Summer nodded.“I’m not looking forward to that.”
“You’ll have a guard.You’ll be safe.”
She’d have a guard, but it wouldn’t be Ashton.She wanted him by her side for more than one reason.But she refused to be a burden.
She just wanted to get her life back under control.
Chapter Thirteen
Ashton heard little Chloe before he saw her.Gibbering away to Joe and Laura as they walked down the hall.
Summer immediately threw off the blanket she’d had wrapped around her the last couple of hours and rushed to her daughter.Ashton heard the toddler’s exuberant “Mama!”
He walked out of the conference room and turned the corner so he could see them.Summer had her arms wrapped around her daughter, her face buried in her neck.Shudders wracked her body.
The look Joe and Laura shot him spoke volumes of concern.But Ashton knew what Summer was feeling—well, not totally, because no one could love a child the way a mother did—but the knowledge that Chloe was safe rocked him, too.
He walked up and put his arms around both of them, almost sick with relief when Summer didn’t pull away.
“Ah-ta!”
Chloe’s bright smile clenched his heart.He smiled back at her as she dove for his arms the way she always did.
“Hey there, sweetheart.”
Chloe immediately started talking her gibberish to him.He nodded as if he understood the important story she obviously told.
Summer used the time to wipe her eyes and pull herself together.She smiled over at Ashton, nodding that she was okay.
Chloe soon wiggled to get down and walk.Ashton let her grab a finger on each hand so he could walk behind her, balancing her, even though he looked a little ridiculous hunched so far over doing so.Everyone else walked with them.
“Are you guys okay?”Joe asked.
“Yes,” Summer said.“Some cuts and Ashton got shot in his arm.”
Ashton shrugged.“A burn more than a shot, thankfully.”
“The damage to the condo was pretty bad, Joe,” Summer said.
He threw an arm across her shoulder.“Don’t you worry about that at all.I’ll see what we have empty and you can move in immediately while the repair work is going on.”
Ashton spun Chloe around so they were headed back toward her mom.“We’re going to put Summer and Chloe into protective custody.We’ve got a good safe house picked out for them.”
Joe nodded.“Okay.But I thought Harper was after you, not Summer.”
“Harper obviously doesn’t care about collateral damage, so we’re just going to make sure Summer is completely out of harm’s way.”
Joe’s wife, Laura, hooked her arm through Summer’s.“You know both you and Chloe are welcome to stay with us.Joe snores, but we can lock him in the attic or something.”
Summer smiled.“No, I don’t want to even potentially bring danger or stress your way.”
Laura turned to her husband and smacked him on the arm.“Damn it, Joseph Gregory Terrance Matarazzo, you told her.”
Joe took a step back.“What?Me?All she said was that she didn’t want to bring any possible danger to our house.”
Laura narrowed her eyes at him.“Summer would’ve at least considered it if she didn’t know about me being pregnant.Now did you tell her or not?”
Joe gave her his most charming smile and sauntered toward his wife, arms held out in mock surrender.“Okay, counselor, busted.You’re super sexy when you get all smarter-than-everyone like that.”He pulled her in for a kiss.
