Page 57 of Her Redeemed Protector

I answer deliberately, “Look, Kayla, your dad loves you very much. You have to trust him to take care of you. He’s done a great job, right?”

“Yeah. But you can’t leave me,” she insists.

“If you were alone, I wouldn’t,” I assure her, my voice firm with conviction. “But your dad’s here, and you’re safe with him. I have to go.”

“Why?”

“Huxley is my friend too, and he needs me,” I say, my decision a painful stitch in my side.

She ponders for a few moments. “Oh, okay,” she says. “But you’ll see me in the morning?”

“Yeah. Get some sleep, and listen to your dad,” I mention as I leave.

Kayla adds, “Thank Huxley for me. I didn’t have the chance earlier. I was too scared.”

“I’ll tell him.”

Outside, Huxley has disappeared. I weave through the scattered staff and a couple of troopers, anxiety propelling me until I come upon a young nurse. “Excuse me, have you seen a man just now? He was here receiving treatment for burns on his left arm.”

“He left, ma’am.”

Disappointed, I step out of the hospital with a whirlwind of unresolved thoughts.

Driving backto Helena in my dad’s truck, the road seems endlessly longer now than on the adrenaline-fueled dash to Lakefall Valley.

I keep dialing Huxley’s number, but each call drifts into the void. Just hours ago, he had saved Kayla. He hasn’t been one to boast about his acts of bravery, but he should still be radiating pride and relief—not the gloom that I saw in hiseyes. His uncharacteristic withdrawal sets a knot of unease in my stomach.

The headlights sweep across familiar gravel as I pull into the driveway. Fabian’s BMW sits quietly under the porch light—so Dad brought it back in one piece. The enthusiastic barks of Ranger and Ruby greet me like a fanfare. Surely, their excitement isn’t just for heralding their recent fancy car ride.

And then he materializes.

“Hux.” I exhale, the tension within me breaking as he steps out from the shadows. Freshly showered, he’s shed the remnants of the night’s chaos along with his ruined shirt.

He slips through the backyard gate, not letting my collies come out with him. “I didn’t mean to just show up.” His voice is apologetic, but it’s drowned out by the sight of him—tired, but here. He looks like Atlas, who has borne the world and finally allowed himself to set it down.

“It’s okay,” I reply, my hand instinctively reaching for his. His cold, stiff fingers clutch mine as if they’re the only thing keeping him grounded. “Why wait out here in the cold? Where’s my father?”

“He let me in, but I needed the air. The dogs seemed to agree.” He offers a small, grateful smile to our barking companions.

I nod, understanding how my furry friends can have that effect.

“How did you get here?” I ask, noticing there’s no other car in sight.

“Chase had been chauffeuring me. I’ll get my car back tomorrow,” he replies. “Hey, how’s Kayla?”

“She’s doing fine. She wanted me to stay, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t just be there for her one night and then gone the next. I wanted to be there for her, but I don’t want to step into shoes that aren’t mine to fill,” I explain, hoping my wordswrap around my complicated emotions—including the need to be here for him.

He responds not with words but with a pull that draws me closer. “Savannah, when you held me in the hospital… it was like someone had finally seen me after being invisible for so long.”

I wrap my arms around his taut waist, my embrace conveying understanding, though questions linger about why he disappeared. I don’t dare voice them, sensing his fragile state. Instead, I lean in, pressing my cheek against the fabric of his sweater, drawn to the rapid beat of his heart. It sounds like a plea for a safe haven. Perhaps this is the answer I need.

Heartbeats, those personal rhythms I’ve known all my life, suddenly take on new meaning. I came close to losing this rhythm forever—both through physical injuries and emotional scars. Now, as I tune into his heartbeat, I feel a sensation both foreign and intimate. It’s the sound of life that is not my own yet feels like it belongs to me.

“Stay like this, please,” he murmurs, and I tighten my embrace, willing my heart’s rhythm to answer his call.

I lose myself completely in the moment, in him. It’s only when I sense the easing of his hold that I’m brought back to the present.

“Come inside,” I invite.

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