Page 106 of Micah

“She's not a fucking puppy.”

“No?”

“No.”

“She gets choices.”

Sawyer chuckles.

“I figured you'd say that.”

Because it's true.

She gets every choice.

She chooses where she lives.

Who she trusts.

Who she loves.

I'll never take that away from her.

Not after everything Patrick already has.

But the truth?

The answer I never say out loud?

The one my heart bellows the instant Sawyer asks?

Yes.

Absolutely yes.

I want to keep her.

I want her sleeping in my cabin every night.

Laughing in my kitchen.

Leaving coffee mugs on my counter.

Complaining when I spend too much time in front of computer monitors.

I want to replace every bad memory she's got with good ones.

I want to spend the rest of my life making sure nobody ever gets close enough to hurt her again.

It's insane.

We've shared exactly one kiss.

She's barely spoken fifty words to me outside her bar.

And somehow...

Somewhere...