Page 55 of Two Steps Ahead

She rubbed her temples. “I know it’s probably the safest place we could be, but I don’t really want to go back to your parents’ house. It’s lovely, and so are they, but if it’s okay, I’m not in the mood to be around people right now.”

He tilted his head to the side and studied her. “I can understand that.”

“Is there somewhere else we can go?”

“Yes.”

Always a man of such few words. But Kayleigh trusted him. She didn’t need particulars.

They dropped by the Patterson house to grab their things and return the car. Kayleigh hugged both Sheila and Clinton, blinking back tears.

She wasn’t saying goodbye forever, just a few days. When the merger was complete, she would go back and check on them. Whether Weston stayed with her or not, she wouldn’t let go of Clinton and Sheila, not when they seemed to see her for exactly who she was.

As if she’d conjured him, Weston stepped into the kitchen where she was talking to the older couple. He didn’t say anything, but he smiled.

Kayleigh hefted the duffel onto her shoulder, only getting as far as the doorway before Weston plucked it from her to carry himself. He kissed his parents and they made their way to the car, back seat containing all the leftovers Sheila could talk them into taking with them.

They drove, circling around town. Kayleigh knew the drill by now and wasn’t paying much attention. When they pulled into a remote neighborhood on the east side of town, she straightened slightly.

The white bungalow at the end of the long driveway was beautiful with its charcoal shutters and perfect shrubs out front.

She looked over at him. “This is your house, isn’t it?”

A garage door opened in front of them and they pulled in, answering her question before he said anything.

“Yep.”

Suddenly, Kayleigh was nervous. She hadn’t expected him to take her to his house. She was happy to be there, but knew this wasn’t something he did lightly.

He led her inside. Everything about it told her he took pride in his home, and something about that made her heart flutter.It was clean, neat, organized. Looking around, she took it all in. Everything from the furniture to the curtains were simple and solid. Straightforward.

It was all so Weston.

She followed him down the hall. He dropped her bag in a spare bedroom before they made their way back to the kitchen for some food. Thanks to what Sheila had sent, they didn’t have to cook. They ate quickly, then Kayleigh called to check on Leo.

She tried not to be disappointed when Dr. Appleton told her there’d been no changes, but her heart ached. She wanted her father to be awake. She wanted to be safe again. She wanted things to get better.

She didn’t want the merger that had cost him so much to be in her hands. But for right now, she didn’t have a choice.

“Why don’t you take a shower?” Weston asked, loading the dishwasher after their meal.

Kayleigh jolted, realizing she’d just been staring at her phone while her head was miles away.

“It might be good for you to relax,” he continued. “It’s been one thing after another for you practically nonstop. You could do with a break. When you’re done, I want to show you something.”

“You’re probably right,” she said, standing up. She was nearly to the hallway when she turned to him. “What did you want to show me?”

Weston leaned against the counter and grinned. “Shower, then you’ll find out.”

Something about the way he looked at her, like he was excited for her reaction, made Kayleigh’s heart skip a beat. She nodded, pushing a hand through her hair before she returned to the hallway and the stairs beyond.

Back in her room, she was grateful for a private bathroom so she could be alone with her thoughts. Flipping the water on towarm up, she looked at herself in the mirror. There were heavy bags under her eyes, the rest of her face pale and sallow.

As she shucked her clothes and stepped into the shower’s hot water, so many things swirled inside her head that she almost felt dizzy. Her house, her father, the explosion, the kidnap attempt. It was all too much.

So she focused on the one unwavering piece.

Weston.

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