Page 69 of Her Redeemed Protector

She pauses, reflecting for a moment. “Maybe this is your first lesson from me, Hux. Don’t ever try to let go,” she advises thoughtfully. “The more you try, the more it clings to you—it may even bite you unsparingly. Let it be. You can’t change it, you can’t touch it. All you can do is maybe dress it up in your mind, make it a bit less sad.”

“I’m sorry, Sav, but that sounds a bit absurd to me,” I admit.

She chuckles, appreciating my frankness. “Exactly my point. I used to feel sick every time I passed this spot. Sometimes, I even threw up just around the bend. But then, one day, I noticed wildflowers growing by the road. They reminded me of the good times with her, how much she loved flowers. So, I started leaving yellow roses or sunflowers here.”

“She liked the bright ones, huh?”

She nods. “Absolutely. Dad used to help. He’s stopped now, but that doesn’t mean I can’t persuade him to join me again someday.”

“I see. How about the ranch?” I nudge her back to the topic she seems reluctant to delve into.

She concedes, “I’m still working on it. It’s not that I’m letting go of the memory. I just haven’t found a way to ‘dress it up’ yet.”

I appreciate her honesty, and it doesn’t surprise me. Savannah is a fighter. She has the bullet scar to prove it. Yet, it tells a tale of battles fought and not always won.

“Someday?” I say.

“Yeah, one day at a time.”

In her explanation, I can see my struggles with Valentina fitting every word. I’ve attempted to let go many times, only to find myself spiraling further into despair with each effort. To push away Valentina’s memory would be like wandering through life hollow, without heart. Yet, here beside me stands Savannah, a pillar of strength in a place that should be her own corner of sorrow. In her company, I find myself awed by her ability to hold me steady.

I resolve to fully embrace what Savannah offers. But the thought of asking her to guide me through relinquishing a love that could have been claws at me. Valentina is the past, while Savannah is the undeniable now. I’ll give Savannah the love and presence she deserves. It should be simple, but I find myself entangled in the struggle.

Catching my troubled look, Savannah leans in slightly. “Hey, what’s that sad look?”

I manage a half-smile. “Nothing.”

She chuckles, light-hearted yet firm. “Don’t take this lesson too seriously now, or I’ll feel like I’ve already failed you.”

Her jest eases the tension, and gratitude fills me. “You haven’t failed me,” I say with sincerity.

As we circle back to my SUV, I spot something near the tire. “Oh, look!” I exclaim, hurrying forward and bending down to investigate.

“Oh my!” Savannah beams, delight spreading across her face as she delicately scoops up a grasshopper.

“Your ownsaltamontes.”

“Yeah,” she laughs, looking at the insect. “Hey, buddy! Where’re you going?”

“You liked grasshoppers? Is that why your dad nicknamed youSaltamontes?”

“Exactly. I used to chase them around the fields and watch them leap. I felt like I was just another creature roaming theland with them. And mom, speaking in Spanish, would joke about my skinny legs being just like a grasshopper’s.”

She steps carefully back down the slope, cradling the grasshopper in her hands, and then nudges it into the grass. “Off you go!” she encourages.

As I watch her interact with the simple wonder of nature, an idea sparks in my mind.

“Do you like surprises?” I ask, a new plan forming as inspiration strikes.

“I do,” she replies, curiosity lighting her eyes.

“Does your dad?”

“Absolutely not,” she chuckles. “He’s as fond of surprises as a cat is of a sudden bath.”

“Okay, just you then,” I say, feeling a conspiratorial thrill at planning something just for her.

She narrows her eyes slightly. “Come on, what is it?”

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