Page 26 of Protecting Talia

After a moment, he leaned back and met her gaze. “What about breakfast? I have stuff to make pancakes.”

Comfort food sounded great. It was the kind of thing she’d always wanted someone to do for her but never had experienced. “That would be nice.”

“Good. Why don’t you sit, and I’ll get everything together.”

“You don’t?—”

“You have a concussion. The doctor wants you to rest. I’ll take care of the food.”

She wasn’t used to having someone take care of her. It was nice, much better than fending for herself. Before this, she’d never relaxed with a guy, but with Zip, it was easy to trust him. “I guess we’re not going on a hike.”

He shook his head. “We can watch a movie and take naps. I didn’t get much sleep this week since I had to go to base early. I’ll enjoy resting with you.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. I want to cook for you. I want to take care of you.”

His suggestions sounded perfect. They could spend the day hanging out here. At least that wouldn’t cost her much money. She sat on the couch, wincing as pain flared. Her rear was still sore, along with her shoulders and her head. It reminded her of her past and how she would end up being sore after a long week of filming.

Zip worked efficiently in the kitchen, not having any problems. She was impressed that he didn’t seem to have any issues cleaning as he went. That was also a first. Most people made messes when they cooked. It was nice seeing how Zip did things. The lack of clutter and mess was calming. Because she lived in such a small place, she had to keep her kitchen space and bathroom clean. Zip seemed like he naturally picked up after himself.

“The first batch will be done in a few minutes. I have syrup or honey.”

“Honey? Who has honey on their pancakes?”

He shrugged. “Being in the military, you get to see a lot of differences in what people like. I mean, in training situations, you eat what you’re given. But if they have time to pick and choose, you see the differences. Some people, not many, eat pancakes and waffles with honey. Just like some people don’t think pinto beans are real beans, but others think white beans are the best.”

“I like pancakes with syrup, and pinto beans are the best.”

“I agree. Now that you’re staying here, you get to see my weird food habits.”

She chuckled. “I’ll be surprised if you want to put up with me after a few days.”

His expression sobered. “I want you here and I will want you here as long as you want to stay. That place you were living, it’s not safe. You don’t have to move in, but I don’t think you should live there.”

She pulled off a piece of pancake and popped it in her mouth. It tasted great. “Did you add cinnamon?”

“Sure did. It’s a trick I learned from one of the wives. She has kids, and I was over there one day helping them replace their shingles.”

“You know how to shingle a house?”

He shrugged. “Not really. But I can follow directions really well. We did a great job with it. We all kind of help each other out when we can. I don’t know that we’ll ever shingle another house. It was hard work, but they needed an emergency repair, and we jumped in.”

“Wow. I’m impressed. I’ve never had people who cared enough to do anything for me. I can’t imagine replacing shingles on a roof.”

“Well, we’ve got a good crew for the most part. I mean, there are some guys who are assholes, but they are few and far between.”

She finished her first pancake and Zip put another one on her plate. “I probably shouldn’t.”

“You should if you’re hungry.”

She eyed the pancake and picked it up, dipping a corner into the syrup she’d poured onto her plate. Being with Zip felt comfortable. Anytime she’d lived with someone before, it hadn’t been a good situation.

He sat down across from her and raised his eyebrows. “You’re concentrating very hard.”

She shrugged. “I’ve never really lived with someone I liked before. It’s weird.”

“How so?”

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