Chapter 16
Kenley noticed she was smiling as she got ready to go to the office the next morning. Zane was lying on the bed watching her. His bags sat by the door where he’d dumped them the day before.
Thinking of him rushing to her side made the smile bigger.
She knew how lucky she was. She tried not to think of what could have happened the day before, but occasionally her mind would flash to something. A smell, or a sound. She pushed it away, knowing it was over. She was fine. She was safe.
Zane stood and took her in his arms. He bent to kiss her as if he’d done it every day for years. Her stomach gave a little flip at the idea of him doing it for years to come. It was only natural to think about what came next. Near-death experiences made you think about the future.
Soon she was getting carried away and had to pull away.
“I have work to do,” she told him.
“Would you think I was being over protective if I decided to stay with you?” She could see the worry in his eyes.
“I thought you’re supposed to deliver Wes’s boat this week.”
“And Wes would kick my ass if I left you for a boat delivery. He’ll understand.”
“I’ll be fine.”
“I’d like to make sure of it. Besides I need to meet with Scott and the guy from the security company.”
With his hand protectively resting on the small of her back, he led her out to his truck. They held hands for the drive to the marina and she couldn’t help but think things were really going to be as fine as she kept insisting.
That was until she walked into the office and saw the aftermath from the robbery.
The office chair was overturned, and the curtain from the window lay in a pile on the floor. There were two distinct puddles of blood, not huge but enough to know someone had lain there for a while bleeding. Her coffee cup was nearly full, as if she were coming back to finish it.
If it hadn’t been for Brady, she might never have come back. She could have died here.
She hated the way her hands shook and she couldn’t seem to swallow. Why was she freaking out now? It was ridiculous. It was just a coffee cup and a little bit of blood. She was overreacting.
The man had frightened her and grabbed her arm. He’d put the gun to her head and shouted in her ear. But she wasn’t permanently damaged. The bruises on her arm had already turned yellow at the edges.
She would be fine.
* * *
Michaela got dressed for her date on Friday, even though she hadn’t heard from Brady since he’d left her office on Monday morning after dropping off Hunter. They’d made the date as he’d tried to leave. The third time.
She smiled, remembering how he’d said he needed to get enough of her kisses to last him all week. The smile faded when she looked down at her phone. The thing had been silent, despite the texts and voicemails she’d left for him.
If she’d spent more time dating instead of going to med school, maybe she’d know how she was supposed to handle such a thing. Up until last year she’d had the same boyfriend for six years. It had turned out he was also someone else’s boyfriend. What a shock that had been.
Almost as big as the shock she’d gotten when Brady had kissed her. She hadn’t minded one bit. After all, he was incredibly sexy. But he was also kind of scary. Or so she’d thought until he’d kissed her.
While his lips were firm on hers, and their shared attraction had them grasping at each other to get closer, there was a tenderness in his touch that made her feel safe. She didn’t know much about Brady Martin, but she knew he wouldn’t hurt her.
She frowned at her phone again, noticing the time. Ten minutes before he was supposed to pick her up. Looking down at her carefully planned outfit she felt silly for hoping. As she turned to go back to her room to change into her comfy clothes, her doorbell rang.
After glancing out the window to make sure, she opened the door to find Brady standing on her porch. There was a pizza box in his hand, a six-pack of beer hung from his fingertips, and a bottle of wine was tucked under his arm. He grinned and she smiled back as she opened the door wider.
“I know I said I wanted to take you out for dinner, but I’ve had a hell of a week and I was hoping I could talk you into staying home instead.”
She nodded and took the pizza box from him.
“That sounds great.”
He leaned down and kissed her. “Thank you. You look beautiful and you smell amazing. I’d say I’m sorry no one gets to see you but me, but screw them. I want you all for myself.”
She couldn’t help but laugh at the compliment.
“Pizza and wine are perfect.” It wasn’t about the where or the what she was eating as much as the who she was eating it with. She didn’t know much about Brady, and she was looking forward to hearing his story.
