That’s pretty tough. I’m impressed.”
“You do what you gotta do.” Erin turned back to the closet to put the gun back in its hiding place. That was the good thing about a studio apartment—everything was in easy reach. “Can I get you some coffee or something?”
“No, like I said, I’ve got to run in a few.” Rafe paused, running a distracted hand through his thick hair. “I just needed to talk to you. In person.”
“What about?” Erin asked, already imagining the worst. “Is Blake okay? He’s not hurt or sick, is he? I mean, he’d probably have to be a lot worse than hurt for you to come all the way out here, but—”
“He is. A lot worse.”
“Oh, God.” Tears sprung to her eyes and she barely made it to the couch before her knees gave out. The thought of Blake suffering was too much to take standing up. “What happened?”
“You happened.” Rafe took the armchair across from her, settling in like he’d visited a hundred times before. “The man’s a complete wreck.”
Erin didn’t know whether to be relieved or pissed that Rafe had
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Two months later
Erin
The doorbell rang, shocking Erin out of a sound sleep. A quick glance at the clock revealed it was barely six in the morning.
Who in their right mind would be stopping by for a visit at this hour?
Maybe it’s not someone in their right mind. Maybe it’s him, maybe he was finally released from the hospital and he’s not in the mood to obey the restraining order.
Erin vaulted into a seated position. She hadn’t called to check on Scott’s status in a few days, but surely he couldn’t be ready to go home yet. His stroke had been massive and the doctors said he’d need months of physical therapy before he was anywhere close to fully functional again. They’d also promised to call her before they released him, since they knew about his history and the restraining order in place keeping him from seeing his ex-wife or child.
The bell rang again, making her heart leap into her throat. “Just a second,” she called out, jumping out of bed and taking a quick peek in Abby’s crib.
The baby was still asleep, thank God. Nothing could wake her until she was ready to get up, so hopefully she’d snooze straight through whatever madness might ensue if it really was Scott at the door.
One thing was for certain, no one was going to take Abby from her again. She was going to make damn sure of that.
She had the gun out of its shoe box on the top shelf of her closet and in her hand in seconds. If Scott violated the restraining order and tried to hurt her or Abby again, she’d shoot him and deal with the fallout later. Even standing trial for murder in self-defense would be better than letting him take Abby away.
The past two months alone with Abby had made her love for her daughter even fiercer than it had been before. She’d do anything it took to keep her safe.
“Who is it?” Erin asked once she was at the door, buying herself time as she peered through the peephole and saw the last person she’d expected.
“It’s Rafe,” he said, the words barely out of his mouth before she threw open the door. He took in her rumpled hair and pj’s with an apologetic smile. “Sorry about the early hour.”
“It’s okay. Come in,” Erin said, opening the door wider, scanning the stairs behind him, a foolish part of her hoping she’d see Blake.
But she should know better. Blake hadn’t even called to say hi since he’d left for Miami. He didn’t want anything more to do with her. He’d made that abundantly clear.
“I’m on my way to Hawaii and only have a six-hour layover,” Rafe said as he waltzed past her into the apartment. “Nice gun. You bring that to the door to greet all your visitors?”
“Only the ones who show up unexpectedly who I think might be my ex-husband.”
Rafe arched a brow. “That’s pretty tough. I’m impressed.”
“You do what you gotta do.” Erin turned back to the closet to put the gun back in its hiding place. That was the good thing about a studio apartment—everything was in easy reach. “Can I get you some coffee or something?”
“No, like I said, I’ve got to run in a few.” Rafe paused, running a distracted hand through his thick hair. “I just needed to talk to you. In person.”
“What about?” Erin asked, already imagining the worst. “Is Blake okay? He’s not hurt or sick, is he? I mean, he’d probably have to be a lot worse than hurt for you to come all the way out here, but—”
“He is. A lot worse.”
“Oh, God.” Tears sprung to her eyes and she barely made it to the couch before her knees gave out. The thought of Blake suffering was too much to take standing up. “What happened?”
“You happened.” Rafe took the armchair across from her, settling in like he’d visited a hundred times before. “The man’s a complete wreck.”
Erin didn’t know whether to be relieved or pissed that Rafe had
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