I lay there, my eyes darting back and forth as though they couldn’t believe what they were seeing. Rhett’s dark blond hair was truly on the pillow next to mine.

Even though last night I’d convinced myself he was no longer some figure of mythical proportions staring down from me on his pedestal, it was still overwhelming to comprehend.

My body ached in places I wasn’t sure it had ever ached before. I bit down on my lip to keep the hysterical giggle trapped inside.

Real Rhett beat the dream Rhett every day of the week, and apparently three times on Sunday. Even in the shower.

My gaze stroked over his thick biceps as I recalled the way he’d held me pinned against the wall. He was just as strong as he looked.

But if last night with Rhett actually happened, that means . . . My thoughts took a dark turn as I recalled standing in the emergency room as my father was wheeled in and out for a CT scan.

Last night was both a dream and a nightmare. My hopes and fears collided all at once. I’d felt helpless, but Rhett had given me his strength.

And his dick.

I choked on a breath. My brain apparently didn’t understand the solemnity of certain thoughts right now. In fact, as the synapses started firing, chaos reigned and there was only one way to corral it back into order. Coffee.

Even though I loathed the thought of leaving the bed, I had to move. Had to push forward, or I’d find myself curled up next to Rhett, covers over my head, refusing to ever get up because I didn’t want to face the day, and that wasn’t how I operated. I took things, good and bad, head on.

When I slipped out from under the covers, he didn’t move. Halfway around the bed, I found his dress shirt from last night and shrugged it on, buttoning it as I walked toward the door.

The scent of coffee was absent as I hit the hallway leading to the kitchen because I hadn’t set the coffeemaker timer. Every day I’d been in New Orleans, Carver had woken up before me and had it brewed and waiting. Given last night, I doubted Carver would set foot inside the house unless there was some kind of crisis.

I got the coffee going and stared out the window over the lake, watching as the sun rose higher in the sky. Dad’s waking up in a hospital bed this morning because we couldn’t keep him safe.

Last night had scared the hell out of me. I wasn’t used to worrying about my father this way. He’d always been the most capable, larger-than-life man I knew.

I can’t lose him too. My shoulders drooped as I wrapped my arms around my body and squeezed tight.

Lost in my depressed thoughts, I missed the sound of footsteps coming toward me, and didn’t feel his presence until Rhett closed his arms over mine.

“It kills me to see you like this, Ari. I promise we’re going to make everything right again. As right as I can possibly make it.”

His chest pressed against my back and warmed my entire body. I wished I could soak up his strength and confidence as easily as I soaked up his body heat.

“We have to make sure this never happens again with Dad . . . and I have no idea how to protect him if he won’t let me.”

“We’ll figure it out together. Your brother too. We’ve got this. Everyone wants to make sure your dad stays safe.”

The certainty in Rhett’s voice helped me center myself and focus on the right attitude. We will figure this out. Dad is going to be fine. I won’t let anyone or anything steal the remaining time I have left with my father. Once I find out who did this, I’m going to ruin their lives.

Seemed like a fair and logical solution to me.

I turned in Rhett’s arms to find him staring down at me, sincerity radiating in his gaze. He meant every word he said. He might have been the one person, other than my brother, who cared about my family as much as I did.

“Thank you for staying.”

He cupped my cheek, stroking with his thumb. “That’s not something you need to thank me for, Ari. I should be thanking you.”

The cheek he touched heated. “Um, nope. If there’s anyone deserving thanks, praise, accolades, and possibly Olympic medals, it would be you.” My gaze darted up to his before focusing on his chin again.

One corner of his mouth tugged upward, and I could picture the devastating smile in my head without seeing it.

“Olympic medals? Then I guess it means I didn’t disappoint.”

My eyes cut to his. “You thought I was disappointed? Are you deluded?”

Rhett’s eyes crinkled at the corners as he laughed. “I wouldn’t go so far as to call myself deluded, but I had some pretty big expectations to exceed, and I wanted to make sure I didn’t fall short.”

“Again, the scientific answer to that question would be a solid no way in hell.”

Rhett chuckled again. “Good. I mean, apparently it wasn’t groundbreaking or life-changing, but that gives me things to work up to. I’ve still got room to impress you.”

I pressed a hand to his chest. “If you impressed me any more, I might find out what cardiac arrest is like.”

He leaned down and slid his lips along my temple. “We can’t have that. I liked waking up beside you too much. It was almost like I could hear your brain flip on and the gears start turning.”

I froze. “You were awake?”

“While you were watching me sleep? Yeah, I was.”

My face heated. “I swear I’m not a creepy stalker. I left that in high school.”

Silently, I amended, Okay, maybe it was really college after I first hacked into his life to see what was going on. And maybe there was that alert I set up to see if he ever applied for a marriage license . . . But Rhett didn’t need to know about any of that. Clearly.

He shook his head. “I watched you after you fell asleep, so I consider it fair.”

My chin jerked. “You did?”

“I finally had you where I’d wanted you for a long time, and I didn’t want to miss a minute of it.”

35

Rhett

Ari melted against me, and I knew in that moment that I would do whatever it took to find who hurt her father and make sure they paid. Anyone who would beat up a confused old man deserved the same ass-kicking they’d handed out. Even my black-and-white sense of justice would have agreed with that.

I looked down at her face and had no qualms about being the man to deliver that ass-kicking. Whatever she needed, I’d find a way to be that.