Page 54 of Receiving His Mercy
“I might be coming down with something. I can start demanding, if you like.”
“No, no! This Travis is good. I like this Travis.”
“You like bossy Travis, too.”
“Debatable.”
“No lying,” he warned. “There’s going to be truth between us.”
Something filled her face. Regret? Worry?
“Everything I tell you will be the truth,” she finally said.
Hmm, did that mean there were things she wouldn’t tell him? He opened his mouth to demand she reveal everything, then shut it.
Shit.
Trying to be her friend and not make too many demands was frankly exhausting. It was easier when he was in charge.
“All right, Goldie.”
15
Oh no.
He looked like he’d swallowed a lemon. Or was having gastro issues. Caren had to bite her lip not to break out into giggles.
And she really didn’t think she’d feel like laughing today. Not after the disaster of yesterday. But Travis had this ability to make her feel lighter. Like everything wasn’t piling on top of her.
She didn’t know why. Perhaps because she knew that nothing would touch her while he was around.
He made her feel so safe.
It wasn’t something she felt often. She’d started feeling safe when she’d gone to live with Grammy. Before the older lady became so frail that she had to take care of her.
Not that she begrudged any moment of that time. Grammy saved her. Caren would have done anything for her.
“You still haven’t shown me your arm, Goldie,” he told her. There was more demand in his voice this time.
Well. She guessed there wasn’t any harm in showing him.
Standing, she set the blanket aside and then drew off her coat. She was wearing a top with three-quarter sleeves under her jacket so the bruise was easily visible on her slender forearm.
Travis sucked in a breath. “Baby.”
Caren let that word settle into her heart. She loved hearing him call her that even knowing that he didn’t necessarily mean it the way she wanted him to.
As if she was his baby.
Maybe he called lots of people “baby.”
Oh, she didn’t like the idea of that, did she?
He took a gentle hold of her hand and turned her arm from side to side.
“It’s really not that bad. Although I was surprised by how strong she is. For some reason, I thought she wouldn’t be able to hurt me anymore. Seems I was wrong.”
Caren had thought she was stronger than this, than her. And she wasn’t talking about physical strength.
