“I landed on my ankle wrong,” I said with a groan. “I’ll be—fine.”
Jesse frowned in concern, not letting go of my elbow. “You sure?”
I nodded, denying my body a release of emotions.
Nora twirled. “Come on, Mom! Let’s go.”
Jesse asked, “You think you can walk?”
I waved like the question was crazy. “Of course!”
He backed off but hovered at my eight o’clock.
Casually, I turned back to the truck and swiped my canvas bag offthe floorboard. Then, bracing myself on the truck’s door jamb, I took a tentative step forward.
A squeak of pain wrenched out of my throat.
“You arenotfine.” Jesse’s hand found my elbow again.
The lights from the playground windows illuminated where we stood on the pavement, and moths bounced on the street lights glowing to life against the deep purple sky. I could see straight into the playground—the tables, the parents, the children darting in and out of the slide.
“Girls,” I said, “you can go ahead and play.” I grit my teeth against the pain still shooting up my leg. “Take your shoes off and stay in the playground area until I get there, okay?”
“Okay!” With that, Izzy checked both ways in the parking lot then darted across with Nora trailing behind her.
Jesse nodded at Cade. “Go on. Keep an eye out.”
“Yes sir.” Cade turned to catch up with the girls.
I hissed through my teeth. “You go, too. I’ll be fine in thirty seconds.”
“I can wait thirty seconds.”
“Okay, probably more like three minutes if I’m being honest. Just go. I’m serious.”
“I’m not leaving you in a dark parking lot.”
I huffed, letting my eyes roll toward the grey-purple sky. “It’s hardly dark.”
“Dark enough.”
“For what?”
He shrugged, his fingers shifting on the soft part of my arm. “Crime?”
I snorted a laugh. “I can take care of myself.”
Jesse chuckled, the sound warm and rich. “I have no doubt about that, but if I’m around, you shouldn’t have to.”
My self-assertion faltered momentarily.
Jesse took baby steps alongside me as I started shuffling toward the door. “Can you at least hold my arm?”
“I told you I got—” I misjudged a step, landing harder on my ankle than I meant to. The resulting sound was an embarrassing yowl.Before I could react further, Jesse scooped me into the cradle of his arms.
And I panicked like a wild animal being handled for the first time.
I twisted in revulsion, yanking my arm away from his neck.