He did the honor of opening the wine, while she got plates down for the pizza.
“So, you said you had a bad week?”
“Yeah. I was in jail.” The cork popped and he sniffed it, not with any real skill, just as if it was the thing a person did when they pulled the cork from a bottle of wine.
She laughed, expecting it to be a joke, but he went on.
“Just for a few hours. The charges got dropped, but I’ll need to testify if the slime ball doesn’t plead guilty.”
“You’re serious? You were in jail?”
He filled her glass almost to the top, not realizing he was supposed to have stopped at the widest point of the glass.
“Yes.” He twisted the cap from a bottle of beer and took a long sip.
“Why?”
“A junkie tried to rob the company I work for. He had a gun pointed to Kenley’s head when I walked in.” He shook his head and took another drink. “I lost it, Mick. Kenley is the office manager. She doesn’t look anything like you, but for a split second I saw you in danger instead of her and everything went red rage. I don’t know how long I was out of touch. When I came back everyone was still breathing, though the guy was only making gurgling sounds.”
She gasped and reached out to put her hand on his arm. His knuckles were covered with cuts and bruises. She could only imagine what the man looked like. Not that she had much sympathy.
“Kenley got sick and I called 911. When the cops showed up they found me holding her, and the other guy bleeding and unconscious. I guess it looked bad, so they took me in.”
“I can’t believe a hero showed up at my door with pizza.”
He grinned and shook his head. “I’m not a hero.”
“All heroes say that.” She stood on her tiptoes so she could kiss his cheek. “I knew you were a great guy when I saw how much you cared about your brother, but now it’s confirmed.” He let out a sigh, but gave up arguing. “Did you stop to help any old ladies across the street?”
“No. Sorry.”
“Well, there’s always next time.”
“Eat your pizza before it gets cold,” he ordered, slipping back into that scary façade for a moment. But it no longer had the same level of intimidation she remembered from their showdown before.
She complied easily, eating her pizza and sipping her wine as he went on.
“My boss, Zane, has it bad for Kenley. He flew back to take care of her. It was a classy move. I hope it pays off.”
“I would definitely be touched if someone jumped on a plane to come to my aid.”
“I would be there in a second if you needed me,” he said, his grin downplaying the intensity of his statement. She didn’t doubt him.
“How is Kenley?”
He shook his head. “She says she’s fine, which is bullshit. I know because when I got my foot blown off in Iraq, I said I was fine too.” She swallowed a sip of wine, hoping it covered her surprise.
She’d noticed he had a limp, but she didn’t realize he’d lost his foot.
“You weren’t fine?” Her voice betrayed her fake calm.
“Not even a little bit. I ended up breaking down, falling into a deep depression. I was hoarding my pain meds so I could end it all. The only thing that saved me was Hunter.”
“Hunter?”
“I had to get better so I could come back to the states to take care of him. I was still learning how to walk with my prosthetic when they came to tell me my mother was dead and that Hunter had been severely injured. I needed to get my shit together so I could help him.”
And this man didn’t think he was a hero? Was he kidding?
They chatted easily until the wine was gone and it was late. She loved listening to his stories, even the bad ones. It was nice knowing he wasn’t perfect.
When the conversation slowed, she wasn’t sure what to do next. In a date situation, it would be time for him to drop her off. She would kiss him at the door and tell him she’d had a nice evening.
But Brady was already in her house. Was he expecting an invitation to spend the night? Did she want that? What if it made their relationship with Hunter’s care uncomfortable?
As if he’d read her mind, he let out a breath and leaned close to her, brushing a piece of hair behind her ear as he studied her face.
“I should go, but I can’t seem to make myself leave.”
“Oh.” Her heart pounded. She didn’t want him to leave, either, but she didn’t have the courage to say it.
“I know we’re not ready for the next step, but can I stay with you tonight? If I go home, I’ll have bad dreams all night. Let me hold you, so I know you’re safe. I’ll stay in my clothes and I won’t touch anything I’m not allowed to.” He put his hand up, pledging an oath.
