Silence settled over the remaining group. Hannah could feel Lawson’s eyes on her again. She could feel the worry and frustration pouring off him. He’d have questions about her being with Xavier, but she didn’t want to address him now.
Hannah was starting to warm up a little, though the cold that gripped her heart was still sending shivers down her spine.
“You should go to your cabin, too, and get some rest,” River told her gently. She took the empty cup from Hannah’s hands. “I’ll take this back to the kitchen.”
“Glad you two are okay.” Cade nodded toward them both and followed River down the hallway.
Hannah bit her lip and sighed. She knew River was right, but the thought of trying to sleep after what just happened seemed damn near impossible. How was she supposed to get any rest with everything going on right now…all the possible danger coming their way? Every time she closed her eyes, she had flashbacks of Xavier’s SUV flipping off the road into the freezing cold river and being trapped upside down in the rising water. She wasn’t sure she would be able to get any rest at all.
Xavier seemed to notice how scared she was, and he reached out for her hand. For a brief moment, the warmth of his skinagainst hers was enough to ground her, and she looked up at him again.
“You’re okay,” he promised her. “We’re okay. Right?”
“I don’t know,” she admitted. If there was anyone who could convince her that everything would turn out all right in the end, it was Xavier. He had rescued her from the crash and gotten her out of the water in one piece. He’d carried her up the bank and to the car he had flagged down for them, helped her back to the sanctuary and made sure she was safe and warm.
She felt guilty, almost ungrateful, for feeling as afraid as she did right now, but she couldn’t help it. How would she ever be able to rest easy again after what had happened? She felt like it could happen again the next time she got into a vehicle.
“I get that,” Xavier assured her. “I know how it feels, when something like this happens. How you can’t shut your mind off and stop thinking through the what-ifs.”
She chewed her lip. “Does it get better?” she asked softly. She needed to hear it from him. He had always been honest with her, and she knew he would tell her the truth.
He nodded at once. “It does,” he promised her. “It really does. You just need to get some rest. I promise it’ll start feeling better in the morning, once you’ve had a good night’s sleep.”
“I don’t know how I’m going to be able to sleep,” she admitted as she got to her feet, casting off the blankets River had piled around her. “I feel like I might never sleep again.”
“That’s the adrenaline,” Xavier told her, walking over to her and holding out his hand. Before she could reach for it, her brother appeared at her side.
“Hey, sis. How are you feeling?” Lawson’s eyes roamed over her before gently wrapping her in a hug.
Hannah pulled back and gave him a wobbly smile. “I’m tired and achy, worried. But, I’m here. Xavier made sure of that.”
Lawson nodded and turned to look between his sister and his best friend.
“So, what were you doing down in town together? I wasn’t aware you were leaving the lodge.” Lawson inquired, eyebrow raised.
She heard Xavier suck in a breath and her eyes darted quickly to him before back to her brother.
“I ran into Xavier when he was leaving and asked if I could go with him. I just thought the drive would be a nice break. We had lunch after he saw Sheriff Willis, then we came back.”
“I see. I thought we talked about this? We discussed—”
“Lawson, can we not do this right now?” Hannah interrupted, wrapping her arms around herself. “Please. It’s been a long day and I just want to rest and not think about anything right now.”
“Hannah.” Lawson sighed and locked his eyes on Xavier for a long moment before turning back to her. “Fine, we’ll talk later. I’m glad you’re both okay.” He shook his head, then turned around and headed across the lobby.
She wasn’t ready to leave the warm comfort of the lodge, but she also didn’t want to stay and argue with her brother. Her best option right now was her own space. She offered Xavier a small smile and held out her hand. He interlocked their fingers and led her outside.
They walked hand in hand to her cabin, her fingers squeezing his tighter the closer they got. She wasn’t ready to be alone yet.
Xavier seemed to since her anxiety.
He brought her hand to his lips and brushed his mouth against it in a soft kiss. “You want me to stay with you tonight?” he murmured.
Relief flooded through her, and she nodded quickly. “Yes,” she blurted. “Yes, please. I don’t want to be alone.”
As he reached for her cabin door, some of the tension she had been carrying was starting to lift slightly. It wasn’t much, but itwas enough for her to settle her racing heart and take a breath. Maybe she would be able to rest after all.
The adrenaline was starting to fade now, and she could feel the tiredness sweeping through her body. Letting out a yawn, she leaned in to him as he took the key from her, slipping it into the lock.
