“I believe you.” After all, he was the one who’d ended the kiss. “What ifIrushyou?”
The corner of his mouth lifted. “The second the timing is right, let me know.” He followed that up with another kiss, one that lingered but didn’t go too far. “It’s late, we both need some sleep, and I don’t want to chance waking Ryder.”
Though she knew he was right, she hated for him to go. The past hour with him had a real revelation.
“I need you to promise me something, Joey.” Holding her face in his hands, he said, “Don’t ever disregard your instincts. If something seemed off tonight, you were right to be cautious. Ignoring those feelings could get you or Ryder hurt.”
Having her uneasiness acknowledged brought it all back to her. With Hendrix, she’d started to forget. “Did you see anything?”
“Without a flashlight, there wasn’t much to be seen, but nothing seemed out of place, I didn’t run into anyone, and I didn’t hear any movement.”
She hadn’t even considered that. “And if you had?”
He tucked back her hair. “I would have handled it.”
The very idea of him going up against an intruder propelled her from his arms.
Hendrix caught her before she’d gone far. “Joey, don’t.”
“But you could have been hurt.”
“Not likely. I’m good at this. At protecting people. Besides, this is my campground, so it’s my job to keep things secure. Two, I can deal with trouble. It’s what I did for years before I left the police force. Three, and this one is a biggie, if I know the issue I’ll be better prepared.”
“There was no issue. You said it yourself, you didn’t find anything.”
“This time.” He held her gaze. “I have a feeling you’re concerned about something, or someone specific?”
She deflated. Since he was involving himself, he did need to be better prepared so he wouldn’t underestimate the situation. “My ex can be... unpredictable, and sometimes violent. If he dropped in... Well, it wouldn’t be the first time he’d shown up unexpectedly, but usually it’s because he’s in a mood so things get ugly quickly.”
“A mood.” Hendrix said the word as if it left a bad taste in his mouth. “I assume we’re talking about a shitty mood, right? An aggressive mood? Dangerous?”
“Um...all that?” Unfortunately, there wasn’t a nicer way to put it. “He randomly gets annoyed about things, especially when he’s been drinking.” And he drank far too often.
“Have you heard from him?”
She shook her head, but admitted, “I’ve had a few calls with numbers I didn’t recognize. Probably just telemarketers, but I guess that’s why I was jumpy.”
“No, you were jumpy because you know your ex can be a problem and you love your son. You want to protect him but a woman alone doesn’t stand much of a chance.”
It was so wonderful to have acceptance, to have her feelings validated. “Thank you,” she whispered, “for understanding.”
“Just because I didn’t find anyone tonight doesn’t mean you overreacted. It doesn’t mean that he, or someone else, wasn’t here scoping out your circumstances.”
Oh, God.
“I don’t want to scare you, and I definitely don’t want Ryder worried, but you two will be pretty isolated for the rest of the month.” The firm press of his lips to hers kept her from interjecting. “But now you’re not alone. I’m here and there’s no way I’m going to let anyone hurt you.”
Having this discussion while in his arms changed everything. Her chilled body absorbed his heat, his confidence made her feel more confident, too. With Hendrix, her every sense sparked with new life. She felt more...of everything. Everywhere.
Looking into those intense gray eyes, she saw his sincerity, and his need to assist. “You’re still a cop at heart, aren’t you?”
“I’m a man,” he said, as if that explained it thoroughly enough.
Overwhelmed with gratitude, she gave a shaky nod. “What a difference a day makes. First the pizza and toys, then the agreement to let us stay.” His open hands against her back nudged her nearer, reminding her of the biggest surprise. “It’s like some giant shift in the universe where I went from a failure as a wife, a broke and worried mom, the great sexless wonder, and now I’m making out with the hottest guy alive.”
He grinned at her description. “You’ve obviously misjudged yourself.”
With help from Ted, but he was her past now and she planned to keep him there. “It’s almost like Christmas came early.”
