Page 132 of False Start

The weight lifted when Lana revealed her secret and threw him into chaos, only to be settled when we found his sister in trouble and needing him. Stabilizing him even in the storm because in that moment he had a purpose.

A protector. A caretaker. A coach.

Always giving.

How would he handle receiving?

“Does this mean you’ll go to Philly now?” My heart kicked in my chest while I waited for his answer.

For a yes.

His eyes narrowed and he nodded. “I’ll go to Philly now.”

Relief slid through me and I took a deep breath, not realizing I’d been holding in my last. But with Jordan home, his nephew delivered, and Jackson coaching us at the exhibition, he had nothing keeping him here.

He’d be back to spiraling.

Back to running.

And this time, him knowing what this town meant to me, there’d be no taking my hand before he ran.

I just hoped when he finally let go and walked away, he’d found enough here that he had no choice but to lay old ghosts to rest and come back.

“I—I cleaned up the barn and the good news is, the quilt survived. It’s hanging up in the laundry room. I didn’t dare put it in the dryer.”

“You cleaned up?” he said, his voice low as he took a step toward me.

“Well, yes. I didn’t want you to come home and have to worry about it after all you went through tonight so I—what are you doing?” I asked as he took another slow step toward me.

Stalking me.

With an unreadable look on his face.

“You stayed here and took care of everything while I was gone so I didn’t have to come home and do it?”

“Yes. It’s not that big of a deal.”

“To you,” he said quietly.

He took another step.

Energy snapped in the air between us.

“It’s just laundry,” I said before rolling my lips between my teeth.

He stopped within inches of me, his gaze flicking to my mouth before meeting my eyes again. “You didn’t just do the dishes. Cleaning up from childbirth is a lot more than just laundry.”

“I—why are you being weird?”

He took another step, backing me up until I bumped against the counter. “No one takes care of me.”

I tipped my head back and cupped his cheek, finally noticing the stubble on his ordinarily clean-shaven face. “Have you ever let them?”

His eyes closed and he tilted his face into my hand. “I don’t know how,” he rasped.

“Cain…” I whispered, trying out his name, his real name for the first time.

He shuddered at the sound, another barrier collapsing between us.

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