Page 51 of The Sandbar saga

His chest tightened. Realistically, he couldn't protect her anymore.

She should be seeing friends closer to her age group, going out, and finding what she needed to live her own life. Millions of people who had suffered the way she had growing up and worse, managed to find someone that spoke to their soul, understood the tests a wounded person put others through, and though they might not describe their life as perfect, they found contentment.

He wanted all that for Katie. She deserved to open herself to more people. It was a way of accepting what life had handed her when she could share the good and bad parts with others.

She deserved a man to love who would put her before everything else in his life.

Inhaling deeply, he knew instantly, he was lying to himself. He wanted more for her than contentment. She deserved complete love, acceptance, and someone who would never leave her.

Laughter floated into the house. He could count the times he'd heard her laugh.

Pete picked up Katie, flung her over his shoulder. She screamed, kicking her legs.

He shot forward, his body tensing. Katie, while she could swim, preferred the shallow end and relaxing in the pool.

Both of them went through the air, landing in the pool. He stopped at the sliding door, realizing Katie's next shriek came from enjoyment.

She wasn't scared. She wasn't panicking.

As much as it pained him to have someone else bringing her joy, he walked away and went to his bedroom. Sitting down in the upholstered chair in front of the bay window, he stared out at the overgrown bush blocking his view. They both had to work tomorrow, maybe he should go remind her that seven o'clock came early.

Not getting up, he talked himself out of interrupting her fun. She had less than an hour.

She was smart. Confident when she was in a secure environment. Older than her years.

Her laughter tickled his ears. He latched his hands behind his head and closed his eyes, breathing deeply. No, sitting here, counting every minute, wasn't working for him.

He stood, grabbed the keys off the dresser for the cottage, and walked out of his bedroom. Sitting in the house, waiting for her, only pissed him off at his lack of control when he was around her.

Going into the garage, he took the back door and walked to the cottage in the dark. He'd use the time to look through his cases for tomorrow.

Flipping on the lights as he walked into his office, he took out his phone, turned on Bluetooth, and piped the music throughout the room. He needed to drown out the noise from outside.

He sat down, pulled out the files from the side drawer on the desk, and skimmed the first file on his patient, Jodi Haak. Diagnosed with PTSD after being a victim of a robbery where she was Duct taped and forced to watch her co-worker shot at the convenience store during work.

His ten o'clock appointment tomorrow was with Brent Seaton. Post-divorce and trying to move on with his life. Obsessive tendencies in all parts of his life, including his ex-wife.

He leaned back in the chair. A short day. His Fridays had always been reserved for his trip up into Washington to visit Katie. Then, he'd kept his schedule light to accommodate having Katie living with him. Maybe it was time to pick up more patients and keep himself from having too much free time.

The back of his neck prickled. He looked out the window, sensing something wrong.

He tried to find Katie in the group. Most of the boys were standing around the outdoor heater.

Scanning the pool, he couldn't see anyone swimming. Standing up, he moved closer and double-checked the water, then searched the entertainment area. He glimpsed movement by the outdoor kitchen area and squinted.

Punched in the gut, he placed his hand on the glass. Katie sat on the brick counter. Her legs wrapped around a man-child in front of her.

His heart beat wildly, and the tips of his fingers squeaked against the glass as he made a fist. She wasn't with that pecker-what's-his-name-Pete. The guy with her was now blond and looked like some skinny, teenage surfer.

Having enough, he grabbed his keys and stormed out of the cottage. Not trying to skirt the party, he walked straight across the grass to the pool and headed to Katie.

He clamped his hand down on surfer boy's shoulder. "Out. Now."

Katie, taken out of the kiss, blinked at him as if she couldn't focus in her aroused state. He turned to the others and pointed his finger. "Party's over. Get out."

The boys groaned but congregated together, grabbing their towels. He glared, catching their glances, blocking them from looking at Katie.

When the last one walked down the side of the house out of sight, he turned to Katie and found her gone. The sliding door behind him shut.

His relief that he'd separated her from her male friends never came. He'd need to talk to her about boundaries and looking within to soothe the frustrations going through her.

She couldn't continue the kind of risky behavior that would get her in trouble, or worse, hurt.