“Come on, Liam,” he says, turning toward his son. “I’m starting dinner. Come be my helper.”
The words are simple, but the tone isn’t. There’s firmness there. Authority. And underneath it, something gentler that makes goosebumps rise along my arms.
I lift the keys when Cole glances back, but what really holds me still is the sight of him right there, exactly where he belongs. His son talking eagerly at his side. His shoulders still tense, his expression still guarded, as if warmth is something he keeps under lock and key.
For a first impression, it’s a surprisingly powerful welcome to town.
Chapter 2 - Cole
I still feel her soft hand against mine. No matter how many times I flex my fingers or busy myself with dinner, she’s there. Soft, velvety skin, so much warmth, her natural, easy elegance.Why can’t I stop thinking of her?
She’s just a girl,I tell myself. I did a background check so there aren’t any mysteries. I wouldn’t let anyone I wasn’t sure was safe around my son. I also had an old military buddy do some additional checks into Sofia’s social media and into whatever else he could find on her. I didn’t want to overlook any possible problem.
“I like her,” Liam says as he sets the table for us. “She’s fun and nice.”
“People aren’t always what they seem,” I warn.
“Sometimes they are. My teachers are nice. I think Sofia is nice too. She likes the flowers,” he says.
I look out the window and see her there. She’s not plucking them, she’s just stroking them with light fingers. Innocent, but strong. Most people back down from me, flinch away when I stare, or women openly flirt until I pin them under my gaze. She didn’t.
She’s young – sixteen years younger than me as my researches had shown – with gentle and inviting curves. Short, delicate, but she’s a woman that carries resilience like I carry silence – as if it’s our armor.
“Did you see her braid?” Liam asks as he keeps pace beside me. “It’s really long.”
“I noticed,” I say.
He keeps talking, jumping from one thought to the next. About dinner. About being hungry already. About wanting to see his friends later, while I think of those wide, hazel eyes. The way the sun reflected in them, the gentle curiosity across her features as I studied her face. It was impossible to be too rough with my words when she looked so fucking ... sweet.
I take a slow breath and shake my head. Liam’s focused on how nice she is and here I am, focusing on that plus how perfect that cotton dress fits her, how thin it is over her body, and the teasing touch of her fingers.
Just a girl,I try to insist, just to get my mind off her when it’s fixed. My heart keeps pounding in my chest, faster than it should be, and I keep thinking of reasons to go talk to her when I shouldn’t.
Why would she leave a home that offered her everything? Why step out on her own when she had a safety net and parents who, by all accounts, were happy to take care of her? She didn’t run. She chose to leave. Is that bravery? She doesn’t strike me as the reckless type.
My ex-colleague was thorough in his search into Sofia. It wasn’t exactly legal, but I needed to know who I’d allowed onto my property. My son has to be safe, and that’s worth bending the law a bit.
Refocusing on Liam, I try to forget about the woman staying in my guesthouse. I don’t want her here. She’s already making things difficult. She’s already tangling my thoughts. She’s complicating things, and if I’m not careful, she’ll do worse.
***
“Dad, please!” Liam begs, tugging on my hand.
I close my eyes. He started a garden at the guest house. Tomatoes, watermelons, corn, strawberries, anything he could get seeds from. He says he’ll grow better than the grocery store and is desperate to check on it. He also knows I won’t let him go alone if we have a tenant.
Wanting to teach my son responsibility and follow through, I finally agree. Liam grabs his watering can and we head over. With any luck, our guest will be out in town, exploring, trying to make friends, or something along those lines.
She’s not.
I’m not a lucky person.
While Liam starts watering the crops and she treats him to a gentle smile as they talk about the blooms. I grit my teeth. She looks back at me, standing up and smoothing down her dress over the backs of her shapely thighs. Not that I looked. I turned my gaze back to my son.
“Dad, the tomatoes are coming in. Look, they’re already green,” he says.
“They’re doing very well. The cucumbers look good too,” Sofia agrees.
Liam gives her a proud smile and I step towards my son. I feel Sofia’s gaze on me, but I don’t meet her eyes.
