Page 80 of Entangled with a Mountain Man

"Promise?" Hazel asks sleepily.

I lean down, pressing a kiss to each of their foreheads. "I promise. Now get some sleep, okay? Good night, my sweet angels."

I wait until their breathing evens out before slipping out of the room. As soon as the door closes behind me, I lean against it, releasing a shaky breath.

What am I going to do?

I make my way downstairs, double-checking all the locks. I know it's probably overkill, but I can't be too careful after tonight.

As I settle onto the couch, my phone feels heavy. I should call Everett. But what would I even say?

Hey, my psycho ex showed up and scared the crap out of me and the girls. Oh, and by the way, I think I might be falling in love with you.

Yeah, that'd go over well.

I toss the phone aside, burying my face in my hands. How did everything get so complicated? A month ago, I was just trying to survive, to make it through each day. Now...

Now, I have two little girls who depend on me. A man who makes my heart race with just a look. Many people have become more like family than I ever thought possible.

And I have no idea what to do about any of it.

As I sit, lost in thought, I hear a noise upstairs. In an instant, I'm on my feet, heart pounding.

It's probably nothing, I tell myself. Just the house settling.

But after tonight, I'm not taking any chances. I grab the baseball bat Everett keeps by the door (and isn't that a whole other conversation we need to have) and creep up the stairs.

The noise is coming from the girls' room. I take a deep breath, steeling myself, and open the door.

Harper's sitting up in bed, tears streaming down her face. "Miss Kenzie?" she whimpers.

I drop the bat, rushing to her side. "What's wrong, sweetie?"

She throws her arms around me, burying her face in my neck. "I had a bad dream. The scary man was trying to take us away."

My heart breaks as I hold her close. "Oh, baby. It was just a dream. You're safe, I promise."

Hazel stirs, blinking sleepily. "What's going on?"

"Your sister had a bad dream," I explain softly. "Want to come over here?"

She nods, climbing out of her bed and into Harper's. I wrap my arms around both of them, holding them close.

"How about I stay here until you fall asleep?" I suggest.

They nod, snuggling closer. As I sit, stroking their hair and humming softly, I decide.

I'm not going anywhere. Not as long as these girls need me. Not as long as there's even a chance that Everett might want me to stay.

Silver Ridge might not have been the fresh start I was looking for when I got on that bus. But I'm not letting gossip rob me of my girls or Everett.

As the girls' breathing evens out, I feel my eyes grow heavy. I should get up and head to my own room, but with my two little angels resting peacefully in my arms, I can’t bring myself to move.

So, I stay, drifting off to sleep, their small bodies nestled against me. I close my eyes, savoring the warmth and tranquility surrounding us.

Just two more days until Everett's home.

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