“I’m not here to tell you what you can or can’t do, but do you really think it’s worth your safety?”
“I do,” she said with no hesitation. “Besides, you can keep me just as safe at Tilly’s as you can here.”
He snorted out a humorless laugh. “I’m glad you think so. I wish I could pull some more manpower from Sunrise Security, but we’re short-staffed. Madden hired Dax and our buddy Ben today so he could have more hands working with the sheriff’s department.”
Wincing, she placed the warm pizza back on her plate. “I’m sorry I’m taking you away when you’re needed.”
“Hey,” he said, reaching to place a hand on top of hers. “What did I say about apologizing for things that aren’t your fault? Besides, I’m needed here, and there’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”
He removed his hand, and a cool rush of air took its place, sending goose bumps up her arm. She hated how badly she liked having him around, in her home to share a casual meal. She had to keep reminding herself he was here because she was in danger, not because he chose to be in her company.
She forced a smile. “My house does smell much better than those dusty old fairgrounds.”
He inched his finger and thumb apart. “A little.”
If she’d had another napkin, she’d have tossed it again. She gave an exaggerated eye roll. “You’re the worst.”
He let loose a full belly laugh that melted away every last worry clinging to her brain like a cobweb. “Oh, you love having me around and you know it.”
He’d hit the nail of truth with a giant hammer, but instead of commenting she smirked and rose with her empty plate. She didn’t want to think about how much she enjoyed having him around, but she also didn’t want to think about the chaos surrounding her life like a tornado, which left her two options.
Sleep or booze.
A quick glance at the clock on the stovetop told her it was too early for bed, so she opened the fridge and found two bottlesof beer. She popped the tops off both then offered one to Reid. “Nothing goes better with pizza than cold beer.”
Shutting the lid on the empty box, Reid carried it outside and placed it in the trash can behind the house. Darkness had fallen and a dusting of stars covered the inky sky. He stilled, listening to nature’s calling card of critters and crickets, waiting to see if anything else pricked his ears.
He fought the instinct to walk a perimeter around the property. Most assignments since becoming a security specialist kept him outside, patrolling ranches or installing security systems to keep thieves away from large parcels of land. It wasn’t until recently that he and Madden had expanded their business to include bodyguard and private investigator services.
But Eve’s yard was small and there was no reason to stay in the cool night air, pacing around the lone maple tree in the center of the yard. He had a good visual of the space, and not many shadows provided coverage for someone waiting to ambush Eve.
Although he’d be lying if he told himself that was the only reason he lingered outside. Sharing an evening meal with Eve had given him more pleasure than he’d expected. Luckily his bonehead move in her room hadn’t ruined anything. Neither had spoken of his blunder. In order to keep his focus on Eve’s safety, he had to do a better job of keeping his feelings in check.
Breathing in one more breath of crisp air, he returned inside. The kitchen was tidy, all traces of their dinner cleared away. He followed the sound of televised laughter into the living room and found Eve sitting on the sofa with another beer in her hands.
She glanced up and offered a small smile. “I set another one for you on the end table.” She nodded toward the brown bottle on the coaster.
He settled in beside her but ignored the drink. He didn’t talk to anyone about his one-drink limit, and he didn’t plan to start tonight. He’d just pour the beer down the drain when she wasn’t looking. “What are we watching?”
“A sitcom I’ve seen a hundred times. It’s a comfort show, but I can change it if you want to watch something else.”
“I’m fine with anything.”
She returned her gaze to the television and peeled the label from her bottle. Only the soundtrack from the show interrupted the silence. A dozen questions about Eve and her life tumbled around his head, but he held them back. A weird tension simmered between them, and he wasn’t sure diving even deeper into their shifting dynamic was the best answer right now.
His phone buzzed against his thigh. He plucked it from his pocket and read the text sent by his sister, sighing as he shoved the phone back in place.
“Everything all right?” Eve asked, brow furrowed in concern.
“Yeah. Just Tara. I’ll call her later.” He winced at the familiar pinch of guilt. He hadn’t touched base with his sister after their conversation the night before. He hated that she was struggling to deal with their father—again—but he also didn’t want to get caught up in the mess. Not when he’d worked so hard to untangle himself from his father’s bad decisions. Their father would never change, and Tara had to either accept that or move on.
“You sure? Don’t feel like you have to stay up and babysit me. I’m fine and will probably head to bed soon. I’m actually pretty exhausted.”
“It can wait. She wants to continue our conversation from last night, and I’m not really sure what all is left to say. I don’t want to upset her more than she is, but I can’t tell her what she wants to hear.”
Eve tilted her head to the side and her soft auburn locks tumbled over her shoulder. “And how do you know what she wants you to tell her?”
He debated how much to divulge. Getting into his family dynamics was as low on his list as a getting a root canal, but he also didn’t want to brush Eve’s question aside. “Because she and I have been going around in the same circle for years. Like the most dysfunctional carousel ride. She wants me to keep riding, I want her to get the hell off the carousel, and neither of us can see the other’s point of view.”
