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“Thank you for taking care of her,” Kaylie forced out. “This… shouldn’t have happened.”
His deep-brown eyes found hers. “You’re stubborn.”
Kaylie nodded, a wry smile on her lips. “I’ve heard that before.”
He took a step toward her, spatula still in hand. “Let me help.”
There was a softness to his voice. Just barely, but it was there–a vulnerability she didn’t expect.
“I’m sorry,” she said on a breath. “We can’t.”
His eyes flickered, something under the surface she couldn’t read. Then he pressed his lips together and nodded. “Fine. I’ll drive you.”
“No. You won’t.”
“Kaylie…” he growled.
“We’re fine,” she insisted.
He walked to the stove and shut off the burner with a flick of his wrist. He was angry this time, she could tell that much. Most people probably thought he was angry all the time, but she knew better. Even now, though, maybe it wasn’t anger. Frustration? Disappointment?
Kaylie turned away from him, determined to hold herself together long enough to make it home and collapse back into her own bed. Lia would be disappointed, but Kaylie knew it had to be like this. They couldn’t rely on anyone but each other.
After Kaylie had found her shoes and helped a sulky Lia gather her things, Anthony met them at the door. He was holding Cecelia’s elephant stuffy in one hand, the pink furry animal looking comically small in his giant grasp. In the other, he had a plastic container full of pancakes. They were still warm, judging by the fog on the inside of the clear plastic. A small white paper bag rested on top of the takeout container.
“For the road,” he said stiffly.
“Thank you,” Kaylie said, her voice barely a whisper. This man… There was something under the surface, so much she wanted to uncover. He’d never been anything but kind and gentle with them. But getting tangled up would only lead to problems for both of them. She could never forget why she’d run in the first place. And she couldn’t risk getting someone else wrapped up in the mess she’d made with her bad decisions earlier in life.
Those decisions had brought her Cecelia, though. So she couldn’t regret them, not entirely.
“I’ll come by tomorrow to clean. I owe you that much.”
Tank shook his head. “You don’t owe me anything. Call me if you need something.” His eyes were unyielding as he watched her, waiting for a response.
She wouldn’t call him, she knew that. Surely, he knew it too. But under the intensity of his stare, she nodded. “Okay.”
His shoulders relaxed, and he handed her the things. Then he used one finger to pull back the sheer curtain that covered the small window beside the door and looked out. “Your ride’s here.”
Kaylie inhaled sharply. “Mr. Olson,” she admonished.
“His name is Dave, and I trust him with my life. If you won’t let me take you… then let him.”
“She needs a car seat,” Kaylie protested.
“He’s got one.”
The protests died on her lips. It was no use arguing. And the truth was she didn’t know if she’d make the walk to the bus and then to the trailer in her current state. Everything hurt.
She looked up at Anthony’s face again. “Okay,” she agreed again. This was becoming an impossible pattern–giving in to her desire to let him care for them. It had to stop.
But after she and Lia were settled in the backseat of my-friends-call-me-Hollywood Dave’s SUV, Kaylie finally peeked inside the white paper bag Anthony had handed her. The dual pack of day and night severe cold and flu medicine sitting inside were the last straw. Warm tears spilled over her eyelashes as another brick of her defenses fell under the gentle assault of loving attention from Anthony Olson.
CHAPTER
THIRTEEN
Stubborn, frustrating, incredible woman.
