Second Chance at Forever (Forever Book 2) (30 page)

“He’s partially right, Reese. You’re leaving him and returning back to me.”

I smiled up at Walker, and I just let myself breathe him in and feel his warmth radiating all over me. I said, “I missed you, Walker. I hated leaving you the way I did. You must have been out of your mind with worry.”

“I was, but I worked it out quickly. I knew after the time we spent together, you would never walk away from me again. We later found out that Samuel had arrived in New York.”

“Were you having me watched? How do you know all of this?”

“Reese, I’m a very powerful man, and I have many resources available to me. I wanted to make sure you were okay, but by the time I received my status report, you already left your hotel. I tracked you here. Thank god I reached you in time.”

“I’m fine, Walker…Believe me. I need to go speak with Samuel now. I promise everything will be okay.”

“I don’t like this, Reese. I can’t believe how calm you’re being right now?”

“That’s because I’m in love with a raging bull, and someone has to be calm in this relationship.”

“Relationship? Is this what you want, Reese? To be with me and begin again?”

“More than anything in the world, Walker. You’re all that I want.”

I knew he needed more assurance than just my words, so I did the next best thing. I gently brushed my lips against his, slowly entering his mouth and circling his tongue with my own. Walker began to become aroused with my teasing. I could make love with him right now, but he sensed my hesitation and halted our kiss.

Walker pressed his forehead to mine and asked me again, “Are you sure you want to talk to him now? If he attempts to lay his hands on you again, I will lose all reasoning and beat him within an inch of his life.”

“Walker, trust me to know what I’m doing. I owe him this much.”

Walker withdrew from me with a horrified expression on his face. He said, “You owe him? Reese, this man assaulted you today, and more than once. Don’t sit here and lie to me. Riley told me that he slapped you earlier this morning, but you brushed it off. You don’t owe Samuel Briggs anything. The good doctor should be grateful he’s not sitting in a jail cell right now with two broken surgical hands.”

I kissed Walker quickly on his lips and turned away from him. I could see that I wouldn’t be able to change his mind and put him at ease. I knew Samuel better than anyone, so I ignored Walker’s wishes and went to talk to him anyway.

When I opened the cabin door, Samuel was sitting in a chair with his head down in his hands. He’d been crying and looked lost. In all my years that I had spent with Samuel, I had only seen him cry once, and that was when Riley was born.

To see him now broke my heart. Walker would never understand why I could so easily forgive Samuel for hitting me. I think if Elizabeth had lived, and he made the choice to leave her, he would know exactly how I was feeling.

Samuel and Elizabeth chose to love us beyond our abilities to love them back. They were extraordinary people who loved us, despite who remained in our hearts. That alone has to count for something, and deep down maybe Walker knew this.

“Samuel, are you okay?” I asked.

Samuel lifted his head and answered me in a tone just higher than a whisper. “How can you ask me that, Reese? When it’s I who should be asking you if you’re okay.”

“Samuel, I’m fine, just a bump on my head. I don’t have a concussion, so please don’t worry about it.”

“Can I take a look at it, please?” I took a step back as he took in a deep sigh at my hesitation. “I just want to see for myself. Did you get scans done?”

“Yes, I did. Samuel, it’s not necessary for you to look at my head. I already told you that I’m fine.”

“Please, Reese, humor me and allow me to look.”

I could see he wouldn’t be satisfied until I allowed him to. I knelt down beside him, as he examined the back of my head. Samuel began to cry and professed how sorry he was for hurting me. I cupped his face and cried along with him.

“Oh Samuel, please don’t do this. We both made mistakes here that resulted in the situation we are in now. I don’t blame you for what happened. I should have been honest with you, but I never really had a chance to process everything that was happening. I swear to you that seeing Walker at the restaurant was the first time I laid eyes on him, since my last night with him all those years ago. He took me by complete surprise, and then to discover that our children were dating each other, you can’t imagine how shocked we both were.”

“Riley said that dinner was tense, and you both were behaving strangely.”

“She’s right. It was very tense at first. Walker was angry and confused. He began riddling me with questions about my past, all along knowing already about it. His actions were justified. He only remembers me leaving him…He never knew why.”

