Page 45 of Wyoming Bodyguard
He couldn’t help but chuckle at her irritation. With everything else going on, finding the right shade of red seemed trivial. But at least it was one thing she could control. Not to mention if she picked the wrong shade, they’d have to paint the whole barn.
Wincing at the thought, he studied the thin strips of glossy paper splashed in color. He plucked one from its place and pointed toward the color on the top. He placed the sample they’d chipped off the barn beside it. “I think this is the closest. We can grab a couple cans of varying shades to make sure, though. We don’t need much, and that way we won’t have to come back to town to get more paint right away if we’re wrong. We can always return the unused cans later.”
She nodded. “Good idea. I’ll get someone to grab what we need.”
He watched her walk away, warmth snaking its way through his chest. He wished they could go back to earlier when their worries were at least on the sidelines, shelved for a tiny moment in time while they lost themselves in more enjoyable activities.
But it was getting lost in those activities that allowed the destruction of her property to go unnoticed. If he’d have been more diligent, spent time patrolling her property instead of being in her bed, he might have caught the bastard tormenting her.
He had to do better. His feelings for Lily weren’t going anywhere. And if he slipped up and she was hurt again in the process, he’d never forgive himself.
A few minutes later, Lily rounded the corner with a shopping cart, five gallons of paint and some brushes. “I got what we need. Ready?”
“You betcha.”
He walked beside her to the cashier, an older woman who gave them curious glances as she rung up their items. He paid the bill before Lily could grab her wallet from the purse slung across her chest then maneuvered the cart to his truck parked in the nearly empty lot. “You hungry?”
Folding her arms over the edge of his truck bed, she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and shrugged. “A little. I guess we didn’t have a chance to eat anything this morning, did we?”
“Nope, and I’m starving. I also need to go over a few things with Reid. How about we grab some food and take it to my office?” He rounded the back bumper to the passenger door and held it open, waiting for her to climb inside before leaning his forearm on the top of the vehicle. “Do you want Tilly’s or something else?”
Hesitation skittered across her face, and she twisted her lips to the side. “I’m not sure I can stomach seeing the spot where my father was shot.”
A heavy weight crushed down on his chest. “I’m so sorry. I should have considered that. We can go somewhere else. Or, hell, I can text Reid whatever you want and have him pick it up for us.”
She blew out a long breath. “Let’s try Tilly’s.”
“Are you sure?” He dropped his arm and found her hand, squeezing gently.
“Yeah. It’d be nice to see Eve and give her a proper thank you for everything she’s done, and I can’t avoid this forever. I pass by it most days, and I’d rather have you beside me when I face those memories for the first time.”
Her words warmed him down to his toes. Leaning forward, he placed a kiss on her forehead. “I’ve got you.” He smiled then closed the door before climbing behind the wheel.
Silence filled the cab, and a quick glance showed him the nerves displayed on Lily’s face—furrowed brow, pinched mouth and hands clasped tightly on her lap. He rested a palm on her knee, wanting her to know he was there.
He opted for the small lot behind the restaurant. Better to ease her into the scene of the crime that had led to her current nightmare. Shutting off the engine, he faced her. “Ready?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be.”
He hurried around the hood of the truck to meet her then captured her hand. “We can go in the side door first. No need to head right for the sidewalk.”
“No,” she said, shaking her head. “I want to get this over with.”
Matching her step for step, he stayed as close to her side as possible as they turned the corner onto Main Street. Late morning on a weekday meant only a few pedestrians popped in and out of shops or strolled down the sidewalk. He ignored their curious glances, his only focus on being the rock Lily needed right now.
Her steps slowed for a few beats before she stopped at the intersection in front of Tilly’s. She locked her gaze on the hard ground, red stains shining in the harsh sunlight. She blinked back tears. “In some ways it seems like it was months ago when I sat there with my dad in my arms. So much has happened since then.”
Memories of Lily’s piercing scream after shots were fired assaulted him, and he squeezed her hand a little harder. “When I came out that door and saw you covered in blood, I thought you’d been hurt. I’ve never been so damn scared in my life.”
She glanced up at him, her lips curved at the corners. “Really? Even though you hated me?”
“I’ve never hated you, just didn’t understand you. I’m glad we’ve moved past that.”
She turned into him, releasing his hand to wrap her arms around his waist, and buried her face in his chest.
He kissed the top of her head and held her tight. “I’ve got you,” he repeated.
Peering up, she locked her eyes with his. “Thank you.” She cut her gaze back to the ugly spot on the sidewalk. “I need to visit my dad today. I hate seeing him looking so small and frail, but I can’t stay away because of my feelings. He needs to know I’m there for him.”