She trusted him completely. It was herself she wasn’t sure about. Every time he kissed her or even looked at her in that way, she felt like throwing her panties at him.
“Okay,” she managed to get out.
“Just to sleep. I’m beat. When we do get to that step, I want it to be really good.” She had no doubts about that. But that didn’t mean she didn’t have a question.
“How will we know when we get to that step?”
Brady burst out laughing.
“I have no clue. I thought you’d know. I’ve never taken more than one step with a woman before you, Mick.”
She laughed along, but her heart throbbed happily in her chest. He cared about her. She’d tried her best to keep her feelings for him at bay, but now they flooded in.
“I guess we’ll figure it out when we get there.”
“I have to say…” He leaned down and kissed her neck, under her ear. “I hope that step isn’t a long time away.”
“Me, too.”
* * *
Kenley closed her carry-on and rolled it to the door where Zane took it from her. Over the last two days, he’d been treating her like she would break at any moment.
Maybe that was because she kept breaking.
After the episode in the office when he’d sent her outside so he could clean up, she thought she’d dealt with everything. She was able to go back into the office without any problem, but as soon as Zane left her alone to go in his office, she’d experienced chest pains and couldn’t breathe. Zane said he thought maybe it was a panic attack, but she brushed it off.
Whatever it was, it was unnecessary. She was fine. Or she would need to be. They were going to Ohio for the grand opening of the new shop. She needed to get herself together.
Zane had his fingers through hers as they boarded the plane.
“You okay?” he asked. It was becoming their motto.
“I’m great. There’s going to be cake at this shindig.”
They got there a day early so they could meet the new hires and set up the decorations. She didn’t have any issues being alone in the new office. She seemed to have broken out of whatever shackles had held her captive back home. Maybe she really was getting better.
One part of her life that was definitely better was her love life.
Rather than find more reasons why they wouldn’t work out, she’d decided she was going to go for it.
As Shelly, the new Executive Production Coordinator, entered the few invoices there were for the new location, Kenley pulled out her phone to send Zane a text. He was out at the dock, but she didn’t think she could wait another second.
I changed my mind about no promises.
Thirty seconds later he wrote back:
Good. I want to make some.
Followed by:
I’ll be done here in a half hour.
* * *
Fortunately, his new service manager wasn’t a big talker and didn’t need a lot of instruction. He’d done the job for sixteen years, so there wasn’t much Zane could tell him he didn’t already know.
“If you have any questions, you have my number.” Zane wrapped up his speedy training session, eager to get back to Kenley. The text she’d sent seemed simple, but he knew what it meant. They were moving things along. This wasn’t just casual anymore. It meant something.
For him it had meant something from the first time they’d kissed.
She smiled when he walked into the office. It was so good to see her smile. Her real smile. She’d been forcing them for his benefit since the robbery, but he could tell the difference. He could also tell when she felt anxious about being alone. And he’d noticed the way she flinched when someone stepped too close to her.
She’d insisted she was fine, but he knew it wasn’t going to be easy to forget having someone put a gun to her head and threaten her life. It made him crazy just thinking about it and he hadn’t even been there.
“You feel better here?” he asked as they locked up the building to go back to the hotel.
“There are no bad memories. I guess that makes it easier.”
“If you want, we could always move here.”
“Move? Together?”
“You said you changed your mind about no promises. To me, that means considering the possibilities of cohabitation.” He laughed, but she looked a little stunned.
“But move the whole way out here? You would miss all the things your niece will be doing in the next five years. Trust me, it’s like every day there is a new event.”
“There are other ways to keep in touch. If you want to stay here, I’d be willing to at least think about it.”
The smile she gave him was real and full of some emotion he’d never encountered before. While neither of them said the words, he thought she might be at the same place he was.
“Thank you for the offer, but I don’t want to run away from this. I’m stronger than this silly fear.”
