Hustle Him (Bank Shot Romance #2)(46)
Author: Jennifer Foor

“No.”

“Well, your aunt has some serious conditions that may have been the cause of the stroke. Her liver isn’t functioning normally and the emphysema seems to be spreading at a rapid rate.”

Ramsey put his arm around me. I wanted to throw up, even though I knew I had nothing in my body. “What are you saying? Will she recover?”

“I’m afraid she’s missed her window to be treated. I’m not saying that it’s going to happen today, but you need to start making arrangements for hospice care. If there’s more family you need to contact, I would do it as soon as possible.”

I just lost it. Ramsey held me so tight while I just let it all out. We sat in that room until I calmed down enough to go in and see her. I’d just been with the woman only a day ago and she looked so different. Her body seemed weak and it wasn’t just all of the machines around her. She looked like a different person.

I saw her open her eyes. One side of her face was completely sagging. It was hard to not cry with her looking at me. She raised the one hand on her functional side. I rushed over and grabbed her hand. She squeezed it the best she could. I could hear her trying to talk to me, but she couldn’t say words. When she saw Ramsey walk in the room she pointed to him. He smiled and came up behind me. My aunt took my hand and sat it down and reached for his. She guided his hand and put it on top of mine. We looked at each other and then back at her.

She focused and tried to get the word out several times, before finally one word came out clear. “Stay.”

Ramsey put his other arm around me. “I won’t let her go anywhere, Sue. I promise I’ll keep her safe.”

She patted our hands again. I wondered if she knew her fate. Was that why she was telling to us to stay? Was that her last wish for me?

We stayed with my aunt until visiting hours were over. Both of us were exhausted and there was nothing we could do there except wait. We went home and showered before trying to eat something and sleep, which were both impossible.

Ramsey didn’t say much, but once I climbed into his bed and he had me in his arms, I couldn’t avoid the silence. “She’s all I have left and if I hadn’t left Gavin, I wouldn’t have even been here.”

“Someone wise said that things happen for a reason and because of those things you end up where you’re supposed to be. I think you were supposed to come here. Look at all the reasons, Vessa. How many more reasons do you need to stay?”

“What if Gavin takes the kids?” I couldn’t handle that.

“We’ll get them back. Convicted or not, I’m still a better citizen than he is.” I sat up and looked confused.

“What do you mean? Why would they compare you to Gavin?”

He smiled and kissed the top of my head. “I heard what you said in the truck, Vessa. Do you really think I’d let you walk out of my life without one last plea?”

I rolled over and acted like I didn’t know. Except I did.

He grabbed me and turned me around to look at him. “No matter what happens in that court room, once we’re married and situated no judge is going to give him custody over us.” He paused and I could tell the next words were hard for him. “Even if I have to tell them my story about why family means so much to me.”

I just stared at him. My world was crumbling and he refused to give up on me. He was willing to risk everything to stay together. I was speechless. “I can’t ask you to do that.”

“It’s my decision to make. Besides, I wouldn’t be lying about any of it. After seeing you in nothing but my holster, I’m pretty positive that you’re marriage material. At least in every police officers fantasies.”

I knew he was being funny and I appreciated it. I shook my head and laid back down beside him. So much was running through my mind. I wished I could run away from it all. “How am I going to tell the kids? What happens if you actually have to serve time for beating up Gavin? What am I going to do?”

He started laughing. “I won’t serve time. I have a good lawyer and he claims he’s working on a good case. Stop worrying about what we can’t control right now. We need to focus on making your aunt comfortable. It’s up to you if you want the kids to be able to say goodbye.” He paused again, giving himself a second. “I know it’s hard, but at least you have the chance to do it. I know if I had ten more seconds, I could have at least told them how much I loved them.”

I kissed him slowly on the lips. “You are such a brave man. Do you have any idea how much I admire your courage? I wish I could have half of what you have.”

He sat up, but adjusted so I was still leaning against him. “You make it sound like I did it on my own. You know that isn’t how it happened. Without you, I’d still be sitting in the corner of the bar, hiding from life.”

My thoughts went back to my aunt and what she did with mine and Ramsey’s hands. I thought about my children and how I was going to be able to tell them she wasn’t going to make it. They needed to be here. They needed to be able to say goodbye. I realized that our conversation was going in all different directions, but I had to focus on my aunt, no matter what was going on with my life. “I want to get the kids tomorrow morning. I’ll just drive there and come right back. Do you think you could sit at the hospital and wait for me?”

“No. I’m going with you to pick up the kids. You don’t’ need to be driving when you’re so upset. I will take you there and we will get them together.”

I wanted him with me, I really did. I just didn’t want Gavin getting anymore hairs up his ass. “I can do it. It’s fine.”

“Vessa, that’s it!” He pushed himself off the bed, causing me to fall on my pillow. He paced around the room saying curse words under his breath. “I’m not going to sit here for another second and let you decide what’s best for our future. Damnit, I am driving you there and that mother f**ker is going to see my car in his driveway. He can’t control our lives and I’ll be damned if he’s going to take you away from me.”

I leaned up on my elbow, while he went on with his lecture.

“He doesn’t make the rules. It’s our rules. I know your kids need you, but I need you, Vessa. I need you, too. Stop letting him control you. Be happy, because you can. That life you always wanted. That family. You can have it with me.”

I finally got up and stood across the bed from him. “You act like it’s just that easy. Like I can just make a decision and everything will fall into place. It doesn’t work that way for me. It never has! Please don’t fight with me on this. I have too much to worry about.” I had to stand my ground. This was about my kids.