Page 105 of Nanny for the Cowboy

“Of course, Officer Millard. I’ll be here.” The man walks away after giving his own nod, and I scan the apartment. “It’s like nothing happened.”

There are a few signs of the scuffle, but it’s hard to wreck anything in an empty apartment. The only thing I notice are those few specks of blood on the floor.

I need to clean them. I need to get Dad’s security deposit.

“Hey, are you alright?”

I spin around at Brooks’s words, looking up at him. He’s sporting a few reddening bruises, and he’s got his hand on his ribs again.

“Are you?” I gesture at him with my head, and Brooks smirks, waving me off.

“I’m fine. Just a few bruised ribs. Nothing I haven’t dealt with before.”

“I meant to ask about that. You seemed to know how to fight.”

I’m not sure why I really care right now, and my energy feels utterly sapped as I stand there. I think Brooks notices because he guides me over to a box and has me sit down on it.

“I was in the army when I was young. Haven’t been for years. I’m as surprised as you that I still remembered how to do that.”

Shrugging, I bob my head, my stare going to the floor. “He’s actually being arrested. They’re…they’re really taking Kyle away. I…he was going to hurt me. Hurt you.”

Brooks is in my eyeline in a moment, sinking down on the balls of his feet. “He was. But he’ll be in jail for a long time. You don’t have to worry about him anymore. Okay?”

I flick my stare up to his, my eyes burning with unshed tears. “You saved me, Brooks. You stepped in and fought him off. I…there’s no good way to say thank you for that.”

His hands come to my face, holding me there as Brooks’s stare blazes, the light drilling into me.

“I willalwaysprotect you, Lucky. I would do anything to keep you safe. Anything.”

“I…” The tears fall again, and I try to suck in air as the sobs wrack through me.

And then Brooks is kissing me. The feeling of his lips on mine quiets the inferno in my head, and I squeeze my arms around his neck, holding him so fucking tight.

It’s going to be okay. We’re going to be okay.

There’s the sound of heavy steps again, and then I hear, “Clover! Baby!”

Brooks and I stand up abruptly as my dad comes flying into the room. But he’s seen it. It’s too late. My dad saw Brooks and I kissing.

THIRTY-EIGHT

Brooks

Clover and I yank apart as we make eye contact with her father. But I know it’s too late. There’s not a chance in hell he didn’t just see me kissing her.

Especially going off of the look on his face.Fuck.

Stunned silence hangs over the room, and not even the EMTs and cops who’ve been sweeping the scene and tending to people step up to diffuse the tension.

Apparently, they’re all fine with Leo committing a murder—because I’m sure that’s what’s going to happen.

My heart also can’t catch a break. It’s been pounding for too many reasons, for too long. From kissing Clover to watching her dance around my question, then to saving her fucking life to kissing her again.

And now right back to “oh, shit” mode as Leo sends his glare into me like a goddamn laser.

Bad. This is bad. This is so fucking bad.

I’m frozen, though. My hand is still on the small of Clover’s back, and I can’t move, crushed by the weight of the situation.

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