We might never be there again. They might never be able to forgive Eddie, and fine, it was what it was. But I couldn’t forgive them either. Maybe Eugene and I might find detente. I didn’t think he’d wanted any part of Maddy’s plans, but he also hadn’t said anything. Patience was still making excuses, and having been in their shoes and excused Maddy’s behavior for years—I could imagine how it had to be for them.
Didn’t change the fact that they’d risked Archie’s life. They’d risked mine. If Jake, Ian, or Coop had been there, I had no doubts they could have been hurt, too.
“I think it’s long past time you go,” Hank said quietly, and I glanced to my right to find he’d moved to stand next to me.
“I agree,” Archie said. “Grandpa…”
“I’ll take care of it, Sprout. You look after our girl here.” Ted gave my shoulder a gentle squeeze as he eased past me, and Archie came to stand at my left. Warm hands settled on my hips and I covered them with mine, threading my fingers through Coop’s as he pulled me back to him. Jake and Ian moved into the space between me and my grandparents, like they would help them along as necessary.
“I had it,” I said softly, gripping Coop’s hands tighter when my fingers started to tremble. The shaking seemed to spread through me, but Coop just squeezed me gently and gave me both of his hands to hold.
“Damn right you did,” Coop murmured next to my ear.
“We saw that, Babe,” Archie told me, brushing his knuckles down my cheek. “Now, we’re just gonna sort them out to their car with Grandpa. Okay?”
I nodded.
“We’ll be right back.“ He glanced up and past me, and I knew he and Coop were sharing one of those wordless looks the guys had all been getting good at. I felt Coop nod.
“I got her.” He rubbed his cheek carefully against my hair. “Don’t I?”
I dug my nails into his hand, even though I didn’t want to hurt his skin, he didn’t complain and just returned the grip. “Yeah,” I said when I could trust my jaw not to shake. Hank gave me a measuring look. I tried to give him a smile but I failed at it.
“You are one of the bravest people I’ve ever met.” The words and sentiment startled me. “I’m very proud of you.” Then he glanced past me like Archie had, though his focus was in a slightly different direction. “Tell you what, Standish. Why don’t I buy you a drink?”
“Let me do the buying and I’d like that.”
I closed my eyes. A part of me had actually forgotten that Edward was still standing there, despite the fact I’d moved out here to defend him.
“Frankie,” he said quietly. “Thank you.”
Sucking in a deep breath, I twisted to face him and Coop moved with me easily, not letting go of my death grip on him. “You’re welcome—I may have a lot of complicated feelings where you’re concerned, but I was there and they weren’t. You don’t deserve their vitriol.”
“Well, you shouldn’t have to defend me either.”
“You’re family,” I said and it rolled right off my tongue and I gave a little shrug. “You’re Archie’s dad and you seem to be trying with him. So that makes you family.” Complicated and messy didn’t even cover it. “And you saved him.” You chose him was on the tip of my tongue, but I couldn’t bring myself to say it.
He nodded and his dark gaze dropped away from me, hiding the raw emotion. I swore he seemed to have aged a decade in the past several days. “Take care of yourself, young lady,” he said when he lifted his chin, seemingly having gotten himself in check. “I mean it. Make sure my son looks after you.”
“I’ll look after him,” I said but that just pulled a smile.
“Of that, I have no doubt.”
And Archie always looked after me. Hank paused in front of me again. “Take a break from all the people, yeah?”
I summoned a smile for him. “I just need a minute.”
“Take all the minutes. No one is going to mind, in fact, you might be safer from Kelly if she doesn’t feel the need to pull you out of here herself.” The last he delivered with a tease and a smile, which turned my own more genuine.
“I think she’s great.”
“Yeah,” Hank said within a wink. “Me too.” Then he pressed a kiss to my forehead. “I’ll see you soon.”
He and Eddie walked away—together—and not back toward the ballroom but in the direction of the hotel’s bar. Not a pairing I imagined being comfortable and yet they seemed at ease with each other.
The guys hadn’t returned yet nor had Grandpa Ted, that left me and Coop alone in the hall. I tried to force my hands to relax, but I couldn’t bring myself to let him go.
“I’m right here,” he said quietly and I shuddered, leaning back into him and trusting him to keep me on my feet. I hated the shoes I was wearing. I hated the dress. I hated everything about this day.
“I want to get out of here,” I said finally.
Air whooshed out of Coop. “Done. You want Rachel too? Or just us? Or alone?” The last he offered grudgingly but the guys would leave me alone if I asked for it. Probably not very alone, like they’d be right outside the door in case I needed them, but they would do it.
“Yeah, she can come. I just—I don’t want any more expectations.”
He gave me another squeeze. “I’ll take care of it as soon as you’re done with my hands.” But he was already walking us carefully toward the lobby and the elevators. A giggle escaped at how silly we had to look, but Coop just hummed as we shuffle stepped our way across to the bank of elevators and he hit the button with his elbow. “Hey, look, it’s Jake. You get to keep my hands after all.”
“We’re going up?” Jake asked.
“Yes,” I said quietly. The relief in his expression reminded me that as hard as all of this was for me, but the guys had struggled as well and they had been worried “You can stay to see your parents and…”
“Trust me, they’ll be fine without me.” He had his phone out even as he loosened his tie. “Arch and Bubba were talking to Ted, but I didn’t want you worrying about all of us.”
“Text Rachel,” Coop ordered as the elevator opened. “And probably Jeremy. Let him know we’re going up to the suite for the night.” The last was an executive decision but I was okay with it. More than okay. Coop leaned against the wall, and I leaned into him, as the elevator swept us upward.
Jake met my gaze as he finished typing in a text. “Hey, Baby Girl.”
“Hey, Jake.”
“Pajamas?”
“Hell yes.”
He grinned. “I bet Jeremy can swing us some wine if he didn’t already load us up.”
I snorted. Jeremy was always looking after us. Didn’t matter that we weren’t twenty-one. He didn’t judge or give us any side-eye. Well, I guess he never gave it to me. The guys earned his ire plenty of times. Especially the last time Ian and Jake were throwing a football at each other from one room across the stairwell to the other.
That memory had my lips curling upward. When we reached the top floor, Coop didn’t do the shuffle walk, he just picked me right up. I let go of his hands so I could curl my arms around his neck and he slid his now freed arm under my legs.