Page 87 of Unexpected Heroine

He gestures toward the corner of the living room. “I was just gonna stand over there.”

“Sounds good.” I nod a tad over-zealously, revealing my nervousness. What’s the point in hiding it anyway? “Babe, maybe don’t tell her everything, okay? Not all the details.”

“Of course, sugar bear.”

Holding his eyes, I slip the headphones on. He eases toward the corner, keeping watch over me as he goes.

I kick the music up and dive into this stimulating reading material. From my peripheral, I see him pacing back and forth.

Oh look. They have a pool at this place. And a huge gym.

Looks more like a spa than a women’s shelter.

After a few minutes, I gather the courage to look up from the page, noticing how he seems to be directing the sound toward the wall, instead of the rest of the room. If I could hear him, I’d bet he’d be speaking quietly.

He’s protecting me again.

Putting my head back down, I get lost in the melody in my ears and the words on the page, despite only picking up bits and pieces of both. The distraction technique works; before I know it, he’s kneeling in front of me. No phone in sight.

Reaching up, he gently lowers the headphones, resting them around my neck. “All done.”

“How did she take it?”

His mouth screws over to one side. “Don’t worry about it, sugar bear. She’s okay.”

I’m betting that’s all I’m gonna get out of him. It’s kind of a dumb question, anyway.

How did she take it? She was thrilled. Elated even. Best news she’s gotten all month. She laughed, clapped, and stomped her feet with joy bubbling over.

Lawd, I’m such a dumb donkey sometimes.

“How far away were they?”

“They were getting off the interstate. They’ll be here in ten minutes.”

I grab his hand and lock our gazes. “Thank you for doing that. I know it couldn’t have been easy.”

“How many times do I need to say it before you believe there’s nothing I won’t do for you?” He kisses me on my forehead, then stands. “Absolutely nothing, Lettie.”

Before I let his hand go, I squeeze it in a silent thank you.

Lifting the headphones from my neck, I inch them toward my ears. “I’m gonna keep listening to music while we wait.”

Wordlessly, he swipes his tablet off the shelf and joins me on the couch.

After reading the brochure, I cut off the music and set the headphones on the coffee table. A new worry takes root, so I pin him with a questioning gaze.

He lifts his brows, waiting for me to speak.

“What should we say to Stella about your name? Do I tell her?”

His eyes fall from his tablet to the carpet. “I’ll never ask you to lie on my behalf.”

I’m in quite a quandary.

If she finds out that he lied about his name, she’s going to drag me out of here so fast there’ll be a Road Runner dust cloud behind us.

Although I don’t want to lie to her, I’m not in a place where I can defend him, our relationship, or my decision to ignore it for now.

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