Page 10

9

January

T he sterile smell of Dakota’s hospital room transports me back to haunting memories of my sister’s coma and Katie’s death. I feel like I’m stuck in a reoccurring nightmare I can’t wake up from.

Dakota has been in the hospital now for three days due to complications with her lung collapsing again and her kidney needing continued monitoring. I just got off the phone with a frantic McKenna. Griffin hurt his knee in his game last night, and they flew back to Minnesota on a private jet in the middle of the night.

Mack wanted to get an update on Dakota and let me know she would probably stay at Griffin’s until his surgery later this week to help him. Thankfully, my mom can help with Cadence, and Mack is on winter break from classes. But Mack said once I fly out for my game tomorrow, if Dakota is discharged, she can stay with them at Griff’s house while they both recover.

But that’s just the thing. I haven’t gotten a good read on what Dakota plans to do once she’s discharged. She’s been incredibly tight-lipped with me since she overheard me talking to my dad on the phone about what Aaron did. Hopefully she’ll come around once she hears my dad out.

Dakota’s phone vibrates beside her on the bed for what feels like the hundredth time.

“Are you going to pick it up?” I ask, not needing to see the screen to know it’s her brother.

“No, it’s best he doesn’t hear about this. He’d probably do something irrational, like fly up here and refuse to play in his game this weekend. They need to win it to clinch the wildcard for the playoffs.”

“If you leave him in the dark and only text him, he’ll probably get suspicious enough to fly up here regardless. Look, I’m not saying you need to FaceTime with him, but take the advice of an older brother who’s a major worrywart—just let the guy hear your voice so he knows you’re alive,” I suggest.

She shakes her head in disagreement. “Once Brody hears my voice, he will know something is wrong. I’m not a very good liar.”

“Then put the phone on speakerphone, and I’ll do some of the talking to distract him.”

A ghost of a smile dances across Dakota’s face, and the sight of it makes my chest squeeze with pride. “Nice try. I know you’re just trying to talk to your favorite football player.”

I don’t even try to deny it. “Guilty,” I say as I hold my hands up. “But for what it’s worth, I do think he needs to hear your voice—you know, proof of life and all that—otherwise, if he’s anything like me, he’ll fixate on why he hasn’t heard from you. Didn’t you say you usually talk on the phone every day? It’s been three, Austen.”

“Alright, alright. I’ll call him on speaker. Just promise me you won’t say anything about where we are.”

Even though it goes against everything I stand for as a brother, I look her in the eye and hold my pinky out for her.

“Are you serious?” she questions, staring at my pinky in confusion.

“Yeah, my pinky promises are special. I pinky kiss promise that I won’t tell him where you are right now.”

“What in the world is a pinky kiss promise?”

“Hold up your pinky and cross it with mine,” I start before she cuts me off.

“I know what a pinky promise is, Carson. But why on god’s green earth would I kiss you?”

“Ouch! I’ll have you know I’m a great kisser.” I rub at my chest to feign hurt. “But that’s not what this is, friend . It’s just like a pinky promise, except you kiss your own hand to make it an extra-important promise. Kind of like an unbreakable vow from Harry Potter . Look, if Cadence can already do it, so can you.”

Dakota reluctantly holds out her hand for me to link our pinky fingers. Once I do, the same rush of electricity engulfs me like every other time we’ve touched. I lean across her bed and kiss my fist just as she leans in slightly to kiss hers. Our eyes lock as we seal our promise. Except I’m not just promising to keep her secret from her brother. No, this is me promising far more than that.

I’ll take care of you.

You are safe with me.

I’m never going to let him touch you ever again.

Not long after Dakota and I hang up with her brother—that’s right, I got to chat with Brody fucking Meyer—my dad walks into the hospital room.

“Knock, knock,” he says as he enters.

Theodore Wilder, or Teddy as most of my friends call him, is a six-foot-four brute of a man. His once light brown hair is now filled with salt and pepper, giving him more of a silver fox vibe. No matter the time of year, he always seems to have tanned skin, and even in his early fifties, he’s still in pretty good shape. To others, he probably looks intimidating in his three-piece suit, with polished shoes and his clean-shaven face. To me, he looks like the most supportive dad, who has become one of my best friends as I’ve gotten older.

I get up and give him a big hug, needing to absorb his strength in this moment.

As soon as Dakota sees my dad, she looks like she wants to turn in on herself.

“Good morning, Dakota. It’s nice to see you again, though I wish the circumstances were different.”

