Page 119 of Legacy of Lies
Garrison filled up too much space on the front porch.
He had a bouquet of lilies in one hand, a steaming bag full of what smelled like Hungry Moose chicken, and keys and her purse dangling from his other hand.
He’d healed up about as well as she had. Butterfly bandages bridged a cut on his temple and purple bruises covered most of his face. A patch of swelling distorted one corner of his grimly set mouth.
Too exhausted to react, she stood there and stared at him.
His burnished eyebrows shot up, and a wary smile grew on the half of his face that wasn’t swollen.
Time slowed. How long had she stood there, mute?
He shifted from foot to foot. “So ...”
“How is Zach?”
“He’s fine. Complete recovery, amazing kid.”
“Good. Um, your dad?”
He nodded and pressed his mouth into a line. “He ended up having a stroke prior to arriving at the ER. Too late to give him the clot-busting medicines, so they observed him in the hospital here. He’ll be coming back home tomorrow. Refused going to the rehab facility and all, stubborn man.”
“Will he be okay?”
“Not sure how much he’ll recover. We’ll take care of him at home, where he belongs.”
“Shouldn’t you be at home, then? Where you belong?”
A light glinted in his gold-flecked eyes. Well, the one eye that wasn’t swollen, anyway. “That’s an interesting comment. I’ve done some thinking. It’s time for me to readjust priorities.”
“Well, um, that’s good, then.” Quiet and cold air filled the lonely space in the conversation. “So why are you here?”
When he stepped to the side, she did a double take.
Her car was parked in front of her house. She’d left it at the school. He’d brought it back here for her.
“Garrison?”
His brow furrowed, and then he stood up straight, like he’d made a decision.
“So, Sara. Here I am, standing on your porch with my hands full of stuff I don’t normally carry. I’m sore and really tired, and it’s cold outside.” He cleared his throat, and a hint of a smile crossed his bruised face. “Here you are, standing in a warm and toasty house. Your hands are empty. And your mouth is open, by the way.”
She closed it, head spinning. An odd shadow flickered near her car, then was gone. Probably a trick of the light.
A cold chill came and went through her spine.
“Um, come in?”Smooth, so smooth.She shut the door behind his tall, solid frame.
“Don’t mind if I do.” When he limped on the leg that Hank had brutally kicked, her heart twisted. After depositing the food in the kitchen, he set the bouquet, purse, and keys down on the coffee table.
“Thank you. Wow.”
“So I was feeling guilty about what you went through. Figured I should return your stuff.” He grimaced. Damn him, how the glint in his eye made him even more handsome, despite the swollen lip and bruises on his face.
But she didn’t live in a fantasy world. She needed to address reality. “Pardon me for asking the question, but why the heck are you even here?”
When she sat on the far end of the couch, he gave her a lopsided smile and sat right next to her.
Her heart tripped several beats.
