* * *
Lauren had only heardpart of Grady’s side of the call with the Wyoming FBI agent. It was nice to know he had friends in law enforcement. She trusted Grady to keep her daughter safe.
And she wished, not for the first time, that Grady would stick around after the danger was over.
But that wasn’t going to happen. Grady was clearly at home here in the middle of nowhere. Which was good because his skills were necessary to keep them hidden. But she couldn’t imagine living in a place like this year-round.
“Can I play outside in the snow?” Lucy asked between bites of her sandwich. “I want to build a snowman.”
“Oh, um, okay.” She hadn’t purchased snow pants for Lucy but had noticed there was a small washer and dryer unit tucked into the corner of the main bathroom.
“I can take her outside with me when I alter the license plate,” Grady offered.
“Thanks.” She’d have to head outside, too, she couldn’t just leave Lucy out there alone, but she was grateful he’d be nearby as well. “I appreciate that.”
When lunch was over, she asked Lucy to help with clearing the table. Deciding to wait to do dishes, she bundled Lucy up in her winter coat and new snow boots from the outlet mall.
Grady snagged the black electrical tape as he led the way outside. Lauren guided Lucy to the open area behind the cabin. Lucy enthusiastically dug her mittened hands into the snow, throwing it up into the air with glee. Watching the little girl made her chest tighten with love. That anyone would try to harm an innocent child made her angry.
“Come on, Mom, let’s make a snowman!”
With a sigh, she did so. Grady worked on the license plate, then came over to help them. He worked faster than she did, expertly making a large ball of snow for the base.
By the time they’d finished, Lucy was shivering with cold. “Okay, let’s go back inside now,” Lauren said. “I need to dry your clothes.”
“Yours too,” Lucy said, eyeing her wet yoga pants.
“Yep.” She was cold to the bone but hadn’t wanted to stop Lucy from having fun. After everything they’d been through, they deserved some downtime.
“Your snowman looks great, Lucy.” Grady grinned at her daughter.
“He needs a snow wife and kid,” Lucy declared.
Lauren felt herself flush, knowing her daughter didn’t mean that the way it sounded. “That’s a project for another day. For now, let’s go inside.”
Inside the cabin, she took Lucy into the bedroom to have her strip out of her clothes. Then she wrapped the little girl in a blanket. “Have a seat on the sofa,” she said, guiding her into the living room. “Maybe Grady can figure out how to work the television.”
Grady nodded at her wet clothes. “I can do that, but you need to change too.”
“I will. Do you have anything you want washed?” Again, her cheeks heated with embarrassment. When she’d asked for a bodyguard, she hadn’t imagined they’d be living together in a log cabin in the middle of the woods.
“Why don’t you let me wash the clothes?” He seemed to understand the source of her discomfort. “You sit on the sofa with Lucy. I’ll take care of everything.”
“You know how to do the laundry?” she asked in surprise.
“I’ve lived alone for years, so yeah, I know how to do the laundry.” His dry western drawl made her smile.
Of course, Grady knew what to do. He seemed to be an expert on everything, from keeping her and Lucy safe to stealing a car and even mundane tasks like laundry.
As she stripped off her clothes and wrapped up in a blanket, she wondered if there was anything Grady couldn’t do. And quickly decided there wasn’t.
After he threw their wet clothes into the dryer, he found a children’s station on the television, then sat at the table, also wrapped in a blanket from the waist down, to work on the computer. When she caught herself drifting to sleep, she straightened and made her way to the kitchen to join him.
“Can I help?” She leaned over to see the screen. She was surprised to see Nelson’s mug shot. “Wow, he really looks awful.”
Grady nodded. “He was probably coming to grips with knowing that life as he knew it was over.”
She looked away, suddenly embarrassed. “I’m sure you’re wondering why I married him in the first place.”
