Wyatt returns after handing off paperwork to the deputies. He looks at me, then Jack, then shakes his head like he’s still trying to slow his heartbeat.
“You did good,” Wyatt tells me, voice rough. “And you did dumb.”
“Thank you,” I say weakly.
Wyatt huffs a humorless laugh. “Sheriff’s taking Hanover downtown. Grayson’s already coordinating with the district. That money trail? It’s real. He’s done.”
Relief hits me so hard I almost fold.
Jack stands and pulls me into him, holding me close like he’s making sure the world can’t touch me again. His lips press to my hair.
“You’re safe,” he murmurs.
I cling to him for a second, breathing him in like oxygen.
“I’m safe,” I whisper back.
That night,we’re back at the cabin. They want me to stay one more night to make sure Hanover wasn’t working with any accomplices.
Wyatt insisted on dropping by first—checking locks, checking windows, glaring at the trees like they personally offended him. He finally leaves with a warning that I’m not allowed to “play detective” ever again.
Then it’s just me and Jack.
Quiet.
Warm.
The kind of quiet that feels like a new start instead of a hiding place.
We sit on the couch with a blanket over our legs. Jack’s arm is around me, firm and steady. His thumb traces slow, absent circles against my side like he needs the contact as much as I do.
I tilt my head up. “So… we caught the bad guy.”
Jack’s mouth twitches. “Wyatt caught ‘em.”
“You found the thread,” I counter.
Jack looks at me, eyes dark but soft. “You pulled it.”
I swallow, emotion rising. “I hate that this happened. But… Safe Steps mattered. It still matters.”
“It will happen,” Jack says simply.
I blink. “What?”
He holds my gaze. “Grayson’s already talking to the district about restoring the funds. And there’s going to be scrutiny now. They’ll need a program like yours even more.”
My chest tightens. “Jack…”
His voice is low. “You’re going to help those kids. Including Evan. You’re not stopping because some crooked man tried to use you as leverage.”
My eyes sting. “Okay.”
Jack’s gaze drops to my mouth, then back to my eyes. “And you.”
“What about me?”
His jaw flexes like he’s fighting words. “I’m not leaving.”
