Page 60 of My Favorite Hero

Saturday night, I had watched in wonder as she sang. She was incredible. Her voice was nice enough, but it was the way she threw herself into the song—strutting around the stage calling out for a hero. Living the song.

And I found myself thinking I wanted to be that for her.

Knowing she’d been on a date tonight made something in my stomach clench. I didn’t want her dating anyone. I wanted her in my life, but I wasn’t sure she wanted the same thing.

I pulled into her driveway, shutting off the engine. I looked at her keys, making sure I had the one for her door, then I went around the SUV and undid her seat belt, sliding my arms under her knees and lifting her from the vehicle. She mumbled into my neck as I carried her into the house and up the stairs to her room. I laid her on the bed, looking around in curiosity. She had put the bed under the front windows, the wrought-iron-and-wood bed frame intricate. The closet lined the wall on one side, and the other had the window where her wind chimes hung, their sound light in the night air. She had an old chair I recognized as Lou’s in the corner, a pile of books on the table beside it.

There was no door to the bedroom, the entire upstairs an open area. At the top of the stairs, the bathroom was on one side and butted up against mine on the other side of the house. I could occasionally hear the water running, but that was about it. I liked to tease her, though. I opened the medicine cabinet, shook out a couple of Tylenol, and filled her water glass, figuring she might need it.

But when I returned to the bedroom, she was sitting up, looking confused.

“Hi,” she murmured. “I hoped it was you.”

“Who did you expect?” I teased. “The asshole from dinner?”

“I hoped not.”

Without thinking, I sat down on the bed beside her, handing her the pills. She took them and drank the water. “Two spritzers, eh?” I asked. “Pushover.”

“I know. I’m not even sure I finished the second one.”

I chuckled, brushing her hair over her shoulder. “I’ll remember that.”

She took another sip of water, then took a mint from a little box on the bedside table. She offered me one, and I took it, crunching it right away. I chuckled when I realized she did the same thing.

“Why was he an asshole, Casey?” I asked.

She sighed and told me the story of him asking her out, not calling as he promised, the odd text, and the change in his demeanor. What he said to her. I had to tamp down the urge to go find him and beat him up. I drew in a long breath, hating the uncertainty I saw on her face.

“First off, asshole doesn’t cover it. Second, you look lovely tonight. You don’t need to wear a dress to look like a girl, for fuck’s sake. You look sexy all the time. Jeans, leggings, even your painting clothes, you’re still sexy.”

She blinked. “Really?”

“Really.” I wrapped my hand around hers, giving it a squeeze. “And texting to confirm a date is for jerks. Taking you to the same bar he eats in every Monday is lazy. Ordering your meal without even asking is a sign of a real idiot. You treat a lady well. He deserved you walking out on him.” I grinned. “You should have dumped the spaghetti on his head.”

“I wanted to, but I figured the waitress would have to clean it up.”

“Probably,” I agreed. “Why did you agree to go on a date with him?” I asked.

She shrugged.

“Casey, look at me.” She met my eyes. “Why?” I asked again.

“He asked. He works with Cal, so I thought he must be okay—I mean, he seemed nice. I was feeling upset. You had barely spoken to me the last couple of days, and then you showed up at the bar. And I thought you were going to—well, you know what I thought, but you didn’t. He was there.” She shrugged. “I just sorta gave in.”

“I see. I have a confession to make.”

“What?” she asked.

“Saturday night, they forgot the sauce. I went back to get it. I saw you by your car, and I saw him kiss you. I didn’t like it.”

“That was you driving like a crazy man?”

“Yes.”

She sighed. “I didn’t like it either. I should have known then it wasn’t a good idea. He didn’t even ask.”

“Asshole,” I reminded her.