Reggie huffed a laugh. “Told you so. Pay up.”
She didn’t see anything funny about that bet.
Sam pulled out his cell phone. “He’s not going to like this.”
“I don’t care.” She laid her head against the seat. “He doesn’t work twelve-hour shifts in an emergency department.”
Besides, whatever Ash had planned didn’t fit within a doctor’s busy schedule. If he thought he could snap his fingers and have her come running, that wasn’t going to happen. He needed to put his rock-star ego in check.
Stifling a yawn, she closed her eyes. “Just take me to the coffee shop.”
After a quick stop, they pulled up to her brownstone, only to find the crowd outside had grown.
“Stay here, Mrs. Dean,” Reggie said.
She didn’t correct him even though that was the second time he’d called her Mrs. Dean.
Reggie hopped out and jogged to the door, carrying her backpack, cocoa, and sandwich. He returned a few minutes later, using his bulk to push back the crowd.
“Get ready,” Sam said. “Just like this morning, we’ll escort you inside.”
They clearly had plenty of practice with this type of thing and impressed her with their skill. Sam climbed out and used his body as a shield while Reggie blocked the crowd. Cameras lifted over his shoulder, shooting blindly. When Sam closed the door to the car, Reggie moved beside her, bracketing her between him and Sam. Together, they hustled her up the short walk and got her inside.
She gave a deep sigh when the door closed out the noise. “Is my brother home?”
The house creaked with silence.
“He’s at the Verizon Center for the sound check. Donald’s with him.”
A soft grin ghosted across her face as she knew how excited Forest must be while surrounded by his idols. She sat at her dining room table and pulled out her meager dinner. The decadent aroma of cocoa wafted up and filled her nostrils with its incredible scent. She inhaled deeply, and a day’s worth of tension disappeared.
“Um, you don’t have to stay.”
“We don’t mind,” Sam said.
“I’m not that interesting. I’m going to eat, read a little, and go to bed. I’m sure Ash needs you more than I do.”
Sam agreed with a nod. “We’ll just check the locks.”
“Have at it.” She waved at the door.
They made quick work of their security sweep.
“We’ll be back in the morning to escort you to work. Make sure you lock the door behind us.”
Reggie refused to leave until she assured him that she would do exactly as instructed.
A few moments after she shut the door, he tested the lock, making certain she’d followed his instructions.
Ensconced in her home, alone, silence descended like a welcoming blanket of comfort and relief. She hadn’t been alone in the past four days and relished the solitude. She finished her dinner and drained the last of the cocoa. Too early for bed, she headed to take a long soak in her tub.
A couple of hours later, a heavy banging sounded on the door to her bathroom. Only Forest could beat on a door like that. Before she could tell him to come in, Forest had the door swinging inward.
“Hey, my summer Skye, how was your shift?” He had a lightness to his step and a grin on his face. He sat on the lid of the toilet.
The man couldn’t touch her over layers of clothing without a meltdown, but seeing her naked did nothing. His triggers made little sense, but then neither did hers. She grabbed a washcloth and covered her lady parts. He might not care, but she did.
“Steady, busy.”
