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…Oh.
Kingston shifts his weight, the floorboards creaking beneath his bulk, and if I didn’t know better, I’d swearhewas nervous. Impossible.
“If you’re ever in trouble, any kind of fix, you press that big button on the front.” A thick finger stabs toward the button in question, and I hold it up to the sunlight spilling through the open window. “A siren’ll go off, making a whole racket, and it’ll send a text to my phone with your GPS coordinates. I’ll come get you.”
Oh. Wow.
“Day or night, you press that button,” he says.
I’m gonna cry. I’m sniffling already.
“I want you to carry this on your person, Danielle. Carry it everywhere. Keep the batteries charged.”
“Okay,” I rasp, and jeez, my throat is clogged. No one’s ever done something like this for me before. No one’s evercared.
Oh, my Mama loves me, don’t get me wrong. But that’s a biological imperative. Besides, she’s of the opinion that once you’re out in the world, you can damn well learn to manage on your own. Then she fusses and clucks because I’m not doing thingsherway, even though she refused to get involved. I love her too, but damn.
This is different. This is like… the earth shifting under my feet. When I blink, my eyes go all blurry.
“Thank you,” I whisper, and I know I’m making Kingston uncomfortable now, because he clears his throat and shifts his weight again. I don’t care. He needs to know how grateful I am. “This is the nicest present anyone’s ever given me,” I tell his chest, eyes still too blurry to meet his gaze. My chin wobbles. “You’re a really good man.”
A puff of air. He sounds strained when he asks, “You think so?”
“Yeah.Yes.” How could I not after this? I’ve had my theories about Kingston Holt being secretly noble for months, but here’s the cold, hard proof. “Areallygood man. The best.”
He makes this pleased, rumbly noise. Something about it makes my insides go all shivery, but I don’t have time to process that.
Because: “Then maybe you can do me a favor,” Kingston says. “I need help with something. But, uh. It’s personal.”
Four
Kingston
Ishouldn’t ask favors when Danielle’s eyes are all wet and shiny like that, but if I don’t do it now, I might never push myself over this verge. I’ve been staring at her for hours already today, trying to figure out a script. Working out what I’m gonna say. Working out what Iwantfrom her, exactly.
I’m still not sure. But here goes.
“You can say no.” Feels important to state that out loud. ‘Course, I’d prefer to think that she knows that already, but I’m not an idiot. I’m her boss, and that complicates things. “This ain’t work related. You can say no, and nothing bad will happen.”
Danielle sniffs hard, tucking the alarm I gave her in her shorts pocket. “Okay…” She blinks up at me, all teary-eyed and discombobulated, waiting for me to spit it out already.
At least those were happy tears. I’d want to slam my head against the brick wall otherwise.
“I need, uh. I need help.” Christ, does this have to be so hard? Of course I need help. By the way I’m stalling, choking on my own tongue, I need all the help I can get.
“With…?” Danielle prompts, gifting me a shy smile. It’s wobbly but perfect, and it boosts me enough to suck in deep breath. I stand taller and force out the words.
“I’m ready to settle down.” It all comes out in a rush, and my tone is all wrong. I sound angry, but it’s just that I’m so nervous.
Danielle blinks. A pink flush spreads over her cheeks. “Oh,” she whispers.
“Well, yeah. So I need practice,” I say, forcing my way through the rest of this conversation, because the faster I say it, the faster I can go hide out in the stockroom until my heart stops galloping. “I haven’t, uh. Haven’t dated all that much.”
Try ever. Oh, there were some awkward teenage dates in high school, but nothing grown up. Nothingreal. Then I went in the slammer for six years, and no woman with any sense gave me a second look once I got out. Told myself I didn’t care about that, and I mostly meant it, but now…
“You want to date me? As practice?” She’s even pinker now, and flustered as hell. Keeps plucking at the tied knot of her t-shirt. “Like a dress rehearsal?”
My gut settles, and I nod once. “Yeah. Exactly. So when I meet the right woman…”
