Page 27 of Protecting Andie

“I can unpack my stuff.”

“Okay, I’ll leave you to it. Would you like a snack?”

She shrugged. “Sure. What were you thinking of making?”

“I have stuff for an egg sandwich.”

“That sounds great.”

“Good. I’ll make our food while you put stuff up.” Rider turned to leave but turned back to her. “Thank you for coming to stay with me.”

She couldn’t believe he was thanking her. It was weird because in the past most of the guys she dated acted like they were doing her a favor. “Of course.”

His lips turned up into a sweet smile before he left the room. She should have said more, should have told him how much sheappreciated being treated respectfully. Later, she would explain it to him.

Being here with Rider would be amazing. The first hour had been so good, and it seemed like it was only going to get better. At least she hoped it would get better. Finding a man like Rider had seemed impossible. Now she was glad she hadn’t settled like everyone except Emily and Derik had told her to. Maybe she did deserve a decent man in her life.

17

Waking up with Andie in his bed was heaven. There was enough light to make out her profile and he watched for a long minute before sneaking out of the room. Having her in his home felt right.

In Oregon she’d warned that she wasn’t a morning person, and sure enough she slept until almost eight. When she left the bedroom, she headed straight to the coffee pot.

After her first sip, she moaned. “This coffee tastes great.” She took another sip then smiled. “Good morning. I haven’t slept this well in ages.”

He moved to her and kissed her cheek, glad she’d agreed to stay here with him. “How about some breakfast?”

She nodded, still looking a little sleepy. “Sure. That sounds good.”

“After, we can take a walk, and you can see the neighborhood.”

“I’d like that.”

He made eggs and toast as she poked around the kitchen, looking in cabinets. “Whatcha doing?

“Just looking at stuff, making sure I know where things are so I can cook dinner tonight.”

“You don’t?—”

“Of course, I’m going to help out. I may be useless in the morning, but after I wake up, I’m good.”

He chuckled. “You aren’t useless.”

“Oh please, I had to psych myself up to get out of bed. I’m trying hard to be chipper. Honestly, mornings are not my thing.”

“I’ll remember that.” He kissed her cheek before turning back to the stove.

Being with Andie felt right. He was glad she had taken him up on his offer to move in for at least a month. Honestly, he hoped she never left. This was a trial for them living together. He didn’t want to overdo it and give her an unrealistic view of what it would be like, but he wanted to treat her special. He knew he would be tired some days and it wouldn’t be all happiness, but he also knew how to control his anger and emotions so he didn’t bring his work life home with him.

After breakfast, they headed out. Kevlar and Remi were outside and waved them over. “Hey, Rider, and you must be Andie. I’m Kevlar, and this is Remi.” He’d already told Kevlar that Andie was staying with him.

“Hello. It’s nice to meet you both. I guess you work with Rider.”

Kevlar nodded. “We’re both SEALs. It’s great having him live close by. When I’m out on a mission, having him nearby makes me feel better about leaving Remi home alone.”

“Oh. How often do you all go out?”

Kevlar shrugged. “It’s not too much.”

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