“You will be staying here tonight,” Kellan continued. “We will come for you at eight sharp in the morning for breakfast. Do not leave before then. Do not open the door to anyone. If you need anything before then, call us. I will need your phone.”
He thought he had been very clear in his instructions, but he must have missed something because she just stared at him in shock.
“Huh?” she asked.
“I said that I need your phone. To put my number in. So you can contact me if necessary.” Hmm. He should probably put Eli’s in. Since this was all his fault.
But for some reason he didn’t want to.
He sighed as she continued to stare at him. What was going on with her?
“Just give him your phone,” Eli told her. “He’s not going to give up until you do.”
“Um. I really . . . I mean . . . you don’t need to fetch me for breakfast. I won’t skip out on paying the bill or anything.”
“That wasn’t what I thought,” Kellan told her as he took her phone and tapped them together so they would share contact information.
“Add mine,” Eli said to him.
Kellan added his number with a shake of his head. His brother really should distance himself from her. She had trouble written all over her. And that was before he’d realized who she was.
The daughter of the former acting Governor of Texas. Who had seemingly committed suicide.
Hmm. Was that why she was here? Perhaps she needed to get away from the city where her father died?
Kellan handed her phone back. Her dog was staring up at him suspiciously, but didn’t growl.
Perhaps he liked Kellan more than Eli.
That would be a first. Everyone preferred Eli. Even their family.
Kellan understood it.
He wasn’t someone who was easily cared about or loved.
“Now, I would suggest you go in and get some sleep. You look exhausted. And that dog definitely needs a bath.”
“I . . . I . . . I don’t understand why you’d do all this,” she said.
Kellan sighed, then looked at Eli.
“Just go get some rest,” Eli told her gently.
“I don’t know what to say. For all your help,” she replied, looking confused and a bit lost.
He suddenly felt the urge to hug her. To comfort her. Eli must have felt the same thing as he stepped forward with his hand reaching for her.
The dog let out a low growl and Eli paused, staring down at the mutt with an exasperated look. “I’m not hurting your mama.”
“I’m not his mama,” she said. “He’s not even mine. He might have a family out there so I shouldn’t get too attached.”
But the way she stared down at the dog spoke volumes about the way she was feeling. It was clear that she definitely thought of him as hers.
And would be heartbroken if he was taken from her.
“I always wanted a dog,” she said. Then she shook her head and sighed. “Sorry, you’re right. I’m tired. I, um, I’ll see you in the morning. Thank you.”
Kellan nodded and they both waited until she and the stinky mutt disappeared into the room. Kellan frowned when he didn’t hear the lock engage.
