Page 62 of Silent Threat
Even if what he really wanted to do was go wherever this Randy lived and ask the asshole what he’d done to put that look into Annie’s eyes.
She drove in silence.
“I’m going to your feedings with you from now on,” he said. “Until they catch the intruder, you shouldn’t go alone.”
He was aware that he wasn’t giving her a choice. He couldn’t. Her safety wasn’t up for negotiation.
He expected her to push back.
“Harper said the same thing. That I shouldn’t go alone,” she said instead. “OK. Thanks. I appreciate it.” And then she added, “Sorry about my grandfather.”
“You don’t have to be sorry on my account. But he should treat you better.”
He wondered if the old man put her down regularly like he’d done with that are-you-sleeping-with-him comment.
Yet Annie still took care of the man. She was not only courageous, but she was loyal too, another attribute Cole valued highly.
He wanted to protect her. He was going to go with her again at six and at midnight.
After that, he was going to search the three remaining offices. Hopefully without running into someone else with needles in his ball sack.
Chapter Fourteen
ANNIE RESCHEDULED SOMEof the sessions she’d originally canceled for the week, including an informal activity at three o’clock. She sent out a round of text messages. Five guys showed, which wasn’t bad on last-minute notice.
“Grab some shovels and buckets,” she told them.
Would have been nice if Cole had come.
As soon as the thought surfaced, she shook it off. She needed to be glad that he wasn’t here. She’d been serious when she’d told him she couldn’t help him anymore as his therapist. She had to be circumspect at work.
And outside of work?
He wouldn’t let her go to the feedings alone. Probably only because his default setting wasprotector.
Don’t read anything into it.
Maybe she should have sent him away when she found him waiting for her in the parking lot, but she couldn’t.
Because he needed the normalcy of the chores?
Because she liked his company?
Both? Neither?
Her thoughts and feelings were a swirling mess when it came to Cole.
She was smart enough to know when she was in trouble.
Yet when he lumbered up as the group headed to the back of the buildings, her heart leapt. She acknowledged it, but remained firm in her decision not to encourage the attraction.
She nodded a greeting, then turned to lead the group, not stopping until they reached the designated spot.
“So we’ll mark out the spots for the trees, then start digging the holes. We need holes about two inches deeper and two inches larger all around than the root balls. Everybody who didn’t get a shovel needs to start carrying water.”
None of them ever complained about having to do something physical. Getting them to talk or consider taking some of the alternative-treatment methods seriously was like pulling teeth. But if hard work and muscle were needed, they were there.
Cole carried water. Digging one-handed would have been awkward for him. Annie made sure not to pay any more attention to him than to the others. He was preoccupied, doing the work, but his attention was clearly not on his task. He almost planted one of the trees without taking the burlap off the root ball.
