Mom gasps.
"You took off this morning and left her alone in a strange town,” Nate growls. “Plus, you took her purse, which was clearly marked so you’d know it wasn't yours. You left her with no money.”
“But that’s why I’m calling! To send her money to get home. I didn’t mean?—”
“No, you didn’tthink. You don’t ever think of others, do you?”
Nate leaps to his feet and begins to pace. His jaw is tight, his eyes glittering. At first, I thought he was just pretending to sound angry to teach Mom a lesson, but no. He's filled with rage, although he is carefully keeping it directed away from me.
"I said I was taking Bailey out for a meal after we dropped off the boys. You didn't even ask who I was. Did you ask your server if they knew me? Ask anyone who the man taking your daughter away was?"
Mom sputters, but Nate talks right over her. "You and your husband are the most selfish, incompetent parents I have ever seen. Thank goodness those boys have each other, because they certainly don't have a mother and father to rely on."
He's still pacing, and his entire body is tense. “Not that you care, but Bailey will be fine. I'm providing a safe space for her to live and take her test. You don't even know what the test is for, do you?"
Another muffled stammer.
"She's a grown woman, and she'll be much better off without you." There's a slight pause, and he straightens up to his full height. "She doesn't need you anymore. Because I will care for her, and protect her, and be everything she needs.”
His back is to me as he ends the call. It's as if his rage were waves of energy rolling off his back and shoulders. Then he takes a breath, straightens up, and plugs my phone back into the charger on the counter. He turns to me with a bright smile.
"Rude? Maybe. Necessary? Definitely."
I'm already on my feet, throwing myself into his arms. "Thank you," I murmur against his chest. "I feel free now."
Nate strokes my back, murmuring against the top of my hair, "Of course you are, Bailey. Free to stay as long as you like, or to leave and go get that job. Everything is up to you."
Since both of us are such planners, leaving everything wide open doesn't feel super comfortable.
But wow, does it feel exciting.
7
NATE
I’m already infatuated with Bailey. The way she smiles. Her fresh, light scent. The way she takes any excuse to cuddle against me.
The thought of holding her all night long consumes me. How long will it be until it feels right to invite her to my bed?
We both get ready to turn in, and I'm relieved that Bailey isn't upset about the way I popped off on her mother. I rarely let my anger out like that, never with women.
Crap, I shouldn't have used that tone with her. If all goes well, she’ll be my mother-in-law someday.
While Bailey brushes her teeth in the hall bathroom, I go into the spare room and pull open the fold-out couch. It sticks for a moment, then after a big yank it comes free with a terrible groan.
Bailey comes up behind me. "Whoa. That did not sound good."
I look disgustedly at the twisted metal bars under the thin mattress. There's no way I could let her sleep on this. With considerable effort, I stuff it back into couch form and replace the cushions. "You'll be sleeping in my bed tonight. I'll take the couch in the living room."
"I can't let you do that."
"Of course you can. I broke our deal by coming in here without knocking."
She laughs. "The door was wide open and I wasn’t even in here."
“Still, I'm a horrible person. I'll be fine out there. Seriously, take my room."
Bailey's hand grips my forearm. Her hair is tied up out of her face, and she's wearing a dark blue tank top and baggy gray pajama shorts. The blue of the top brings out her eyes so vividly it makes my heart seize up. It's as if there's a glow around her.
