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“Do you want to explain yourself?”
“It’s because of me. She was hurt because of something from my past.”
Her father scrubbed a hand over his face. “Tell me from the beginning,” he said as he dropped into the other chair in the room.
So, Vic did, including a sanitized version of their relationship.
“So, he kidnapped her anyway?”
He nodded. The weight of his mistake felt like it would crush him.
“If only she had gone to Hawaii yesterday, this would have been avoided. Or if you hadn’t been a wuss and told her you loved her and protected her.”
Shame hit him hard, and he hung his head. He had failed her in so many ways.
“Now, don’t go looking like that,” Frederick admonished. Vic raised his head and looked at the man he admired. “You made a mistake. We all make them.”
“She almost died.”
He chuckled. “I doubt that. Addy is smarter than people think.”
Vic didn’t go into much detail on how Bartlett had restrained Addison. Instead, he glossed over the facts so Frederick didn’t have to deal with the memories.
“Still, I failed her on so many levels.”
“There is only one level you need to worry about now. You have to fix her broken heart.”
“Easier said than done.”
He shrugged. “She’s going to give you hell.”
“She’s been giving me hell since I met her.”
“True, but all the good ones do.” He gave Vic a smile. “I just want you to fix this so I can have grandbabies. And soon.”
For the first time in hours, lightness filled him. The image of Addison with a small boy and girl in her flower shop, teaching them all about flowers, popped up. No matter how much he tried, he couldn’t erase it. He didn’t want to. He wanted everything, and he wanted it with Addison. He might not deserve her, but he would do everything he could to make her understand that they needed to be together.
“Go away,”Addison said as she had a staredown with the most infuriating man known to man. Or woman. Whatever.
He said nothing as he continued to read something on his phone. She glanced at Justin, who was doing the same.
It felt like five hours to get her settled in her room. Her father had stayed for a bit, but she had sent him home. The day had been hard on him. She told Vic to go home too, but he ignored her, wearing that stupid grin on his face. So annoying.
“I don’t need a babysitter. The only man who wanted to hurt me is in police custody,” she said, not bothering to hide her irritation.
“I don’t care. Your father said he would feel better if I stayed.”
Yeah, and that still pissed her off. She knew she was safe now, and she was in a hospital. Still, Vic refused to leave. The hospital staff didn’t seem to care that Vic was breaking the rules.
“My father’s going senile.”
Without looking up from his phone, Vic responded. “He is the sharpest of tacks.”
She would growl, but she bit it back and looked at Justin, who was now smiling at her. “Can’t you get him out of here?”
“Dude, I don’t get in between arguing fiancés.”
She didn’t even smile at that. She crossed her arms beneath her breasts and frowned at him.
