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“Uh…no,” she grinned, shaking her head. “Not at all. It’s actually a great place.”
“Then why are you smiling?”
“Because I know the house. It’s actually not too far from mine and Duke’s house. I’m sure you’ll love it.”
“Ah, so we can get together for coffee.”
“Yeah, I don’t really do the whole getting together thing unless it’s to talk about guns. If you want to do that at six in the morning, I’m your girl.”
“I think I’ve had enough of guns for one lifetime. Anyway, we’d better get going.”
“Mama, but we just got here!” Parker whined. “And you’ve been talking the whole time! I didn’t even get to tell her about the lizards!”
“Next time, bud,” I chuckled. “Right now, we’re going to see our new house!”
That instantly brought a smile to his face. He waved to Rae as he ran away, which was actually waving in the other direction.
“Wait!” Fox said excitedly. “I have some food I just made. It’s perfect for dinner.”
“We’re good. I promise.”
“That’s what you say, but once you unpack and grocery shop, you’re not going to want to cook. I’ll bring it by and stock your fridge.”
“That’s really?—”
“Trust me.”
There was no way to argue with him. And even though he’d forgiven me for my terrible comments at the safe house, I was still surprised with how nice he was being. It made it hard to say no.
“Thank you. I appreciate that.”
“Don’t thank me now. Wait until you try my delicious goodness!”
With a wink, he was off. I bit my lip, wondering if I just made a terrible mistake.
“He’s a good cook,” Rae reassured me.
“Should I be worried?”
“Only about the number of bags of Funyuns he’ll bring along.”
I couldn’t tearParker away from his room if I tried. He spent the whole day setting up the toys that my parents got him and then making his bed. The bottom sheet wasn’t on and the top sheet was pretty much in a ball under his comforter, but he was so proud of how it turned out. I didn’t have the heart to fix it. Even when he went to bed, he just passed out on top of the mess.
It was odd being in the two-story house. All the space was a new thing for me. In Texas, I couldn’t have rented something like this with what I was making. And when I started my new job here, it would still be tight, but I’d make it just fine. Parker and I didn’t need a lot, and I thought I deserved someplace nice after what we’d been through.
I walked through the first floor, running my fingers along the furniturethat came with the house. It wasn’t exactly my taste, but since I didn’t have to buy it, I could learn to like it. There was a musty smell in the air that would go away with time, and if I opened the windows, it would help to air out the house. I just hadn’t gotten to it yet.
Truthfully, I wasn’t used to feeling safe enough to open a window. I just had to do it. This was Kansas, a safe area. It would be completely fine. I strode over to the living room window and unlocked it, determined not to hesitate. It was just a window. Flinging it open, the fall breeze floated in, rustling the curtains that hung the full length of the window.
It was a little cool this morning, but the longer I stood in front of the window, the more I wanted to have my first cup of coffee on the porch. Parker would be asleep for hours. Lately, he’d been sleeping in. His schedule was so much different from when we were in Texas. It was good for him, and made his days less stressful.
I grabbed my coffee and a blanket off the couch, then hurried outside. The swing that faced the street was the perfect place to observe the neighborhood. That first sip of coffee brought a smile to my face. It was ridiculous to be so happy about having coffee on my porch, but it felt so right.
I was so wrapped up enjoying my coffee that I didn’t hear the door open one house over. But I saw him bend down in front of his motorcycle. I’d recognize that blonde hair anywhere, and the tattoos that ran up both arms. It didn’t matter how much time passed, the same fluttering I felt in my stomach that one night on his couch—it felt like eons ago—but I still remembered the way his body felt against mine. The way his lips slid over mine as he touched me. It was only one night, and it never went any further than kissing, but I knew then the same thing I knew now.
Jack was someone I could seriously fall for, someone I would never be able to get out of my head. He lived in my brain—every word he spoke, the desperate look in his eyes to get away from me when he thought he hurt me—and most of all, the way he cared about me and my son when it was the last thing he needed in his life.
No, Jack hadn’t meant to hurt me. It was the last thing he would ever do if he hadn’t been so screwed up in the head. You could put anygood man in the same position and risk the same reaction. I knew it that day, but Jack couldn’t see past the bruises on my neck. And I had a feeling that even today, that’s all he would see.
