6. Missy
Missy
G riffin stays with me while I pack an overnight bag for Daisy and one for myself. I dump almost everything we own into a beat-up duffel bag. It doesn’t take me long at all, but I’m too tired and too spent to wonder if he’s judging me.
Luke is still in the house. He’s on the phone, making calls. He’s talking, but all of his words are floating around me. There’s too much noise in my brain. I can’t take in one more thing.
The moment I’m done, Griffin throws the bag over his shoulder and grabs the car seat where Daisy is sleeping. I follow him outside, aware of Luke’s gaze on us the entire time. He doesn’t get in his truck until Griffin and I are pulling away from the drive.
I fight back a wave of tears when I see the rental fading in the distance behind me. Was it only an hour ago that I was giddily telling Audrey about my date with Griffin? I feel like I’ve aged a decade since then.
The two of us don’t say a word as he drives. I don’t even know where he lives, but I know that I can trust him. I’m not sure how long we’ve traveled when he turns the truck down a dirt road.
It’s too dark for me to see much. This far out in the country, there are no streetlights.
The moon and the stars are the only illumination.
I had a foster mom who used to call them God’s night lights, proof that he hasn’t forgotten us in the dead of night.
I don’t know if that’s true. I know that since Shelley’s friends started searching for me, I wish I could be forgotten.
He parks in the long driveway next to a farmhouse that’s illuminated by large floodlights. It’s stunning and beautiful, the type of home that looks like it was built to a cowboy’s pride and joy.
On the porch there are white wicker chairs with throw pillows in a cheerful yellow color. Ferns hang from hooks, rustled in the breeze by the large paddle fans that are whirring quietly above us. Soft porch lamps illuminate the scene, making it feel as if the home itself is welcoming me and Daisy.
On the steps, a woman and man are sitting together and chuckling about something. Both of them are clutching rifles. They stop chatting when I come up the walk with Griffin. Daisy is nestled against his neck.
He took her out of the car seat so carefully, murmuring to her that she was safe when she stirred. She went back to sleep the moment she opened her eyes and saw Griffin. As if she knows she can trust him.
“Missy, this is my aunt, Dorothy, and her foreman, Russell,” Griffin says. “This is my girl, Missy, and my other girl, Daisy.”
My cheeks warm at the introduction. My girl. Those two words repeat in my head. He claimed both of us. “Hi,” I squeak out the single word. When Griffin said I was staying with him, I didn’t imagine that I’d be meeting his family.
Aunt Dorothy is not some frail old lady like I pictured.
Her boots are faded and scuffed. She’s wearing dirty blue jeans with holes in the knees, and her T-shirt has a logo for her favorite racecar driver on it.
Her curly silver hair is cut short, and when she looks at me, she has a knowing gaze as if she can see right through me.
Griffin says, “She’s here because?—”
She takes a swig of her beer, condensation rolling down the neck. “There are no secrets in this town. Take her and the baby to the guest room.” She nods to me. “Welcome to the family. You go in and sleep as best you can. We’ll be standing guard through the night.”
I gape at her for a moment. I’ve never had anyone besides Griffin accept me so quickly and easily. I don’t even know what to say. Fortunately, I don’t have to because he’s ushering me inside the house.
It’s tidy, with not a thing out of place. Oval braided rugs adorn the dark hardwood floors and the furniture is a mixture of rustic antiques and oversized squishy cushions that somehow make it feel homey and inviting.
I don’t have too much time to study the house.
He guides me with a hand on my back until we reach the guest bedroom which is beautifully decorated.
There’s a large queen-sized bed in the center of the room with a beige ottoman at the foot.
The neutral paint on the walls makes the canvas print above the bed pop to life in vibrant red and yellow hues.
It’s a painting of birds with a sign that reads: Bless this nest.
He puts Daisy down in the crib in the corner and gestures toward the doors on the opposite wall. “The right is a walk-in closet. Not much in there other than some old boxes. On the left is a private bath attached to the room.”
He sets the duffel bag on the ottoman at the foot of the bed. “I’ll watch Daisy for a bit if you want to get comfortable. Take your time.”
I paw through the bag quickly, grabbing some clothes and my toiletries before disappearing into the bathroom. I’d planned to do a quick wipe down, but the sight of the walk-in shower is too tempting. Griffin did say I could take my time.
After a very hot but quick shower, I dress in a tank and some panties. I wish I had some of those cute little pajamas, but I never have anyone over at my rental. It’s always just me and Daisy hanging out.
I can’t find a hair dryer, and I forgot to pack my own. I decide to braid my hair and secure it with a hair band. Then I go through my bedtime routine, washing my face and brushing my teeth.
When I leave the bathroom, I see that Griffin has dragged the armchair across the room next to the crib. He’s texting on his phone, pausing to glance at Daisy every couple of minutes. He’d be a doting dad. The thought makes me smile despite the crazy day.
I clear my throat. “I feel human again.”
He looks up from his phone, and his gaze raking over me heats me hotter than that shower did. Liquid fire burns in his eyes. The same hunger I saw when we made out in the kitchen is back again. “You look beautiful.”
I’m in a faded black tank top and some tummy-control black panties.
