A Daddy For Her Daughter

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Or had he made them cry? Like her ex.

No. She might not know Kaleb very well, but he was nothing like Matthew. She would have heard something from Sarah or the other nurses. Hospital grapevines let nothing go by unnoticed.

Why hadn’t she heard back from Roxy yet? It had been fifteen minutes at least.

Matthew had hated Chloe. He’d had a jealous streak, even before they’d got married. Back then it had seemed innocent enough. But it had only got worse with time. Until it had no longer been amusing or flattering...but dangerous. And it had finally extended to the child she’d carried. That had been the last straw. She’d divorced him, but trying to live in the same town with his threats and middle-of-the-night phone calls had finally got to be too much. She’d filed for—and been granted—a restraining order. And then when Chloe had turned three, Maddy had decided to leave Gamble Point and move, giving in to Roxy’s pleas to get away from him once and for all.

Only it didn’t look as if that had worked.

She realized she was still standing far too close to Kaleb. She stepped to the side. “I had no idea he was capable...I’m sorry you got caught in the middle of this.”

What if Matthew had started shooting up the place? Kaleb, as well as others, could have been injured. Or killed. She shuddered again.

Instead, Matthew had taken his own life.

He shook his head. “I’m glad I was here.” His throat moved for a second. “It could have been much worse.”

Exactly what she’d been thinking.

His phone chirped, and her heart leaped to her throat as she watched him press the button.

“Yes, she’s right here.” He handed her the phone. “It’s your sister.”

“Roxy?”

“It’s okay. Chloe’s with me. She’s safe. He didn’t come here.”

“Thank God. Have you talked to Mom?” She closed her eyes, fingers tight on the phone. “I was so afraid he might...”

“I called her as soon as I got Chloe. She’s in shock. But she’s not hurt. We’re headed to your place now.”

“I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

There was a pause, and then her sister’s voice came back through. “How about you? Are you okay?”

Maddy glanced at Kaleb. “I’m shaken up, but I’m not hurt.”

“I still can’t believe it.”

“Me either.” In fact, it was hard to wrap her mind around what she’d seen today.

“Don’t worry about Chloe. I won’t let her out of my sight. See you when you get to the house, okay? Love you.”

“Love you too.”

She handed the phone back to Kaleb just as the police motioned for them to join them. It seemed as if questions were thrown at her for hours, but it couldn’t have been that long. At some point, Kaleb swabbed the cut on her cheek and pressed an adhesive bandage over it. Eventually, the lockdown was called off, glass was swept up, the floor was mopped clean, and patients were allowed back into the unit.

Through it all, a steady stream of staff members came over to hug her or offer kind words, including the hospital administrator, who was making the rounds and letting everyone know that a counselor would be made available to anyone who felt they needed it.

The same officer who’d let her make her phone call came over to say goodbye. “We’ll call you if we have more questions. And we’ll need you to come down in the next day or two and sign a statement.”

“I understand.”

The man paused, then looked her in the eye. “I’m sorry for your loss.”

The words were meant to be kind, but with them came a sense of relief. Because although she was sorry that Matthew had killed himself, she wasn’t sorry that the threat of what he might do was gone. He would never be able to reach out and hurt his daughter. She was glad that he’d aimed his fury at her and no one else.

Still, she thanked the officer and asked him to call her when they were ready for her to sign that statement. Then he strode toward the elevator.

Tomorrow there would still be talk, and maybe for a few weeks after that, but the horror of today would hopefully fade. Maybe once the glass in her office door was replaced.

But would her guilt? None of this would have happened if she had followed her head rather than her heart all those years ago. Her hands clenched at her sides.

“Don’t.” Kaleb’s voice came to her, reminding her he was still there. Still beside her.

She looked at him. “Don’t what?”

“Blame yourself for this. I can see the wheels turning.” He touched one of her hands.

She sucked down a deep breath, forcing her fingers to relax. “He was my ex-husband.”

“Did you tell him to come here and do what he did?”

“No, but—”

“No buts. This was all on him.” He gave her arm a gentle squeeze. “Seriously, are you okay?”

She shook her head. “No. But I will be. I have to be.”

“Do you want me to drive you home?”

“No. I have my car.”

His glance brushed over her face. “You’re sure?”

“I am. Thank you again.” She hesitated. “If you hadn’t locked that door when you had...”

She could be dead. Matthew hadn’t come to the hospital just to talk to her. Not with a gun. If Kaleb hadn’t secured the door, he could have charged right into the room and shot her. And then what would have happened to Chloe?

“It worked out.” He followed her into her office and glanced at the items that had fallen onto the floor when he’d sailed across her desk to get to her. “I’m sorry about your phone and laptop.” The screen had detached from the keyboard and was lying next to the wall. He picked up the pieces and put them on the desk, along with her ruined cell phone.

“It’s nothing.” And really it wasn’t, compared to everything that could have happened.

Then she picked up the framed picture of Chloe. Just a little while ago she’d been trying to hide it from Kaleb for reasons that weren’t entirely clear to her. Even when she was on the phone with Roxy, she hadn’t mentioned Chloe’s name. Why? Was she trying to protect her daughter? Or herself in the face of a handsome man?

Kaleb nodded at the frame, a frown between his brows. “Your sister?”

Sister? Oh, Patricia.

It would be so easy to say yes, that it was a picture of her late sister as a child. But she wouldn’t. Because none of it mattered anymore.