“That him making all that noise?” The sheriff nods down to where Owen is rolling on the ground.
“Yeah. He’s got a broken arm and probably some broken ribs. He’ll need to go to the hospital,” I tell him calmly.
“All right. I’ll call it in. We’ll need to take Libby’s statement later, but we can do it over the phone. Make sure she’s safe first.”
“Thanks, Sheriff Colton.”
I walk away from the sheriff and then realize that he knows who Libby is, that she isn’t my girl but my sister. He didn’t bat an eye to it, but maybe it’s because of the situation. Or maybe he doesn’t give a fuck and he’s glad I got her safe. Either way, I’m glad she’s all right.
I put Libby in the cab of my truck, but hold her close to my side as I drive away from the lake and take a turn away from town. I don’t break the silence. I simply kiss the top of her head and rub her back as I drive.
“Where are we going?” she asks as she sits up a little and notices we aren’t headed towards home.
“We’re going home, baby girl. To our house. I want you safe, and the best place for that is in my bed.”
“Jasper,” she says, leaning into me and wrapping her arm around my waist.
“I told you I’d always come for you Libby. I’ll always chase you down and bring you home. This time it’s to the place where you should have been long ago. You’re mine and I’m yours. There’s no getting past it. Now I just want to hold you and remind myself that you’re safe.”
She nods against my chest, and we ride silently the rest of the way.
When I pull up to my house, I get out of the truck and pull her into my arms, carrying her up the steps.
“I can walk just fine,” she says, a little smile in her voice.
“I’ve been wanting to do this since the day I bought the place.” I kiss her forehead as I carry her over the threshold and into our home.
I got this house with her in mind and always hoped that one day she’d see it and fall in love. I kick the door closed behind us and carry her to the master. I lay her down on the king-size bed and crawl in with her, pulling her close to me, wanting to give her as much comfort as possible.
“Can you tell me what happened?” I ask as she cuddles into my chest and I wrap my arms around her.
“He sent me a text saying he’d keep our secret if I met him at the lake. When I got there, I knew right away something was wrong, but I still wanted to try. I didn’t want what we shared to be tainted by him or anyone else. I thought I could fix things.”
“Baby girl. There’s nothing to fix. There’s nothing about us that’s broken or wrong. It’s just different. We’re not related by blood, just by marriage. And Mom and Dad love us both so much that I know all they want is for us to be happy.”
I rub circles on her back and hear her sniff and nod against my chest. “You’re right. I was just scared.”
“Did he hurt you?” I don’t think things got far enough for him to physically hurt her, but she was shaken up emotionally, and that’s as bad in my eyes. “Tell me what to do to help.”
“You got there in time, Jasper. God, if you hadn’t, I don’t know…” She trails off, and I feel her shiver.
I pull her closer to me, wrapping my leg around hers and trying to warm her with my body. “I’ll always come to your rescue, Libby. Don’t ever doubt that.”
“Thank you,” she says, leaning her face up and kissing my neck.
I feel her soft lips on my skin, and I close my eyes, loving the feeling. I hold on to the thought that she’s safe and everything is going to be okay. As long as she’s in my arms, I can handle anything that comes our way.
12
Libby
I wake up to soft kisses on my neck and a warm body wrapped around mine. A feeling of complete safety envelops me. I open my eyes to see Jasper staring at me. He leans in, placing a feather-light kiss to my mouth. It makes my insides turn to mush. This is how I always wanted to wake up. I dreamed about it for so long and wanted it so bad.
“I didn’t mean to fall asleep,” I tell him.
Once I hit his bed and he wrapped around me, I’d never felt so relaxed in my life. Felt like I was exactly where I belonged. The feeling of home came back to me. The feeling I’d had lately that had been slipping away, and now I know why. Because Jasper had been slipping away from me, and he was always my home. Since the first time met, I knew where I was supposed to be.