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Lord, why is this so hard?

Growing up, Lee and I were ridiculously close. But then…Angie.

She changed everything.

Ruined everything.

I glance back at Dahlia, who’s still sound asleep. She deserves to survive this, and my pride is only going to get her hurt. So I tap Call.

“I wondered when you were going to call,” Presley says after the first ring.

“Were you serious about protecting her?”

“Protecting you both,” he corrects. “Your name is listed, too.”

“Fine,” I growl. “Were you serious?”

“I was.”

“When do you leave?”

“I can be flexible,” he replies casually. “When can you be ready?”

“I need to let Dahlia see someone first.”

“Would that be the old woman who was sprung from Pine Meadow retirement community last night by three masked men?”

It shouldn’t surprise me that he knows, but it does. “It would.”

“Sounds good. How does noon sound to you?”

“I can make that work.”

“Great. I’ll send a car to get you at noon.” He ends the call, and I set the phone on the counter to avoid crushing it. Then, I grip both sides of the counter and bow my head.

Lord, I need help. I don’t know how I’m going to do this, but if You brought him back into my life for a reason, please help me be strong enough to see it. I pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

“Good morning.”

I raise my head as Dahlia sits up and stretches her arms toward the ceiling. Sunlight shines in through a sliver of window not covered by the curtain, and it casts her in this gorgeous golden glow that captures every bit of the attention I’d told myself I’d refuse.

I can’t let myself fall for this woman.

For any woman.

Because once I do, I can’t be trusted.

“Are you sore?”

She groans and nods. “Feels like I was in a car accident yesterday.”

I can’t help but smile. “You and Sawyer are going to get along great.”

“Why is that?”

“He’s also ridiculously chipper, no matter the circumstances.”

Dahlia slips her glasses onto her nose and beams at me. “I definitely got that feeling from him and Anastasia both.”