The clingy tank shows off the rolls I carry on my tummy, and the panties are highlighting the cellulite on my jiggly thighs.
I don’t feel attractive, but something about the way Griffin is looking at me makes me think he finds me sexy.
I squeeze my thighs together as I realize how much he desires me. But then the confusing cowboy pushes to his feet. He pockets his phone. “Try to sleep. We’ll unravel this in the morning.”
He kisses me on the forehead and goes to leave the room.
I reach out for him, grabbing his arm. He’s so big and strong, and I don’t want to be alone tonight. “Don’t leave me. Stay.”
His dark gaze softens. “Are you sure?”
My heart races as I look at the bed. “It’s big. We can share it.”
“I’d like that,” he murmurs before he crosses the room. He pulls the decorative pillows off the bed, stacking them carefully in the armchair next to the crib. I follow his lead, the whole moment of turning down the bed together feeling domestic.
He pats the bed. “Crawl in.”
As soon as I do, pausing to fluff one of the pillows, he unbuttons his pants. He tugs them down slowly, revealing a prominent bulge encased in black cotton briefs. His thick thigh muscles have my mouth watering.
He doesn’t have that gym look that most guys with muscles have. No, this is the look of a man who earned his muscles the hard way. He’s strong and built everywhere. There’s a fluttering low in my belly again.
He smirks when he sees me staring, and my cheeks heat. He caught me checking out his package. “Don’t you look at me like that. It’s not happening.”
I’m not sure I’m ready for us to go all the way. Pent-up desire and relief war with each other. I make a soft groan as I turn over onto my side to glare at him. “And why not?”
“Because that’s not what you need right now,” he answers, advancing to the bed. He climbs in next to me and tugs my body closer, so my head is resting on his shoulder. “What you need is comfort, and your needs will always matter most to me.”
His words have me melting into him. He smells so good. Spicy and citrusy. “I can’t believe you came for me when I called you. No one has ever done that before.”
His voice is a quiet rumble beneath my ear. “I told you. Things are different now. You have someone in your corner, a cowboy who will fight for you.”
I yawn, my body relaxing for the first time in hours. Maybe even the first time in months. I can sleep peacefully because Griffin is here. He’ll protect me and my baby.
The next morning, I wake late. Well, it’s late for me. It takes me a second to get my bearings and remember where I am. Memories of last night come flooding back, and I sit up. Before I can stumble out of bed and get to Daisy, I see him.
Griffin is already in the armchair next to the crib. He’s holding Daisy in his arms and talking softly to her. I’m not sure what he’s saying, but she keeps reaching up to pat his beard. I think she must like the way it feels under her fingers.
“Good morning, sleepyhead,” he says without ever taking his eyes off of Daisy. His voice sounds different now that he’s talking to me, troubled.
I croak out a greeting. “Is something wrong?”
He takes the bottle from Daisy and burps her while I brace myself for whatever bad news he’s about to share. He waits until she’s drinking again and asks, “The guys that after you. Are either of them her father?”
“No.”
He’s quiet, not pressing the matter further.
It doesn’t matter whether we have this conversation now or later. At some point, we have to discuss Daisy’s history and why her dad isn’t around. “Her father is?—”
He shakes his head. “I don’t need to know who her father is. I wanted to make sure he wasn’t among the men I’m going to kill.”
I gasp, my heart racing at his words. “You’re not seriously going to kill those guys.”
He glances down at her again, tenderness etched on his features. “I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you and Daisy safe. I don’t want to hear the kind of terror in your voice that I heard last night.”
“You were scared?” I ask. Of all the things I expected him to tell me about last night, that wasn’t on the list. He’s so strong and brave. He has a job where he regularly runs into danger.
“Only for you and Daisy.”
I get up from the bed and cross the room. I kneel on the floor next to the chair so I can put my hand on his. “We’re OK… thanks to you. Her dad isn’t in the picture. He didn’t want her.”
Fury crosses his expression again. “He was an idiot. Do you miss him?”
I snort. “No, he was Shelley’s friend. I didn’t realize he was using. The moment I did, it was over between us. He didn’t want any part of her, and I never pushed for child support. I thought…it would be better for her to never know him. I’m sad for Daisy. She deserves an amazing dad.”
He pats her on the back. “And that’s what she’s going to get.”
Daisy smiles at me, her bottle finished. She shoves her hand in her mouth and makes a gurgling noise. “Hey, sweetie. You got breakfast already, didn’t you? Say thanks to the chef.”
She reaches for me, and I pick her up. I press a kiss to her little head, the familiar protective urge overwhelming me. I didn’t know it was possible to love another human being this much until I had her.
He tugs me into his lap. My bare thighs are against his blue jeans, the same ones he wore last night. There’s something so intimate about the three of us sitting together in the chair.
He buries his face in my braid and inhales, like he can’t get enough of my scent. “I can’t tell you what’s going to happen next. But Luke and I are putting some things into motion. We’re going to get this fixed for you.”
I melt into him. In this moment, I feel completely safe. “I trust you.”
I can’t see his face, but I feel him smile because his beard tickles my cheek. “I still want to take you on that date today. Are you up for it?”