“I should hope so. He’s going to be your best hero yet.” TJ puffs out his chest and then leans forward. “Did you add tattoos to his character?”
I tip my head to the side, imagining the ink on TJ’s skin where it is beneath his shirt. “Actually, no.”
His eyebrows fly up. “Why not? I thought you liked them.”
“Oh, believe me. I do. I really do. But I meant what I said. Last night was for me and you. If I have anything to say about it, no one else will get to enjoy your tattoos from now on but me.”
I cross my arms, and then it hits me—what I said.Possessive much, Lu?I open my mouth to walk it back, but Betsy appears with our breakfast, setting two piled-high plates between us. I thank her, and she glances at TJ, but he’s staring at me with his jaw hanging slightly open, so she just shrugs.
“Enjoy, kids.” She winks at me and heads back to the counter.
TJ blinks, shaking his head slowly.
“What?” I say, afraid it was too much and I pushed too far and I made this too serious between us too soon.
He keeps shaking his head as he wedges his giant body out of the booth. I panic for a second, thinking he’s going to leave, but then he shoves his plate across the table and joins me on my side.
He takes a seat, his arm pressed up next to mine. “If you’re going to say things as hot as that, then I’m going to need to be closer to you so I can kiss those pretty lips every time words like that come out of them.”
I’m stunned for a second, and then I huff out a laugh. “You’re ridiculous.”
“Thanks to you,” he murmurs, hitting me with a boyish grin.
TJ leads us in a quick prayer, and then we dig in. Our conversation shifts to things other than my writing. We discuss his chickens, his grandparents, and what he’s planning for his teammates’ next guys’ night ahead of the game on Sunday. I tell him how I taught myself cross-stitch, and I share a little bit about my stepsisters. I tell him about Philly and Bex and Cassie, and how they’re the best friends I could ever ask for.
“Cassie represents all of us. She’s how I got to know Philly. That’s how I made the connection happen for Rose.”
“You realize Rose would lose her mind if she knew that she’s been brushing shoulders withtheAva Reese and she has no idea?”
“Yeah, maybe. She can’t know, though. No one can. Not at this point.”
He nods. “I know. Your secret’s safe with me.”
I nod back. He’s made me feel the most protected.
TJ leans in for a sweet kiss, but he cuts it off sooner than I’d like. “Sorry. My phone is blowing up. Let me make sure everything’s okay, and then I’ll silence it.” He fishes it out of his pocket and stares at the screen. “I have a bunch of texts from Anton.” He frowns as he scrolls.
“What is it?” I have the total body sensation that the happy bubble TJ and I have been enjoying this morning is about to burst.
“I think you’ve been found out.” He flips the phone to me. Anton has attached a video of the front yard of Daisy’s Inn. TJ clicks play. There are several media vans and a ton of reporters set up with tripod cameras. The video was taken from a distance, but it’s obvious they’re staked out there.
My stomach rolls, revolting against the French toast I love so much. This was always a possibility, but I’d gotten used to my anonymity here in Wisconsin. I let my guard down. I felt safe here. Now, though—
“Hey. Hey, Lu. Are you okay?” TJ’s voice sounds far away.
I suck in a deep breath and will the oxygen to reach my brain so I can think. I blink and look over at him, shaking my head slightly. “What am I going to do?”
Chapter 35
TJ
Iquickly handled our bill with Betsy and then got Lucy back into my truck. The mood was a complete one-eighty from the last time we were in here. I keep an eye on Lucy as I drive us to my house. I called Anton, and he’s having one of Rose’s sisters go into Daisy’s and get some of Lucy’s things. He’s going to bring them to my place, and we’ll figure out what to do from there.
Lucy has a vise-grip on my hand where it’s holding hers on the center console. Anxiety and tension radiate from her. I’m tense because she’s tense, and I don’t know how to fix it.
I turn into my neighborhood, and my shoulders relax a fraction. It’ll be good to be home. I wind through the neighborhood until I get to my street, and one look at my house makes any ounce of comfort I felt evaporate. There are all sorts of cars and media in my driveway.
Lucy slinks further down in her seat. She looks frantically at me as I casually drive past my house, never more grateful for the truck’s tinted windows. “TJ, I’m so sorry. This is all my fault.”
