Chapter 30 Dean
DEAN
Strawberry Springs Neighborhood Watch
Nicole Rudder: Is this anyone’s dog? I found it on my property last night. He’s cute but wary of people.
Comments:
Jade Clark: Not mine, but I want to pet it.
Nicole Rudder: He growls whenever I try.
Jackie Anne: I know I’m supposed to be the resident animal charmer, but that doesn’t look like a dog . . . @Atticus Thompson, any thoughts?
Atticus Thompson: DO NOT ENGAGE. THAT IS A COYOTE.
Henry Connor: Did you say you tried to pet it???
When I was a kid, I used to try to sneak into Mom and Dad’s room all the time. They’d chalked it up to a fear of the dark, but in reality, I just hated sleeping by myself.
Then I found out what love was, and how much I wanted it. I used to daydream about what it would be like to wake up next to someone else.
But then that dream died when my heart had been broken. Ever since, it had been locked away in a vault, never to see the light of day.
And then Grace softly asked me to stay with her.
I’d tried to say no, but the second her eyes watered, I knew that I had no choice but to.
I should have left when she was asleep, but I didn’t.
I stayed, listening to the sounds of her sleeping, knowing that she was okay after everything that had happened today.
There was no hope for me.
And when I woke up, I knew it was even worse than I had previously thought.
Because when we’d fallen asleep, Grace was clinging to me. Now, in the light of day, I was clinging to her as if she could vanish at any given moment.
She was facing the window and I was pressed against her back. One of my arms was underneath her neck and the other one was around her rib cage, keeping her as close to me as I possibly could. If she woke up, there was no way for me to explain how I’d ended up in this position.
Other than to say that she must have rolled away from me throughout the night and I followed her.
I had to force myself away from where she slept. It went against every fiber of my being, but I did it. When I stood, a cold seeped through my bones unlike any other I’d ever felt. It had nothing to do with the weather outside.
This would end badly. I was going to get hurt. These were all reminders that I needed to tell myself. And yet all I wanted to do was go climb back into bed with Grace. And not for sex. Just so I was near her.
A knock on the door only added to my shit mood because I had a feeling it was Brooke returning from Nashville.
She just left. Could I not catch a break?
But when I opened the door, I saw it was much worse than that. Kerry stood with a plate in her hands. When she saw me, her eyes grew as wide as the moon. Mine probably did too.
“Dean?” she asked.
“Shit,” I muttered.
“Are you—am I interrupting something? You can tell me if I am. I can vanish.”
“No, you’re not interrupting anything. Why are you here?”
“Well, I heard in the Facebook group that Grace was seen leaving Henry’s clinic looking very sick. You were helping her to the truck, which makes sense why you’d be here. And here I was thinking you were staying here or something.” She laughed. “You’re not, right?”
I really wanted to go back to bed now.
“Yes, Grace was sick. She’s still asleep and recovering.”
Kerry hummed. “A nonanswer. Interesting. Will you please give her this? This is a bunch of toast made with special butter that doesn’t upset stomachs. I was very sick when I was pregnant with my son, and it is a godsend.”
I didn’t want to admit it, but this was actually helpful. I was so bad in the kitchen that I wasn’t sure that I could toast bread without burning it.
“That’s very nice of you. Hopefully she’ll be up to eating it.”
Kerry stared at me, and I wondered if she was about to push for more information. “So, are you okay?”
“What?”
“Are you okay? If she was sick, it had to be pretty scary.”
“It . . . was. But it turned out fine.”
Kerry slowly nodded and her eyes started to my truck—which I should start parking farther back in Grace’s driveway—and then back to me. “You know, if you’ve been staying here with her . . .”
“Please don’t.” I would beg if I needed to.
“Then it’s good that she’s not alone, especially if she’s sick.”
That wasn’t where I expected Kerry to go with this. “This is just while I’m in town.”
“So, for the foreseeable future, I guess?”
“It’s like I said yesterday. I have no idea.”
Kerry hummed. “Well, I won’t keep you. I know you have a lot of denial to be in, and I have gossip to find.
Don’t worry, though, I won’t say anything about what I’ve learned here.
I do have some decorum, even if it is newly learned.
And if I did say anything, I have a feeling the girls and Hugh would cuss me out.
They’re rather protective of you two. It seems like you have a good support group here.
” She gave a little half wave, turned on her heel, and headed back to her car to leave.
I was sure she meant well, but her words did nothing for my rising anxiety.
It was only made worse when I heard footsteps and saw Grace slowly making her way down the stairs. I tried to shove it all away and focus on her.
“Hey, how are you feeling?”
When I spoke, she paused and looked me up and down. Her cheeks grew dark, and I wondered if she somehow knew what I’d done overnight.
“Better. Not one hundred percent, but I’m alive.”
She sounded more like herself, not the version of her that needed me to stay with her last night. I would never admit it out loud, but I missed that.
“Kerry came by.”
“Kerry?” Grace frowned. “And you answered the door?”
“I thought it might be Brooke.”
“Brooke has a key and doesn’t believe in ringing a doorbell. I’m guessing everyone’s gonna know that you’re staying here.”
“She said she would keep it to herself, but they might.”
“I suppose it’s not the end of the world. I just wonder what they’re gonna think about it.”
“They can keep their damn thoughts to themselves.”
“It wouldn’t be anything bad. It would mostly be them wondering when we’re gonna get together.” Her cheeks were a delicate shade of pink. “That’s probably not a good idea for us.”
It wasn’t, but I could certainly think about it, especially after what had happened the night before.
“Do you feel up to eating?” The topic change was all I could do. There was no way I could think about this for much longer and look her in the eye.
“The idea of food doesn’t make me wanna run to the toilet, so I think that’s a good sign.”
I went to the kitchen and set a few pieces of Kerry’s toast on a plate for Grace. We sat at the dining room table, and as she took slow bites of her food, I got a text.
Wren
Henry told me you might need a day off. Which is fine. I hope you’re both okay.
Grace seems to be on the mend. I have a feeling she’s gonna try to work, which means she’ll think that I’ll also work. But I’m debating whether or not I’ll let her win that one.
I’d love to see a battle of the wills between you two.
It’s always entertaining, but I usually win.
You better.
“Good conversation?” Grace asked, pulling me out of my thoughts.
“Sorry.” I put my phone away. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m really fine. Going slow, but I’m keeping it down.”
“That’s good,” I said with a sigh of relief.
“Don’t let me keep you. I’ll take the day off from the shop and you can get to whatever you need to get to.”
“I’ll take whatever time I need to.” Especially now that Wren wouldn’t kill me for it.
“Dean, I promise I’m okay. I finished my toast. I feel more like myself.”
I was getting too protective. I was getting too . . . everything with her. I needed to be careful.
“You’ll call me if you need anything?”
“Surprisingly, I think I learned my lesson. I know to always call you now.”
I was sure she didn’t mean it in any type of way, but the words hit me hard. I liked being the one that she called. I never wanted that to change.
I was in so much trouble.