Page 37 of Protected By West (San Antonio S.W.A.T. #1)

"I knew it was you, but I didn't come to the scene, I was afraid that I'd just make things difficult for West." He cleared his throat softly. "And, by extension, you."

Tracy swallowed, a little afraid of what might come out of her mouth.

She felt a strange weight in her chest at the heaviness of his voice.

He was saying he cared.

That he was trying to stay out of the way to let Weston and the others do their job.

She felt like there was an ache in her chest but didn't know if it was from hope or disappointment.

Her emotions where it came to her dad were complicated.

Like cubist painting complicated.

Or maybe surreal art?

That might be more accurate.

Bent and pulled like taffy.

Yeah, her feelings were still messed up when it came to her father.

"I'm... I'm waiting for Weston to come back with the discharge papers."

Her father nodded. "So they're not keeping you for observation for that hit you took to your head?"

Tracy felt something settle in her chest. "You know about that?"

"I followed the progress from my office. I didn't watch all of the video feed." He drew in a breath and his gaze lowered to the floor. "I couldn't keep watching it all. I thought I... I might lose my mind."

His voice was lower. Rougher than it had been before.

"It wasn't all that fun on my end either." She smiled and tried to keep her voice light, but she didn't know if she'd succeeded. "I know this is awkward for both of us."

"It's been years. "

She was suddenly blinking back tears and hoping her father didn't see it.

He'd never been a man that could deal with tears.

"It's been a long time."

He nodded.

"I didn't know you were the Chief in the Rangers."

She saw his jaw tense and she huffed out a breath. She hadn't meant to say it like that.

"I mean... I don't follow anything involving law enforcement if I can help it. My friend Jamie tells me it's a trauma thing. Or an approach avoidance thing."

He cleared his throat and shifted his weight from one foot to the other, leaning on the door frame.

"I can see how that might happen. Tracy, I-"

She heard him say her name for a moment, her ears popped as if she'd changed altitude.

Hearing him say her name had sent her back years and years, comparing the difference in tone.

"I want to see if we can... talk. Maybe we can clear the air- And by that, I mean, maybe I can answer some questions you might have about the past. About me."

For a moment, the little girl that she was popped up in her head. And the raw emotions surging through her shook her to the core and left her nearly gasping for air.

"Tracy?"

"Yeah."

She saw him looking at her. The expression on his face was something she'd never seen on his face before.

He was unsure.

It put her off balance inside. Confused, too.

She managed a little bit of a smile. "I'd like to talk."

His eyes widened and his mouth tilted up on one side. "Yeah?"

She found herself fighting off a yawn.

The world, it seemed, was still weighing heavily on her. And the energy that had surged through her during the standoff at the credit union was starting to fall away.

He shifted from one foot to the other again and swallowed. She heard the sound, and it tugged at her heartstrings, making an odd sound in her ears. "Can I... Can I get your phone number?"

Tracy reached for her phone and remembered she didn't have it with her.

He smiled and took his phone out of his pocket, unlocking it as he walked across the room. When he held it out to her, she took it, and it wasn't lost on her that this was the closest she'd been to her dad for more than half her life.

She took the phone from his fingers and added in her phone number, finishing by putting in her name.

She handed it back to him trying to blink back sudden tears.

"I've got lunch with Weston on Saturday.

Maybe... if you've got some time," she swallowed and felt her throat scratch with pain, "what if we meet then? "

"Sunday." He nodded. It wasn't a question, but an agreement. "I'll see you th-"

"Don't." She swallowed again. There was a knot in her throat. "Don't promise me. Just... just in case."

She saw him wince at her words, but he didn't argue.

He didn't try to quibble.

He just nodded.

"Trace? I've got your discharge papers and- Uh, hey there, Chief."

"West?"

She saw Weston in the hallway and the way he stopped so fast it looked like he walked into a wall. "Chief."

Weston turned his head, and she knew the moment his eyes found hers.

He smiled and as turbulent as her thoughts were, she melted a little at the look.

Yeah, she was totally gone for this man.

"I think we need to have a talk, Ranger Cooper."

West's expression was a mix of worry and resignation. "Yes, sir. I believe we do."

Tracy bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing. She didn’t want to sound hysterical, but she knew it could be a real possibility given everything that had happened in the last few hours.

“My dau- Tracy,” her dad corrected himself, "was involved in a situation today. The last thing I ever wanted to happen was for my job to touch her life like this."

She heard the haunted tone in her dad's voice, and it struck an odd chord in her heart. Is that how he saw it?

She didn't know what to think.

"It looks like she's well enough to be released." Her dad looked in her direction. "Let me know when you want to talk. I'll be there."

Tracy looked at Weston.

They were gathering at his house on the weekend with his family and the team. As much as her instinct said to invite her dad, she wasn't sure if that would work well with everyone else.

Weston smiled at her and leaned in, whispering in her ear. "What if you invite your dad to the house on Saturday for breakfast. We can both talk to him then. If he wants to stay for lunch... or if you want to have him there, he can stay. Up to you, babe."

She turned her head for a soft kiss. "I love it when you call me babe," she grinned at him before turning back to her dad.

It tickled her a little to see him look a little flustered. "You better be treating her right, West."

Tracy touched Weston's chest, smiling at him and then her father. "He's great. His team pulled my fat out of the fryer today. I know it's his job, but it felt really good to have a boyfriend with muscle behind him. A whole bunch of it."

Seamus nodded and this time there was more than a hint of humor in his gaze.

He was still the dad who walked away when she was a child, but there might be something moving forward that they could work on.

"Would you be free for breakfast on Saturday? At Weston's house?"

Her dad looked a little green in the gills. "Breakfast at Weston's? Does that mean you're... staying at his house?"

"I'm an adult. Have been for quite some time. And yes, I'll be staying at his house on Friday, just like he stays over at mine a few days a week. And yes, we're having s-"

"I'll be there on Saturday morning. Let me know when it's safe to show up. I'm glad you're okay, Tracy." He took a step away and then turned back to look at her. "I know I was a shit father, but I... I never stopped loving you."

Tracy felt like the air was sucked out of her lungs in that moment.

She opened her mouth to speak but couldn't seem to make a sound.

Her dad smiled at her and then walked away down the hallway.

Tracy turned toward West, lifting her face up to look at him. She still didn't have the words to say what she was thinking.

She wondered if she'd have them before Saturday.

Weston leaned in and placed a kiss on her forehead and then folded her into his arms.

"Don't think this has to be fixed in a few days, babe. I don't think your dad is expecting it. I know you're not. Let's just take this one day... uh, one Saturday at a time. Okay?"

She nodded and felt more weight lift off of her shoulders. "Okay."

The nurse brought the wheelchair in and gave Tracy a big grin. "Are you ready to get the hell out of here? I've told your ride to go around to the side entrance to avoid the press."

Tracy looked up at Weston. "Was this your request?"

His grin was a little mischievous. "Fox is our getaway driver."

Tracy gave him one more hug and kissed his cheek because she'd wait to kiss him for real back home. "I love the way you think, Hotstuff."

Weston turned his head when the nurse giggled. "Did you hear that? She called me Hotstuff."

Tracy shared a knowing look with the nurse.

"Men," they both said at the same time.