Francis Galloway…” I swallowed hard, worried that I had acted impulsively and would now be faced with having to tell Mackenzie I had killed her father. “How is he doing?”
“Mr. Galloway lost a lot of blood and one of the bullets lodged in his chest cavity. You need to understand the survival rate of that kind of wound has a tendency to be rather low.”
I rubbed my temples, the guilt I felt making me sick.
“But…,” she continued and I snapped my head up, meeting her eyes once more. “We were able to extract the bullet and stopped the flow of blood. He’s in the room next door and is also expected to make a full recovery.”
My shoulders relaxed as I blew out a breath. “Thank you, Doctor. I appreciate it.”
“Of course.” She turned from me and I started back toward Mackenzie, marveling at how much had happened in the span of just six hours. It had been the longest and most trying time of my life and I wouldn’t wish anyone to have to suffer through what I had.
“One more thing,” the doctor said. I faced her and waited for her to speak. “Those burns on Mr. Galloway… How did he get them?”
A small smile crossed my mouth. “It’s a very long story.”
The doctor nodded. “Understood. Have a nice evening, Mr. Burnham.”
“You, too,” I replied. “And thanks again.”
The doctor closed the door and I turned my attention back to Mackenzie, pulling up a chair and sitting next to her. I reached for her hand and took it in mine, toying with her wedding band and engagement ring.
Her face was serene, her lips turned up just slightly as she slept. The demons of her past no longer haunted her. She was finally at peace.
“I’m so glad you’re okay,” I said to her sleeping form. “I don’t know what I would have done if I lost you, Serafina. I don’t think…” I trailed off, composing myself. Despite the fact she was okay, I was still choked up thinking about what almost was. “I wouldn’t have been able to go on if I lost you. You’re a part of me.” A small smile crossed my face as I recalled how far we had come since our first meeting.
“I knew the first day I met you that I was never going to let you go. You were the first woman who ever challenged me, and in that instant, I could tell you were the one for me. Sure, we’ve had more than our fair share of disagreements, but I wouldn’t trade one of those for anything. You made me finally feel like I found my place in the world, and that’s by your side, with our beautiful son.”
Mackenzie began to shift in her bed and her eyes fluttered open, meeting mine. “Hey,” she croaked out.
“Hey,” I responded.
A small smile crossed her lips. “Hey.”
“Hey.” I pushed a strand of hair behind her ear, savoring in the warmth of her skin, a warmth I didn’t think I’d ever feel again.
“Our son…” She looked at me with worry in her eyes.
My gaze softened. “He’s perfect. He’s a healthy seven pound, six ounce boy and already has a full head of dark hair.”
She sighed, closing her eyes as if thanking someone from up above for answering her silent prayers.
“Can I see him?” she asked, her voice growing lazy as she struggled to keep her eyes open.
“You will,” I promised. “But you need your rest. Everything’s going to be okay.” I planted a soft kiss on her forehead. “You won’t have to pretend to be someone you’re not ever again. It’s finally over.”
Mackenzie
A WEEK AFTER BEING shot by my father to save my life, I lay in the hospital bed, surrounded by all my friends and family as they fussed over the little bundle I held in my arms. It took me a few days to finally be able to stay awake for longer than five minutes at a time, and once I felt the pain all over my body, I knew why the doctors had been keeping me drugged. It would still be a few weeks until I could comfortably walk around, but I didn’t care. I was here and so was my son.
I looked to my right, Tyler standing there with a wide grin on his face. He had spent nearly every minute at my side, vowing to stay with me until I was strong enough to leave which, according to the doctors who had checked on