Phil climbed out of his brother's truck and waved Nick away. The cold bit into him. He didn't know if it was because of the falling adrenaline of the hours before, or because it was damned cold in Masterson tonight.
Nikki was safe. Already cuddled up to Hunter Louis Clark, of all the men in the world. Deliriously happy. Or she would be. Once she and Hunter stopped hurting so much. They’d be feeling the bruises of tonight for a long while to come.
Not just physically.
He was just damned glad they had found that girl in time. The idea that she had been running for her very life not even a mile from his house—and he hadn't known in time to do much good—showed him how precarious life truly was.
He slipped in through the kitchen door quietly. The light was still on. Someone, probably Pete, was still up. Waiting for him. His boy would have questions.
Pete was almost a man now. He’d wanted to be out there, but Phil had stopped him, told him to stay home—for his brothers, for the girls, and for Glenna. In case what Phil found had been devastating.
The boys would have needed Pete there. His son had understood that.
Phil would respect that, and answer those questions in return.
But it wasn't Pete. There was a beautiful woman still snuggling a sweet, sleeping little girl.
Right there, waiting for him.
Next to his oldest son.
"Glenna, honey, what are you still doing up?"
"Elly has a bit of an earache again tonight. We did hot cocoa, a small brownie, and snuggles. Phoenix and I have been talking."
"Nikki?" Phoenix asked, an odd look on his face that told Phil he had walked in at a bad time.
But there wasn't an answering look on Glenna's face. She didn't seem upset.
They hadn't been arguing, then. He...wasn't quite up to dealing with Phoenix tonight. He just wasn’t.
"She's going to be fine. Mostly bruises. Hunter's been stitched back together. Heard Slater Davis has a touch of frostbite. Guy was wearing boots, at least, but they weren't made for Wyoming. And he was out there quite a while. Walking through the snow."
"Slater Davis? The guy from the movies?" Glenna asked, quietly. "He was here?"
"Yes. Came back with Hunter. Damned glad he did. Nikki’s best friend would have frozen to death out there tonight if he hadn't. Either her or Nikki. It would have been guaranteed for one or the other. Hunter couldn’t have rescued them both. Slater carried Dusty a mile and a half up the road to Levi's." Phil reached out. Grabbed his son when the boy stood to start the coffee pot.
Phil yanked him closer. And just held him. They could have lost Nikki tonight.
Anything could happen to anyone at any time. Phil always tried to remember that. It took a moment, but Phoenix returned the embrace. "Dad? You ok?"
"I...hell, Phoenix, we could have lost Nikki out there tonight. Just because of some random quirk of fate. Just like we almost lost the girls so many times before. Or you the night Rutherford found you. I am not going to bed tonight without telling at least one of my kids that I love you. And if something happens to me and I'm not there in the morning—you make sure the rest of your brothers and sisters know it, too. I love you. Your mother loved you. And I will until the day I die. Nothing will ever change that. Not even for a moment."