Page 191 of Protecting You
“I wasn’t gonna shoot anyone, Daddy.” Her little eyes were filled with tears. “But I didn’t want that man to hurt Alyssa. I was scared. I didn’t know what to do.”
“You did exactly the right thing, my darling girl.” He’d held her tiny face and met her eyes, ignoring the police officer waiting in the empty hospital room where they’d set up shop. “You were brave and amazing, and I am so, so proud of you. I love you more than…” He’d choked up. “Sorry. I can’t…”
Peri had wiped his tears with her small fingers. “It’s okay to cry. I cried a lot.”
He held her close. And he’d keep holding her close. He’d never forget what could’ve happened.
One of Grant’s friends had been shot, but the bullet had hit his vest. He was being treated for bruised ribs.
Only the courageous police woman had been killed. His heart ached for her family, though he selfishly thanked God he wasn’t the one grieving right now.
Peri had been examined, though it’d taken some coaxing to let the doctor have a look at her.
“Physically, she’s fine,” the doctor had said. The implication was clear. His daughter would need trauma therapy.
Callan would make sure she got it. Whatever she needed, he’d be there for her.
If not for her, he wouldn’t have left the hospital. But the doctors had assured him that Alyssa was fine and needed rest more than anything. He’d seen her, but she’d been sound asleep.
Evelyn and all of Alyssa’s sisters had shown up at the hospital. Each one had hugged him and Peri as if they were part of the Wright family.
Maybe, someday, they would be family. If he could figure out how to make it work.
The thought that he’d almost lost Alyssa made him realize how very, very much he wanted to keep her.
One thing at a time.
Last night, he’d left Gavin and Evelyn at Alyssa’s bedside and had taken his little girl to a hotel to get some sleep.
She had slept, in his arms. When she’d had nightmares, he’d been there, whispering in her ear.
“Daddy’s here, sweet girl. You’re safe. You’re safe.”
And she’d fall back asleep.
When he woke up, the sun was bright outside. He called Gavin. “How is she?”
“Awake. A little fuzzy, but the doctor’s pleased.”
“Thank God. Can I talk to her?”
“Her mother’s helping her get cleaned up right now. Just get here when you can.”
Callan showered and changed into the clothes Alyssa’s sisters had left with the front desk, along with some clothes they’d picked up for Peri.
He took his daughter to breakfast and listened to her story again.
She kept repeating what’d happened, and even though he wanted her to put it out of her mind, trauma didn’t work like that. One didn’t just forget it. It had to be worked through, examined from every angle. It had to be brought to the forefront. Trauma, like bacteria, thrived in darkness. It reproduced and spread, infecting everything it touched.
The only cure for trauma was bringing it to the light.
The more Peri exposed her experience to the light, the weaker it became. So he’d listen, and listen again, and listen a thousand times if that was what it took for his daughter to be healthy.
And the fact that she told him, hadn't waited for Mom or Dad or Hannah, but trusted Callan?
That meant everything to him.
It was after nine by the time he pushed into the hospital, carrying Peri, who didn’t seem to want out of his arms at all. They made their way to Alyssa’s room. He knocked on the door, and Gavin met him there, looking like he’d aged two decades since the anniversary party the day before. He still wore the jeans and sweatshirt he’d donned before they boarded the boat the night before. “Glad you’re here. I have an update for you, but you should see her first. She’s asking for you.”
