Page 43 of The Fear
She shook herself mentally. She was just being melodramatic. Ayla and Gunn—and the super-hot guy who was Gunn’s close friend from Nebraska named Emerson—were okay. Safe. They had all survived and were moving forward now.
“Talk to me.”
“It’s just…I don’t think I can ever look at this place the same way again. There is…darkness here now, I guess.”
“Stay there; I’m coming around to get you down. Gunn said they were bringing fresh gravel this week, and it’s not been spread yet.”
She could climb out just fine, but…Hala just stayed where she was. She just didn’t feel like protesting his caveman tendencies today. Just not today.
She wanted his hands on her.
He opened her door and then he was…lifting her close. She just pressed against his strong, broad chest, and left her face right there. She could feel his heartbeat. His arms went around her, tight. “It’ll be okay again. I promise. Gunn and Ayla are going to be okay, and so are Gia and that brother of yours. We’re all going to be okay.”
Her fingers tightened on his shirt. She just didn’t want him to let her go.
She just didn’t.
Thisspot right here, next to his heart, was where Hala finally feltsafeagain. That mattered, right?
36
If Grady could havehis way, he would stay right where he was, and hold this completely maddening, utterly fascinating woman forever.
But there were people pulling in and he didn’t want her to be bothered by curious busybodies like he’d seen Gunn get at the barbecue. His brother liked talking to people all the time. Grady did not. And the last thing he wanted was for people to be gossiping about her.
She was an unmarried kindergarten teacher—she didn’t need to be the butt of rumors. Hell, her job could be dependent on her not doing something to get gossiped about. Didn’t some school district have those kinds of rules?
So, he just kissed her on her forehead and lowered her from his truck. “Come on, kid. We have cookies to load up and ferry to the library.”
There were totes full of baked goods in cardboard containers, just ready to go. The rest of his family that was able to help were on their way in a few hours. They’d meet them at the town library, right in the middle of everything.
But somehow, his mama had asked him and Hala specifically to be there at the church early. To get the donated baked goods to the library to begin with. Grady wasn’t certainwhythe baked goods couldn’t have been left at the library in the first place, that would have made more sense.
“I don’t remember if I’ve ever been at a bake sale,” Hala said. “Maybe when we were kids? I think I remember baking dozens of cookies with your mom once a few years ago. Right after…what had happened to me with…my ex. She came and picked me up and…put me to work.”
Grady just kind of grunted.Thatbastard was someone he had long wanted to find and show him right from wrong. He almost had. That night. He and Gene—when they had heard what had happened to Hala in her own apartment. When Greer, in tears, had told them what had happened to her best friend on the planet. He and Gene had wanted to go find her ex-boyfriend themselves. Right then and there.
But Hudson had already handled it.
And their mother had stopped them, telling them the last thing Hala would want was for them to get into real trouble for what they had fully intended to do that night. Grady had just intended to rip the guy apart. Into tiny pieces no one would ever find.
Grady wouldalwayswant to protect her. He just would.
“You were always around for a long time. Then you weren’t.” And he had missed her. Her laugh, mostly. The way those big brown eyes would light up when she was happy…the world was a darker place when she wasn’t around. He would always believe that.
“I was at the ranch when I could be, but…then Greer moved into her apartment, and we just spent our free time there. And we were avoiding…the former Missus Gene Hiller, who thoughtshe was a goddess and everything, and we were to bow and serve.”
Well. Grady could understand that. Gene’s ex-wife was a first-class bitch. In every way. She had always had a problem with Greer, too. Grady had always thought that woman was just jealous. Greer was smart and beautiful and well-liked and sweet. Mostly. His sister could be a bit prickly at times—they all could. Grady and his brothers had made sure of it.
“I missed you. House was too quiet without all you girls there all the time. Just don’t tell the girls that, okay?”
“Your secret is safe with me. Softy.”
“Now, give me a quick kiss. We’ve got work to do.” He took the initiative. Hell, he just couldn’t help himself. He would kiss her forever, if he could. But…there were people pulling in the parking lot of the church now. Including his very curiousmotherand his ever-tolerant father.So he just kissed her on her forehead and stepped back. Being good. For now.
Grady had some serious thinking to do where this woman was concerned. One thing was clear—Hala wasback.She wasn’t ever going away. And that meant…he was hers. Completely.
And that was never going to change.