* * *
“I have bad news,” Zane said as he got off the phone and fell into bed next to her that night after the party. She could already tell by his end of the conversation that he was being called away on a job. “I have to take a detour to Michigan before going home tomorrow.”
“I’ll take care of changing your flight.” She reached for the laptop.
“Do you want to change both flights so you can come with me?” While she was happy he’d invited her along, she knew the reason. He knew she was frightened to be alone. She couldn’t follow him around the country like a scared puppy forever. It was time to face it head on.
“No. I’ll be fine.”
“I didn’t ask because I think you’re weak, Ken. I do like having you with me. And maybe it makes me a little nervous when I’m away from you.”
Well, that was better than feeling like a burden. “Thank you. I appreciate it. But I do need to take the next step toward getting past this.”
“I’d feel better if you told your friends.”
“So they will fuss over me? No, thank you. I’ll tell them later.”
“Okay. If you’re sure.”
“I am.”
“Have I told you how amazing you are?”
“A few times.”
“Yeah, but before I was mostly saying it to get myself out of trouble. I really mean it now.” He winked and pulled her in for a kiss.
* * *
Her apartment felt different as she stepped inside and parked her suitcase by the door to her bedroom. She then spent a good ten minutes checking the closets and under the bed for intruders before she went to unpack.
Zane called to check in three times. She hadn’t used the word fine so much since her mother died.
It would be difficult to convince anyone she was fine when she jumped a foot into the air at the sound of her own doorbell.
Scott Porter waited on the porch in his uniform.
“Hi there,” she said, hoping he wouldn’t ask her out again. At least this time she had an excuse. She had a boyfriend.
“Zane asked me to stop by to check on you.”
“Wow. He must really be worried if he called you.”
“He is.” He looked past her into her apartment. “Did you want me to do a sweep while I’m here? Just to be sure?”
“Actually, I just did it.”
“Okay.” He turned and she felt her chest freeze.
“But since you’re a professional, maybe you could look too. Just to be sure.” She had checked out the place thoroughly, but a sweep sounded more official.
“Can do. It won’t take but a second.” He looked in all the places she’d looked. But there was something about the gun hanging on his belt that made her feel more secure.
“All clear.”
“Thank you.”
“Not a problem. I’ll keep an eye on your place when I’m doing my patrol. You don’t have anything to worry about. The guy is still in the hospital and hasn’t made bail, so he’ll be in jail as soon as he can walk. You’re safe.”
“I know. It’s silly. It’s not like he could find me here. I’m just kind of nervous.”
“I’m not surprised. You’ll probably be rattled for a while.”
“I’m fine.” That word was getting old.
She texted Zane to thank him for sending Scott over.
She didn’t hear back, but he would have been in the air, so it wasn’t surprising not to get a response. Several hours later he finally called back.
“Hello.”
“Why aren’t you asleep? It’s after eleven.”
“It’s also a Saturday night and I’m only twenty-eight. If I go to bed before midnight on a Saturday, I’ll wake up an old person. That’s how it works.”
“Huh. You might be right about that. We’re the same age, but I’m way older than you.”
“I don’t know about that. During sex you’re still going strong while I’m exhausted and can’t catch my breath.”
“That comes from practice.”
She heard the smile in his voice. They’d been getting a lot of practice over the last few days. She couldn’t seem to get enough of him. When he was touching her, and making her body feel good, it was impossible to think about what happened.
“I’m not going to see you tomorrow. And I’m not going to be in the office on Monday. Something came up and I need to stay out here.”
“Okay.”
“I just want you to know I really do have to stay out here. I’m not staying on the road so I can avoid you. I won’t ever do that again. I swear.”
“Thank you.”
“If you need anything, call Brady. He’s back and he’ll help.”
“Okay.”
The empty bed spawned fitful dreams and restless sleep. Sunday she went to visit her parents. They asked how work was going and she told them it was… fine.
The armed robbery report was just a small blurb in the newspaper, and since her friends and family lived in another town, no one noticed. She knew they would be upset and worried if she told them what had happened. She would tell them when she knew she could answer their questions without breaking out in a sweat. Speaking about it now still made it too real.
