Page 13 of Two Risks I'd Never Take Again

“Are you going to sleep?” He shifted his head on the stack of pillows.

“I’m going to try.” I carried the dishes into the kitchen and made sure the front door was locked and bolted before going back into the bedroom.

Garrett was already asleep.

Before getting into bed, I took a fast shower. It felt wonderful to be free of mud.

Then I crawled onto the bed and curled up on my side. Watching the rise and fall of his chest, I lay there until my timer went off. Then I returned the peas to the freezer, lay back down, and stopped fighting sleep.

Pounding woke me,and I pried my eyes open.

After a frightening second, I remembered why there was a man without a shirt in my bed. I rubbed my face as I rolled off the mattress.

“You were out pretty hard. Your phone buzzed several times.” Garrett hooked his thumb toward the doorway. “I can talk to Eli if that will make things easier for you.”

“Maybe. I don’t know. I thought you didn’t want Eli to know.” I trudged down the hall, wishing I’d checked the time. I pulled open the door barely an inch. “Hello?”

Eli’s green eyes were filled with a wild panic. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. I was asleep.”

“The shop is closed!” He placed a hand on the door, expecting me to swing it open.

I wedged my foot, making sure the door didn’t open any further. “I know. I put the sign up. Can’t a woman take a vacation?”

“Not you. You don’t know how. That shop has been open every day for seven years. The last time you taped a sign to the door and disappeared was—”

“Don’t say it. I’m fine. And I haven’t disappeared. I stayed home. Sorry you didn’t get coffee.” If I talked to Eli much longer, I’d end up telling him all about Garrett’s injuries.

“I know you, Tessa. Something is going on.” He checked his phone. “But I don’t have time to pry the secrets out of you right now. I have to get to work. Call Delaney. She’s worried about you.”

I nodded before closing the door. Why hadn’t I just explained to Eli what was going on?

Two reasons. Garrett didn’t want anyone to know, and Eli was too close to Joji, who lived right by Beau Henry’s ranch. And she was married to the ranch foreman. The fewer people who knew about Garrett’s injuries, the better the chance we had of keeping the fiasco a secret for a week.

Why was I set on protecting Garrett’s secret? That was harder to answer.

I shuffled back to the bedroom. “Sorry he woke you up.”

“I’ve been awake. Watching you sleep is more relaxing than actually sleeping right now.” He patted the bed. “Tessa, why are you helping me? I hate that I’m putting you in an awkward situation.”

Hugging a pillow, I sat down beside him. “When I was twelve, my dad had a garden. He was growing heirloom tomatoes. One day, I heard him fire that stupid BB gun. I ran out back and found an injured squirrel. Dad had just left the poor thing in the yard. He didn’t realize he’d wounded it. He was just trying to scare it out of the tomatoes.”

“The tomato thief?” Garrett rested his brace next to my hand, and only his thumb was touching me.

“Yeah. That squirrel was eating Dad’s prize tomatoes. Anyway, I bandaged the little beast and took him to Eli’s house. I spent more time over there than I did at my own house. His mom helped me set up a little bed and feeding station in the garden shed, and I spent a few weeks feeding the little critter and changing the bandages while he healed. When he seemed back to normal, I set him free.”

“So I’m a squirrel?” His voice held a hint of humor.

I shrugged. “You need me. At the end of the week, you won’t anymore.”

“What seemed like a big deal—interrupting the honeymoon—doesn’t sound so horrible now. You can’t stay closed all week just to take care of me.” He shifted toward the edge of the bed. “Besides, if I fall off the radar for too long, folks at the ranch will worry.” He sounded so sure, but his shoulders told a different story. His slouch signaled resignation and sadness.

“Where are you going?”

“Take me to get my truck. My phone is in it.” He swung one leg over the edge.

I crawled across the bed and grabbed his arm. “No. You aren’t giving the orders.I am. Get back in this bed.”

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