SATURDAY MORNING
Dani pushed the door open and stepped inside. An older man who looked a lot like Adam glanced up. Confusion creased his brow. “Hello.”
“Hi.” Dani cleared her throat and ran her damp palms down her jean-clad thighs. “Hi.”
“Can I help you?”
“Are you Adam’s father?”
“I am.” Confusion turned to curiosity. “Who are you?”
“I’m Danielle Harding. Adam’s latest client.”
The man’s jaw tightened. “What are you doing here?”
Dani glanced at the woman in the bed. She slept, her deep, even breaths barely raised the sheet. “I wanted to talk to you. To both of you if you would be so kind as to hear me out.”
A brow raised. “Adelle’s sleeping right now.”
“I see that. So maybe I can just talk to you and see what you think?”
He waved a hand toward the window seat. A bench that was also used for family members staying overnight. Dani sank onto it, wishing she had her purse so she would have something to do with her hands. But she’d left it in Simon’s room. She cleared her throat and clasped her fingers together in front of her. “I wanted to meet you because Adam and I have grown close over the last week.”
“Close?”
“Yes. He kept a killer from succeeding in his quest to kill me and my son.”
That got his attention. “You don’t say.”
“I do say. We spent a lot of time together when we weren’t running for our lives or fighting off attacks from people who were supposed to uphold the law instead of take advantage of the fact that they could circumvent it and get away with their illegal activities.”
He blinked and Dani hauled in another fortifying breath. “Adam was coming to be with his mother when he got a call from Tori that someone had found us. It’s my fault he wasn’t here when Mrs. Buchanan had her surgery. But he wanted to be here, he really did.”
“But he put you first.”
Dani nodded. “He said she would understand. That she wouldn’t want me or my son to die because he chose to be with her.” Mr. Buchanan seemed to be at a loss for words, so Dani pressed on. “He misses you. You’re keeping him at arm’s length and it’s killing him slowly. Please forgive him for whatever it is that’s keeping you apart. He needs you.”
“And we need him.” The soft voice behind her had Dani swiveling to find Mrs. Buchanan awake with tears streaming down her cheeks. “Of course I understand. He has a dangerous job, one of those jobs that demand much of him.” She lifted her wet eyes to her husband. “Much like a politician who has to miss certain events in his child’s life, Adam’s had to choose what he can and can’t do according to the demands of his job. He’s had to make some very difficult decisions over the past year and I’m going to have to stop wallowing in my self-pity if I want to have a relationship with him again.” She sniffed and Dani handed her a tissue. She took it, but kept her eyes on her husband. “I want to see my son.”
“He’s a wonderful man, your son.”
Adam’s mother’s eyes narrowed and then her lips rose in a small smile. “Well, well,” she whispered.
“What?” Dani asked.
“Nothing.” She lifted a brow at Mr. Buchanan. “Well?”
Dani caught her breath as hope rose. She looked at Mr. Buchanan, almost daring him to refuse.
Instead, she watched his eyes fill as he nodded. “It’s time.”
“Well, thank goodness you guys have finally come to your senses.” Dani turned to find a woman in the doorway holding two bags from a local fast-food chain. Sarah, Adam’s sister. She had to be. The resemblance was uncanny. She looked back at Dani and simply said, “Thank you.”