While Vanessa hadn’t read the paper, she did know something was wrong as soon as Kenley stepped into her house the next day. Vanessa had been her friend for a very long time, and could read her like a book.
“What is it? Something’s wrong. Did Zane do something stupid?”
“No. He’s amazing.” She did her best to act normal, but she was too conscious of everything she said or did.
“What is with you? You’re skittish.”
“I’m not skittish.”
“You jumped out of your seat when Hannah’s toy hooted.”
“I had a run-in with some guy at the office. It was nothing.”
“Did he hurt you?” Her laser focus was on Kenley, no doubt watching for clues.
“No. Someone came in and stopped him.” Stopped him was not really the right word. From what Scott had said, the guy still couldn’t walk. Brady had been a mad man—his eyes unfocused on anything but the man with the gun. She couldn’t say she was sorry.
When it was over, she’d said Brady’s name, and it was like a light came back on. He’d looked around the office as if he was confused about how the guy had ended up bleeding on the floor.
“What happened?” Vanessa said, pulling her out of the memory.
“Can I get a pass for now? I promise I’ll tell you. Just not today. I need some time. The important thing is that I’m…” She swallowed. “Fine.”
“Uh-huh. Fine like you were when your mother died and you came back to school the next week?”
“It was finals. She didn’t want me to miss them.”
“Still, you weren’t fine then and I know you’re not fine now.”
“Okay. Maybe I’m not. But I need to be. I want to be. So just let me be fine until I really am.”
“Whenever you’re ready, I’ll be here.”
“I know. Thank you.” They hugged it out and she left to go home. She had made sure to be home before dark. After checking the place over she settled in with a book and twitched at every noise her home made.
The next morning she went in to work and followed her normal routine. She started the coffeepot, and greeted the men before they went out to the shop.
She was busy, which made the day fly by. It was after three when Brady came in.
“Hey, how you doing?”
“Good,” she said, keeping her eyes on her screen.
“Ken?”
“Yeah?”
“Look at me.”
“I really have to get this in.”
“Look. At. Me.” The demand in his voice made her head jerk up. He smiled, but his eyes were hard and intent. He reminded her of a wolf.
“Yes?” she squeaked.
“Can we please talk this out? I know I must have scared the shit out of you when I started whaling on that guy. I lose it sometimes. That was one of those times. But I swear to you, I’m not so bad that I would ever hurt you, okay?”
“Sure. I know that.” She still couldn’t look at him.
“You’re not looking at me again. What is it?”
“Nothing.”
“Bull shit. Tell me, or I’m just going to sit on the edge of your desk until you do. And I’m going to eat your candy stash from your second drawer while I wait.”
“Fine.” She reached out to stop him from touching her candy. “I just—I wish you hadn’t had to see me throw up.”
After the incident, Brady had taken her outside until the police came. It was a good thing too, because she’d tossed her lunch in the bushes in front of the building. He’d held her hair and gone back inside to get her a paper towel.
The confession of her humiliation was met with laughter. She glared at him and he did a fair job of trying to get himself together.
“Sorry. Here I thought I’d freaked you out, and you’re worried about me seeing you throw up.”
Yes. Did he need to repeat it?
“Sweetie, I was in the military. Between injuries, drinking too much, or being scared out of our wits, vomiting was pretty much a daily occurrence. I don’t think any less of you because of it.”
She couldn’t help but chuckle at his little speech. She nodded. “Okay. Thank you.”
“You have to stop thanking me. You’ve thanked me six-hundred-and-twenty-four times.”
“No, I haven’t. It’s maybe six-hundred twenty-one at the most.” It felt better to joke about it.
“I’m going to hug you, and we’re going to call it good. Then I’m going to ask you for a favor, but you shouldn’t feel obligated because I saved your life or anything.”
Again she chuckled as he wrapped her in his big arms. It was completely friendly. His hands stayed where they belonged.
