That sounded more like him.
“But?”
“But tonight he brought you home.”
I swallowed hard.
Edge leaned closer, his eyes holding mine.
“And you, little fire, are going to learn the difference between being watched and being protected.”
The words hit deep.
Too deep.
Because I didn’t know if I knew the difference anymore.
Maybe none of us did.
Doc came in then with fresh bandages, a bottle of water, and an expression that said emotional revelations were inconvenient to medical care.
“Family meeting over,” he grumbled. “She needs ten minutes quiet before you drag her onto a horse like lunatics.”
“I hate horses,” I whispered.
Regan let out a watery laugh.
JD’s mouth twitched. “So I’ve heard.”
Edge squeezed my good hand once.
“You set the desert on fire,” Tarak said softly. “You can survive a horse.”
I looked at him.
For the first time all night, the ghost between us thinned.
Not gone.
Maybe never gone.
But thinner.
“I’m sorry,” I said again.
Tarak stepped closer and pressed his lips gently to my forehead, the same place Dylan had kissed my hair, but different. Older. Family. Forgiveness.
“We love you,” he said. “Even when you are a disaster.”
That made me laugh.
It hurt.
I did it anyway.
Regan kissed my cheek. Edge kissed my knuckles. JD slipped out to make calls that would probably cost more money than I could imagine. Doc started fussing with my bandage, muttering under his breath about stubborn outlaw children and stress shaving years off his life.
And outside the door, I heard Dylan’s low voice speaking to Nate.
