Chapter 24
Chapter Twenty-Four
Emma’s stomach growled. She saved the graphic she had been working on, shut down her computer, and padded off to the kitchen.
Though she prepared a sandwich, she was unsure whether her unsettled stomach would allow her to eat it. For two days, ever since she’d left Cap at the hospital, she wasn’t able to eat or sleep. She was tired, hungry, and angry.
Countless times, she thought of the words she wrote in the letter to Cap. And now, she wanted to kick herself for leaving him. He was all she thought about and she missed him. How in just four days had she come to love him so much. Not to mention how stupid it was to tell him to not come after her?
Cap had protected her and it nearly cost him his life.
She recalled all his comforting words and actions.
He probably did not know how much it meant when he called her strong and brave.
He believed in her when she thought nobody else did.
Having come from a family with money, most men treated her like she couldn’t do anything on her own, but not Cap. He learned quickly that she could.
Good God, she was such an idiot for sending him away, and so like Cap, to respect her enough to do what she asked. Or, had she read him wrong? Did he not care for her as much as she’d thought?
She sighed and took a bite of her sandwich. It seemed she couldn’t read people at all.
The food upset her stomach, so she set the sandwich down, and took a swig from her water bottle. That didn’t help the swirling in her gut either.
She closed her eyes and lifted her chin into the air, warming her face in the sun that shone through the large kitchen window facing the road.
After a few steadying moments, she opened her eyes to find an unfamiliar, dark colored pickup truck parked in her driveway.
Her heart leaped into her throat, then dropped hard into her stomach when she saw Cap slowly easing his way out of the passenger side of the vehicle.
Careful. Measured. Like everything hurt, showing the cost he’d paid to protect her. This—his pain was on her.
She squinted. The driver looked just like Cap. It must be his brother, Hunter. He stayed in the vehicle.
With weak knees, Emma made her way to the front door, stepping out before Cap reached it.
“I told you not to come.”
His facial muscles tightened. “I know.”
That was the exact problem. He knew her too well and came anyway, knowing she wanted him to.
Cap grimaced and pressed a palm to his torso. She wondered if he even knew he did that.
“I can see how much pain you are in. Should you even be out here?”
“I’m fine. You disappeared on me.”
His voice was calm, but his irises emitted hurt.
“I left you a note,” she said, as if that made her walking out on him acceptable.
“I read it.”
“Then you know I left for your own safety.”
“Did you?”
What did he mean by that question?
“Of course. I couldn’t bring myself to put you in danger anymore.”
“I’m pretty sure the danger is over.”
“See, you said pretty sure, not sure. So there’s still…”
Cap’s hand flew into the air. “The danger is over.”
They just stared at each other.
“Listen, Emma, you didn’t cause any of this, and I wasn’t anywhere I didn’t want to be. Also, I didn’t do anything I didn’t want to do. I chose to stay with you to help you. Do you understand that?”
She folded her arms across her chest. “You don’t understand what it was like watching you get hurt, then not knowing what was happening to you when you slipped into unconsciousness. I thought you might die,” her voice cracked.
He took a step toward her, then stopped, as if afraid of not giving her the space she needed.
“I’m sorry I worried you.”
Damn him for saying something like that. Like he was at fault for something. She swiped at the tear that rolled down her cheek.
“I left to protect you.”
“I get that, but what destroys me is the fact that you decided I don’t get a say. Especially, after all we shared.”
That felt like a good old-fashioned scolding, yet she wasn’t mad. Instead, she felt guilty for hurting him while thrilled at the same time that he was here, refusing to let fear write their ending.
“You could have stayed away.”
“I could have,” he agreed.
Suddenly, the conversation felt like they were both cautiously tiptoeing around who would profess their love first. Technically, she had said it in her letter to him, but to say it out loud directly to someone took more courage.
He stood before her and told his story. She could pussyfoot around this all day or just listen to her heart.
Before she lost her courage, she stepped forward and stretched onto her tiptoes, careful not to touch his torso, assuming it still hurt.
“You’re impossible,” she murmured before she lightly pressed her lips to his.
“Yeah, I’ve been told that before,” he said quietly as he dipped his head and kissed her.
When he pulled back, she stared into his dark eyes. The depth of his caring was clear. She trusted and loved him. How this happened in such a short period of time, she didn’t know. But here they stood.
“What now?” she asked.
“I want to take you on a date. A proper date. One where I buy you a nice dinner and we talk. I want to get to know you better. That kind of thing. Would you like that?”
“I would.”
A smile stretched across Cap’s face.
“How does this Saturday sound?” he asked.
“Will you be able to drive by then?”
“Huh?”
She pointed to the truck in her driveway. “I see Hunter drove you here. Will you be able to drive, or do I need to pick you up?”
He laughed. “Umm, you may need to pick me up. How about you come to my home, and I’ll cook you a nice dinner?”
“You cook?” she teased.
“I can hold my own.”
“It’s a date. I’ll be there.”
“Great. With as much as I don’t want to, I have to go and get back home. Mom is there, and she wasn’t happy when Hunter broke me out to come here. She thinks I’m supposed to be resting.”
“I’m guessing she’s not wrong, is she?”
“No, but I had to see you.”
Her heart fluttered.
“I’m so happy you came. But, I don’t want to start off on the wrong foot with your mother, so I need you to get out of here now, or I won’t be able to send you away.”
“That’s kind of what I hoped for.”
She pointed toward the truck.
“Get out of here. I’ll see you on Saturday.”
“I can’t wait,” he said, then leaned in and kissed her long enough to promise, short enough to leave her wanting.
Saturday would not come soon enough.