Page 12 of Zale's Little Girl
Turning and leaving her standing there alone was tough. Zale dragged himself away. He needed to strip off his grimy clothes and get clean. She didn’t need to spend the evening with someone who’d trained hard.
Caden, the team chief, had worked them ferociously today. Zale suspected he’d increased the training regimen to push the men. The thought of someone transporting a woman hundreds of miles against her will had riled up everyone.
He grabbed a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt before heading into the master bathroom. After flipping on the shower to warm, Zale grabbed his toothbrush without thinking. He rolled his eyes at himself when he realized he was brushing his teeth before eating. What was his subconscious plotting?
Give her time to settle in.
Zale rinsed his mouth and stripped off his clothes, dropping them in a pile by the hamper. They smelled so bad, they’d need to go into the washer immediately. Abandoning that task for later, he stepped into the shower and dunked his head under the spray to rinse his face and hair.
CHAPTER 5
Pippa considered the things she’d unpacked on the bed. Aspen had included her freshly laundered clothes as well as all sorts of things for her—the rest of the pack of underwear, another sports bra, a pair of leggings and a couple of T-shirts, the toothbrush she’d used, a blue bath pouf and some body wash, some small tubes of lotion, shampoo, and conditioner, even tampons and a couple of disposable razors.
What a kind woman! She’d obviously put thought into what Pippa would need and gathered supplies for her. When Pippa was back on her feet, she’d think of something to repay her thoughtfulness.
Gathering all the toiletries, Pippa carried them into the bathroom and set the shower things on the inner ledge of the bathtub. Some male toiletries were already there. Pippa figured those must be for when Zale’s brother visited or if one of the team showered there.
Leaving the bathroom, she heard the shower go on and heard a melodic, deep voice.Zale sings in the shower?She grinned as she walked back into the bedroom. Pippa peeked into a drawerin the dresser and found it empty. She stowed the clothing inside to keep everything tidy.
Turning in a circle, she checked out the bedroom. There wasn’t a speck of dust anywhere. She vowed to clean up after herself. Her natural preference for convenience over neatness would clash with Zale’s perfectly ordered life. She needed to be the ultimate guest and follow his ways.
The doorbell rang. Pippa froze in the guest room. Who would that be? She listened to see if Zale had heard. The sound repeated. After grabbing Toothie, Pippa scanned the room, searching for a hiding spot. She didn’t know what gave her bad vibes, but everything inside her was on high alert.
“Go to the back of my closet, little girl. Don’t come out until I call.”
Zale’s voice sounded harsh—so much different from when he usually spoke to her. He didn’t pause but continued to the door. Pippa fled across the hall into the master bedroom and into the back of the closet, hiding herself behind his clothes. She gasped when her arm hit an open metal door. Barely visible in the light from the bedroom, Pippa checked inside an opening, noting a box of ammo and some metal rectangular things. It didn’t take a genius to put the pieces together. Zale was armed.
“Who is it?” his voice called from the front of the house.
She could barely hear him. Leaving her spot wasn’t an option. Pippa slid the clothes apart a fraction, trying to follow what was happening.
After a second’s pause, Zale spoke again. “I don’t recognize you. Show me some identification.”
Again, a few heartbeats later, Pippa heard the door open with a slight squeal. She strained to hear.
“Hi. What’s up?”
She cursed inside, not being able to hear both sides of the conversation. How well did she know Zale? Could she trust him?
Yes. Zale won’t put me in danger.
Needing to trust someone, Pippa leaned back against the wall and tried to calm her pounding heart. It was ridiculous, but she had more faith in Zale than in anyone else.
“Gotcha. I’ll be more careful next time.”
Did she just hear him close the door? Footsteps approached.
“Pippa, it’s okay. Just my elderly next-door neighbor’s adult son. He didn’t like the way I mowed his dad’s yard. Asshole.”
The last of her tattered courage evaporated, and she slid down to the floor. Tears cascaded down her cheeks. Her body shook and she couldn’t stop it.
“Pippa? Oh, God, sweetheart.”
She heard a clunk, and the metal door slammed quickly above her. Zale lowered himself down next to her. He gathered her into his arms, drawing her away from the wall, and lifted her onto his lap. Wrapping his arms around her, Zale rocked her.
“It’s okay, Pippa. I’m not going to let anything happen to you. You’re going into shock. I think everything has collapsed in on you. Focus on my voice and touch. You’re not alone.”
She buried her head into his shoulder and looped her arms around his neck. Pippa pressed herself against his hard form, absorbing his heat. She’d never felt so cold. Her teeth chattered.
