Crosby had been by my side through it all, my rock. But when he’d had to sit through the footage of Grant striking me, I thought he might lose it. Luckily, Ford and Bell had been at the station with us. Ford had taken Crosby outside, and whatever he’d said had seemed to help. That and having me in bed next to him every night. I never felt safer than when I was in Crosby’s arms.

While I was in the hospital for a few days, Bell and Caelyn had rushed to get one of the downstairs guest rooms in the main house ready for me to stay in. Avoiding stairs for these first few weeks of my recovery had been key. And I had no desire to remain in the place where I’d almost lost it all. I would reclaim the guest house eventually, make peace with what had happened there, but there was no rush. And I wanted to make the main house my own first. Our own. The place where Crosby and I would raise our family.

I placed my hand over my belly and grinned at Crosby. His light brown eyes seemed to twinkle as he smiled back at me.

“I’m glad they got him.”

Zoe brought me back to our current conversation and out of my daydreams. “Me, too.”

She snapped a cap back on her marker. “All done. Like it?”

I lifted my cast to examine her doodles. “It’s perfect. I think you might have a future as an artist.”

Zoe blushed. “Can I be a professional soccer player, too?”

“I don’t see why not.”

Ingrid pushed to her feet. “Speaking of soccer, we need to get going so you’re not late for practice.”

Zoe glanced back to me. “Do you think you could come to my game next weekend?”

“I’d love to come. You just tell me where and when.” Being around Zoe and seeing her thrive put a lightness in me that I hadn’t felt in a long time. Maybe ever. The little girl gave me hope. That no matter our circumstances, we could heal.

“Awesome.”

I pushed slowly to my feet, my ribs still twinging a bit at the movement. Crosby was by my side in a flash. “Careful.”

I threw him a mock scowl. “Stop clucking over me like a mother hen.” Crosby might as well have tried wrapping me in Bubble Wrap for how paranoid he was about me further injuring myself.

Ingrid smiled at the two of us as she wrapped an arm around Zoe’s shoulders. “He clucks because he cares.”

Crosby let out an exasperated sigh. “I don’t cluck. I’m just cautious.”

Zoe giggled. “It sounded a little clucky to me.”

Crosby’s eyes narrowed on the girl. “I’m gonna remember that the next time we play soccer. No more going easy on you.”