Page 61 of Dearest Protector

I also knew she was relieved because Katie had drawn her son back into the land of the living when we’d both failed at the same goal.

“Maybe I do. I’d love to see Ian marry Katie,” she said without an ounce of shame or remorse. “She loves him, even though he’s insufferable sometimes.”

I squeezed her hand. “She knows exactly how to handle Ian, even when he’s insufferable.”

“Thank God,” my mother said in a relieved voice. “My goal is to see both of my sons happy.”

“I am happy, Mom,” I told her. “Maybe my relationship with Ariel isn’t exactly what I want it to be, but I’m happier than I’ve been for a long time.”

I hated to see my mother worry, and I wasn’t exactly stretching the truth.

Arieldidmake me happy.

“Do you think I haven’t noticed that?” Mom asked. “You paid dearly for your father and Ian’s accident, even if you weren’t in the car with them. I hate the fact that you had to grow up so fast while you were still in college and that it changed your life so profoundly.”

“I’ll never know what Ian went through,” I told her stiffly.

“But I know the priceyoupaid, even though you weren’t in that car,” she replied in a no-nonsense tone. “Ian is happy now, Ben, and he’s back at the helm with you at Blackwood. It’s time for you to please yourself. Everyone is fine, including me. It’s time for you to be selfish for a change.”

I ran a hand through my hair, suddenly remembering where I was and what I was doing here.

Hadn’t Ariel said almost the same thing about me being selfish?

The woman had no idea how selfish I was sometimes.

“I’d be ecstatic if the damn doctor would get in here and tell me that Ariel was fine,” I grumbled.

“It won’t be long now,” she said in a soothing voice.

I looked at my watch and realized that only another ten minutes or so had passed.

Ian and Katie reappeared with drinks in their hands and a supportive look in my direction.

My brother slapped me on the back again as he said, “The doctor should be out shortly. Hang in there just a little longer.”

I gulped down my water, but every muscle in my body was still tense.

I crossed my arms over my chest and waited, my eyes glued to the door of the waiting room, hoping like hell that Ariel’s doctor would walk in soon.

Rationally, I knew she’d be okay. It was a routine surgery. But when it came to Ariel Prescott, I had absolutely no reasoning ability anymore.

All I really wanted was for all of this bullshit to be over so I could take my girl home where she belonged.

Chapter 15

Ariel

“The gang is all here and Ian is grilling steaks on the patio,” Ben remarked as he came through my open bedroom door. “You okay? Are you ready to eat?”

I smiled up at him from my position on the bed.

I’d just finished carefully packing all of my prints that had sold for shipment.

It had been eleven days since my surgery, but Ben wasstillchecking in with me constantly, even though my stitches had been removed yesterday, and everything had gone really well with the hardware removal.

The first three days had been rough, but things had gotten much easier after the initial pain and swelling had lessened.

I’d be starting physical therapy shortly, which would get me back on my feet fairly quickly.