“I want you to know I have a girlfriend now, which is why I’m not using my gallantry to weasel my way into your bed.”
“A girlfriend? Really?” She stepped back when he released her.
“It’s new. I’ll probably fuck it up, but I like her. She’s a doctor.”
“Get out.”
“No, really. And she even knows I’m an asshole. She’s seen me at my assiest and yet she still let me make out with her.”
“Wow. I’m impressed.” She nodded. “So what’s the favor?”
“Hunter is going through occupational therapy. Michaela thinks he’d be able to have a job. I wasn’t so sure until he stayed with you and polished up the fittings. I was wondering if you might be able to find more work for him. Odd jobs he’d be capable of doing. Zane said he’d find a place for him, but I don’t want it to be an inconvenience.”
“Of course it wouldn’t be an inconvenience. I like having him here.”
“Maybe make a list of things you think he’d be good at. I’ll run it by Mick and make sure he can handle it.”
“Sure thing.”
Brady turned to leave but came back.
“There’s one more thing.”
“I’m not hugging you again.”
“Would you stop throwing yourself at me, woman? You’re dating my boss and I told you I have a girlfriend.” He chuckled at his joke, but turned serious. “I do need you to do something for me.”
“Okay.”
“I want you to talk this out with someone.”
Kenley let out a sigh. “Everyone is worrying about nothing. There’s nothing to talk about. Nothing happened. So the guy threatened me. He didn’t have a chance to hurt me.”
“Do you dream about it?”
She shrugged and then, when he kept watching her silently, nodded.
“I know about the dreams. Trust me, they start to become more real if they aren’t dealt with.”
She opened her mouth to put him at ease, but he cut her off again.
“I’m not trying to boss you around or stick my nose in your business, but you should talk to a professional about this.”
“You mean a shrink?” Kenley shifted to her other foot. She’d spoken to a grief counselor after her mother died. It hadn’t helped. Time helped the most. Besides, she was… fine. “Nothing happened, and I have you to thank for that.”
“Something did happen. If the guy hadn’t done anything, I wouldn’t have beaten him into the ICU. Something happened. It might not be the thing that could have happened, but it was something.”
“Okay.”
“These things have a way of sneaking up on you when you think you’re fine. I know firsthand how hard it can be to keep things locked away, no matter how much you don’t want to think about them.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Kenley agreed, though she knew she would be okay. The guy had been desperate. She knew it from the way his hands shook and the panic in his bloodshot eyes. He probably wouldn’t have shot her. He just wanted the money.
She shuddered at the memory. Would he have let her live after he’d taken the money? He’d done nothing to hide his face. She would have been able to identify him. Would he have taken out the witness?
“I know what I’m talking about. I’m still haunted by things I saw in Iraq. It comes out of nowhere. I sure as hell didn’t want to chat about it, but talking does help. Just remember that.”
Kenley nodded and watched Brady leave. She went back to her bills and thought about other things. Nice things.
Cookies, her niece’s hugs, margaritas, and Zane’s kisses. She suddenly realized she hadn’t heard any sounds coming from the back. She opened the door to the shop to check on the other men and found the place was dark.
Checking the clock, she realized it was after five. She hadn’t even noticed. Spooked to be alone, she hurried around the building, locking all the doors.
* * *
Unable to wait another second to get back to Kenley, Zane caught a late flight that night and got to her house a little after eleven. He had flowers in his hand and a big smile on his face when she opened the door.
“I thought you wouldn’t be back until tomorrow,” she said, smiling back at him. She was dressed for bed in a pair of cotton shorts and a T-shirt. He could tell there was no bra. One less thing he’d have to take off. But first they needed to talk.
“I missed you, so I came home as soon as I could.”
“Thank God,” she said as she stood on her tiptoes to press her lips to his. She took his hand and led him to her bedroom where he stopped. He almost gave in, but he knew he needed to stand his ground on this.
Instead of going inside he picked her up and carried her back to the sofa. With her on his lap he kissed her until she pulled back to look at him.