“Hello, Mr. Wilder,” she says, her tone laced with nerves.

Okay, I don’t like that. I’m supposed to be Mr. Wilder, just like Mr. Darcy.

“You can call him Teddy or Theo if you’d like,” I offer. Dakota nods her head, but I don’t miss the heat of her cheeks.

“I brought some brunch for the two of you from that cafe down the street your mother loves. I figured you’d probably had enough of the hospital food,” he says as he holds up two takeout bags before handing them over to me.

“That was very kind of you, thank you, Mr. uh, I mean, Theo.”

“May I?” my dad asks as he points to one of the chairs beside Dakota’s bed.

“Yes, of course,” Dakota replies with a quick nod.

My dad undoes the button of his suit jacket, and once he’s seated, he doesn’t hesitate to get to the matter at hand. “Dakota, as I’m sure you know, my son has filled me in on the events that led to your hospitalization. I want to assure you that my partners and I have taken swift action and terminated Aaron’s employment at the firm. We have a morality clause that Mr. Ackerman has certainly not abided by. I do not take his actions lightly, and we will not stand to have an employee who assaults his wife representing our firm. With that said, I want you to know that, should you agree, I would like to represent you. My services would be pro bono, of course.”

Dakota is quick to shake her head. “Oh, no. Theo, I couldn’t. You and your family have already done so much for me. I couldn’t ask you to do that. Besides, the only attorney I’m hiring is a divorce attorney.”

I busy myself with setting out the food on her bedside tray before taking a seat beside her on the edge of her bed.

She’s still shaking her head when my dad says, “Alright, it’s settled. I’ll be representing Mrs. Ackerman in the matter of her divorce from Mr. Ackerman.”

Biting her lip, Dakota nods in acceptance before adding, “I’d like to get my name changed back to Dakota Meyer, if that isn’t too much trouble.”

I like the sound of that much more than Dakota Ackerman. Not a single piece of her should have to remain attached to that piece of shit.

“Dakota, I’d like to move forward today with filing an order of protection against Mr. Ackerman. If you’re okay with it, I can also begin the divorce filing by stating the marriage has been irretrievably broken. I’ll also file a request for your name change when I return to my office. As for the assault charges, the prosecutors have moved forward with filing charges against Mr. Ackerman for assault in the first and third degree. If he is found guilty for either of those charges, he will be sentenced to prison.”

I pray to god that the motherfucker gets prison time.

“Yes, I would like the order of protection and divorce to be filed.” Dakota tries to take a deep breath but winces in pain. Every second she feels pain is another year that should be tacked on to his sentence.

“What do you need from your house? We can have an officer escort you and be sure Mr. Ackerman is not on the premises,” my dad suggests.

“Nothing. I kept pretty much everything that I needed or was sentimental in the trunk of my car. I had been planning to leave him for a while—I was just saving up enough money so I could file for divorce and afford other housing.”

“What about your clothes?” I ask, turning to face her.

“Aaron had picked out practically my entire wardrobe anyway. I don’t ever want to step foot back in that house again,” she says with finality.

“Have you found other housing?” my dad questions.

“No, not yet. I was thinking I’d just get a hotel room until I find something.”

“Absolutely not,” I practically growl out. Not wanting to frighten her, I take a deep, steadying breath. “Stay with me. I’ve got an extra bedroom, hell, I’ve got several extra bedrooms if you need more than just the one.”

“Carson, I couldn’t ask that of you.” She shakes her head, looking down at her folded hands.

Reaching out, I gently lift her chin so she can see how serious I am. “You don’t have to, I just asked you to stay with me. I’ll get on my knees and beg if I have to. We can work this out, Dakota. Just stay with me so I know you’re safe.”

“You Wilder men sure don’t take no for an answer, do you?” She looks from me to my dad, who is staring at me with a quirked brow.

I ignore his weighted stare, instead smirking at Dakota. “We do not. Stubborn as bulls because we’ve got hearts the size of Texas.”

The reference to her home state earns me my first genuine smile from her for the day. And fuck if the sight of it doesn’t nearly bring me to my knees.

“Alright, on that note, I’m going to head to the office to get to work on those filings right away.” My dad stands from his chair and Dakota holds out her hand for him. He shakes his head with a slight smile before shaking her hand.

“I can’t thank you enough for all of your help, Theo.”

“It’ll be my pleasure to take out the trash. In the meantime, be sure to keep my son in line.” He winks at me and heads out the door.

Leave it to my dad to spend fifteen minutes with the two of us and sniff out my infatuation for Dakota.