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"Whatever this is, I'm here for you. Mara, Brenna, and the boys? You know they have your back too. Let's not forget Spencer. That boy has a hard on for you, and you know it. Blue balls to match, I'm sure."
Oh my god, she did not!
"Girl, shut up. Seriously, though. Thank you. I know I'm not the most open book, but I'm trying. Talking to you helps so much, and I hope you know that. He's probably just fucking with me. He doesn't have the balls to face a team that actually fights back. For now, can you keep this between the two of us, please?"
She agreed, and I trusted her, which was huge, because there's very few people I trusted. I kept myself guarded for a reason. What I needed was a dog. I'd been thinking about it for a while now, and I thought it was time. Not just because of Stefan, but if I was being honest, I was lonely. Brenna’s dog, Hippie, was the cutest damn thing, and I saw how much happiness he brought to her, and I wanted that.
"So, I've been thinking about getting a dog. I think it'd be less lonely around my house, and he or she would have a friend in Hippie. Before you say it, yes, it's partly for protection but mostly for companionship. What do you say? You want to go to the shelter with me tomorrow?"
All I heard was a shouted “Yes!” then Dana was fist bumping the air with a stupidly goofy grin on her face. Okay? I guess that meant she'd go with me?
"Oh, yes! I love puppies! We have to invite Brenna too, if that's okay? I think it's a wonderful idea. Maybe it'll relieve some of the stress on your shoulders. Yay! I'm going to have another four-legged friend to spoil. Hippie's getting fat with all the treats I make him, so now I can concentrate on a new victim. I mean, a new doggo friend. Hippie will just have to learn to share."
I was feeling better after talking with Dana. She seemed to be the light that I needed in my life, and I was so thankful. I already had cameras in my house and outside and double locks on all the windows and doors. That shit was sealed up like Fort Knox. You couldn’t ever be too careful these days. I was not going to let Stefan ruin what I had. He'd already ruined enough. I’d take the necessary precautions, but I wouldn’t hide. I was done hiding.
Chapter 2
Dana
One Mississippi, two Mississippi, three Mississippi…
“Dear Lord, please grant me the strength and serenity to not slap a Karen today. Thank you, ’cause ya know, orange ain’t my color.”
A deep chuckle had me spinning where I stood, my hand pressing against my chest. He stood tall in his uniform. The vest and duty belt he wore made him look like a giant. He was a very handsome, dark-haired man with hazel eyes that spoke to my soul. His eyes sparkled with mirth at startling me.
“You can sleep on the couch tonight if that’s how you’re gonna be.”
“Now, it’s not my fault you were so busy praying to the Lord that you missed my key opening the back door.”
My eyes narrowed, which made the jerk start grinning. He towered over me as he moved to where I stood. His finger pressed against the bottom of my chin, raising it so I was looking into those gorgeous eyes of his.
“Don’t kiss me,” I ordered half-heartedly.
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” he teased me. I didn’t really mind though. And it was more than a kiss, it was his way of claiming my very soul. Like the ones you read about in romance books.
Nich was a man of few words, yet his actions spoke volumes. The big man, who made my heart melt into a puddle of goo daily, was the kind of man every woman deserved. Kind, a good listener, and knew how to show me I was his world without it being work. His effortless love was heart-stopping.
“How long do you have?” I asked, my gaze still locked onto his.
Nich leaned in and kissed me again. This time his lips were a gentle caress against mine. He pulled back, glancing at the clock on the wall; it showed it was just after 5:00am.
“Forty-five minutes or until we get a call.”
“Good. Sit,” I ordered, turning him slightly. “I’ll get you something to eat.” I watched as he moved to the small table in the back of the kitchen. Within five minutes, I had him a mug of coffee—black, four sugars—and two fresh-baked, buttery ham and cheese croissants. A small container of honey joined the plate on the table before him.
“Thank you, baby. I always look forward to my morning stop here.”
“Good thing. If you went somewhere else, I’d probably end up in that orange jumpsuit.”
He chuckled, shaking his head at me. “Stop being so sassy. Don’t let me keep you from your prep work.”
“You like my sass.” Grinning, I kissed his cheek before moving to wash my hands.
I had three pans ready for bread loaves. I was trying a new recipe for braided bread today. Almond flavoring went into the mixture, and once it was divided and in the pans, almond slivers would be drizzled along the top with a little butter.
It’s a wonder I wasn’t five hundred pounds. Not that there's anything wrong with that. I just meant, all of the breads, pastries—the deliciousness—that surrounded me daily was so tempting. I was all for the sweet, but the savory got me just as much.
Spacing out my pans, I nodded to myself. I had a few gluten-free breads and pastries that I’d already prepared and put away so there was no cross-contamination.
