“Easy Warrior, I’m not going to hurt you.”
He’d got it wrong again. The panic or my shaking body wasn’t out of fear, it was because I felt so off-kilter around the man.
“I know,” I told him softly.
All the things he’d said since the day I moved into the lake house and the way he treated me, told me he had a hunch about my past. Not that I or anyone else had told him, but after flinching and the way I’d acted it was obvious something happened. Just not to what degree.
“I…” The words were on the tip of my tongue. Could I say them? “I trust you.”
Looking stunned, he sucked in a harsh breath. “That means the world, sweetheart.”
We sat staring at one another. I got lost in his eyes, the undercurrent of emotion swimming in them pulled me in so deep I needed a trail of breadcrumbs to find my way out.
Roxie’s bark had me coming back to earth. Looking down on the cute pug who soothed my daughter and brought her happiness, I could tell she needed to potty.
“Good thing I hadn’t gotten too lost, or she may have left a trail of her own,” I said, still feeling out of sorts.
My eyes rounded when I realized I’d spoken out loud.
Huntley let out his own bark, but his was of laughter.
“I’m pretty sure you’re not trying to tell me you have to go to the bathroom.”
I needed to shove a sock in my mouth real damn fast.
“You’re adorable when you are flustered,” he told me.
Jumping off the couch, I raced toward the door to grab Roxie’s pink harness and leash that hung from the entryway coat rack, the little ball of fur following me.
“I’m just going to take her o-out,” I stammered, clipping her in and then throwing open the door.
“I’ll come with you so you’re not alone.”
Before I knew it, the man who was making me act like a total looney toon was upon us.
Glancing at him as I was already halfway out the door, I told him, “I can do it. I do it alone at night all the time.”
“Warrior, I know you are capable, but I’m here, so you don’t have to do it alone.”
The way he said it, soft and sweet, sounded kind of nice. I may have been running so I didn’t keep making a fool of myself, but I couldn’t resist taking him up on the offer to come along when he said it that way.
“Okay. That would be nice. I promise to not make any more crazy comments or ask you to pee outside with the dog.”
I smacked my head as Huntley chuckled.
At least he seemed to find me amusing and he did call me adorable.
I took my fingers and made a motion that I was zipping my lips, only making him laugh even more. Then I took the dog over to a group of trees to do her business while I looked out over the lake.
It really was peaceful in our new spot. Losing our home was hard but we found a good place to land and were truly lucky Bronson was willing to give up his childhood home to us. Huntley moved toward me and stood by my side, soaking in the view too.
“This place is great during the day but at night…” He gave a low whistle. “It's gorgeous.”
He was right. Millions of stars twinkled in the clear, dark sky and the glow of the moon illuminated the water below. The crickets and frogs sounded like they had their ownsymphony going on and the bushes around the lake swayed slightly adding a soft, hypnotic sound to the mix.
When I turned to look over at Huntley, he wasn’t looking at the sky, the stars, or the water. He was staring at me.
“Absolutely gorgeous,” he whispered.
