Page 83 of A Pen Pal for Christmas

She nodded faintly. “Does… does that mean he’ll be in more trouble?”

“Absolutely,” Carter said firmly, closing his notebook. “Everything you’ve told me tonight will ensure Rex faces the full extent of the law.”

Tommy stepped closer to me, his voice low enough that only I could hear. “You good?”

I didn’t respond, my gaze locked on Sofia. The hollow look in her eyes was enough to undo me all over again. I moved to sit beside her because I couldn’t take all that space anymore.

Sofia leaned into me, her head resting against my shoulder as the paramedics finished wrapping the last of her bandages. Her breathing had slowed, each exhale brushing softly against my neck.

Tommy crouched, his elbows resting on his knees as he rubbed a hand over his jaw. He looked like he was still deciding how much to say—or how to say it without breaking something. When he finally spoke, his voice was tight but steady. “The charges are going to stack up. Kidnapping alone? That’s a first-degree felony in Pennsylvania. We’re talking up to 20 years minimum.”

Sofia shifted as her gaze went to him. “Really?”

“Yeah. And that’s just the start. Felon in possession of a firearm? That’s federal—another 10 years, easy. Then there’s attempted murder, breaking and entering…” He trailed off, shaking his head. “It’s a lot, Fi. And with his record? No parole. He’s not getting out.”

“And what about… the stuff he put on the rag?” she asked. “Does that have charges attached to it?”

Tommy and I exchanged a glance, both of us barely holding back our emotions.

“Yes,” he assured her. “Every detail of what he did is going to be part of the charges. Every single thing. He won’t see daylight again.”

I felt her weight shift as she processed his words, her body curling tighter into my side. I pressed a kiss to the top of her head, my throat tightening as the full weight of her trust in me settled over my chest.

“You don’t have to worry,” I said softly but firmly. “Not ever.”

Her eyes lifted to mine, vulnerable but trusting, and something in her gaze cracked me wide open. She nodded once before burrowing closer.

Tommy stood, brushing a hand over his face as his gaze swept between us. “He’s done,” he said, his voice harder now, as much a promise to himself as it was to her. “I’ll make sure of it.”

The inn wasquiet when we stepped inside, the kind of quiet that only comes at the early hours of Christmas morning. The faint hum of the heating system was the only sound as I guided Sofia up the stairs, my hand resting lightly on her back.

She hadn’t said much on the drive back. Not that I blamed her. After everything she’d been through tonight, the last thing she needed was me bombarding her with questions or reassurances.

She just needed peace, and I was happy to give it to her.

When we reached my room, she hesitated in the doorway, glancing around like she was seeing it for the first time.

“Do you want to stay here?” I asked. “Or?—”

“No,” she interrupted, shaking her head quickly. “Here is good.”

I nodded and closed the door behind us, locking it with a flick of my wrist. Sofia wandered toward the bed, her fingers brushing lightly over the festive quilt before she sat down. Her shoulders sagged, and for a moment, she just sat there, staring at her hands.

I grabbed a glass from the bathroom and filled it with water from the tap, then set it on the nightstand next to her. She glanced up at me, her lips curving into the faintest of smiles.

“Thanks.”

“Of course.”

I sank into the armchair across from her, leaning forward with my elbows on my knees. The words I wanted to say were stacked up in my chest like bricks, too heavy to push out all at once. I didn’t even know where to start.

“I was going to take you there in the morning,” I said, my voice low, breaking the quiet between us.

She glanced up, her dark eyes locking with mine. “To the house?”

I nodded, letting out a slow breath as I ran a hand over my jaw. “Yeah. A Christmas morning thing. I wanted to show you everything—the porch, the plans for the library, all of it.” I leaned back slightly, my hands gripping the arms of the chair.“I’ve been waiting for weeks to see your face when you walked through the door.”

Her gaze softened, her lips curving into the faintest smile. “You were excited.”

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