Page 28 of Fractured Grief (Hope’s Ridge #2)

Seb

S eeing Indy so pale, lying on Doc’s patient bed with a drip in his arm, was hard. He seemed small, so delicate.

He looked so sweet, lying there hugging Hazel to his chest. These two had burrowed their way into my heart and taken up residence.

“Will you be okay for a minute?” I was still holding his hand, needing to feel connected to him. “I’m just going to make a call.”

“We’ll be fine,” he spoke quietly, not wanting to disturb Hazel.

Forcing myself to let go of his hand, I stepped out.

I strode through the door and down the hall, moving as fast as my cane would allow. I passed Doc and Lyric with a nod and moved to the front door.

“You okay, man?” Lyric asked .

“Just need a moment,” and with a wave, I stepped out into the cool night air.

I hobbled back and forth in front of Doc’s practice before gaining the courage to call Ma.

“Hey, Ma.”

“Seb, darling, how are you feeling today?”

“I’m fine. I have some news and need some help.” My heart was racing as I prepared to tell her the truth.

“Of course, honey. How can I help?” She’d give the clothes off her back to someone in need. I was lucky to have a mother like her.

“So, ah, you know Indy. I like him,” I paused, holding my breath as I waited for her response.

“I like him, too, Seb. He’s been such a great help to you.”

“No, Ma. I mean, I like him, like him.”

“Well, it’s about time,” happiness lightened her voice. “I thought something might have sparked between you two, and Lyric has been talking my ear off. I was waiting for you to tell me yourself. I’m so happy for you, Seb. I take it he feels the same way.”

A weight I didn’t even know I was carrying lifted off my shoulders at her acceptance. “Yeah, he does.”

“That’s great news. You’ll have to invite him and his daughter around for Sunday brunch so we can all meet him.” She was so excited.

“Well, about that. Indy’s sick and needs to s-stay with me overnight. But Ma, he has Hazel and no clothes or stuff for her. Could you get some things t-together for an eight-year-old girl? ”

“Oh, the poor dear! Lyric mentioned Hazel. I can’t wait to meet her. Of course, I’ll call around to the cousins and see what I can find. Leave it with me and I’ll call you back.” And just like that, the line went dead, and she was on it.

I heard the door behind me squeak as Lyric stepped out.

“All good?” he asked.

“Yeah, just telling Ma what’s going on.”

“Really? You tell her all about your feelings?” he teased.

“I needed to before you did.” I couldn’t help the smirk that lifted my cheek.

I loved my brother, no matter how much of a pain in the ass he could be.

Without his meddling and persistence, I’m not sure I would have admitted the extent of my feelings and interest in Indy.

But I could never tell him that. “Ma’s getting some stuff for Hazel and Indy to stay the night. ”

“Good, good.” He shuffled his feet on the pavement. “I’ll crash with Ma tonight so it’s not awkward.”

I hadn’t thought of that. With two extra bodies in the house, there wasn’t an extra room, and it was not like I could fit on the couch. “Thanks, man. I hadn’t thought that far ahead.”

“I got your back.” He gripped my shoulders. “Let’s get back in there with your man.” Lyric marched me back to Indy’s side, then left saying he was going to help Ma.

I caressed Indy’s cheek, needing to touch him. How did this man break down my walls so easily? He’d breathed light back into my life.

“How you f-feeling?”

“Much better.” He glanced up at me from under his lashes. “Thank you for taking care of me. I’ve not really had that before,” he muttered to himself.

“Are you always the caretaker?” I asked, already knowing the answer.

“Yeah. Don’t get me wrong. Lex took care of me, too; we shared the parenting load.

But she was more my protector than my partner.

She was always bigger and taller than I was.

Most people are, but she’s sort of like your Yaya.

Her presence and personality were bigger than her physical size.

” Indy got a faraway look in his eyes. “She even fought off guys twice her size when they were harassing me. She was fearless.”

“Really?” I could understand the protective instincts; Indy brought them out in me, too. “Were you okay?”

“I was fine, just a few scrapes before Lexi kicked them in the nuts and we ran for it. She never did fight fair, but we couldn’t afford to.

We come from a very religious, bigoted town, where if they even suspected or caught you going against their precious bible, you were punished for it.

It’s one of the reasons we got married as soon as Lexi found out she was pregnant.

I needed to protect her. Her family disowned her on the spot.

Didn’t even let her pack a bag. They kicked me down the front steps of her family home.

” Tears were falling silently down Indy’s cheeks.

How could anyone disown their own flesh and blood for a teenage lapse in judgment?

How could they value a book over their daughter and grandchild ?

No words seemed enough for all he’d been through. “I’m so sorry.”

He cautiously took in Hazel’s sleeping face. “Lexi was my best friend in the whole world, but she was never my partner. Not in the way I’d like you to be.” His gaze caught mine and held, eyes widening, imploring me to understand him.

“Wait, ah... huh?” Flicking my gaze to Hazel. “What?”

He took a deep breath before whispering, “I’m gay. I’ve always been gay.”

“I’m not sure I understand.” My mind was racing with thoughts of what he was trying to tell me. He was gay. Lexi hadn’t been his partner. Haze... what did that mean for Hazel?

Indy shifted on the bed, moving Hazel into a more comfortable position. Silence fell between us as I watched Indy seem to grapple with something. “Can you sit? This is harder than I thought it would be.”

I pulled a padded seat closer and grasped his hand. “You can tell me anything.” I placed a chaste kiss on the back of his hand. I needed him to know that I was here for him.

“Hazel’s not really mine.” He spoke so softly that I almost didn’t hear him.

“I’m not her biological father.” More tears gathered on his thick eyelashes.

He wouldn’t meet my eye, solely focused on Hazel’s sleeping face.

“Lexi named me on the birth certificate, and because we were always together, everyone assumed. It was safer for all of us never to correct them. ”

“Hey,” I spoke softly, careful not to break the fragility of the moment. “She is yours.” He went to shake his head, but I stopped him, placing my forehead against his. “She is yours . You love her more than anything. She’s yours in every way that counts.”

“She’s my world. From the moment Lex told me she was pregnant, my heart grew. I didn’t know I was capable of a love this powerful. I couldn’t handle it if something happened to her.”

“Nothing is going to happen.” I kissed his forehead.

A sad smile lifted his cheek before he spoke.

“One of the things Lexi and I talked about loving the most are Hazel’s eyes.

Once we knew they weren’t going to change and would stay their beautiful blue, we laughed that they matched mine.

I have Sectoral Heterochromia, which is why part of my right eye is a different color.

Lexi and I joked that God had performed a miracle, adding the missing drop of blue from my eye and giving it to Hazel, so we’d have one miraculous similarity.

Her blue eyes had been a huge surprise. She’d started with the dark blue eyes all babies have, but they became paler as she’d gotten older.

We always expected her eyes to change as Lexi’s eyes had been green, and all her family’s eyes were green or hazel, no blue in the known lineage.

I loved that we shared this small similarity.

It was our coincidental miracle.” His eyes shone with all the love in the world for the little girl in his arms.

“Thank you for telling me. You’re an amazing father, friend, and person. I’m falling for you, Indy. ”

His gaze finally met mine. “Really?”

“Of course.” I pressed our lips together, needing to feel him and help him understand how much he’d come to mean to me. I was falling in love with him.

We kept the kiss chaste with Hazel asleep on Indy’s chest. I pulled back, taking a moment to breathe him in.

This incredible man. He’d been through so much, but there was so much more to learn.

I couldn’t wait. Every new thing I learned just made me fall for him even more.

I was a goner, and I hoped I never stopped falling.