"Family protects family," Luke says simply, as if that explains everything.
And perhaps it does. Because standing here, surrounded by McKennas, my hand still firmly in Elias's grasp, I feel something I haven't felt since Dad died, a sense of belonging. Of being part of something larger than myself.
Elias squeezes my hand, drawing my attention back to him. The worry in his eyes is plain to see, but so is something else, pride, fierce and unabashed.
"That was one hell of a stand you took," he says quietly, just for me.
"Learned from the best," I reply, thinking of Dad, of Elias himself. "Besides, I meant what I said yesterday. I'm done letting Brad dictate my life."
His thumb traces circles on my palm, the simple touch grounding me amid the chaos. "Still, it took courage. More than most people have."
"Does it change anything?" I ask, needing to know where we stand after this public confrontation, this open acknowledgment of whatever is growing between us.
Elias studies me for a long moment, his expression softening. "Yes. Everything and nothing."
"That's cryptic, even for you."
A rare smile touches his lips. "Everything, because there's no hiding now. The town knows. My family knows. We can stop pretending."
Hope rises in my chest. "And nothing?"
"Nothing, because I was already yours." His voice drops to a rumble only I can hear. "Have been since you came back to Grizzly Ridge. Will be long after this mess with Cooper is settled."
The simple declaration, delivered amid the wreckage of Maggie's Diner, with his family watching and half the town gossiping outside, means more than any flowery profession ever could.
"Take me home, Elias," I say softly. "I think we've given the town enough to talk about for one day."
His eyes darken at my words, understanding what I'm really asking. What I'm offering. Without another word, he guides methrough the diner and out into the bright spring sunshine, his hand never leaving mine.
Behind us, I hear Sawyer instructing his deputies, Maggie berating customers into helping clean up, Finn and Luke arguing over who landed the better punch. The normal chaos of small-town life, continuing despite everything.
But ahead of us lies the mountain, Elias's cabin, and the promise of something I've wanted for longer than I care to admit.
For the first time since coming back to Grizzly Ridge, I feel like I'm exactly where I belong.
7
ELIAS
The drive back to my cabin passes in charged silence. Riley sits beside me in the truck, her hand resting on my thigh, a casual touch that sets my nerves on fire. The air between us has shifted since the confrontation at the diner, the final barriers falling away, leaving nothing but raw anticipation.
I drive deliberately, hands at ten and two on the wheel, eyes fixed on the winding mountain road. One wrong move, one moment of distraction, and we could go off the edge. It's a fitting metaphor for everything happening between us.
"You're quiet," Riley observes as we pass the halfway point up the mountain. "Having second thoughts?"
I glance at her, taking in the uncertainty beneath her confident tone. "No. Just processing."
"Processing what? The fight at the diner or what Sawyer said about Dad?"
"Both." I focus back on the road, navigating a sharp curve. "And what comes next."
Her fingers tighten slightly on my thigh. "Which is?"
The directness of her question demands equal honesty. "That depends on you, Riley."
"I thought I made that pretty clear already." Her voice softens. "I asked you to ‘take me home’, remember?"
The simple phrase carries unmistakable meaning. I grip the wheel tighter, fighting for control that's rapidly slipping away. "You should know what you're getting into. With me."
