Page 54 of Sudden Summer

Jessie: Don’t help him! We don’t know if this is what she wants!

Hawk: How about you come downstairs and we argue about it in the sun room, pretty girl?

Lachlan: Gross. I’m leaving this chat.

Colt: I’ll just add you back.

My eyes dropped away from my phone as Birdie twitched. One look at her face, and I knew she was deep in a dream.

Her breath caught, her body suddenly went stiff in my arms. And then the saddest sound I’d ever heard in my life escaped from between her rose-petal, pink lips. A garbled plea, drenched in fear, bubbled up into a scream. Her body thrashed, and I did the only thing I could think of to keep her from hurting herself more. I held on tighter.

“Birdie, wake up. It’s just a bad dream. I’m right here, Chickadee. Come back to me. Come back,” I continued to whisper the words, encouraging her mind to release her from the terrors of whatever was playing in her mind. I fucking knew exactly what it was, but maybe this time, just maybe, I could save her.

Her eyes popped open with a gasp, followed by a groan.

“Hey, you’re okay. You’re okay.”

“Beau?”

“I’m right here. I haven’t moved an inch since you fell asleep. You’re back in my bed, and you’re safe.”

“I’m safe.” Her body sagged back into mine, relief surging through me that her own body recognized she wasn’t in danger.

“You’re safe,” I repeated.

Her chin wobbled, a tear pressing out as she shut her eyes tightly, her grip on my shirt still punishing.

“I’m sorry. I hate that I’m falling apart like this.”

“Who wouldn’t? This is a perfectly normal response to something horrific happening to you. You don’t have to hold it all in to be strong for me.”

“I do.” Her voice was so quiet I barely heard the words. “I’m the caretaker, Beau. I don’t like feeling like this.”

“Like what, baby?”

“Weak. Needy.”

“You aren’t those things. You’re strong. I’m fucking furious that this happened. I look at that bruise growing deeper on your neck, and I want to burn this whole world down.”

“No—”

“Yes. Everyone who ever even looked at you with something less than pure love is on my shit-list, Chickadee. I keep running over and over again in my mind the million and one ways I could kill this fucker for hurting you.”

Her hand patted my chest. “No murder on my account. I need you here with me, not sitting in jail. I trust that the sheriff’s department will figure it out and we can just move on⁠—”

“If Colt knows what’s good for him, he’ll tell me the fucker’s name and help me dig the hole…”

“Stop it,” she chuckled. That was good. Laughter was the best medicine, wasn’t that the saying? “You know Colt would never⁠—”

“I’ve got the perfect spot out in the west pasture. It gets boggy in the rainy season, but we’ve got time…”

“No. Murders.”

I rolled my eyes dramatically. “Fine. Let’s talk about where on the ranch would make a good place to get married.”

She stilled beneath my touch.

“Beau…” My name danced in the air. Her voice was sleepy, her body slowly relaxing against mine. “Who’s getting married here?” Her adorable yawn filled the bedroom.