Grant leaned back in his chair. “We need you to lay low tonight. This hitman will most likely try to track down our car to find you. Rusty’s sending Bryce to get the car and take it back to the office right now. They’ll drop off a new one, and tomorrow, we’ll go into the Redmond office to discuss the details of our next move. The best way to keep you safe is to keep you hidden, and to find out who is behind this.”
“I’m supposed to just stay here in this little box with you for the rest of the day?”
“And tonight.”
Faith glowered. She smoothed a loose strand of hair behind her ear and adjusted the bracelets on her wrist. She was still the same girl he’d known before, Grant thought, but a more polished version of herself. He wished she’d take her hair down, just once.
“I’m hungry,” she said. “You said you could send for whatever I want?”
Grant nodded.
“I want an Italian sub and a book to read. And I want to be left alone. I need time to think.”
“I’m okay with that,” Grant said, though he didn’t like the last request.
“Good.”
Grant thought he saw a crack in Faith’s hard stare, but she got up and went to her room, closing the door before he could look at her further. He sighed. What had he expected? A warm reception? It was going to be a long afternoon and night.
* * *
Faith ateher food in her room alone. She tried to read the book Grant had delivered, but couldn’t focus on a single word, let alone full sentences. She wanted to disappear on him the way he had, to make him go crazy with longing. Assuming he was still attracted to her at all. Over ten years had passed; they were totally different people now. Can old flames truly extinguish?
She couldn’t sleep knowing he was just on the other side of the wall. All these years apart, and now only a few inches of plaster separated them. She wanted to drive a sledgehammer through it. Or, just get up and open the door. But she couldn’t. She had too much pride for that. If she didn’t keep a tight grip on her emotions, she’d melt into a puddle at his feet, begging for more answers as to why he’d left her, and how much he was sorry for it. She couldn’t let him see her like that. Enough of Lark’s population already had.
Grant flipped through television channels in the living room, watching the clock. Rusty had told him time was their best friend in a situation like this. They figured the hitman would patrol the area for a while, then give up and return to whatever hole he crawled out of to assess what to do next. Tomorrow, they’d go over everything Faith might know about potential rivals, any details Courtney might have given her before she died. Any little crumb that might help catch who was behind this. And when they did… Grant squeezed his fist so hard his knuckles cracked. He sat back on the couch. He should try to sleep. He’d be a better bodyguard after a good night’s rest. But how could he? Faith slept on the other side of the door, closer than she’d been since he dropped her off for the last time on her front porch in Lark. And yet somehow, she felt further away now than ever. At least when he’d conjured up memories of her, she hadn’t hated him. Grant turned off the TV. Worse, his body responded every time he glanced up at the door to her room. He cursed himself for denying Penelope. Maybe if he’d gone to bed with her, he wouldn’t feel so crazy with want right now. He shook his head. That was stupid. This was Faith in that bedroom. No other woman in the world could lessen his desire for her; not when they were teenagers, and sure as hell not now.
* * *
Faith cameout the next morning in a wrinkled dress and dark circles under her eyes. Grant held his breath, fighting his body not to betray him. She’d taken her hair down. She looked tired but she was still beautiful.
Faith shook out her hair, the thick curls enveloping her small shoulders. Grant fought the urge to hook his fingers into one of those locks, twine it around and around like he’d used to.
“Good morning,” Faith said, attempting a smile Grant knew was fake. “Today we get down to business?”
Grant thrust a cup of coffee forward. “I got this for you,” he said. “Hazelnut latte. You still like those?”
Faith took the cup. “I do.” She sipped slowly, testing the heat.
Grant was mesmerized by her. Of course she’d be the one on the edge of a breakthrough with a Chorivirus vaccine. If she’d settled down and married him and lived in Lark while he worked at his grandfather’s hardware store, the world would have been worse for it. He’d been telling himself that on repeat since last night. It made him feel like something good came out of him leaving her.
“You better write me a note to excuse me from work,” she said.
Grant smiled. It was a good sign she still retained a sense of humor in this situation. “Rusty’s taken care of it. Your boss knows you’re in our protection.”
“I appreciate that. So, how much are you running me per hour?”
“That’s between you and Rusty to negotiate,” Grant said.
“Your boss?”
“He owns the firm,” he answered. “You’ll meet him soon. Ready to go?”
Faith nodded. She got her purse, returning with a face mask on. Grant hated to see her face covered up. He put on his and opened the door.
“Did you sleep well?” she said.
He hadn’t slept at all. “With one eye open.”
