She rested her head on his chest again, and he pulled her in tighter. The one time he’d kissed her seemed so long ago, but holding her like this brought the memory back in a rush. She fit in his arms, and he wanted to keep her there. Holdingher was something so innocent, but he somehow felt closer to her in this moment than he’d ever been with anyone in his life.
The timer beeped on the oven, and Lauren lifted her head. She wiped at her eyes and sniffed. “I’m sorry. I forgot all about dinner. I can’t wait to try your meatloaf.”
She slipped from Zach’s arms, and he let her go. She was healing both of them on her own. Lauren had changed everything. She let the light in, and that darkness he’d lived in before was so far away now.
He’d caused her pain in the past, but now, he wanted to be her rock, her protector, and the ground that caught her rain.
26
Lauren
Zach propped his elbows on the table and clasped his hands over his empty plate. “I was thinking I should wrap the pipes this evening. We’re supposed to get some cold weather soon.”
So far, the winter weather had been mild, but Zach was right. The meteorologists were predicting a harsh week, and she’d forgotten to prepare. That was so unlike her, but these days, she was doing more things differently. It was hard to tell if the changes were for the better or worse yet.
She stood and picked up their plates. “Good idea. I have some stuff to do this evening too.”
He picked up their glasses and followed her to the sink. “I need to run to my house and get the wrappings.”
His house. He was calling it his house now. Should she be happy or concerned that Zach was thinking of her rental house as his home? They could both see theend of her extensive to-do list, but neither of them had been brave enough to bring it up. Would he stay when the repairs were finished?
She didn’t want him to leave, but he wouldn’t continue to accept her charity for long.
Zach reached around her to put their glasses in the sink, and she turned, bringing them chest-to-chest. After having his arms around her while she cried, the magnetic pull toward him was even stronger. Her heart beat against the walls of her chest, and her breaths came in deeper waves.
“Thanks for dinner. It was delicious.”
She expected him to move away, but he retained the closeness between them, propping his hand on the counter beside her. “It was nothing.”
She shook her head slowly and whispered, “I needed a break. Thanks for making me take it.”
“Even if there was a chance I’d screw up dinner again?” he asked.
“I knew you could do it.”
Zach’s gaze didn’t deviate, and the seconds that ticked by had her skin heating as if she were standing too close to a flame.
“Why do you look at me like that?” he asked.
“Like what?”
His gaze traveled down her face and back up, studying every inch of her burning skin. “Like you believe in me.”
She’d gotten too close to him—cared too much and invested too much of her heart in him. She didbelieve in him, and it had changed the way she saw him. He wasn’t a criminal. He was a person—one who saw her and believed in her as much as she believed in him.
“Because I do,” she whispered.
Zach took a deep breath and turned away from her, pushing off the counter and heading for the door. “I’ll be back in a few.”
As soon as the door closed behind him, she bent at the waist and clutched her chest. She might have feelings for Zach, but nothing could come of it. Her resolve was strong, and her faith wasn’t something she could compromise. She cared about him, but she had to protect her heart.
While Zach was gone and her head wasn’t muddled with thoughts about him, she brought in all the supplies she needed to put together food packs. With the cold weather coming in, the church sent weekend meals home with school kids.
By the time Zach returned, she had the food scattered around her kitchen. She’d just tied up the first bag when he walked into the kitchen, arms full of spray foam and rags, and stopped.
“The grocery store threw up in here,” he said, looking around at the mess.
“I’m packing food bags for kids at the school. I’ll jump in and help you as soon as I’m finished with these.”
