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23
BRYNN
Brynn kissed Dani’s forehead, then pulled the covers up to her chin.
“Aaron said he was going to take me holiday shopping tomorrow. Do you think he still will? Or . . . do you think he’s mad at me?” Dani asked.
Brynn’s heart lurched. She shook her head. “No, sweetie, I don’t think Aaron is upset with you. You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Then why hasn’t he left his office?”
Brynn sighed and rubbed the hair from her daughter’s forehead. “I think he’s disappointed in his family.”
Dani nodded. “Oh, that makes sense . . . Aspen’s family isn’t like that.”
Brynn’s lips parted in a soft smile. “No, I think most families out there aren’t like Aaron’s or ours. But we get to create our own family now, right?”
Dani smiled and parroted the words Brynn had hammered into her since they left. “Right. With friends who really care about us and love us for who we are, not who they want us to be. Love with control isn’t really love at all.”
“Exactly. Now you sleep tight. I’ll see you in the morning.” Brynn placed one more kiss on her forehead, then stood.
“Mom?”
“Yeah?”
“Thank you for loving me like you do.”
Brynn’s heart swelled with affection tainted with regret for how long she’d let Dani endure life on the compound. If only I’d been braver.
“You never have to thank me, sweetheart. Unconditional love is what you deserve.” Wow. Wasn’t that what Aaron had been trying to tell Brynn? She walked out into the hall, switching off Dani’s light and closing the door before she swiped the tears from her cheeks.
She looked right, towards her bedroom where her book and comfortable bed were calling. Instead, she turned left and headed downstairs. She hesitated at his office door. She would have never approached her previous husband, or father like this. But Aaron was different. He wanted her to use her voice. And the wary part of her needed to see him when he was at his worst, needed to know if he had a temper and what that would look like. Another part of her was still reeling that he’d stood up for Dani to his own parents. She knew from experience how hard that was on a child, even if they were an adult. Above all, she wanted to make sure he was okay.
Inhaling a deep breath, she straightened her spine and knocked.
“Come in,” Aaron’s voice called through the door.
Brynn walked into the room, leaving the door cracked open behind her. The only light in the room came from the green lamp on his desk. A glass of amber liquid rested on the oak tabletop next to a half-full bottle. Is he drunk?
Fear snaked up her spine as she flicked her attention from the drink to his face partially hidden in shadows.
Aaron stood to his full height, making it seem like the room was closing in. Her scalp tingled, a small warning in the back of her mind telling her to run. Would he disappoint her? Would he hurt her?
She held her ground as he walked forward, then stood in front of her, leaning closer with a faint hint of alcohol drifting from his hot breath. Her stomach twisted with anxiety as his arm reached out beside her, making her flinch.
The room flooded with light before he drew his arm back to his side. He’d only turned the switch on.
His brown gaze swept over her, pain reflecting in his eyes. “I’m sorry.”
Her forehead wrinkled as she blinked, stunned. He was apologizing to her?
“I’m sorry for my parents, and I’m sorry I shut you out when you tried to talk to me.”
She shook her head. “No, Aaron, I’m sorry. I came to check on you . . . I know what it’s like to go against what your family wants for you.”
His eyebrows rose. “Oh yeah?”
Here he was, leaving the door open for her to continue without pressing her for more than she was willing to give.
