Shivers rolled and those butterflies swarmed.
“Your daughter is adorable.”
A smile flickered on his lush mouth. “Yeah...she’s a handful.”
His words were pure adoration, and for the first time, Rex dropped his shield.
As if just the mention of her had the power to send it tumbling down.
So maybe I melted a little.
“I’d venture that kind of handful is the best kind.”
His chuckle was slow. “Sometimes I wonder how I handle that little hurricane. Barely can keep up most days.” Even though it came out playful, there was an undercurrent of sadness. A suggestion of fear.
I nodded before we both turned away, facing forward and sipping from our drinks. It was as if we both needed a breather, a moment to sort through whatever was happening between us.
It felt like maybe in the silence, we were calling a truce.
The band playing at the small stage behind us at the other end of the bar moved into another song. I’d barely been paying attention to them all night, the songs only a backdrop to the vibe, the band members just as trendy as the bar itself.
But this...
This was a song I knew so well.
They were singing a haunting cover of “Awake My Soul” by Mumford & Sons.
Slower and quieter than the original.
The lyrics were full of longing and heartache.
Mournful and somehow hopeful.
I sipped my drink, getting lost in the feel. In the comfort of the soft, scratchy voice of the singer, in the startling warmth that radiated from Rex.
My grandmother’s face flitted through my eyes, her belief a whisper in my ear.
My teeth caught on my bottom lip when I turned to find him watching me.
Intently.
Something fervent rose between us. Alive and potent. It sent my nerves spiraling free.
He took a slow pull of his beer, his words measured. Careful. “I’m really sorry about your grandmother, Rynna. She was a really good woman.” Sadness flashed through his expression. “Don’t know of anything worse than losing someone you love.”
Emotion thickened my throat, stunned by his sudden care and swimming in the stark loss. “I feel like I lost her a long time ago.”
The admission was strangled, ripped from my chest as if I couldn’t keep it in for a second longer.
That stunning gaze searched my face through the shadows. “Had it been a long time since you saw her?”
There was no accusation behind it. Just honest curiosity.
“Yeah.”
“Why’d you stay away so long?”
I choked out an uncertain laugh. “Because I wasn’t brave enough.”
