"A total womanizer. He was an all-star forward in basketball in high school. Paige had a crush on him."
"All-star, huh?" Grace's expression brightened and she suddenly looked interested. "What did you say his name was again?"
"Knock it off." A little growl erupted from Damon's throat. "This is why I've never dated seriously. The thought of leaving you alone and flying to the other side of the world is driving me crazy."
"I'm not alone. And don't worry, I'm not interested in dating anyone else." Then a teasing glint filled her eyes. "Although some guy named Travis Brooks hit on me at the grocery store yesterday. Do you know him?"
"Stay away from him." Damon's gut clenched at the mention of Travis Brooks.
"He offered to take me on a hayride."
Damon snorted. "Don't you dare go on a hayride with Brooks."
"But it sounds fun."
"Travis' idea of a hayride doesn't have anything to do with a wagon and horses."
Her brows dipped, her face growing serious. "What do you mean?"
"Trust me, the only thing Brooks wants to do with hay is...roll in it...with you."
"You mean—" Now her brows jumped to her hairline as her jaw dropped.
"Trust me, he's not talking about the kind ofrideyou're thinking of." He went on when a pink tinge colored her cheeks. "Travis has a drinking problem. He tried to break into a woman's apartment last year."
"Seriously?" Her eyes widened as she gasped.
"My friend Rudy at the Sheriff's Office caught him before he could hurt her, but not before he managed to break down her door."
"She must have been terrified."
He stared intently into his phone. "Please be careful around him."
"I will."
"And call Robert if he bothers you at all."
"I will." She grinned, making his heart beat a little harder in his chest. "You have nothing to worry about, believe me. Between work and taking care of my mom, I don't have time for a social life. And even if I did, it's too late. My heart belongs to someone else."
She hadn’t said the words he wanted to hear, but Damon hoped she was right. He couldn’t focus on his work if he was worried about her dumping him. And that could be dangerous.
CHAPTER 15
"Knock, knock." Paige walked through the front door as she said the words.
"Hi." Grace looked up from the book she'd been reading.
Her mom had dozed off in her recliner, so rather than let the TV continue to play, she turned it off and opted to read.
"How's she doing today?" Paige kept her voice low.
"She managed to take a shower, but it wiped her out. She wanted to go back to bed, but I convinced her to sit in her chair for a while. At least until her hair is dry."
Grace was concerned that her mom would develop pneumonia with all the sleeping she'd done over the last week.
"You can stop talking about me like I'm not here." Mom lifted her head and blinked her eyes.
Paige sat on the end of the couch closest to the recliner. "Hey, Mom. How are you feeling today?"
