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Cole’s voice trailed off, but I didn’t need him to finish. I knew exactly what he meant, exactly how he felt. I felt it, too. That urge—no, theneed—to protect her, to make sure she was safe and happy and smiling. It was a feeling I hadn’t felt since… well, for a really long time. It was a feeling that I hadn’t even realized I was capable of anymore. I would have sworn that part of me had died when my divorce was finalized.
God knew everything else had been taken away from me that day.
“I don’t want to think about it, either,” I said. “But that’s been the only damn thing on my mind lately.”
He cracked a smile. “She’s pretty special, isn’t she?”
I nodded but didn’t respond. She was special, of course. Obviously. But we still barely knew her. Why did I feel this crazy connection, this attraction, with her? How was it possible that Cole seemed to feel the same way?
“I could see myself falling for her,” he said, as if answering my thoughts. “Seriously. Settling down, making a life… the whole thing. I could see it happening.”
He looked over at me, but I still didn’t say anything. What was I supposed to say? I wasn’t sure how Cole had managed to stay so calm.
Because for me? I felt the same way he did. I could see myself falling for her, too.
Falling fast.
Falling hard.
And honestly?
It scared the hell out of me.
Chapter 10
Daisy Lynn
Islowly, carefully stepped out of the bathtub and took a deep breath. Even though I hadn’t been able to wash myself as thoroughly as I would have liked—my head was still bandaged and I didn’t want to try anything too crazy while I was by myself—I already felt a million times better just from that short soak.
My legs had been a little wobbly when I’d first attempted to get out of bed, but I had massaged my calf and thigh muscles in the tub, and I felt more confident on my feet now.
Pretty sure Cole and Prescott would have said I didn’t have any business being out of bed yet, since it had only been about three days… two days? Three? Four?
Whatever.
I didn’t know and didn’t really care how many actual days it had been since they’d brought me here from the hospital. Today was the first time I’d felt strong enough to get out of bed, and I couldn’t make myself wait around until they got off work.
I dried myself off and slipped one of Cole’s enormous T-shirts over my head. I looked in the mirror and smiled. Tangled, matted, bandaged hair aside, I didn’t look half bad for having been through a pretty awful accident just a few days before.
The big shirt hung off my body like a dress—well, that was being generous. It really swallowed me up and fit me like a potato sack, but it still made me smile. I liked being able to smell him even when he wasn’t here. I wished I had something of Prescott’s to wear as well, but I’d hopefully be seeing him in person again once he and Cole got off work this evening.
They’d been taking turns, with one working at the station while the other stayed home and on-call with me. Today was the first time they’d both left together, and even though I had slept most of the morning and afternoon, I still missed seeing one of their handsome faces when I woke up.
That had been the only nice part about the accident. It had immediately brought the three of us closer together. Soon, though, things would have to go back to normal. I’d go back to Janessa’s ranch for a few more days and then finally head home. They would go on with their lives just like they had before I came into town.
Except…
I moved from the bathroom back to the bedroom and sat down on the edge of Cole’s big, comfy bed. I needed to rest my legs and wanted to think back to the spark of a memory that I’d just had. A memory from one of those days when I’d been half-awake, half-asleep… or maybe I’d been dreaming the whole time? Everything I did remember since the accident was in bits and pieces, which made it really hard to tell the difference between what was real and what had just been my imagination.
It also made it nearly impossible to keep any sort of timeline going in my head. Minutes, hours, days… they all blended together in the dreamy haze.
But there was one memory that stuck out. One that had sounded so good I would have thought itmusthave been a dream if it hadn’t still been so vivid in my mind.
I closed my eyes to try and remember every little detail. I’d been lying in the bed, of course. Cole and Prescott had been sitting in the chairs they’d pulled up next to the bed, watching over me just like they’d been doing non-stop for days.
Their voices had been low but had still carried far enough in the otherwise silent room. I’d heard my name—the delicious sound of those deep voices saying my name always got my attention, and this time had been no different.
Smiling at the memory, I scooted back until I was fully reclined on the bed, then wrapped myself in the warm blankets again. I’d had high hopes of being fully awake and independent today, maybe even cooking a meal for my guys this evening, but… maybe those plans could wait until after I’d had a little nap.