“You didn’t want to…” She nodded in the direction of her bedroom.
“I do. Very much. But I want to talk with you first. I don’t want this to just be about sex.” They’d been having a lot of sex. Part of him expected this since their relationship was new and she was making up for lost time on the sex front. But he wasn’t stupid. He knew she was also using sex to cope with what had happened. No doubt she thought if she could have sex with him she must be fine.
Fine. That goddamned word. He’d heard it so much he wanted it stricken from the English language. The worst part was that people didn’t seem to know what it really meant. All his past girlfriends had used it as a curse when he’d asked if something was wrong. They’d said they were fine, but what they meant was they were holding in their anger with plans to unleash it at a more inopportune time.
Kenley also had difficulties with the definition. She seemed to think it meant she would ignore the problem until it got easier to deal with.
“Okay. We can talk if you want.”
She pouted, which almost made him give in. But he needed to do the right thing. Brady had warned him of the dangers of letting her brush it off as nothing. He’d been there. He’d seen what happened. Zane trusted his judgment.
“I got a naughty cheerleader outfit. It took me forever to muster up the courage to take it to the counter and pay for it, but I did. Three cheers for me.”
He sat up straighter and looked at her. Was that what she thought this was about? She wasn’t just a fantasy come true. She was his reality.
“I’ll admit, maybe at first I just wanted to have sex. But now it’s about you. I want you, Kenley. The real you. Not the woman I made up in my head. I like so many other things about you.”
“Were you planning to list them now, or can I kiss you?” she asked with a grin.
“I’m planning on completely ruining the mood to talk about how you’re holding up. And if you use the word fine, I’m going to hold you down and tickle you until you hurl, and we already know how much you hate that.”
“Brady told.”
“Yes. He thought you were terrified of him. He was so happy it was just embarrassment.”
“He’s going to be terrified of me when I get hold of him.”
“He cares about you.” He kissed her hair and pulled her closer. “Not as much as me, of course.”
“He thinks I should talk to a professional.”
“I don’t want to take sides here, especially if it will wreck my chances of seeing the naughty cheerleader outfit, but I have to agree with him. Even if it’s not a miracle cure, it can’t hurt. I don’t like you being afraid. I can’t handle the guilt of leaving you alone, knowing you’re scared.”
“Okay. I guess I’ll give it a try before you stage an intervention.”
“I already ordered the banner.”
She smacked him and then kissed him in that way that melted his soul. She was done talking about it. He decided he would let it go for now.
After making out with her on the sofa for a while they talked about their day. She wanted to go to New York to visit her friend the next weekend. He was happy to see she wanted to go out. Maybe he’d been wrong. Maybe she would be okay after all.
“I have an idea,” she said as she bit her lip.
“I love your ideas. They make me more efficient, and in turn, make me money.” He kissed her neck, making her giggle.
“You know the app I made with all the pictures of items in the shop?”
“Yeah. I’ve been cleaning it out as I have time during layovers. I think it’s pretty up to date now.”
“There are things in there you’re not using.”
“Right.”
“What if we link the app to a website where people can buy the things you won’t use? Like a retail site.”
“Huh. I never really thought about it. It’s a good idea.”
“I don’t know if I can make the site though.”
“Don’t worry. I can hire someone to do it.”
“Maybe you can give the person a discount on a boat in exchange for the website.”
“I am amazed by your mind. I am so glad I talked my sister into hiring you.”
She laughed and rolled her eyes.
* * *
Someone kicked him, waking him from the most peaceful sleep of his life. Before he had fully woken he was scratched across his chest and kicked again.
Kenley was thrashing around in her sleep. Her mumbled cries of “No” twisted his gut with worry.
He turned on the light by her bed. “Kenley?” he said, shaking her awake.
She woke immediately, blinking from the light. Letting out a deep breath, she reached for him and began sobbing as he held her close.
“You’re not fine, are you?” he whispered into her hair.
The only answer was a shake of her head and another quiet sob.