Page 123 of Nothing to Fear

“So you think you aren’t doing enough? Cherry—”

“I get it. I don’t know her reasons or their source, but motivation, the drive to give back… It’s not about chasing a high, it’s never being enough. I can never repay all that was given to me.”

“You don’t owe anyone anything,” he said, combing his fingers through her hair.

“I feel like I do,” she admitted, vulnerability quaking in her belly, quieting her voice. “Growing up, my mother would take whatever she could get, whether we needed it or not. Charities picked us up. The goodwill of others gave us a lifeline we wouldn’t have survived without. There were times we needed it, after we were burglarized, and we had a fire… more than one fire.” And she wasn’t so sure they were all accidental. “But it didn’t matter. If my mom saw an in, she’d take from those who might need it to have more for herself. Makes me sick to think about it now.”

“That was your mom and you were a kid. You’re a good person, an amazing person. But I have no problem with giving back or taking on other responsibilities. Whatever life we build together, Cherry, I will always be on your side. I’ll always support you.”

She couldn’t probe and ask more about what he wanted from life when her own vision was still hazy. Alice Breckenridgeshowed what was possible. How did that inspiration shape her own future? Their future. Together. Together?

FORTY

MOVIE ONE FINISHED. Somewhere in the second movie, she lost the battle against sleep. Something roused her, a touch, a tingle, a special kind of zip between her thighs.

“Mmm,” she murmured, moving with the caress of the mouth on her breasts, the hand sliding across her hip to— “Darroch.” Instantly awake, she tossed back the covers to find him there, all innocence and arousal. “Darroch! What are you doing?”

“Give me a minute and it will all make sense.”

“Get up here,” she said, grabbing for him. “You are not doing that.”

“You’re awake now.” Kissing her once, and twice, brushing his lips across hers, to her jaw, her throat. “Now I can really astound you.”

“Stop,” she said. All he did was peek up from her cleavage, darkness drew them closer. “You’re not allowed to do that.”

“I’m your guy.”

“My head injury guy.” Pushing him away, she got him onto his back. “You’re supposed to be resting, not… not resting.”

“New rule…”

“Rule?”

“We spend every night together. Here, at my mom’s, at a hotel, I don’t care, but we sleep next to each other every night.” He must’ve read the question in her expression. “Then we don’t have to worry about each other or lose track. We’ll always know where each other is. Give me your phone.”

She rolled away to grab it. “It’s probably too late to call your mom.”

“Not calling Mom,” he said, typing into her phone. After a second, another ring razed the air, but it died quickly. “Now you have my number.”

“You called your phone from mine?” she asked, and he nodded while handing it back. “I didn’t mean to pressure you into—”

“No, you’re right. It’s ridiculous that I don’t have a way to contact you. We never would’ve fought earlier if I’d just called to tell you what was going on.”

That was true.

When she settled, he was quick to pull her into his arms to start the kissing again. “You’re still in recovery.”

“I’m fine. The docs are overprotective.”

Smart that he put it on the doctors and not her and Alice. “We’re supposed to be watching a movie.”

Though the room was dark, TV off.

“You fell asleep and I don’t care about the movie.”

“No?” she asked, hitching her playful chin. “What do you care about?”

“This woman in my bed,” he said, rolling them over to put himself on top again. “It’s never felt like this, Cherry. Tell me I’m crazy.”

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