Page 44 of Wrecked for Love
“How cute!” she said, her expression suggesting she was trying to picture it.
“Still, I held back my curiosity and didn’t ask him your full name,” I admitted.
“You didn’t want to sound like a loser for not knowing your date’s last name?” she teased.
“Exactly.”
“It’s Claire Ashbourne.”
“Damn, I was hoping it started with a ‘P’ so I could’ve claimed to be psychic,” I joked, reminding her of how I guessed ‘Chili’ started with a ‘C,’ like Claire.
I topped up our wine and asked, “How was it growing up in the Big Apple?”
She took a sip of her wine, then a few more. “It was fun. Thanks to my brother.”
“Big brother?”
“Yeah.” She beamed. “Sometimes I wish our childhoods could’ve lasted forever. But it wasn’t always easy, especially with parents who were hardly there. And when they were, they were either fighting with each other or with us.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Cody was the only one I had,” she said, and the name jolted me. Was Cody the “Code” she’d uttered in that violent nightmare?
I saw the distress flicker across her face, so I reached for her hand. “Claire, you don’t have to go there.”
“I want to…but…” She paused, taking a deep breath. “Elia, my brother was killed. And I’m running from the people who did it.”
I rose from my seat and wrapped my arms around her as she leaned into me. I could see how much she was holding in and how much she wanted to let out. “You’re safe here. You can stop running now.”
She held onto my hand, her grip tight. “I don’t know if I can.”
I rubbed the top of her palm in slow, soothing circles, giving her the space she needed, though a tinge of fear spread through me. What if this was the last time I saw her?
I kept her hand firmly enclosed in mine. “Come take a walk with me.”
She looked up at me, puzzled but intrigued. I gestured for her to wait and quickly grabbed the socks and gumboots I’d bought for her.
“You thought of everything!” she said, slipping them on.
“I didn’t want to mess up your heels,” I said with a wink, the memory of our first meeting clear between us. She knew exactly what I meant—the day we nearly destroyed her sneakers. “Grab two blankets if you need them.”
“No, this is fine,” she said, holding on to the one already draped over her.
I reached out my arm, and she leaned into my side. I held her by the waist as I shined the torchlight along the path. The night was quiet except for the soft rustle of leaves and the occasional distant call of an owl. The air was crisp, and the stars twinkled above, bright against the deep sky.
“I know you don’t need my protection, Claire,” I began again. “You’ve been handling things on your own all this time, and I’ve been on the wrong end of your gun barrel, so I know you can defend yourself. What I’m trying to say is, you have a home here.”
She leaned closer, her voice soft but firm. “Everyone needs protection from something. Maybe I can do without it, but it’s hard. It’s damn hard. And I don’t know how much longer I can keep doing it alone.”
“You don’t think you’re far enough away now? You think they’ll find you here?”
“Not right away. But someone always knows something, and you’d be surprised how quickly word can spread.”
I nodded. “Then I’ll be by your side, whether that word travels fast or slow. Whatever you need, whenever you need it, I’ll be there.”
Her gaze held mine for a moment, then she whispered, “Is that how badly you want me to stay?”
“I let you walk away that morning. I regretted it, and I’m not going to make that mistake again.”