“Did you finally tell him the truth?”

“Yes I did, and it came in as a close second to the hardest thing I have ever had to do. He forced me to relive my leaving him, my miscarriage, and everything his father did to me. I was exhausted and drained by all that I revealed to him. Then Walker later found out the rest of the story from his family’s lawyer. It was just too much for either one of us to bear.”

“Did you sleep with him, Reese? I mean really make love to him? I have to know how you feel.”

“No, you don’t, Samuel. Please don’t ask me again.”

“Your aversion to my question tells me what I already know. I just wanted to hear the actual words. When I asked you back on the island, I was out of mind with thoughts of another man touching my wife. When you finally screamed it at me, I can’t even begin to tell you all the dark places my mind traveled to. It was as if I was standing outside of my body. In under a week, our life has completely changed, and now I’m the one that is broken and shattered.”

“Samuel, you’re not broken. You’re one of the strongest men I know. You perform miracles everyday with your patients, and I see how you care about them. Please don’t let what’s happening in our personal life affect who you are.”

“You make it sound so easy, Reese. Am I just expected to wake up tomorrow and suddenly not love you anymore? Is that how it was for you? The minute you saw the great Walker Reed, I became a mere memory, and the life that we shared didn’t hold any value?”

“It wasn’t like that at all, Samuel. You’re dismissing every part of our time together, and what we did have at one time.”

“Forgive me, Reese, but put yourself in my shoes for a damn minute. How would you feel if my ex-lover just appeared out of thin air and staked a claim back on me? How would you feel? You’re simply abandoning our marriage and everything we built, so you can run back into his arms. My god, Reese, have you even thought about how this will affect Riley? She is in love with his son. Do you even know how that looks? You were worried how you and I looked in the public eye. How the hell do you think you will be perceived now?”

Samuel’s words pierced my heart with the hard reality of the state of affairs my life was in right now.
Is he right?
I knew my stomach was in knots and could no longer continue with this conversation right now.

“Samuel, I have to go, but I want you to know that I will not press charges against you. Once we’re home, I will have my things removed from the house.”

“Why are you walking away, Reese? Did I touch on a nerve?”

“Samuel, you need to make things right with our daughter. I will send her in to speak with you. As for you and me, I’ve said all I want to say at the moment.”

Entering the main cabin, I walked by Walker, as he rose from his seat to meet me. I ignored him and had to find Riley. The way Walker was looking at me was breaking me down. I had to put Riley first. She needed to understand what happened here today. I just didn’t have the strength to deal with Walker’s questions and the heavy conversation that would follow.

I knocked on the door and found Jackson and Riley holding each other. I said to her, “Riley, you need to speak with daddy.”

“Mom, I don’t have anything to say to him right now. After how he hurt you, how can you ask me to do this?”

“Riley, he’s your father, and he loves you. There is so much that I need to tell you, but I just can’t get into it right now. Please go to your father and hear him out.”

“Mom, I already know what you’re going to say. Jackson told me about your history with his father.”

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Briggs, but I couldn’t handle seeing her this upset and being kept in the dark. I already knew, and I figured it would be better coming from me.”

“It’s okay, Jackson. Thank you. Riley, do you have anything you want to ask me?”

“Are you leaving daddy for Jackson’s father?”

“I’m divorcing your father, but not for the reasons you believe. I had already asked your father for a divorce on the morning we left for New York. I had planned on discussing this with you on the plane, but decided against it. Seeing Walker was a complete surprise for me.”

“Do you love Mr. Reed?”

“Yes, Riley, I do. I always loved him, but I have so many things to work out before I make any decisions for my future.”

Jackson interjected. “My dad said…”

“I know what your father wants, Jackson, but our lives are very different, and I need to take it one day at a time. I promise you, Riley, whatever I decide, I will always be honest with you.” My daughter hugged me, and I was thanking God that she wasn’t angry with me for leaving her father. She looked relieved and left to speak with Samuel. I stood by the closed door.

“Daddy, may I come in?”

