Whispers in the Dark - Maya Banks [140]
Rachel leaned forward and added her hands to Sophie’s as she stared earnestly at Shea. “You don’t have to do this alone. You have the entire Kelly family behind you. I’ll always be willing to listen. Or to help you. I still go to a therapist to talk about the time I spent in captivity. It does get easier. I promise you.”
“And I go twice a month to a rape counselor,” Sarah added quietly. “Garrett has been so wonderful. His—my—family has been unfailingly supportive. It feels so good to say ‘my family.’ I’m not even married to Garrett yet, but you are all truly my family. And that includes you, Shea. You’ve been a part of this family since you brought Nathan home to us.”
“Our point is that we all have our share of fears, imperfections and issues to work through,” Sophie said. “But we do it together. As a family. Because that’s what family—or at least this family—is all about.”
Tears burned Shea’s eyelids. Emotion welled and expanded in her chest until she thought she might burst at the seams. She had no idea what to say or if she could say anything at all. She stared helplessly at these women who were for all practical purposes her sisters. Like Grace.
“Come home, Shea,” Rachel said softly. “Come home to stay. It’s safe here.”
She raised her gaze to fully meet theirs for the first time. She saw excitement bloom in their eyes as she met each one in turn. And then she saw movement behind Sophie. Her breath caught as the baby toddled toward the multitude of steps leading down toward the lake.
One of the gates had come open and Charlotte was fast heading toward the steps. Shea tried to shout a warning, but the words stuck and she could do more than watch helplessly as the baby started to fall.
To hell with this. She was tired of being a coward, and this beautiful baby wasn’t going to suffer because she was scared to face reality. Was this what she’d become? Some spineless, witless blob of insanity?
She bolted from her chair, knocking Sophie to the side as she flew toward Charlotte. The other women let out startled exclamations, but Shea could only see Charlotte and the imminent danger she was in.
Shea dove low, snatching her literally from the air as she pitched over the first step. She rotated so she’d take the brunt of the fall and she wouldn’t squash the child. Then she braced for impact.
She landed on the fourth step with enough force to knock the air from her lungs, but still she hung tenaciously on to Charlotte, determined to protect her at all costs.
She slid down the remaining steps, head first, on her back, each bump jarring her entire body. When she hit the bottom, she lay there a moment and stared up in wonder as Charlotte gave her a huge gummy grin and promptly drooled on her.
Sophie, Rachel and Sarah flew down the steps, babbling, yelling, shouting “Are you okay?” and “Oh my God!” Sophie tried to take Charlotte from Shea, but Shea held on and hugged the baby to her as she gingerly rolled the rest of her body off the steps.
Her entire body hurt, but nothing felt broken. Still clinging to Charlotte, she settled on the bottom step and buried her face in all that sweet-smelling baby skin and hair. Charlotte, completely unfazed by the event, chortled in glee and grasped a handful of Shea’s hair, pulling as she tried to maneuver it to her mouth.
Tears streamed down Shea’s cheeks. She hadn’t even realized she was crying. Her shoulders shook and she wept. Huge, aching sobs.
Around her, Sophie, Sarah and Rachel gathered, sitting in intervals on the steps so they could wrap their arms around both Shea and Charlotte.
“Thank you,” Sophie whispered. “Oh my God, thank you, Shea. I don’t know how you did it. I was so scared. I didn’t see her. I don’t know how the gate came undone. I’m always so careful. Sam is always so careful. If you hadn’t seen her. Oh God, if you hadn’t seen her.”
Charlotte began to squirm, protesting the suffocating circle of women surrounding her. She pulled away from Shea and this time Shea let her go.