Page 38 of Her Remarkable Protector

Ethan doesn’t hesitate. “No, it won’t, Oak. I swear it won’t. I was an addict once—nearly died from an overdose. But my family? They stayed by my side. And that farm? It saved me. It gave me a second chance. It could do the same for you.”

I glance at my partner with an approving look.

Oakley hesitates, thinking it over. “Okay. I’ll give it a shot,” he says finally.

“And if you don’t like it?” I challenge gently.

He shrugs. “I’ll talk to Honor.”

“Fair enough,” I say. “And we’ll figure out another solution.”

Later, back with Honor, Oakley approaches her while she’s still cradling Laramie. He pauses for a moment, then wraps his arms around them both. “I’m sorry,” he whispers.

Honor’s eyes glisten as she looks over Oakley’s shoulder, mouthing ‘Thank you’ to me. I offer a simple smile in return.

Every child rescued, every family reunited, loosens the tether of guilt that’s bound me since Kalispell—a family destroyed, a child left orphaned. No lifetime of good deeds will ever sever it, but each act makes it just a little easier to bear.

Oakley pulls back, smirking. “I guess you’re gonna lecture me about the cig?”

“Not now,” she replies. “But don’t think you’re off the hook.”

He chuckles, shaking his head. “Guess I’ll brace for impact later.”

As Honor and Oakley laugh at each other, I turn to Ethan, motioning for him to follow me out.

“Great job, partner,” I praise him. “You really nailed it today.”

“So, does this mean you’ll put in a good word with my dad?”

“Absolutely.”

“Think a raise might be on the table?”

“Don’t push your luck, buddy,” I reply with a clap on his shoulder.

13

CHASE

Honor has been given the all-clear. We’re going home today. Though I hesitate to call it ‘home.’

Home is a relative concept. For me, it’s four walls and a bed that doesn’t murder my back. A place where I don’t have to balance half my ass on a wiry chair that looks like it’s about to crumble under the weight of its own existence, let alone mine.

One of the nurses took pity on me a few days ago and wheeled in a reclining armchair—plucked right out of the office of some hospital bigwig who’s apparently on leave.

“You look like you’ve been through the wars,” she said with a smirk as I eyed the chair like it was the Holy Grail.

Honor, though—home for her? It might as well be a word in a foreign language. Ethan and I have been chasing leads, trying to dig up a relative, any relative, but we’ve come up empty. Not that I’d let her and Laramie out of my sight anyway. Still, I want her to have someone familiar. Someone who feels like ‘home.’ And I’m pretty damn sure that’s not me. I’m the guy who’s there when all else fails.

But all else has failed. So my house it is. She’ll probably fight me on it. Honor’s got this stubborn streak a mile wide, and I can almost hear her arguing already. But there’s no other option. Not for her. Not for Laramie.

Which is why I’ve been in cahoots with my old partner, Comet, to transform my house into a baby-friendly zone. I’ve seen baby gear in passing, but ask me to assemble a crib, and I’d be more likely to end up with a trebuchet. Comet, though—he’s a dad now, and I’ve been leaning on him like a damn crutch.

On the phone, Hux’s voice crackles with amusement, “Got everything squared away. Your house looks like a Babies R Us exploded in there.”

“Please tell me you didn’t actually buy out the whole store,” I groan.

“Well, I left the stuffed giraffe aisle intact. Figured you’d draw the line somewhere,” he jokes. “But seriously, Chase—you’ve got diapers, wipes, bottles, formula, some kind of swing contraption that looks like it could double as a rocket launcher… oh, and I sent over an infant carrier to the hospital.”

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