Page 77 of Her Faithful Protector

“Yep.”

“So how did Doctor Cricket stop you from spiraling? What was today’s breakthrough?”

“Like I said, she made me think of it from a different angle.”

Nic couldn’t wait. He didn’t give a shit if the breakthrough helped him, all that mattered was that it had helped Cami. “Tell me.”

“All she did was ask me if I thought the others brought it on themselves. I practically yelled out the word, ‘No.’ I was appalled at her even thinking that. They were victims.”

Nic nodded. “Of course they were. Victims of animals.”

“Exactly right,” Camilla agreed vehemently. “Then she asked me what made me think I was somehow different than any of them. What set me apart? Who made me God?”

Nic felt a smile forming. The doctor was good. Really good.

“What did you say to that?”

“Well, I blustered for a while, saying how I was the teacher, and I was in charge, and that made me different from the rest. Then she gave me the gotcha question.”

Now Camilla grinned. Her eyes actually sparkled.

Nic was seeing where this was going but he still asked. “What was the gotcha question?”

“She wanted to know if that meant that Lisa, who was the tour guide, had brought this on herself.”

“Once again I practically yelled, ‘hell no.’ All Doctor Cricket had to do after that was raise her eyebrow. I got it. I really got it. All that shame I’d been holding melted away. Nic, it just melted away. Can you believe it?”

“Yes, baby, I can.”

She reached up and stroked his cheek. “So you see how you can’t blame yourself?”

He thought about lying but that wasn’t who they were. “Not really.”

“How many of your team members were dying to stop what was happening to Lisa and me?”

He didn’t answer.

He felt her finger trace the cleft in his chin. “Honey? Can you answer me?”

“Every single one of us who could see what was happening,” he admitted.

“Do you blame them for not taking a shot, or do you think they did the right thing to wait?”

With every fiber of his being, he wanted to say it wasn’t the same. But looking into those solemn blue eyes, he couldn’t. She was right. She was absolutely right.

“Nic?”

“Hmm?”

“Do you think that maybe you can forgive yourself?” she asked quietly, her fingers still caressing his face.

“I think I might be able to start.”

“That’s all I can ask.”

23

“I am so sick of doing everything left-handed,” Camilla huffed. When Nic laughed, she gave him a side-eyed glare. “That is so not funny.”