Page 13 of No Love Lost

Her watery eyes looked up at him, and she nodded.

When Heath wrapped her in his arms, he wished like hell that they hadn’t lost a dozen years.

Addy woke to the scent of garlic and rosemary. Her brain was foggy, and it took her a moment to remember it wasn’t morning. Naps always made her groggy, and it took her a few more moments to realize that she’d fallen asleep while Heath was holding her.

The emotions of the day came swamping back, and she closed her eyes again.

Heath hadn’t known he was a dad. She’d often wondered if that was the case but had decided no parent could be that cruel to totally dismiss a granddaughter.

They hadn’t passed on the parcels she’d sent. Had they tossed them without looking? Had they never known about Nina? Either they hadn’t even bothered to open the parcels before tossing them, or they’d known and hadn’t wanted her. Hadn’t wanted Heath to know about her.

All because Addison hadn’t been good enough for them. It didn’t matter if it was because she was a foster kid with no money or assets or if it was because she was Ojibwe. Either way was hateful. Nina’s only grandparents were horrid human beings.

Addison blew out a breath and pushed up to a sitting position. The asthma attacks took a lot out of her. But today, she figured the mental and physical exhaustion was from the emotions, not the physical stuff.

Shoving up off the couch took her a moment, but she didn’t collapse back. Good news. Instead of confronting Heath, she headed to the bathroom and nearly shrieked at her reflection.

She looked like she’d had her lights punched out. At least she hadn’t been wearing makeup, so there were no mascara streaks to add to the look. After washing her face and brushing her teeth and hair, she looked more human. Sort of.

Well, he’d already seen her. And it wasn’t like she was going to look any better without a minor miracle. Besides, this wasn’t a date.

They needed to figure out how to tell Nina. Which was probably why he hadn’t left. The man had to have a million questions still.

Addison found her polar bear slippers and a wooly sweater to slip on. It took her a long time to eliminate the chill that came with an attack, and Lia always emphasized the importance of warmth.

She reminded herself it wasn’t a date.

When she shuffled into the kitchen, Heath stood at the stove. Three elements were being used at once. Maybe a record in this house.

He turned from the stove with a grin, which widened when he took in her outfit. She pulled the sweater around her, and he chuckled. “I like the look. Food will be ready in about five minutes.”

He stirred something and then turned back to her. “Sit. I was so completely overwhelmed at the doctor’s office that I didn’t ask any questions. I don’t remember your asthma being that severe. Was I a dense teenager or have things changed? What do you need?”

She hadn’t had a man care about her since she’d been that teen girl madly in love with Heath. Being a mom struggling to make ends meet hadn’t left a lot of room for anything else.

“I mostly need to rest and stay warm. You didn’t have to cook. Or stay.”

His eyebrows shot up at that. “I wasn’t leaving you here on your own. You scared the hell out of me today.”

“Sorry.”

He rolled his eyes. “Not your fault. I’ve had some time to process some of this, and I have some things I’d like to say.”

The fear roared back, and she ducked her head so he wouldn’t see. She couldn’t let him take Nina.

“Hey.”

When she didn’t answer, he appeared at her side. He squatted down and placed a hand on her thigh. “Hey, Addy. Look at me. Please.”

She swallowed hard and raised her eyes. His held no anger. Instead, she saw compassion.

He brushed her hair back from her face. “Nothing bad. I promise. I would never do anything to hurt you or Nina. I promise.”

She blew out a breath and nodded. Heath had always been a man of his word, even when he’d been a teen. She needed to stop panicking and breathe.

He watched her for a moment before he nodded back. Then he stood and moved back to the stove. In only moments, he set two plates on the table. Chicken and pasta mixed with roasted vegetables. Her stomach growled, making him laugh.

“Good. You’re hungry, too. I hope it was okay to dig through your fridge and pantry. I didn’t want to leave you alone to go find food in town.”

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