Chapter Twelve
S adie heard the familiar sound of Dale’s truck pulling into his dad’s driveway next door, and anticipation fluttered in her chest. The evening had been a little more tense than she’d expected, probably because her mind started to comprehend her situation. Weirdly enough, it hadn’t hit home until Dale had left to visit his father. Nothing against Mac and Cooper, who were still there keeping her company, which was in actuality, the two of them guarding her.
Thankfully, there were no incidents, not that she’d expected any, but still, there was a lingering shadow of a doubt. Shaking those doubts loose, she inhaled and blew out the breath. Enough of that.
It had been a long day, and the smell of pizza wafting through the air was a welcome distraction as she opened the door for Dale. Ranger came bounding out of the kitchen to check out the newcomer…and the pizza, no doubt.
She’d asked the guys to bring the dog over earlier. There was no reason for him to be by himself if they were all over here.
“Hey, Ranger,” Dale said, stepping inside her house. The dog wagged his tail and rubbed against his legs in response. “Dinner is served,” Dale announced with a grin, holding up two large pizza boxes and a six-pack of soda. “I figured after the day we’ve had, we could all use some comfort food.”
Mac and Cooper perked up from where they were seated in her living room, both men looking more than ready for a slice, even though she’d heated and served all the guys some leftover chili around an hour ago.
Dale’s warm, familiar presence filled the room, bringing a smile to her lips. It was exactly what she needed.
“You read my mind,” she said, then walked to the kitchen to grab plates from the cupboard and then placed them next to the boxes Dale set on the table. “How’s your dad doing?”
“Good,” he replied. “He’s getting released tomorrow. I managed to talk him into going to the safe house.”
Mac’s brows shot up as he took a seat next to Cooper. “Really? How’d you do that?”
Dale shrugged as they all settled around the table, the smell of cheesy goodness filling the kitchen. “I told him about today’s events, and he didn’t want me distracted by worrying about him. He’s more concerned about me being here to protect Sadie.”
She frowned as she loaded a slice onto her plate. “I appreciate that, but who’s going to take care of him? Your dad’s not going to be thrilled with the idea of Carter helping him in the shower or getting dressed.”
Mac grunted in agreement, and Cooper choked on his pizza.
Dale chuckled, shaking his head. “You’re right. He wouldn’t. I’m not sure how he’d react to that, but it wouldn’t be good. I was thinking about that on the way here. What are your thoughts on asking CeCe?”
Sadie raised a brow, then grinned. “That’s a great idea. CeCe would be perfect. She has a gentle nature, and your dad seems comfortable with her. I think she’d be happy to help.”
“Yeah.” He nodded, looking thoughtful. “I met her at the hospital today, and it was pretty clear those two are more than just friends. But I’d like to have Rylee run a background check on her anyway, just to be safe, if that’s okay, Mac.”
Mac swallowed the pizza in his mouth and nodded. “Absolutely. I’ll have her get on it first thing tomorrow.”
“Wait…what?” Sadie set her pizza down and frowned. “CeCe is nothing but sweet. I doubt she has a dark past.”
Dale held up his free hand in a defensive gesture. “I agree with you, but I’m not taking any chances with my dad’s safety.”
“And you shouldn’t,” Cooper said between bites. “Unfortunately, we’ve been exposed to a different side of people, Sadie.”
She sighed. “Okay, I get it. But you’re going to owe her an apology if she finds out.”
Dale grinned, popping open his soda. “Fair enough.” He reached down to pet Ranger, who was sitting between them. “Dad also wants his dog. I hope that’s okay, Mac.”
“Of course,” the guy replied. “But Sam won’t be allowed to take him outside. That will fall to Carter or one of the others.”
Dale nodded. “Thanks.”
As they dug into the pizza, conversation shifted from the long day they’d had to the more pressing matter at hand—figuring out who was behind the recent incidents.
“We’ve all agreed Sadie was just a pawn,” Mac said, wiping his mouth with a napkin. “The real target still appears to be your dad, Dale. The question is, who has a grudge against him?”
“Could be someone from his past,” Cooper suggested, taking a sip of his soda. “Your dad’s been around for a long time. Made plenty of friends and maybe some enemies along the way, too.”
“Yeah, but who would go this far?” Dale asked, frustration lacing his voice. “Whoever it is, they’re willing to use the horses and now Sadie to get to him, and that pisses me off.”
She reached out to place a hand on his arm. “I’m okay. Your dad’s safe now, and we’ll make sure he stays that way. We’ll figure this out.”
Before Dale could respond, Tesla hit his “Hungry” button before walking into the kitchen, weaving around the legs of the chairs, making a wide loop around Ranger.
