Page 46 of Whispers of You
“I’ll stay with you.”
14
WREN
“What?”It was more of a squeak than an actual word, and I didn’t miss the twitch of Holt’s lips.
I scowled. “You have to be invited into someone’s home. Otherwise, you might end up arrested. Right, Law?”
Lawson’s eyes ping-ponged back and forth between the two of us. “I really don’t want to be in the middle of this. I’m gonna get my kit.” A second later, he was ducking his head and making a beeline for his SUV.
“Coward!” I yelled.
Holt snorted.
“Don’t laugh,” I snapped.
“Wren,” he said quietly in that same soft tone that always had me caving to whatever he wanted.
I bit the inside of my cheek and forced myself not to look away. Maybe that voice had made me weak-kneed in the past, but that wasn’t me anymore.
Holt moved in my direction, and Shadow stiffened. Holt seemed to sense it more than see and dropped to a crouch. He held out a hand for her to sniff.
Shadow stretched her neck so she could take a whiff. A second later, she was taking two steps in his direction. The second after that, his fingers were sifting through her fur.
Shadow leaned into his touch, seeking more of his attention. I couldn’t help but feel a little betrayed. Shadow was friendly, but she was also protective. On a night where she’d thought there was a threat to me, she shouldn’t have been anywhere but by my side.
Holt tipped his head back so he could meet my gaze. “I know I don’t deserve it. For a million different reasons. But let me stay anyway. I’ll leave first thing in the morning. I just don’t want you out here alone when someone’s been skulking around.”
I stared into those deep blue eyes I once thought I knew so well. “I’ve been out here alone for a long time.”
The flicker of movement was so tiny I would’ve missed it if I hadn’t been so attuned to everything about Holt. And that little hint of motion was nothing but pain.
“I know you have. I’m not trying to say you’re incapable of taking care of yourself, just that sometimes it’s nice for someone to have your back.”
I’d always loved that about Holt. He was on my team first. Always. My number one fan and star pitching coach. It was one of the things I’d missed the most when he left—the feeling of not being alone in the difficulties that life could bring.
Part of me wanted to rake him over the coals for even asking. To take whatever knife he’d plunged into his chest and push it deeper. Know that he was hurting the way I was.
But when I looked into the face I’d known for all my life, I couldn’t do it. Because I saw the lines that grief had carved into his features.
Holt’s gaze shifted to my dog as he continued scratching her head. “I’d never be able to live with myself if something happened to you.”
But somethinghadhappened to me. And it wasn’t the bullet that had done the most damage; it was the aftermath. That had destroyed us both.
As I stared at Holt, I wondered if it had been even worse for him than it had been for me. I cursed myself to high heaven as my resolve wavered. Because as angry at him as I was, I couldn’t stop myself from caring. From wanting to soothe those hurts and ease his burdens.
“One night.”
Holt’s eyes flew back to me. “One night.”
I snapped my fingers, motioning for Shadow to follow me. She hesitated for a second and then obeyed. “I’m going to go make sure the guest room’s made up.”
It was. I’d changed the sheets the last time Grae had slept over after our movie night. But I needed distance. Had to breathe.
I hurried inside, ducking into the guest room the first moment I could. My legs shook as I lowered myself to the bed. “What did I do?”
I’d sat in this house less than an hour ago, telling Grae that I couldn’t have this man in my life. And here I was, telling him he could stay the night?
