“No, honey. I almost lost you. But I’m so fucking glad you’re okay.” He tugged her against his chest and just held her. Let her warmth slip inside him, smooth the frayed edges and put back together the parts of him that had torn apart tonight.
When he finally gained the strength to release her, he only did so for a second before slipping his arms behind her back and legs and lifting her.
She gasped. “Kayden, I can walk.”
“Not happening.” Not when her ankle looked like it did. “I just need to hold you, honey. To remind myself that you’re here and alive.”
She sighed but didn’t argue. And when she leaned her head against his chest, all he could do was breathe her in.
Tilly watchedthe trees pass through the window. The moonlight as it cast a dim glow over the road. Everything from tonight felt like a blur. Pixie. Her father. Falling off the mountain edge and Kayden rappelling down to save her. It didn’t feel real.
She knew she was still in shock. Probably would be for a while.
Kayden reached over and took hold of her hand. “What are you thinking about, honey?”
“Is it crazy that for a split second after my father saved me, I thought maybe he’d changed? That maybe there was a part of him thatdidlove me, or at least, cared aboutmemore than money.”
Hell, he gotshotin an attempt to help her escape. That had to mean something. But then to run with stolen money, without even calling for help for her, when he knew a woman with a gun was chasing after her?
No. That wasn’t love.
She glanced down at her hands. “It’s like he’s so greedy, he chooses money at every opportunity over everything and anything else.” Even his family…especiallyhis family.
“It’s not crazy to hope that someone who’s supposed to love you will do better and then feel disappointed when they don’t,” Kayden said quietly. “One day, he’ll look back and realize he chose wrong.”
She looked over him. “You think so?”
“How could he not? Money doesn’t bring happiness. People do. Relationships. Being loved and loving in return.”
Her heart rippled in her chest at the mention of love…because she loved Kayden. She hadn’t told him, and right now didn’t feel like the right moment, but she did.
There was a fear inside her that when she eventually did say those words, he wouldn’t return them. After all, they hadn’t been dating very long, and the start of their relationship had been so rocky.
He lifted her hand and kissed the back before pulling up at her house.
“I can’t believe Pixie’s gone,” she whispered, more to herself than to Kayden.
She hadn’t been able to look down to the bottom of that cliff because she’d known what she’d see. The fall had been too high for anyone to survive. And yes, Pixie was terrible for everythingshe’d done and had gotten herself into that position tonight, but she’d paid the price with her life.
Kayden’s jaw visibly clenched. “I’m just pissed that even in the last moment, when she could have chosen just to take herself down, she tried to take you with her.”
“She was bitter about not getting out of here.” Tilly shook her head. “How ironic, that she was trying to get away from everything I’ve been trying to return to.”
“Not trying…youhavereturned. Misty Peak is your home. It will always be your home.”
She caressed the back of his hand. “You make me feel like it’s home.”
“Good.”
As Kayden climbed out of the car, Tilly took off her seat belt and opened her door. That’s as far as she got before Kayden came around to her side and lifted her out.
She opened her mouth to yet again tell him she could walk, but honestly, the feel of his strong arms around her, his heart beating against her ear, was too comforting to put a stop to. She pulled her key from her pocket and unlocked and opened the door while Kayden shoved it the rest of the way open with his shoulder.
They’d just stepped into the living room when Kayden stopped, his brows tugging together. Slowly, he moved to the couch and lowered her.
She frowned up at him. “What—”
He touched a finger to her mouth. “Do you feel that?” he whispered.
