She looked very adult and…fine. Just safe and good and fine. Lia’s eyes filled with tears. Okay. Safe. Sound. But she didn’t want Sammy to worry abouther.
“Yes, nurse,” Lia managed to croak out through a tight throat, just drinking in howokaySammy seemed. Ordering her around. Not a scratch on her. Lia blinked the tears away as she sat back down on the bed. “What areyoudoing here?”
Sammy’s expression went sheepish. “I’m not supposed to be here. I caused a big scene and then…snuck in.” She shrugged. “That distraction technique works, huh?”
Lia catalogued every feature. She was wearing different clothes than she had been, but she clearly hadn’t showered or anything because her hair was a mess and there were mascara tracks down her cheeks. But okay and in one piece and…safe.Safe.
“I’m so glad you’re okay,” Lia said, feeling a little out of it, but knowing that had to be said.
Sammy nodded, her own eyes filling with tears. “He stabbed you. He choked you. That’s what I heard the police say.”
“And I’m alive and well.” Lia held out her hands for Sammy to put hers in. When she did, Lia squeezed and forced her mouth to curve. “I’d do anything to keep you safe, Sammy.”
Sammy nodded, a few tears slipping over. “Can I hug you?”
Lia held her arms out. Probably a bad idea, but she didn’t care. She pulled Sammy into a hug and held her close, a few tears of her own slipping out.
“I love you, Lia,” Sammy whispered, resting her cheek on Lia’s shoulder.
Lia’s voice was already hoarse, and her throat ached even over the pain medicine, but she forced herself to say the words back anyway. “I love you too.” Then she closed her eyes and just held on for a while. “You know, I’m grateful every day you decided to steal from me.”
Sammy choked out a laugh, then sniffled, pulling back and wiping her cheeks with her sleeve. “Me too.”
They just stared at each other for a few more minutes, like they both needed that visual reassurance that nothing catastrophic had happened. They were both going to be okay and life was going to go back to normal. Back togood.
But then Sammy’s expression got really serious.
“It wasn’t Mom’s fault. It really wasn’t. They tricked her. I know how I sound, and I know she was using again, but theydidtrick her. I saw it. I saw…”
Sammy was so desperate for it to be true, and it really didn’t matter if it was or wasn’t. “I believe you, sweetheart.”
“Really?” Sammy looked at the ground. “Uncle Gard won’t. He’s going to be mad at her. That she…did all this. Got messed up with those guys. Got back into drugs.”
“No, you underestimate him.” God, it hurt to talk more than move, but Lia made herself say the words Sammy needed to hear. “Maybe he’ll be a little hurt that…your mom felt desperate when he would have done anything to help her, but he’s not going to blame her. He’s not going to bemad. You know him better than that.”
After a few moments of maybe letting those words soak in, Sammy nodded. Then she just looked at Lia for a long time, those blue eyes shiny with more tears. “You saved me, Lia. He was going to…” She shook her head. “You saved me.”
“And Gard saved me. That makes us pretty close to even.”
Sammy let out a shaky breath, still studying Lia’s face. “You love him, don’t you?” As she voiced that question, the door behind Sammy opened and Lia’s gaze met Gard’s as he stepped into the room.
He had streaks of black on his shirt, mud caked on his shoes, and his eyes were a little red-rimmed, likely from the smoke. But he was here and whole and…all that love Sammy had just asked her about swamped her.
She didn’t know if he’d heard the question or not, but she didn’t care. She held his intent blue gaze while she answered Sammy. “I do.”
Gard was buffetedby too many feelings to really absorb any of them. But Lia looking him dead in the eye and answering Sammy’s question cut through them all.
She was here. She was okay.
And she loved him.
“He loves you too,” Sammy said to Lia, clearly not aware he’d walked into the room, because she said it a little desperately, like it was Sammy’s job to convince Lia it was true.
Lia’s mouth curved a little bit. She ran a hand over Sammy’s tangled hair, but she still looked at Gard. “You think so?”
“I do,” he answered for Sammy.
Sammy whirled around quick enough Gard was a little afraid she might have hurt Lia, but Lia didn’t flinch.