“Oh, sweetheart, of course. I’m so sorry, baby, for hurting you and your mom. I was out of my head. I can’t tell you how ashamed and embarrassed I am for my behavior.”

“Daddy, you scared the hell out of me; I won’t pretend that you didn’t. I have never seen you behave that way before. You were unrecognizable, and I’m hurt and angry with how you treated mom.”

“There is no excuse for my actions, Riley. I will spend the rest of my life making this up to you if I have to. I swear to you that I’ll never let my anger get the best of me again.”

“I believe you, daddy. I’m sorry that you’ve been hurt too in all of this. Mom told me about the divorce. Will you move out of our house?”

“It’s up to your mother, Riley. I would prefer to remain in our home, but I will leave it up to your mother. You only have a couple of months left of school and then you graduate. I don’t want to see you up and move, especially now. I would like you to stay with me, and then once you graduate, it will solely be up to you where you choose to live.”

“I want to stay at home until I graduate. I’m eighteen now and legally an adult. I want to join Jackson wherever he may be.”

“Oh my darling girl, you don’t have to remind me of your age. I was there when you entered the world. It was the greatest moment of my life. I know I can’t stop you. I know I can’t stop your mom for wanting what she wants. It’s clear to me how much your young man means to you, and you to him. As a father, it doesn’t make me happy knowing my daughter is exerting her fierce independence, but I won’t stand in your way, especially when it comes to your happiness. This is the best time of your life, Riley. Going off to college, meeting new friends, falling in love. I just want you to be happy. I love you so much, and no matter what happens with your mother and me, you’re my greatest gift.”

“What happens to you now? Are you going to be okay, daddy? What kind of person would I be if I leave you here all alone?”

“Riley, I’m not okay, far from it, but I would be lying if I told you otherwise. Eventually my heart will heal, and I will move on with my life. You’re an amazing young woman. Don’t worry about me. I will work it out with mom. We’ve spent too many years together for us not to. Please dry those tears now, and be my happy daughter that I know you are.”

“I love you, daddy, always and forever. You will always be my number one in my heart.”

“I love you too, sweetheart, and thank you for forgiving me. You will be my light to get me through this.”

Jackson knocked on the door and unwittingly interrupted the father-daughter moment. “Riley, are you okay?”

“Yes, Jackson, I am. Please come in. Jackson, this is my father, Dr. Samuel Briggs. Daddy, this is my boyfriend, Jackson Reed.”

Samuel took a minute to size up Jackson, who was the painstakingly spitting image of his father. It had to be breaking Samuel’s heart knowing that his wife would be reuniting with Jackson’s father.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Jackson. I’m sorry it’s not on better circumstances. Riley has been singing your praises for months now. All good, don’t worry.”

“Thank you, sir, and it’s good to finally meet you as well. I’m sorry about my father and how you were treated.”

“Thank you, Jackson, but that’s not necessary for you to say. Your father was right to hit me. I would have done the same thing. Please don’t worry yourselves over our problems. The adults in your life will work things out.”

“That’s kind of you to say, sir. If you don’t mind, can I talk to Riley now?”

“Yes, of course, I will talk to you later once we land,” Samuel responded.

“I love you, daddy,” Riley said to her father.

“I love you too, sweet girl.”

Jackson politely asked, “Sir, can I get you anything? Are you hungry or thirsty?”

“No, but thank you, Jackson. I’m fine. I’ll stay back here until we arrive in New York.”

“Um…Mr. Briggs, we’re not going back to New York. We’re en route directly to Maryland.”

“Thank you, Jackson, for letting me know.”

I watched Samuel as he plastered a weak smile across his face, solely intended for his daughter’s benefit. Jackson and Riley left the cabin and happily smiled at one another. I let out the breath I had been holding, and then Walker was now at my side. Then Walker approached Samuel wanting to speak with him, but I tried to lead him away. Walker was adamant about going in for chat with Samuel. I couldn’t stand there and listen to what he might have said, so I walked away to find the kids.

“WHAT THE HELL do you want, Reed? Haven’t you taken enough from me already? Here to throw salt on my open wounds?”