Page 11 of Protecting the Boundary
He won’t look at me now, and I nibble my lip, wondering if he might feel the little bit of spark that I just felt. Then I remember how gruff he’s been and shake off the thought. Of course he doesn’t feel anything. It doesn’t seem like he wants me here at all.
The rest of the short walk to the guesthouse is silent, but I’m hyperaware of his presence behind me as we make our way there. The backyard is just as gorgeous as the front yard, but also has a pool with a thick netting over it. Romel catches me looking at it.
“It’s a safety net. If Kay were to fall in, she wouldn’t go underwater. She knows how to swim, but I keep this net over the pool whenever I’m not out here to watch her.”
“Okay, I’ll keep that in mind so I always remember to put it back if we go swimming.”
“I appreciate it.”
“Of course. Her safety’s important to me.”
It’s the truth, and not just because it’s my job to watch her. Kaylee has already made a place for herself in my heart, and I’d be devastated if she got hurt,especiallyif I was watching her when it happened.
A hand wrapping around my upper arm stops me in my tracks, and I watch Kaylee open the door to the guesthouse and run inside before I spin around to face Romel.
His expression is serious, but there’s fear in the depths of his eyes. “My daughter is my whole world. Her safety is paramount, do you understand?”
I swallow thickly. “I promise I wasn’t being flippant. I know I haven’t known her for long, but I can assure you her safety is of the utmost importance to me as well. I will never put her in harm’s way.”
His grip relaxes and then he rips his hand away as if he just now noticed he was touching me. My arm is warm where he touched me, but I try to ignore the sensation.
“Miss Mere! Come here!” Kaylee’s voice breaks the weird, intense stare off we’re having and I take advantage of it, grabbing my suitcase from him and going straight into the guesthouse. Romel doesn’t follow. He stands frozen like a statue on the walkway just outside the guesthouse front door, and I’m grateful for the reprieve of having him in my space, even if it’s only temporary. As thrilling as it is to finally feel something, it is so, so,sobad that it has to be for my new boss.
Kaylee is sitting on the bed when I roll my suitcases in the bedroom. “You like it?” she asks, her voice quiet. I’m used to loud kids who seem like they have so much energy it’s practically exploding out of them. Kaylee is much more restrained.
I sit down on the bed next to her and bump her shoulder with mine. “It’s great. But how about I unpack later, and we go color for a while, or we could do something else if you want.”
She turns her cute little face to me, her lips pinched and her brows furrowed. I bite back a smile at such a small child wearing such a serious expression. “But Daddy’s home.”
I part my lips to reply, but she jumps off the bed and screams. “Daddy!”
Shoving off the bed, I run after her. “Kaylee?”
Romel’s already through the front door and holding her, her little arms wrapped so tight around his neck, I wonder if he can even breathe. He turns a stern glare to me.
“What did you say to her?” he practically growls.
I shake my head, completely at a loss. “I asked her if she wanted to color or play and she just jumped off the bed screaming for you.”
Muffled sobs come from her and my heart breaks. “I don’t know what happened,” I say hoarsely, unable to look away from Kaylee.
Romel’s eyes close with a slight wince, and the muscles of his arms bunch as he hugs Kaylee tighter. “It’s not your fault,” he says with a heavy sigh.
“What did I say?”
When he opens his eyes, there’s that pain again. “She thought I was leaving.” But that’s all the attention he gives me before he brushes past me to sit on the small love seat in the living room that’s about as big as the one I had in the apartment I shared with my roommate in college.
He rubs Kaylee’s back in gentle circles, murmuring so softly to her, I can’t pick up any of the words, but they must be soothing to her because she stops crying and sits back to stare at him. Tears fill my eyes at the depth of sadness in her gaze when she looks at her dad. “You’re not leaving?”
“Not today. I’m here all day, okay? You know I always tell you when I’m going to leave.”
She looks down, her little brain processing that information before she nods.
“Do you want to color with Miss Mere?” he asks, his tone soft and gentle.
She looks up at him, her mouth in a pout. “You color too?”
Oh boy. I don’t know how he could possibly say no to herwhen she looks at him like that, so I’m not at all surprised when he nods.
