Page 23 of Her Noble Protector

He rested his forehead against the glass of her patio door. She sounded so sad.

“Are you scared to?”

“I think so. I don’t know anymore. I’m less scared with you here. So maybe it’s not that. Maybe it’s getting to be a habit. I’m not sure.” The last almost sounded like a question.

“Honey, since you’ve been in your house, have you opened a window or a patio door?”

“No,” she said hesitantly.

“Would you like to open your bedroom window just a crack and have me pass through the food?”

“No!” she said vehemently.

Well, that answered that. “Is it because you don’t want me within touching distance?”

“Uhm.”

Raiden waited.

“I’m not sure. Maybe.”

“How about if you opened this patio door, and I wait in the backyard, not on the patio. You’ll be able to see me, but I’ll be far enough away that I won’t be able to reach you while you pick up your food. Would that work?”

Again there was a long pause.

“Raiden, that is so pathetic that I can’t even open my front door to get my food anymore. I’ve been afraid to order more groceries. It’s been getting worse.”

It sounded like she was close to tears.

“I don’t know, Lisa. Seems to me since I got here, you’ve been doing better, don’t you think?”

He saw the blinds shift, once again he saw those dainty fingers. “Maybe. I have been talking to you, that’s an improvement.”

“And you’re considering eating a McDonald’s breakfast sandwich. I think things are looking up for you.”

“You could be right.”

“So what do you think? Could you open the patio door and grab the bags of food?”

“Yeah,” she whispered.

“Okay, give me a second and I’ll go get them from the front porch. I’ll let you know when they’re set up so you can get them, okay?”

“Yeah.”

Raiden hopped the fence and had the food back in no time. He placed the food right by the lip of the sliding glass door so she wouldn’t have to open it much.

“Okay, honey, it’s there.” He moved backward to the edge of the patio and waited.

He saw her hands moving the safety bar at the base of the door, then he finally saw Lisa for the first time in seven weeks. He saw her hands, her body, and her face as she picked up the three bags. She stared at him for a moment like a scared rabbit, then she gave a tentative smile.

He smiled back, not wanting to say anything that might scare her.

She clutched her bounty and tugged it inside, then shut the door. Raiden felt like he had run a marathon in record time. It was wonderful. Now he was ready to push just a little bit more. Just a little.

He went back to the chair, not the chaise lounge, and sat down. He opened up his two breakfast sandwiches and placed them on their wrappers. Then he opened one of his two bottles of orange juice and got ready for his next move.

“Lisa?”