Page 34 of Defending Casey

She walked around the bed toward him, more than a little confused. “For what?”

As soon as she was close enough, Hale pulled her against him, his hands finding their way from her shoulders to her hips and holding her close.

“For Nora. For giving me a daughter.”

* * *

He’d said something wrong.

The look on her face changed in a heartbeat. A shadow fell across her features making her look sad and he wanted to take it back, whatever it was.

“Case?”

Hale saw her struggle, the way she kept her eyes downcast and the subtle back and forth shake of her head. He wished that he had spent more time near her so he could have a better understanding of her thoughts.

Then again, he realized if he had stayed around, she probably wouldn’t be struggling so much.

Whatever it was that she was struggling with, he wanted to be the one to fix it.

“Case, look at me.”

She tilted her face up and it was like having an angel staring into his eyes.

“Do you have any idea,” he’d spoken without realizing he was going to, “how many times I saw you in my dreams while I was away?”

He saw the shock and pleasure in her eyes.

“How many times you held me tight when I was tired or scared?”

Hale felt her hands settle against his sides and blood rushed through his veins like a steam train. If their daughter wasn’t sleeping in the room, he would be hard pressed to keep his hands to himself. The rest of his body as well, but he wasn’t the focus here. He never would be again now that he knew he had a child in the world and the woman he’d never been able to get out of his mind… or heart.

“Casey, you might not have known what you gave me all of these years, but you kept me alive, fighting. Even though you told me it was over, there was something inside of me that said I’d find a way to get my second chance with you. So whatever it is that’s weighing on you, I hope you know you can tell me. I want to be the one who you can lean on. The man who you know will stand beside you and help you with anything. Anything, Casey.” He leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. “Let me love you, Casey. Give me a chance.”

She pulled in a breath as she put some physical distance between them.

Casey bit into her lip and even in the soft light from Nora’s lamp he could see the pale halos where her lips paled around the bite of her teeth.

When she spoke, he couldn’t help but hold his breath.

“Before you make that offer, Hale. You should know the truth.”

His heart felt like it hit the wall of his chest. “Okay.”

What else could he say, especially when she looked like she was afraid to tell him about it? The fact that she was determined to do it? He was determined to listen to her, and he couldn’t imagine that there was anything she had to say that would make him walk away after finding each other again.

“We should,” she drew in a breath and let it out, “we should go outside and take a walk.”

Hale tried to wrap his arm around her shoulders, but she shrugged out of it and walked out the door.

He turned his head to look at Nora for a moment before he followed Casey outside.

* * *

She turnedon the porch light before he made it to the front door, but he swore he could have found her in the dark.

There was nothing as sweet as the scent of her skin and as he sat down beside her on the top step a soft breeze gave him a tantalizing reminder. Hale laid his hand open on the porch floor between them, but she shook her head.

“You should hear me out first, Hale. You deserve to know what happened ten years ago before you decide what you want from me. If you want something with me.”

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