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Lila resisted the sense that she could’ve been that woman. Scarred, bruised, and bitter from a life of crime. Without her grandparents, she might’ve been dragged down by her parents.
“Lila.” Travis pulled her away from the uncomfortable thoughts. “You’re not her. You made different choices.”
“Right. I know.”
“Liar.” But he said it gently, almost lovingly.
She cleared her throat. “It’s sad. When he denied a partner,” she explained. “That was probably the first honest thing Dan ever said to me.” What a pitiful admission, but instead of an ache, the pressure in her chest eased.
Travis set his phone aside and wrapped her in a hug. She could’ve been happy, right here in his arms, for the rest of her days.
“Do you want to know about your mom?” he asked.
Did she? Not for herself, but for Gram. If another threat was imminent, she wanted to be prepared. “What do you know?”
“She passed away a year ago. In prison. She was convicted of grand theft in Georgia.”
“She didn’t turn on my dad.”
“Guess not.”
Typical. The two of them had always been a unit, strange and warped as it was. And as she’d told Travis, she’d never fit in with them. Had only ever wanted to escape their schemes.
“It’s really over, Lila.”
What a feeling. She cuddled up against him, resting her cheek over his heart. She was safe. He could leave.
And he should. He should walk away. Go back to his life. She’d seen how much he enjoyed jetting and yachting around the world, protecting celebrities and elite clients.
For that matter, she could walk away. Tell him thanks and wish him well. It would be the smart move. One phone call and a rideshare driver could take her back to the island and the shiny new life as a bakery owner she’d longed for.
She didn’t budge, snuggled against him while she wrestled with churning emotions that left her stomach knotted and her heart aching.
A knock sounded at the door and she stepped out of his embrace so Travis could deal with the interruption. At least shedidn’t need to worry that it was the cops with handcuffs and an arrest warrant for her.
Lila swiped at an errant tear. She could cry later. The situation required an attitude adjustment. She would look at tonight as a going away party. This could be her last night with him. Better to make it a special memory than fraught with potential regrets. If all they had was tonight, she wanted to celebrate the amazing goodness he’d brought into her world.
“Check this out,” Travis said. “They sent up a gift basket.”
She gawked at the massive basket filling his arms. He set it on the table and motioned her closer. He flipped open the card and together they read the thank you note from Gamble and Swann, the lawyers who managed the Guardian Agency.
“This is a lot,” she observed.
He reached for the bottle of sparkling wine. “It’s chilled.” He chuckled. “I shouldn’t be surprised.”
She looked up at him then and he opened his arms. “Come here.”
Eager, she returned to his embrace, grateful for his warmth and strength. “You feel so good. Is it awful that I could fall asleep right here?” Listening to his steady heartbeat, lulled by the soft rise and fall of his breathing. “A month might be enough to feel like myself again.”
To feel able to go on without him.
If only.
“Stay as long as you like.” He kissed the top of her head.
Wrapping her arms around his trim waist, she let herself hang on a little too tightly. Only until her heart settled. Until she could believe the worst was over.
But she wasn’t convinced that was true. Her biggest fear was that the worst was still to come. When he left, she was going to hurt like never before.
