“Sure.”
He brushed his lips to hers and pulled away to go. Scarlett closed the door, not bothering to lock it. Sledge called ten minutes before to see if she needed anything before he returned to the cabin.
Scarlett considered taking a shower but decided againstit, loving Ty’s scent on her. Ice led her to her room, and she picked up her cell, dialing Rayne’s number.
“Hi, Scarlett. I’m surprised to hear from you this late. Are you all right?” Rayne asked, sounding concerned.
“I’m better than fine,” she said, sighing into the phone. “Do you and Ghost still plan on coming? I know you wanted a ladies’ weekend, but they still haven’t caught who started the fire. It’s best if he accompanies you. I know you’re only coming to ease your mind on whether I’m telling you the truth. I can’t wait for you to meet Ice.”
“Excuse me? Who did you say this was? It can’t be the woman I visited some months ago,” Rayne jested. “Yes, Ghost and I plan on making the trip. It sounds like things have changed your mind about Serenity.”
“The security team leader, Leo, asked me to come in for an interview,” she said, biting her lip.
“Oh my gosh, Scarlett. That’s wonderful news. Do you want to relocate there?”
She hesitated. “I don’t know. There’s something else. I met a man. We enjoy spending time together, he’s involved in the community, and runs a restaurant in town.”
“I’m not hearing the issue with all this,” Rayne said.
“It’s not a problem. I’m not sure what Leo wants me to do. I don’t want a pity job. As far as Ty’s concerned, we enjoy each other. I’m meeting his mom tomorrow. Thank goodness Samantha planned on coming at eight to show me how to put my makeup on.”
“You don’t even need it. You’re stunning. I’d kill for your hair alone,” Rayne said. “Do you like him?”
“Yes, I do. He’s amazing. Ty cooks and owns his own ranch. He took me on a tour of it. Hank, his horse, took us to the lake and we ate seven-layer cookies,” she gushed.
“Scarlett, do I actually hear you crushing on someone? You always play it cool,” Rayne said, sounding surprised.
“He’s different. Ty doesn’t treat me differently because I’m blind,” Scarlett admitted.
“He better not. You’re an intelligent woman who has a lot to offer. It’s time you realize what you bring to the table,” Rayne said protectively. “Who’s treating you differently?”
“Don’t take it hard. When I returned home, my mom didn’t want me to go down the stairs of my childhood home. My dad rented a wheelchair for me. He asked if I wanted a handicapped card for my vehicle. Seriously? It’s not as if I’ll be driving and they don’t want me to leave my room, afraid I’ll hurt myself. My brother hovers. I heard the relief in his voice when Rocker showed up at my door,” Scarlett said, pulling back her comforter.
“You can’t blame them for feeling concerned about you. Scarlett, you went through a terrible ordeal. We worried about you when you spent days in your room, refusing to eat or go to doctor appointments,” she pointed out.
“I tried to deal with the trauma on my own and didn’t want to frighten any of you. Some nights, I can still smell the smoke and heat from the blast as Rocker dragged me away. How do I tell my mom I’m afraid to close my eyes at night because I still hear the gunshots and don’t know which direction they came from? She didn’t want me to enlist like Ryan. My dad reminded me daily of how I sacrificed for my country as if I didn’t know. Ryan might’ve understood, but then he dragged me to the nearest specialist and kept taking me, hoping to hear what he wanted.”
“I can’t begin to know how you feel. I can only tell you from this side, I watch a highly skilled man leave our home and never know where he is or when he’ll return. We can’t talk about it. The waiting sucks. When I first met Ghost, he got injured and refused to see me at the hospital. I barged in, and he ordered me escorted from the room. From your family’s point of view, they’re happy to have youhome and alive. The same way you might feel if the situation were reversed and Ryan ended up blind,” Rayne reasoned.
“You’re probably right. But it didn’t happen to him,” Scarlett insisted. “I don’t like depending on other people.”
“You’re the most independent person I know,” Rayne argued. “Leaning on someone doesn’t make you weak.”
“At the time, I didn’t believe I had any options left. If I admitted that to Ryan, he’d stick to me like glue,” Scarlett said, holding back the tears. “I sat in my room for days, petrified by the knowledge it wasn’t the night which no longer scared me. I live in the dark even when I open my eyes.”
“Oh, honey,” Rayne said, seemingly at a loss for words.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean for this to get heavy. When you get here, maybe we can drive to Seattle and check out Pike Place and the Space Needle. It’s touristy, but I still want to go.”
“It’s a date,” Rayne agreed. “I’ll call you with our flight information.”
“Goodnight, my friend. I love you,” Scarlett said, hearing the door open to the cabin. “Sledge made it back. I’ll talk to you soon.”
“Love you too,” Rayne said, before hanging up.
Scarlett slipped her robe on, and Ice moved to her side. Even though she made it around the cabin fine, she accepted his help, not wanting to waste time chatting with Sledge.
They walked into the hallway and toward the kitchen. Ice let out a low growl and forced his way in front of her.
