“Okay,” she said, as her eyes battled to stay open. “I’ll let you teach me. If you’re on night duty, will you sleep on the couch instead of your truck? I don’t like the idea of you out there.”
“Sure,” he agreed, caressing her hair. “Goodnight, Caroline.”
“Night, Jameson,” she whispered before she succumbed to sleep.
Walking into the living room,Jameson did a fist pump. Caroline agreed to spend time with him. His chest felt lighter as he grabbed the blanket from the back of the couch.
He lay down, letting his mind drift to the woman in the bedroom. Caroline gave him an inch, and he planned to take a mile. Rebecca once told him baby steps led to bigger ones. This seemed like the perfect time to implement his plan.
Checking his phone one more time, he set it down on the table and let his body relax. The woman he loved slept in thenext room, and Jameson refused to let James Stanton ruin both their lives.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Jameson rose when he heard Victoria and Ivan enter the pool area.
“Go get some rest. I’ll watch over her,” Ivan said, holding a bag of groceries.
“Thanks, Ivan. How did it go yesterday?” he whispered and glanced toward Caroline’s room.
“She’s a fighter,” Victoria assured him. “Caroline will heal. When will you?”
Frowning, he shot her an angry glance. “My loving father didn’t sell me like used goods and try to kill my family. In fact, your husband killed my mother as punishment for her part in torturing you. How long did it take you to heal?”
“Stop acting like a crybaby, Jameson,” Victoria ordered. “It’s unbecoming. Caroline has a strong character.”
“I’m not whining. I don’t need to heal. I’m concerned about her,” he insisted as the door to Caroline’s room opened.
“I beg to differ,” Victoria said, as Ivan went to greet Caroline. “Call Claire in Serenity or talk to the counselors on the ranch. James affected me in ways I never imagined. If you want a shot at her, you’ll find a way to deal with your feelings concerningJames and Phillip. If I had known about you, I’d have insisted Ivan take you with us. We might’ve escaped together and led very different lives. Since we didn’t, you must bury the bitterness inside you.”
“Did you see a professional?”
Victoria crossed her arms and grinned.
“Ivan paid a man to come to the mansion. After the first session, he begged to leave.”
“Why? Surely he’s met traumatized patients before,” Jameson gazed at her as her eyes twinkled in amusement. “Victoria, what did you do?”
“I told Ivan not to leave me alone with the man. When he did, I took out my knife and explained how I liked to cut nosy little men into pieces. He didn’t seem interested in treating me anymore,” she said with a shrug. “You don’t want to become like me.”
“No way, Ivan, let you get away with scaring the doctor away,” Jameson said, shaking his head.
“He did. And see how I turned out? Talk to someone and get your shit together,” she said, patting his chest. “You’re a good man, Jameson. It’d be a shame for you to prove your Serenity family right.” Victoria turned and walked away.
“No coffee, Caroline. Water only. We’re leaving for our run,” she reminded Caroline.
“I poured a cup for Jameson,” she explained, appearing uncertain. He hated seeing the doubt in her eyes.
“Can I take it to go?” he asked. “It’ll keep me awake while I drive back to Embers.”
Caroline passed him the cup. “I don’t have a to-go thermos. I added cream and sugar.”
“This will do,” he said, taking her offering. “Thanks. Have a great day.”
Caroline rolled her eyes. “Be sure to bring more cream,” she whispered.
“I heard you,” Victoria called. “We’ll do an extra lap for your attitude.”
Caroline groaned, making him laugh.
