Page 70 of The Sandbar saga

Against his better judgment, he could give her what she wanted.

"When I first started seeing you, your mother signed a contract with me to oversee your care—your counseling. As you know, it is up to you as a legal adult to decide if you want to continue or stop your appointments with me," he said.

"I do."

He dipped his chin. "I'll set out a release form. All you have to do is sign it, and then you're under no obligation to talk to me."

His mouth dried, and the heaviness returned to his chest. The thought of not being the one she went to and not being the one to support her through life caused him great anxiety. He wasn't ready.

"What about being my guardian?" She put her feet on the ground and continued looking at the pool.

"That was only good until you turned eighteen or you graduated high school. You can legally live your life whichever way you choose."

She rubbed her lips together, and several minutes passed. He sat quietly beside her, not pressuring her in either direction. He wanted their relationship to continue. If nothing else, he wanted to support her in all the things she wanted. He wanted to be a part of her life.

"I'm not ungrateful for everything you've done for me. I know my life would've turned out much differently without you," she whispered, her voice breaking.

He fisted his hands to keep from touching her. "I loved every minute," he whispered back.

Katie stood and walked into the house. He remained outside, knowing if he followed, he'd go back on everything he promised. He wasn't ready to let her go. Though he knew the day would come when he'd need to step back and let her control her life, he feared losing her completely.

For everything he loved about her—her innocence, her strength, her openness, he also knew that those were the things he would lose as she gained maturity, independence, and found her coping mechanisms on her own.

He sniffed. Nothing prepared him for today.

To finally have her, only to lose her.

He could feel her slipping away, and there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it.