Page 30 of Line of Resistance

Nate leaned forward, working off his coat and draping it over her lap. “Here.”

Eloise lifted her eyes to his. “You don’t have to do that.”

“It’s fine.” He couldn’t stop himself from reaching out to pull his coat higher. Tucking it in around the curve of her hip, spending a little too much time working it into place.

Eloise shook her head, brows coming together. “No, I really mean it.” She unwound his coat from her lap and held it up. “You should keep this on. We might be out here all night.”

“It’s fine. I’m used to the cold.” He tried to push it back at her but she resisted.

“I understand, but I have blankets.” She grabbed something wedged behind her, gently tugging it free. “This one’s really warm.” She piled it between them, smoothing down the fabric before grabbing another wad of something and wrestling it loose. “I also have a sleeping bag, but only one.” Her lips flattened out as her eyes slowly dragged down his frame. “And I’m not sure it’s big enough for both of us.”

It was a visual he didn’t need. Keeping his thoughts in respectable places was never easy when Eloise was involved, and it was only getting more difficult as he got to know her better. Realized she was more than just the bouncy, ultra enthusiastic girl she made herself out to be.

Nate studied the sleeping bag, taking in the design and the high-end materials. It wasn’t something you could just pick up at Walmart. This was a more expensive, specialized product. His focus moved to the large tote bag Eloise still held tight. “What else do you have?”

She hesitated a second, rubbing her lips together as she stared down into the heavy canvas bag. “It’s just some things I keep in my trunk just in case.”

Interesting. “Just in case of what?”

She gave him a little shrug, but for some reason it seemed constructed. Meant to throw him off. She wanted to act like this wasn’t a big deal, but something about it felt like it was. Maybe it was how tightly she held the bag. Maybe it was how carefully she handled the blanket and the sleeping bag. Whatever it was, these things were important to her. Important for reasons that went beyond simple survival.

“I guess in case of something like this.” Her eyes came his way before dropping again. “You never really know what’s going to happen.”

“Obviously.” He tipped his chin at the bag. “You want to show me what you have in there?”

She glanced his way again before finally reaching into the bag and pulling out a plastic sealed pack. One that brought back all sorts of memories.

Nate took it, scanning the words printed along the outside. “Where in the world did you get MREs?” He’d had more than a few during his time in the military, and when he decided to walk away from that career and into this one, he never expected to see one again. That it was a dark-haired school principal with wide brown eyes connecting his present to his past made him want to give the moment more weight than he should.

“I know a guy.” Eloise reached into the bag and pulled out a few more military rations, stacking them in the tiny scrap of space between them. “I keep some in my apartment and some in my car just in case I ever need them.”

“And have you?” He was fully invested in her answer. In what it would offer him. The tiny scrap of insight he was hungry to claim.

Eloise smiled softly, the expression slightly reminiscent. “Not since I’ve moved back.” She tilted her head to one side. “At least until tonight.” Her expression turned to one of concern as she focused on his face. “Are you hungry? Do you want one?”

“I’m okay. I think I ate half a pizza at Tyson and Naomi’s. If that doesn’t hold me over, I probably need to head straight to the medical unit when we get out of here.”

Eloise’s dark eyes stayed on his face, holding. “I didn’t thank you for taking care of Bryson on Saturday. I really appreciated it.”

“Did you? Because it didn’t seem like you were real happy about it.” And he secretly loved it. Loved how ferocious she was over the little boy.

Eloise’s spine straightened the tiniest bit. “I’m just protective of him.” Her lips flattened and her nostrils flared. “Someone has to be.”

And there it was. The crux of the reason why he couldn’t stay away from her no matter how bad of an idea he knew it was. She was everything he wished he had when he was Bryson’s age. Seeing her with the little boy sealed his fate in a way he tried not to accept, but there was no denying it.

He could have handled the off-key karaoke. The sweet smiles and the infectious positivity. Hell, he could even have handled the sneaky glares and the ass chewing she dished out when he hauled her from the bar.

But protecting, defending, and caring for a kid who had no one else?

He was a fucking goner without a chance.

“I’m glad he has you.” Nate shifted around, trying to get a little more comfortable in the confined space. “A kid like him needs somebody on their side.”

Eloise slumped down, head tipping back against the front seat headrest. “I’m not doing a very good job of being on his side tonight. I was heading to his place to make sure he was okay when I got stuck. For all I know he could be sitting at home alone, scared and cold and hungry.” Her chin barely quivered on the last part. Like the thought of Bryson suffering was more than she could handle.

And that was more than he could handle.

Nate reached for her, not realizing he was doing it until his fingers laced with hers. “Someone will come looking for us soon. The second they get here, we’ll go and make sure Bryson is okay.”

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