Page 34 of Silos and Sabotage

“But you can prove her wrong about that,” he coaxed. “You can go back and show her that you remember what happened at today’s appointment. She already opened up a little. She might open up some more. In the meantime, you and I will keep digging into your father’s death, okay?”

“Okay.” She gave him a tremulous smile.

“Are you ready to head inside and eat your lunch with the windbag outside this vehicle?” He angled his head toward Johnny.

“I am.” As he started to pull away from her, she stopped him by laying a hand over his. “Thank you, Gage. For taking me to my appointment. For lunch. For having my back today. For everything.”

“You’re welcome.” He flipped his hand over to squeeze her fingers.

“I know it’s your job to protect me right now.” Her gaze dropped to their joined hands.

He snorted. “Really, Ella? You think it’s my job to hold your hand?”

She met his gaze shyly. “Are you saying this is more than a job to you?” She was pretty sure she knew the answer to that, but she wanted to hear him say it.

“You know it is.” He frowned in concern at her. “From the moment we met, it’s been about more than my job.”

She tried to force a smile but wasn’t sure she succeeded. “Gage, I don’t know when my life will return to normal. I don’t know if it’severgoing to return to normal.”

“I know.” He gave her a crooked smile, cradling her hand between his.

“And you’re okay with that?” She needed to know that he understood what he was getting into.

“Yeah. I’m cool with it.”

She made a face at him. “I’m pretty needy right now, in case you missed that part.”

“Maybe I like being needed by you, Ella.” His gaze dropped to her mouth. “If you don’t want Johnny to witness our first kiss, now might be the right time for us to get moving again.”

For a moment, she couldn’t breathe, only gaze at him with longing, hope and a dizzying number of other emotions.

“Now, Ella!” He twisted away from her and pushed open his door. Striding around to her side of the Bronco, he pulled her door open and assisted her to the ground.

She drenched him with a smile of wonder that made his gaze darken and his lids grow heavy.

After he drove away, Johnny teased her about it all the way to the employee lounge. “You’ve completely en-Gage-d his attention.”

“Not funny.” She lifted her chin as she unfolded the wrapping around her sandwich.

He unwrapped his first of three sandwiches and changed the subject. “You still planning on putting in a full day here?”

“I am.” She took a bite and sighed at the realization that Gage had remembered to add her favorite guacamole spread. His attentiveness to the details was incredibly sweet. “Why? Are you bored?”

“Nope.” He took an enormous bite and kept talking despite the food in his mouth. “Just trying to find a safe topic of conversation since you don’t wanna discuss your boyfriend.”

“Gage is not my?—”

“Good to know.” He winked at her.

“You’re impossible.” She took another bite.

“I have my moments.” He didn’t look the least bit bothered by her crabbing.

She ate as quickly as possible and left the employee lounge before he did. She’d promised to walk the dogs in the fenced-in field this afternoon. However, she’d also promised never to venture a foot outside without a bodyguard. She was forced to swallow her irritation with Johnny and wait for him to finish eating before she started putting leashes on the first pair of dogs. While she waited, she wandered to the small stable adjoining the back of one of the silos.

Only one horse was currently housed there, but there was room for up to three more. She glided up to Western Storm with her hand out. “Hey there,” she crooned. He was a beautiful brown stallion —all glossy and clean, since his owner kept him meticulously groomed.

He nuzzled her hand, tossed his head, then returned to rooting against her hand.

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