“It sounds great,” he said nervously.
Caroline stood and went into the kitchen, pulling the ice cream from the freezer.
“If you don’t want me here, you only need to say it,” he whispered.
“No, it’s fine. I planned to text you anyway. Dad beat me to it,” she said, placing the ice cream on the counter and opening the pie box. Cutting him a large slice, she scooped out a healthy portion of ice cream to top it and handed it to him.
Jameson set it on the counter, put the ice cream away, boxed up the pie, and then turned to follow her into the dining area.
“Nancy and I haven’t enjoyed having this many people at the table since forever. Your mother loved to have a full house with family and friends,” Thomas said, smiling at the memory.
“Wait,” Caroline said, running her hand on the farmhouse table. “It’s our table from home.”
“We downsized almost everything, but I couldn’t part with this. It has our family’s history and holds our memories. One day, these seats will be filled with grandchildren and friends,” Thomas said proudly.
“I bumped my head on this very corner and earned seven stitches,” Caroline said, touching the spot. “Dad insists I put the dent there.”
“He may have a point. You’re hardheaded,” Jameson teased, making Thomas chuckle as Caroline stuck out her tongue.
“Nancy and I have a question for you, Caroline. How do you feel about moving in here? We have two extra bedrooms, a pool house, and a pool. It’ll be nice to have you close while still giving you some space. Embers remains a short drive away if you need to return for therapy. I’m sure we can find someone in Corpus Christi.”
“Oh, Dad. I don’t know.” Turning to Jameson, she asked, “Is it safe?”
“If you want to live here, we can install a security system,” he assured her, but his voice held something else.
“Can I think about it overnight? I don’t want the team busy with me and taking them from their jobs,” she explained.
“You can discuss it with the team in the morning, and it may take a few days to get it ordered and installed if you wish to stay here,” he said stiffly.
Nodding, she turned her attention to her pie.Why didn’t you say no? Do you want me to leave?
When they finished eating, Jameson helped clean up the kitchen. Caroline noticed the bags under her father’s eyes as he stifled a yawn.
“I’m going home. Have a good rest, and I’ll call you this evening,” she said, kissing his cheek.
Jameson led her outside, and she stopped when she saw the blue convertible in the driveway.
“Did you forget your truck?” she asked, staring at the car.
“We have company vehicles. I asked if you might borrow one until you decide what to do. This seemed like a fun choice,” he said, dangling the keys in her face. “Do you want to drive?”
“I don’t have my license. Can you do it? I’ll schedule an appointment at the DMV in the morning. Oh, I can’t wait to drive it,” she squealed. “While you drive, I can play with all the buttons.”
“Somehow I pegged you as a button pusher,” Jameson teased.
“Someone’s gotta do it,” she quipped, getting into the car.
Jameson slid into the driver’s seat and turned, giving her his full attention. “I know you’re struggling with what I told you. This car comes with a couple of caveats. I’ll follow you for the first few weeks while you get your bearings. Second, when I’m spinning up, you’ll allow one of the other guards to follow you. Third, I want you to meet someone. She’ll be at the farmhouse tomorrow.”
Caroline thought about it for a moment. “How long will you follow me. If you don’t consider Cain a threat, why do you need to do it? I’m not saying it won’t make me feel better, I’m worried you won’t tell me the truth.”
“Sometimes when survivors leave, they worry about getting followed. They still have forms of PTSD, among other things,” he explained.
“Yeah,” she agreed. “My therapist talked to me about it. We’re working on breathing exercises. She wants to start medication, but I don’t want to do it.”
“Why not?” he asked, turning onto the road.
“Because taking something which will make me lose all control doesn’t sound like a good plan. I’ve seen what happens,” she said quietly.
