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“What’s going on?” I heard Mom’s voice from the waiting room. “Did I hear…?”
Her voice trailed off as Dad stepped into the doorway. Over his shoulder, I saw her entire face rapidly transform. First with concern, then anger, but lastly, the kind of longing that I’d felt myself when I’d been without Lis.
“You’re here,” Mom said, giving him a disdainful look. “For fuck’s sake, Jet. When was the last time you showered?”
“Hell if I know,” he croaked, just standing there eating up the sight of her. “Are you real, Felicity?”
“Get over here and kiss me, you big dummy, and find out.”
With a growl, he pushed away from the doorway and was across the room in a matter of a few long strides. Swinging Mom up into his arms, he kissed her in a way that had me quickly averting my gaze. No kid ever wanted to see their parents making out, and there was no other way to describe how Dad attacked Mom’s mouth right then.
It was several minutes before Lis nudged me, and I finally glanced back at the couple. Dad had Mom on her feet once again, his hands tangled in her hair as he glared down at her. “Don’t you ever fucking do that to me again. I know losing Nova was hard, but we’re supposed to face everything together, love. You can’t disappear on me and expect me to continue living as if my heart isn’t missing from my chest.”
She slapped her hands against his chest. “You’re the one who fucked up, mister. Coming down here, leaving our daughter behind! Telling me that she was dead, even though I heard her voice when she called us.”
“Ah, baby, please don’t do this now. Tomorrow is her birthday. I’m barely holding on. Don’t you think I miss her too? But we have to be strong. Nova was—”
“Nova is,” Mom corrected.
“Baby, she’s gone.”
“Where did I go?” Nova asked, coming up behind me. “Did I miss something while I was in the bathroom?”
Dad jerked around at the sound of my sister’s voice. When I moved so he could see her, the huge biker lost control of his legs and fell to his knees. “N-Nova?”
She stepped forward hesitantly. “Hi, Daddy.”
“You’re…” His voice became too choked for him to get another word out as huge tears fell from his green eyes.
“I’m here,” Nova murmured softly, taking another step closer. “I’ve been here in Colombia the entire time.”
“H-how?” he breathed raggedly.
“It’s a long story,” Mom told him. “But that will have to wait. I think our son expected you to arrive a little more put together than you currently are. Let’s arrange with the hospital to get you a shower and some clean clothes, and then you can meet our granddaughter.”
“Grand…granddaughter?” he repeated, his eyes widening so much they nearly popped out of his head. “We have a granddaughter?”
“Yes, honey,” Mom told him with a loving smile. “And she’s so beautiful.”
“Okay, just give me a minute here. This is a lot to take in.” Unsteadily, he got to his feet. “Nova, princess. If you’re real, Daddy needs a hug. Right now.”
With a half sob, half laugh, she ran and threw herself into his arms. “I’m real, Dad,” she assured him, hugging him tight. “I’m so sorry I didn’t come home sooner, but Cali needed me. And…” She pulled back to glare up at him. “You just left me here!”
“No, baby girl, no,” he cried, the tears pouring unabashedly from his eyes. “If I had known you were here, I never would have left without you. We all thought Sheena had taken you from us. That she was playing her sick games, even from the grave. Please, sweetheart, you have to believe me. I would have never—”
“It’s okay, Daddy. I believe you.” She hugged him tight again. “But Mom is right. You need a shower in the worst way.”
Laughing, he nodded. “Yeah, princess. I seriously do. And you need to go see Ryan.”
“Ryan?” she gasped, turning to glare at me. “You called Ryan?”
“He doesn’t know yet,” I said, holding my hands up in surrender in case she attacked me. “But Dad is right. You should go back to the mansion. Your man is waiting there. Guzman is waiting downstairs to drive you.”
“You’re such an asshole,” Nova muttered. Giving Dad one last hug, she turned and made a run for it, slapping me on the arm as she passed. “I love you, dumbass!” she called over her shoulder as she stabbed at the call button for the elevator.
Beside me, Lis released a pent-up breath. “That was a close call,” she said with a teasing grin. “I feared for your life there for a few minutes. I’m actually surprised she didn’t shank you as she ran by.”
Laughing, I pulled her into my arms. “Nova’s harmless.”
