“You didn’t ask. I offered. Please forgive me for being blunt, but I feel like I need to say this.” Andy hoped what he said was received with the good intentions he was trying to convey. “From an outside observer, it’s clear that this trip means a lot to you, Julie and Mike. From what little you’ve all said, it’s something you’ve been saving for, and looking forward to, for a long time. I can also understand that you don’t want to leave your daughter when she needs you. I want to help. I promise, I will do whatever it takes to make sure nothing happens to Narelle. I’ve upgraded the security system at my house, and all of my colleagues will keep an eye on Narelle as well.” He paused, hoping they could hear his sincerity, because he wanted to do this for them all. “Let me keep your daughter safe while you go. And if you’re worried anyone will think less of you for going, ignore them. We know the truth. How hard this decision is for you.”
No one spoke for a few moments. Andy had no idea if his little speech made a difference or not. He wanted it to. Narelle had made a good point. If her parents were out of the picture, then it was two less people he would have to worry about keeping safe.There was no guarantee whoever was after Narelle would go after her parents as leverage, but he’d rather not risk it.
“Would you give us a few moments alone to discuss this, as a family?” Mike asked.
“Of course. I’ll be outside.” He gave Narelle’s uninjured leg a quick squeeze and left them to it.
He’d take the chance to call Wilt to find out if he had any new information. The fact his phone had remained silent didn’t bode well.
Who were these people?
Chapter
Fourteen
“What do you know about this man?” her father asked the moment the door closed behind Andy.
She was still processing his offer of her staying with him so that her parents could go on their trip. Not to mention dealing with the surge of irrational excitement, considering her current predicament, that Andy hadn’t hesitated to help her.
Her earlier fear that he was somehow involved in all of the things that had happened to her had disappeared with the offer. Working in HR, she’d done a few courses on reading a person’s body language. It had been helpful in weeding out good and bad candidates for any vacancies that she wastrying to fill.
Andy hadn’t triggered any of the red flags a person who was trying to hide something usually did.
“Narelle?” her mum prompted her.
“Sorry, a lot has happened over the last few days. As for how well I know Andy…” She paused. How much should she tell her parents? If she shocked her parents with what she was about to tell them, they’d have to deal with it. She was almost thirty. She’d lived by herself for almost seven years. She wasn’t a monk. But she also wasn’t easy either. “We met in Bali my last night there. We slept together, and then I left. I hadn’t seen him again until I woke up here and he was in my room. But I haven’t stopped thinking about him since our night, and I wished I’d asked for his details before I left.”
It was cringeworthy talking to her parents about her private life, but she wasn’t going to fabricate a story about how they’d met.
Her father nodded. He didn’t seem uncomfortable with her confession. “How do you feel about him now? Do you think you’ll be safe with him if we go?”
The fact her father was asking that suggested he was taking Andy’s offer seriously. How ever she answered was going to be the difference between ifher parents went on their trip, or they lost thousands and thousands of dollars.
The thing was, she felt totally comfortable with saying what she was about to say. “If he wasn’t invested in getting to know me, he wouldn’t still be by my side. Hospitals and injuries can be very telling on how committed a person is. I know he’ll keep me safe. He didn’t say it to you, but he said it to me. He and his colleagues are looking into what happened today. He’s a former SAS soldier. If I’m not safe with him, then I don’t know who I’m safe with.”
“He does have a protective air about him,” her mum said. “How would it feel if we did go on our trip, not that I’m saying we will, but if we did?”
Narelle smiled at her mum. “I want you to go. You both deserve to enjoy everything you’ve worked so hard for. I’m totally okay with you leaving.” Even if Andy hadn’t offered his place, or to help her out, she would’ve managed so that her parents could go. It would’ve been difficult, but she would have figured something out.
“It’s, I don’t know, sweetie. My mother’s heart is staying I should say, but I also want to see the places I’ve spent years pouring over pictures of.”
“We will do what you want us to do,” her fathersaid, as if he needed a nudge that what he wanted was okay with her.
“I want you to go,” she said firmly. Both her parents smiled big, and she joined in with them. “Go have a wonderful trip, and I want you to send me daily pictures.”
“We were planning on doing that anyway,” her mother said with a laugh. “And you are sure this is what you want?”
“Very sure.”
So what if she had people chasing her? If she could give her parents this little bit of joy, then that’s what she would do. Not to mention, they would be safe, and that was so very important to her.
She also trusted Andy to protect her and find those responsible. The question was, how long would it take for that to happen?
“Are you ready to spring this joint?” Andy asked, as he walked into her room, looking deliciously handsome in faded jeans that hugged his legs so sexily, it was almostcriminal. He wore a plain white t-shirt that stretched enticingly across his chest and arms.
“More than ready.” Narelle licked her lips, vividly remembering what lay beneath all that fabric. Ever since they’d reconnected, Andy had had a starring role in her dreams, and she’d relived their one night together over and over. She had an itch that couldn’t be scratched. And she wasn’t talking about her plaster clad arm and leg.
Although before she left, she should be losing the cast on her arm. The break was healing well, and so the doctor was going to put her arm in a brace instead. It would give her a bit more freedom, but she wouldn’t be able to use crutches for a couple more weeks. So she would be wheeled out of the hospital, and Andy had promised he would get her one of those one leg scooters. She could wield it one handed. At least she thought she could. But she would have a wheelchair as back up.
