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I looked over my shoulder at him.
“I didn’t expect you to still be awake.”
I wasn’t sure what to say, so I didn’t speak.
“Come to bed, Siren.”
“I’ll be fine where I am.”
His fingertip trailed down my spine. “I won’t be,” he whispered. When he held out his hand, I rolled over and took it.
* * *
We slept in his bed; neither of us spoke again. When I woke, the sun was up and Smoke was gone. I knew he’d stayed with me, though, since I hadn’t had a single nightmare I could remember.
“Come in,” I said when I heard a rap on the door.
“Sorry to disturb you, Ms. Gallagher, but are you ready for your breakfast?” asked Ms. Wynona.
“Please call me Siobhan, or Siren if it’s easier, and I’ll be right out.”
“I can bring it in if you’d prefer.”
I thanked her but told her I’d rather be up and about.
“Has Smoke eaten?” I asked when I joined her in the kitchen.
“He was up before dawn, Miss…Siren.”
“Is he typically?” I asked between spoonfuls of the best steel-cut oatmeal I’d ever had.
“He isn’t here at the ranch that often, but yes, he is usually up and gone before I arrive.”
“It seems you’re always here. I thought perhaps you lived here.”
“I do.” She pointed out the window at one of the smaller houses. When I turned to look, I saw the can of Irish oats on the counter.
“Do you always have that on hand?” I asked.
“No, no. Mr. Smoke asked me to get it when he told me you’d be staying here.”
“That was sweet,” I mumbled, shaking my head and wishing I could remember more about him.
“There you are,” said Maureen, coming into the kitchen with a syringe and blood-pressure cuff in hand.
I held up my palm. “No pain medication.”
To my surprise, she didn’t argue. She took my vitals and then sat down to join me for breakfast. Soon, Ms. Wynona had us talking and laughing about growing up in the UK while she told us stories about living in the South.
We were still at it an hour later when Smoke walked into the kitchen. “Sorry to interrupt,” he said when the two women with me sprang to their feet. He turned to me. “Do you have a minute?”
“Is everything okay?” I asked as I followed him out of the kitchen.
“I want to talk to you about going to Asheville tomorrow. We’ll have to leave early.”
“Okay.” I waited for him to go on, but he didn’t. “Was there something else you wanted to talk to me about?”
“No.”
