Page 28 of Falling for a Grumpy Hero

Rook suddenly went stiff at my side, letting out a longing whine that confused me until I saw her.

Lila.

At first, I thought I was imagining things when I caught a glimpse of a redhead through the crowd, but I wasn’t. It was her, dancing with Addy, Taylor’s girlfriend who was apparently her best friend. The two girls had their hands joined and they were taking turns twirling each other, laughing and shaking their asses like they were alone on the dance floor.

Several guys were checking them out, but the girls seemed completely oblivious, just having fun together as if neither of them had a care in the world. My mouth ticked into a rare smile as I watched her. This girl was just… sunshine.

Eternal, unending sunshine.

I’d never met anyone with as much joie de vivre. Even before the crash, I sure as hell hadn’t been that way. My smile faded at the realization.

What I was, was a dark cloud coming to rob her of that light, and that was a fucking travesty. Immediately turning away, I clicked my tongue to Rook, who whined again, but fell into step beside me.

Before we’d made it ten paces away from the bar, a familiar, feminine voice called out behind me. “Ford! Rook!”

She sounded a little winded, but when I twisted to see Lila’s racing toward us, stumbling a little as she tried to take off her low heels so she could run barefoot, she was still smiling. Always with the fucking smiling.

“Hey, guys! Wait up.”

Against my will, I stopped walking, knowing that the best thing I could do for her was to keep moving in the opposite direction, but I was a selfish prick sometimes. It turned out that this was one of those times. I wanted some of that light. Just for a minute, I needed to feel like I could reach out and touch it, banishing all that darkness with some of her sunshine.

“Lila,” I said curtly when she reached us. “What are you doing out here?”

“I thought that was you I saw walking by, so I thought I should come out and say hi. What are you doing tonight?”

I felt a little lost looking at her, the city lights shining in her eyes and so much excitement in her smile. Shit, why do I like it that it seems some of that excitement is about seeing me? Why can’t I just let this woman be?

“I just came from a meeting with my support group,” I explained stonily. “Rook and I thought we’d take a walk before we head home.”

“To do what?” she asked, not at all deterred by my less than enthusiastic tone. “Is there something at home that urgently requires your attention?”

“No. I was just going to go to bed. Why?”

“Because it’s early, and it’s the weekend.” She smiled up at me before kneeling right there on the street to pet Rook. Her shoes dangled from the fingers of one hand while she pushed the other into his fur, once again transforming him into an attention-starved, love-struck puppy. “Hey, beautiful boy. How are you? Are you enjoying your walk?”

He leaned into her touch but made direct eye contact with me as his tongue lolled out of his mouth. I glared at the dog, wondering just what he was playing at. Asshole.

“So, listen,” she said to me and I yanked my gaze away from Rook to look at her before she saw me glowering at my own dog like some kind of jealous idiot. “I was just about to leave. Addy’s meeting up with Taylor and some of his buddies, but I think I’ve had my fun for tonight. Unless you want to have a drink?”

“Are you riding your bike home?” I asked instead of responding to her invitation. “Alone?”

“Uh, yes. Why?”

Honestly? Because I really don’t like it, but I can’t say that without sounding like a possessive dick who has a right to feel protective or possessive. “Let me take you home again. It’s safer that way. I’ll feel better and you said you were heading home, anyway, so…”

Her brow furrowed, but then she chuckled quietly and nodded. “Yeah, sure. Okay. If you insist.”

“I do.” I didn’t know why, but I really did insist. I wasn’t about to leave her to find her own way home. Alone at night on a bicycle when some fucker almost ran her over just the other day.

After waiting for her to say goodbye to Addy and grab her purse, I pushed her bicycle back to the church parking lot where I’d left my truck and Rook stuck to her side like he was made of glue. She giggled and kept her hand near him all the way there, but at least she was looking at me now and not at him.

“How was your meeting?” she asked, her tone light and easy. “Addy mentioned Taylor was there too. I was wondering if you were as well. I guess now I know you were.”

“I try not to miss them.” Not that it has anything to do with you. “We ran late tonight.”

Once again, I was confusing the shit out of myself by offering up random information, but Lila smiled and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Her cheeks were flushed after all that dancing and then racing out to catch us, and she was painfully beautiful like this, all soft, and innocent, and caring.

“It must’ve been a good meeting, then,” she said. “I know it’s been helping Taylor a lot, having people to talk to who understand better than anyone else can. I don’t know much about any of this stuff, but I think it’s great that you don’t miss the meetings.”