Page 32 of Broken Strings

"Fuck." A sharp breath explodes from his lips. His hand shakes beneath mine. "What if she hates me, Mina? What if she fucking wishes I never came back?"

The torment in his eyes, in his voice, breaks my heart.

"She's waited for this day her whole life," I whisper, placing my palm against his cheek. "Even though you were legally dead, I still had hope. Maybe it was wrong to let her have it too, but I couldn't take it from her. So when she asked why she didn't have a daddy, I told her…" I lick my lips, dipping my head. "I told her that you got lost. I told her that you probably wouldn't ever come back, that you could be in heaven, but that no one really knew for sure."

"Jesus," he rasps, squeezing his eyes closed.

"She was mad as hell when I gave her that guitar pick and told her she had to wait to meet you. She wanted to know why you weren't here now." I bite my lip ruefully. "She's just like you, you know."

He watches me silently, absorbing every word.

"She never takes no for an answer. And she has so many freaking questions about everything. They're never appropriate either, Grayson. Like, ever. She sees far more than she should and understands way more than a five-year-old should understand. She's bossy as hell and never sits still. She's either going to rule the world one day or destroy it."

A sly grin cracks his lips.

"You're smiling now, but I'm serious. She has so much energy, and she's always up to something. She's a tiny little you, only she's already boy-crazy."

His eyes narrow into slits, his body going rigid. "What the fuck? She's five!"

"Yeah, well, I'm pretty sure she's trying to figure out how to convince Kasen Alexander to leave his wife so she can marry himin twenty years," I huff, exasperated. "She's been hounding me to meet him since we got to town."

"Hell no," Grayson growls, sitting upright. "Not happening."

I bite my lip, fighting a smile as my heart melts. Of course he's already overprotective. God, I love that so much. "She's five, Grayson. I'm pretty sure he'll give her a high-five, sign her album, and send her on her way. It's her you need to be worried about. Because sooner or later, it'll be boys her age she's all gaga over instead of country music superstars. Then, it'll be a real problem." I eye him pointedly. "Because she's just like me, too."

"Fuck," he mutters, passing a hand over his eyes. He knows exactly what I'm talking about. Hell itself couldn't have kept me away from him once I set my sights on him. My dad certainly couldn't. He couldn't, either. He tried like hell at first to keep his distance and keep things professional because he didn't feel like he deserved me, but I refused to let that happen. I knew he was meant for me, and nothing was going to stop me.

I dread the day Brinley grows up and falls in love for real because there's not going to be any stopping her either. She's the best of both of us. And the best of both of us? Well, it's stubborn and unrelenting. And it leaps first and asks questions later. And it loves hard. Really freaking hard, no matter what.

"She's ready, Grayson," I say softly. "She needs her daddy. She needs you to show her what it means to love and how she deserves to be loved. She needs you to teach her how to be strong and fight for what she believes and what she needs." I stroke his back. "She needs you to protect her heart the same way you always protected mine."

"Fuck," he groans, twisting to pluck me up from the bed. He drags me into his arms, burying his face in my throat. "Are you sure, Mina? Really fucking sure? Because I want it so goddamn badly. I need you and her more than I need air. If I meet her and then we realize she wasn't ready…" He exhales a shudderingbreath. "I don't know if I'm going to have the strength to keep my distance. It'll fucking destroy me."

"Hey." I cup his cheeks between my palms, forcing him to meet my gaze. "I trusted you. Now, it's your turn to trust me, okay? She's ready. And we'll continue to make sure that's she ready."

"Therapy," he growls. "We need therapy. A shrink or someone who knows how the fuck to deal with all of this."

"Yeah," I whisper. "We'll find her a therapist."

"No." He shakes his head. "Not just her. Us, baby. All of us."

My gaze flies to his.

"We fucking need it, Mina. After everything we've been through…we could all use a professional to help us sort this shit out." His eyes flutter. "Especially once the media gets ahold of this. It's going to get bad when that happens."

He's right. I know he's right. But the thought of talking to a complete stranger about my life is…overwhelming. There are so many things I've never said out loud to anyone, not even to myself. But…if it means we survive this—that we make it out the other side as a family—then isn't that what I have to do?

Is that even a question? If it means we make it through this together, there's not a lot I won't do. I need him in my life. Brinley needs him. And he needs us the same way. I'll do whatever I have to do, talk to whoever I have to talk with, to ensure we get the future that was stolen from us.

"Let's do it," I agree, taking a breath.

"Yeah?" he asks, scrutinizing my expression.

"Yeah." I nod, meeting his gaze. "Let's do it. Whatever it takes, Grayson. I'm in."

He presses his forehead to mine, exhaling a breath. "Fuck, I love you forever."

"Love you forever."