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There was something about the way she said it that made his stomach go sick again. What made the fear rise back up.
And he’d never been more sure than right then that it was his job to protect her.
Because she’d always told him that sometimes roses did wilt…but they always bloomed again.
SIXTEEN
KANE
Warmth saturated the air,tempered by the cool breeze that cut across the peaked mountains that surrounded Moonlit Ridge and flowed over the glistening blue waters of the lake.
Soaring trees grew all around, hugging the waters, except for the rambling lawn that took up a major section of the park and the open area of the beach down on the shore.
Near downtown, this area was popular with tourists, though it was also often used for local events.
Today, there were a ton of families about, children barefoot as they trotted through the sand and frolicked in the water, which at this time of year would still be cold as fuck, but not one of them really seemed to notice.
I sat on top of a picnic table that was tucked under a tree away from the crowd, my boots planted on the bench and sweating like a motherfucker while I waited.
Had finally pried my ass away from that hotel at dawn and dragged myself home, though I hadn’t slept a wink.
Tossing and turning, riding that flimsy verge of sleepwhere you were almost dreaming, though the images you were envisioning were really just your fears running rampant in your mind.
Had finally given up at nine, taken a shower, then come here.
Waiting.
Waiting, and knowing that the only thing I was doing was torturing myself with what I couldn’t keep, but there was also no way I could fully turn my back, either.
Cars came and went in the parking lot located at the top of the sloped incline, and with each one, my attention would dart that way, searching for a stranger I somehow already knew.
Nearly came apart when a plain white sedan finally pulled into the lot.
A riot that somehow felt like fucking butterflies or some shit, heart pounding so hard I could actually feel the thud of it in my veins.
They eased into an open spot on the far-right side of the lot, and for a moment, they just sat there.
Through the windshield, I could see Emery’s silhouette again. Well, maybe I couldn’t really see it.
I could just feel it.
The turmoil that emanated from her spirit and oozed from her body.
No doubt, she was thinking she was making a mistake by bringing the child here.
She wouldn’t be wrong.
Finally, both front doors cracked open, and a middle-aged woman stepped out from the passenger side at the same time as Emery stepped from the driver’s side.
Blonde waves struck below the rays of sunlight, a river of gold glinting like a beacon in the distance.
My stupid fucking heart leaped.
Then it was screaming when she opened the rear passenger door. A minute later, she was closing it to reveal this little thing standing at her side and holding her hand.
In the distance, I couldn’t make out her features other than shehad the same blonde hair as Emery, but I could see she was wearing this little yellow sundress.
What was unmistakable was the feeling.