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“Let me guess. Your siblings hated him, and he didn’t like them either, placing you firmly in the middle. He made you choose, telling you that they didn’t understand like he does. He was the only one that truly cared about you.”
Had Grant been watching in her windows for the last few years?
“Do you read minds for a living? Or is it just a fun trick you bring out at parties?”
“It’s my job. Sadly, your situation isn’t rare.”
“I wish that it was.”
“It’s not, and that’s why I know that you can start a new life. You can put all of this in the past.”
“That’s what I intend to do.”
A gust of wind wailed outside, and a branch beat against the building almost sending her straight into the man’s arms. Before she’d caught herself, she’d grabbed onto his shoulders and moved closer as her heart slammed into her ribs. Once she’d realized what she’d done, she quickly scooted back onto her own cushion.
“I’m a little jumpy,” she said, forcing herself to breathe slowly. “I’ve never been one for loud noises.”
“Storms are scary, especially if you’re not used to them. That’s probably going to happen again during the night. Maybe several times.”
“I’ll be fine,” she lied. “I can sleep through anything.”
It was a total lie. She slept lightly, always worrying about what might happen.
It was clear from the look on his face that he didn’t believe her.
“I should probably let you get some rest,” Grant said, levering up from the couch. “Do you have a phone? I can give you my number if you need anything.”
Panic hit her at the thought of being here all by herself for the night. A few minutes was okay, but she already knew she wouldn’t sleep much. She would sit up here all alone listening to the storm with the weatherman on television until it was time for her to leave in the morning.
For better or worse, Sheriff Grant Anderson represented safety to her right now. When he was there, she wasn’t so frightened or nervous. It was a pathetic admission, but she didn’t have the energy to fight it.
“You don’t have to go yet. I mean…you probably have a lot of things to do. Helping people and all.”
She sounded like an idiot, which he probably thought she was anyway since she’d driven into a storm.
“I’ve hunkered down for the night. If I get any calls, they’re going to have to wait until the storm passes.”
“You have another room here?”
“I have a house on the property but there’s also a couch in my brother’s office if he needs me to stay close.”
“Oh, of course. A house. That makes sense.”
She couldn’t keep him here because she was scared. That wasn’t fair. He probably wanted a hot shower and to sleep in his own bed.
“But I can stay for a while if you like. There are some board games in my brother’s office. Do you like to play games?”
Letting out a shaky breath, she nodded.
“I’m the Clue champion in my family. I’ve also been known to win a few Uno games, too.”
“We’ll see about that. How about I run down and grab some of those games? It’s a good way to pass the time during a storm.”
She wasn’t proud of her inability to be alone, but she was holding onto his offer like a lifeline in a stormy sea. She needed a friendly face and presence. She’d be on her own soon enough.
Tomorrow morning, she’d be out of Grant’s hair and back on the road. She wouldn’t be his problem for much longer.
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