He wasn’t a fan of the dog but tolerated his presence.
The group laughed, the tension in the room easing just a bit.
Cooper smiled as he watched the cat’s antics. “You’ve got your hands full with that one.”
“You’d think I never fed him,” she said with a shake of her head as she stared down at her cat. “I gave you your dinner a half hour ago, Tesla.” Apparently, Ranger thought she was talking to him because he set his paw on her leg. “Sorry, sweetie,” she said. “Your dad says no table scraps. Besides, I fed you dinner a half hour ago.”
Unphased, the cattle dog set his paw back on the floor then turned to Dale.
He chuckled. “Hey, pal, I’d give you some crust in a heartbeat, but you’re going to have to wait until no one is looking.”
She inhaled. “Don’t you dare. We don’t need to upset the dog too.”
Tesla meowed, regaining Sadie’s attention before wandering off, clearly displeased with the lack of pizza in his future.
Two seconds later, “ Mad…Mad ” echoed down the hall.
“Sorry, buddy,” she called out. “It’s not good for your belly.”
He’d get over it. He always did.
Mac, polishing off his third slice, stood up and stretched. “I think it’s time for us to head out and let you two get some rest. We’ll be back in the morning to finish setting everything up.”
Cooper nodded in agreement, wiping his face with a napkin. “If you need anything, don’t hesitate to call. We’re close by.”
She rose to her feet along with Dale, and together, they walked the guys to the door.
“Thanks,” Dale said. “I appreciate everything.”
Mac slapped him on the shoulder. “We’ve got your back. Take care of her, all right?”
He nodded, his expression serious. “You know I will.”
Once Mac and Cooper left, the house fell into a comfortable silence. Dale turned her, his gaze softening.
“Sadie,” he began, his voice gentle, “I know you’re not a fan of the safe house idea, but would you consider staying at my dad’s place tonight? It’s just until your security system is operational.”
She shook her head but smiled, a mix of affection and stubbornness rushing through her. “I appreciate the offer, but I’m not going to let whoever’s behind this scare me out of my own home. I’m staying here. Besides, Tesla would be too spooked to go, and I’m not leaving him.”
Dale sighed but didn’t look at all surprised by her answer. “I figured you’d say that. Which means I don’t have a choice—I’m sleeping on your couch.”
Her heart skipped a beat.
“You don’t have to do that, Dale. I’ll be fine.”
No, you won’t , her body protested. You’ll be fine if he sleeps in your bed .
Praying she hadn’t said any of that out loud, she chanced a look at his face, happy to see displeasure instead of amusement in his eyes.
“I’m not taking any chances with your safety, Sadie,” Dale said firmly. “Like it or not, I’m staying on your couch tonight.”
Goodie! her body screamed.
After studying him for a moment, she nodded, more than a little excited at the prospect of a sleepover with Dale Taylor. “All right, fine. But if you’re staying here, you’re going to have to deal with Tesla waking you up several times during the night.”
He grinned, clearly not deterred. “I can handle that.”
They spent the next few minutes clearing the table, and she tried not to think about the night ahead but failed.
There was zero percent chance of her getting a decent night’s sleep, knowing the sexy man would be sprawled out on her couch. Swallowing a groan, she wiped down the table while he went around locking the doors and windows.
With the potent guy no longer in the room, she eventually regained her control. Running upstairs to grab an extra pillow and blanket from her linen closet, she then carried them downstairs to witness a now barefoot Dale remove his T-shirt with a one-handed maneuver that stole her breath. Seeing him shirtless in their youth did little to prepare her for the hot as hell mature version standing in her living room right now.
His broad shoulders, wide expanse of chest with an array of drool-worthy muscles and ridges sent a tremor through her body. But the sexy strip of dark hair crisscrossing down his sinewy torso to disappear beneath the waistband of his jeans made her knees weak.
She leaned against the wall for support.
Damn.
Sadie had crushed on a young Dale, but this version kicked that crush up several notches, straight into full-blown lust. Her mind was losing control, along with her common sense.
“You know.” She cleared her suddenly dry throat. “There’s a perfectly good guest bedroom upstairs. You actually don’t have to sleep down here.”
There. She behaved.
Still, the thought of him sleeping on her couch didn’t sit right with her. It just seemed unnecessary. They were both adults, after all.
Dale paused, regarding her with a mix of surprise and determination in his eyes. “I appreciate that, Sadie, but I’m fine on the couch.”
She bit her lip, trying to keep in the words that had popped into her head. “Or, you know…you could always keep a better eye on me from my bed.”