Free Sanctuary of Mine by S. Pratt, Emily Dawson Page A

I rush at him, flinging my tiny frame into his big bear hug.
    ‘Hey baby girl ! God, I’ve missed you!’ His voice catches with emotion, making tears prick my own eyes. Inhaling his scent deeply, I feel like I’ve just come home. The place where your heart rests easy and you are comfortable with every inch of space that surrounds you.
     
    This man makes it possible to forget every single second of the last three fucking miserable years of my life. He is my protector, my provider, my friend. But most of all, he’s just daddy. He’s the man who, when I was a toddler, would push me one last time on the swing at the park just because I asked him to. He’s the man who would always hold my hand to cross the road, even when I promised him I was big enough to do it on my own. He was the one who bought me ice-cream when I was sick. But most importantly, he was the man who was always in my corner, even when my mother wasn’t. In his eyes, I could do no wrong.
     
    ‘I missed you too, Dad.’
    ‘How about you and I go out for a milkshake, huh?’ Tears brim his eyes as they sweep over my skinny frame.
    ‘Sure Dad, I’d like that.’
    ‘Great, let’s go. I have to have you back at your mother’s for five-thirty. She’s insisted she cooks us all dinner.’ He rolls his eyes, which gets a giggle out of me. Dad hops into the driver’s side, but before I follow suit, I turn to wave goodbye to Levi with a big silly grin on my face. He’s gone already, but in his place on the steps is Tyler.
     
    He’s motionless, staring at me without concealing the fact he is doing so. His gaze is intense, eyebrows knotted together deep in thought. I’m sure he’s more than just a little curious as to who the man is I’m about to get into the car with. For now, it’ll just have to remain a mystery. I offer a small shy smile before I get into the passenger’s seat.
     
    As we drive off out of the car park, I’m quite excited to acknowledge that I think I just saw Tyler Redding jealous.
     

Chapter Twelve
    Tyler
     
    I’m jealous as all get out. Here I was about to ask Mackenzie out on a date, when prince charming rides in on his ‘horse’ and whisks her away. He’s a much older prince charming – although he doesn’t look old enough to be her dad. In fact, I’m honest enough to admit he makes me feel a little insecure. He’s all about the chiselled jaw and thick head of wavy hair. The show of love etched on his face has me itching to find out how he knows Mackenzie. I catch sight of Levi and hurry to catch him as he walks towards the bus line.
     
    ‘Hey, Levi … Wait up!’ He stops and smiles, patiently waiting for me to catch up with him. ‘Hey man, you got a sec?’
    ‘Sure, what’s up?’
    ‘I ah, I was just wondering, have you seen Mackenzie this afternoon?’
    ‘Yeah, she just left.’
    ‘I know this is going to sound weird, but –‘
    ‘It’s her dad.’
    ‘Who?’ He grins at me, knowing full well we both know who he’s talking about. I mean, we both know that’s why I’m here, right?
    ‘The man she left with, it’s her dad.’ Relief sweeps through me, instantly returning my heart to a slower pace of normal.
    ‘Oh, that’s great,’ I babble. He pats my shoulder before walking off towards the line of students waiting to get on his bus. I watch as he follows the line forward. Just before he climbs aboard, he turns and offers me one last knowing smile. Shit, I hope he keeps his mouth shut about this. Feeling self-conscious, I quickly look around to see if anyone else was taking note of our interaction. Leaning against the corner of the school building, Benson’s eyes connect with mine. Very slowly he starts shaking his head before walking off to the car park.
     
    Ahh, hell. Pretty soon the whole school is going to know about my crush on Mackenzie. I guess the gossip had to start sooner or later. Squaring my shoulders, I head for my car. People can talk all they like. They’d just better be