Risking Fate (Mitchell Family #4)(62)
Author: Jennifer Foor

Jax started to wiggle and open his eyes. “Hey, Buddy, Daddy’s back.” I kissed his little soft forehead. “Your Mommy woke up earlier. She can’t wait to meet you and your brother. She’s so happy you’re both okay. Daddy’s happy too. I love you all so much.”

I felt a hand on my shoulder and noticed Van was back. “She’s on her way back from the hotel. She thinks you should take the car and get some rest. I can stay here if you need me to.”

I shook my head and continued to stare at my son. ‘I’m not leaving.”

“Ty, don’t be stubborn. You look horrible. You have to eat something.”

I stood up and put Jax back in his bed, then reached over and grabbed his brother. They were a little hard to get out with the wires hooked to their bodies, but I was extra careful as I did it. “Van, I appreciate you caring about me, but I’m fine. I can’t leave her. I just can’t.”

“Was she able to talk?”

I smiled thinking about her pretty face. “Yeah, she talked. She’s in a bunch of pain, but she could talk fine.”

“Did she talk about…you know?”

I nodded. “A little, she didn’t want to and she refuses to hear my side. Honestly, I don’t know if it would even make a difference anymore. The damage is done. It’s going to take a lifetime to get her to trust me again. If I were in her shoes, I wouldn’t trust me either.”

“So where does she plan on going? She’s just going to move back to Kentucky and take the kids from you? I can’t believe Heather stooped this low. I mean, I guess I can believe it, I just can’t believe she would intentionally break up a family. She had to know you wouldn’t run back to her. I just don’t get it.”

I thought about Miranda moving to Kentucky and my stomach started to ache. “She’s not leaving me. Well, she said we’re going to raise our family together.”

“Are you sure it isn’t the drugs talking?”

Oh, shit! I hadn’t thought of that. What if it was? What if she did take the kids?

“She said she still loves me and even though she can’t forgive me right now, she could never take away my kids. I’m going to prove to her that I’m not the guy she thinks I am. I don’t know how, but I will prove it.”

Van leaned down and brushed the back of her hand over Jakes cheek. “They really look like you, Ty. Miranda is going to freak out when she sees them. I think that even if she did want to leave, these boys would change her mind. It doesn’t hurt that you are such a good father. Miranda knows that. She also knows that you are crazy in love with her. She may not feel it right now, but she knows it’s true. Just so you know, Colt didn’t believe the Heather ordeal either. He didn’t even think twice before he shook his head and said it wasn’t possible. You’ve changed, Ty. I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t a part of me that wonders if you could have really cheated again, but I can hear the sincerity in your voice and know that you’re telling me the truth.”

I kissed my other son and set him back in his little bed. “I am. The things in those pictures are something I never would have done to Heather or anyone else for that matter. I only do those things to Miranda, drunk or not, it’s not possible. Besides, why would I want someone else when no one remotely even compares to my wife? That’s ridiculous!”

“Yeah, but you kept it from her. That’s what makes you look so guilty.”

I waved to the nurse as Van and I walked out of the NICU. “I know. Either way it would have hurt her. I was just trying to avoid that. Trust me, if I would have known this would all blow up in my face, I would have done things differently.”

Van reached her arms around me and held them there. I rested my chin on her head and accepted her comfort. “I’m sorry this is happening to you guys.”

“Me too.”

She looked up at my face and ran her hands on my stubble. “When is the last time you showered?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know. Yesterday morning or wait maybe it was the morning before. Shit, I don’t even know what day it is.”

“Ty, please go to the hotel. Get a shower, grab something to eat and please get some rest. You need to be strong for your family. I haven’t seen you look this bad since your coma. What will your mother say when she sees you like this?”

The elevator doors opened and Miranda’s mother came rushing out. “Is it true? Is she awake?”

“Yeah, she’s asking for you. I’m going to….um, if it’s okay, I’m going to go back and shower.”

She hugged me and pulled away. “Take as long as you need, Ty. I know this is hard for you. Thank you for being such a good husband to her. I think it’s your love that kept her fighting.”

As she walked away I looked toward Van and shook my head. “Just wait til she hears this is all my fault. She won’t be thanking me then.”

Even though I hadn’t seen my parents yet, they had arrived and taken Izzy back to a hotel room so that she could sleep. The poor child must have been so confused.

Van rolled her eyes and pulled out the car keys. “Let’s get you out of here for a while.”

I didn’t want to go, but my lack of sleep was making me dizzy, not to mention that I couldn’t remember the last time I had eaten. Van stopped at a fast food drive thru and I think I was finished my meal before we pulled out of the parking lot. We didn’t say much on the short ride to the hotel. I looked down at my dingy clothes and felt filthy. I hadn’t even thought about how awful I must smell.

Colt was snoring away when we walked into the hotel room. He woke right up when Van threw her keys on the dresser. She sat on the edge of the bed and kissed him right away. “She woke up.”

He wiped his eyes and looked toward me. “Hey Bro, congrats. I know you needed to hear that news.”

“Yeah, I still don’t want to be gone too long. You mind if I grab a shower?”

Van got up and ran toward the corner of the room. She pulled out a pair of jeans, a sweatshirt and even a pair of boxers. “Here.”

“When did you have time to pack?”

She put her hands on her hips. “Colt and I were planning on going to the cabin. When we got the call, I grabbed our bag that I had packed and brought it with us.”

“Good thing you did. I smell like ass.”

The shower was extra hot and I stood there letting the water fall down over my back. My life was so f**ked up. I wished I could just wash away the last few months and start over. That would have been a hell of a lot easier than living through the past few days.