“She has no idea,” Rachel said, simply stating a fact. “Even now, I don’t think she has any idea that all of you want her.”
My stomach dropped and I twisted to face her directly. “What?”
“She has no idea. I get that you guys are telling her you’re interested, but I don’t think it’s registering. She thinks she did something wrong, that you’re punishing her.” Rachel’s eyes held mine, steady.
Jesus. “Seriously?”
Rachel shrugged. “Look, I’m going on my own observations. Frankie doesn’t get social cues like flirting. She really doesn’t. So you can hint all you want, but she isn’t seeing it.”
“Then how the hell did Frenchy…”
“He kissed her,” Rachel said flatly and I swore my blood boiled.
“What?”
“He kissed her.” She almost smiled. “Said it was at a water park, they were on the lazy river, and having some argument or other, and when she laughed at him, he caught her tube, pulled her close and kissed her. Then asked her if they could have dinner.”
He just—kissed her. Saw what he wanted and went after it. I wasn’t sure whose ass I wanted to kick more. Mine or his. “So he just pawed her and that was that?”
Now she rolled her eyes. “Green isn’t your color, Coop. It’s Frankie’s, so knock that shit off.” Funnily enough, it came out more like advice than judgment. “What she needs right now is stability. People who stay and don’t make choices for her.”
I nodded, throat tight. “I’m trying.”
Rachel studied me for a long second, then her voice softened—just a notch. “I can see that.”
That shouldn’t have meant anything. It wasn’t a blessing. It wasn’t forgiveness. But coming from Rachel, it felt like permission to keep breathing.
I glanced toward the bathroom door again. The shower was still running. Frankie was in there, trying to wash today off her skin like it hadn’t seeped into her bones.
“She’s scared,” I said quietly.
Rachel’s eyes flicked to Tory posted like a sentinel. “Yeah,” she murmured. “So are we.”
I huffed a soft laugh that wasn’t really funny. “I hate that.”
Rachel leaned back in the chair, mug warming her hands. “Me too. But we can do something about it.”
I looked at her.
Rachel’s gaze sharpened, protective and determined. “We keep her world small tonight. Safe. We don’t let anyone in here who makes it worse. We make sure she eats, sleeps, breathes. And tomorrow, when she’s not running on adrenaline, we help her figure out what she wants.”
“I don’t know if I can stay in here with her…”
“If she wants you here, you stay in here. I’ll be here too. No kinky shit.” The bland delivery almost made me laugh. “So don’t get any ideas.”
I saluted, but my chest tightened with something that felt a lot like relief.
“Okay,” I said, and I meant it. “Yeah. Okay. Archie will back all of that.” I had no doubts. In fact, if I had the money to bet, I’d say Jake and Bubba were staying over too. So if it got too weird, I could go crash in the gameroom with them.
Rachel’s mouth twitched. “Also,” she added dryly, “if Maddy Curtis so much as looks at her wrong, I’m going to commit a felony.”
I snorted before I could stop myself. “Oh, you’re a little late to that party. I would bet the cats have already called dibs.”
Rachel’s eyes flicked to the cats, then back to me, and for the first time, her expression softened into something almost amused.
“Good,” she said. “We’ll make a team of it.”
The shower shut off. For a second, we both stilled and I had to imagine that like me, Rachel was listening to the towelrustling, a cabinet opening, the faint clink of something set on the counter.
