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“Yeah, yeah.” Everleigh waves a hand dismissively. “I’m going to get checked out soon.”
“Good.” He looks at me, winking. “It will put me and your soon-to-be husband at ease.” He squeezes her arm gently.
She looks over her shoulder, giving me a soft smile. “As if Will would let me go home and crawl under the covers without having a doctor check me out.”
“You damn well know that’snothappening,” I scolded. Lowering my voice slightly, I say, “You can crawl under the covers after we’re sure all three of my girls are okay.”
The little minx gives me a wink, as though she enjoys getting me riled up, then turns around, exchanging a few more words with her dad before she turns to Savannah, hugging her again.
David moves closer to me. “She’s a shit liar, but I left her off the hook.” He shakes his head, shooting a concerned look at Everleigh before turning to me. “Will she really be okay?”
Shoving my hands in my pockets, I release a long sigh. “Eventually.”
I see the question brimming in his eyes and decide to address the elephant in the room. “I stopped it. He physically assaulted her, but not…” I swallow the huge lump in my throat, my hand running through my hair. “He didn’t sexually assault her.” My voice is low, so Everleigh can’t hear me. Not that she could with the way Savannah is gushing over her like a mother hen.
“Thank goodness.” His hand moves to my shoulder, squeezing gently. “From the bottom of my heart, thank you, Will. For saving her.” He pauses, his eyes traveling over me, stripping my soul bare. “I know how hard this is for you, too. You stopped it, but you can’t prevent the trauma she will have to work through. Nor can you prevent the images of what almost happened from haunting you.” His Adam’s apple bobs as he swallows, raw from his own pain. “I’m here anytime you need me. Day or night.”
Tears fill my eyes as I wrap my arms around him, catching him off guard. He laughs lightly, then squeezes me tight as I whisper against him in a rare moment of weakness, “Thank you.”
“Always, Will. You’re a helluva man. The best my daughter could have possibly fallen in love with.” He pats my back, hugging me until I finally pull away.
Quickly brushing my hand over my cheeks to erase the tears I’ve shed, my voice is hoarse as I say, “I’m damn lucky that you’re going to be my father-in-law. You’re the fucking best.”
He gives me a wide grin. “And I’m the luckiest son of a bitch to have you as my future son-in-law. You’re the fucking best, Will.”
We slap hands together, doing the handshake Darin and I do whenever we see one another before I turn to my woman.
Like a magnet, she heads straight into my embrace, her head laying against my chest.
She looks at her dad, then tilts her head up, eyes locking on me. “I’m the luckiest woman ever. You two are the fucking best.”
“We’re feeling left out.” Darin throws an arm around Savannah’s shoulders, steering her closer to us. We laugh at him, especially when Savannah frowns up at him, giving him a look. Rolling his eyes, he amends, “Okay,I’mfeeling left out.”
“That’s more accurate,” Savannah says with a smile.
“Geez. I feel called out,” Darin winks at her, letting Savannah know he’s kidding.
David moves closer to Darin, patting his shoulder. “He’s so needy. If you don’t give him attention, he sulks.”
Darin sighs as we all laugh. “Fine, it’s the truth.” He grins at us in his typical Darin way, then nods toward the exit. “What do you say we get out of this creepy place? I’m fucking hungry.”
“Imagine that,” Savannah and Everleigh say in unison, rolling their eyes and laughing while Darin pretends to look hurt.
“I agree with the hungry hippo. Let’s get out of here.” David ruffles Darin’s hair before turning.
“Hippo? Are you trying to say I’m fat?” Darin looks down at his body, frowning.
Moving Everleigh with me, I sling my arm around Darin’s neck. “Nah, he’s just saying you need to hit the weights more,” I joke.
“Whatever. I look damn good, and you know it.” He shrugs off my arm, grabbing Savannah’s arm and looping it through his, before sticking his nose in the air like he’s royalty.
David and Savannah howl with laughter. I grin, but my gaze is on Everleigh. She laughs, but it’s lacking her usual delight at her brother’s antics.
As David follows Savannah and Darin out of the room, I need a moment alone with my fiancé.
Pulling her to a stop, I turn her to face me, my hands moving to her hips. She winces, fear making her skin pale before she recovers.
It stings, but I’m not surprised.
