Page 28 of This Time I'm Keeping You
“Hercules,” she said when he released her to lower the cat to the bed.She then walked back into his arms and let him hold her, which told Nick just how scared she was.
“It’s all right now, Poppy.I have you.”
“Again.”
“Again,” Nick confirmed.
“You’ve been there for me twice now.”
“Superhero complex, remember?”His words were muffled because his face was in her hair.
She pushed back out of his arms.“Don’t take this the wrong way, Nick, but you stink.”
He laughed as she wrinkled her nose.
“I’m a builder, Poppy.It’s hot, sweaty work.”
She looked around her bedroom.“I don’t know why I called you.”
“I’m glad you did.How about putting on some shoes?There’s glass everywhere.”
He watched as she moved to the closet.When she reappeared, she was wearing rainbow-colored slippers with unicorns all over them.
“Nice.”
“My neighbor got them for me.”
“She’s got great taste.”He pulled her in for another quick hug, pressing his lips to her head.“It’s going to be okay, Poppy.”
She bent to pick up something.
“Touch nothing, because Billy will be here soon, and he’ll need to see it as it was when you came home, okay?”
“My home is about to be overrun with Athertons again, isn’t it?”She sighed.
Chapter12
“Nick?”
“Up here, Billy.”
“He’s going to take a look around, and then we can get the place cleaned up,” Nick said.
Poppy managed a nod.Why had this happened to her?Was it random, or did someone hate her so much that they’d destroyed the inside of her house?Him.Has he found me?
“Stop thinking.I can see it’s hurting your head,” Nick said.
“Someone just entered my home and did all this.”She waved a hand around.“I’m entitled to think about it.”
Before Nick could reply, his cousin walked in through the door.
“Hey, Poppy.”Billy gave her a hug.
The Athertons were huggers.It was disconcerting because Poppy wasn’t.It’s not that she didn’t like it, exactly; she just wasn’t used to it.
“Really sorry this happened to you, and so close on the heels of that mugging,” Billy said, releasing her.
“Thanks.”
