Page 43 of Inherited Light
“My friend, Frances, but he’s dead,” she answered and I snapped my head around to face her.
“What?” I asked.
She acted nonchalant, but her chin trembled slightly. “He died last year when he was pinned between a forklift and a wall. He was a great guy, and I miss him every day. He always helped me replace light bulbs and other things I couldn’t reach.”
I frowned a little. “Were you two romantically involved?” I asked, my voice coming out more forceful than I wanted.
She blinked twice and then burst out laughing. “No, I tend not to date guys old enough to be my father.”
I grinned sheepishly and bounced on my toes. “I sounded inappropriately possessive, didn’t I?” I asked.
Her gaze locked with mine. “I wouldn’t know about possessive, but I like knowing you feel threatened by someone else being ahead of you in the dating line.”
I stalked back to the couch and squatted, slipping my hand behind her head carefully and tugging her to my lips. When our lips touched, I understood we were both drowning and we only had each other to hold onto. I finally pulled away and rested my forehead against hers.
After a shaky breath, I could speak again. “I’ll fight anyone who thinks they’re ahead of me in the dating line. Kissing you blows my mind and I have no intention of letting anyone take my place at the front of the line,” I whispered.
She ran her hand up the side of my face and smiled shyly. “There’s no one else, Ren. Only you.”
I let out the breath I’d been holding and motioned at the chandelier over the table. “He died and you haven’t had anyone else to change bulbs, right?” Her eyes immediately hit the floor, which was enough of an answer. She couldn’t hide the embarrassment and shame she shouldn’t feel. I rubbed her cheek and I kept my forehead against hers. “It must be hard living by yourself sometimes,” I whispered, hearing her breath hitch in her chest.
“It has its ups and downs. I probably need a handyman,” she said, her defiant tone less prominent than the sadness filling her body.
I lowered my lips again, but I didn’t take more than she was willing to give. I let her end the kiss to help her see what I said next was the truth. “I’ll be your handyman from now on. I’m going to remove the outside bulb and take it to the police station when I go get your van. While we’re waiting for Cinn and Foster I’ll make a list of the bulbs you need replaced. Then I’ll go to the hardware store and buy a new outdoor bulb. Do you have regular bulbs?”
She shook her head. “I’m out of everything but a few low watt energy saver bulbs.”
I studied the room and could see multiple light sources around me with burnt out bulbs. I’m not sure why I never noticed them before, but they stuck out like a sore thumb this morning. I ran the outside of my hand down her face. “I’ll take care of it from now on.”
“At least until you move on,” she said quietly and I froze. I closed my eyes and kept my hand on her face. It only took a few seconds for me to sense she believed with every bit of her heart I would leave.
“I’m not going anywhere, Cat. I know you don’t believe me right now, but it’s the truth.”
I picked up her hand and kissed it, forcing her to hold my eyes. The fear in hers told me it was going to take a lot of convincing before she believed someone could love her, unconditionally.
Chapter Fourteen
“Are you sure you don’t need any help?” Foster asked as I climbed out of his car at Cat’s gallery. “What if you need a ride somewhere?”
I stood, and set the box with the light bulb on the seat. “I’ll be fine. I’ve already called the tire guys to meet me here. There’s no way I can safely jack her van up, pull the tire, and get it back here again without risking someone messing with the van while I’m gone. The van is all Cat has to get around with,” I said. The expression on his face made me chuckle. “Okay, at least the only non-human powered wheels. I would rather you stayed with the girls while I’m gone, just in case.”
He nodded once, but his face held concern. “I don’t feel like this was a random attack, Lorenzo,” he said.
“It wasn’t. Cat thinks it was an ex of hers. I’m not so sure.”
“Why?” he asked.
“I keep asking myself why did he hurt her? He knocked me out, so why didn’t he take her? Or at the very least, swoop in as the hero?”
His mouth made an O. “You’re right. I hadn’t considered it in those terms, but you’re right, chances are he would have either taken her, or played the hero, not left you both hurt.”
I nodded, feeling the knot on the back of my neck. “I can’t say with complete conviction it wasn’t him, but if it was him, and he left her injured, I’ll kill him myself.”
He grimaced. “You probably don’t want to say that too loudly. Someone might use your anger against you with Cat.”
I shrugged. “He already threatened to kill me at the last Little League game. We’re even now.”
“I think you better talk to the cops about this. It’s clear the guy is unpredictable.”
