Chapter Forty-Four
Rick
It took everything Rick had not to lose his cool on the drive home. Josie sat in the back seat, picking up on the tension while Kaylee sat shotgun, staring out the window.
The radio played quietly in the background, and Rick’s fingers unclenched and clenched around the wheel, his anxiety to get Kaylee home visible.
“The dance was nice until the abrupt departure,” Josie said.
““Sorry,” Kaylee said, softly. “I didn’t feel much like dancing anymore.”
“No, I get it, bad guy threatens your life, kinda takes the fun out of the reindeer shuffle.”
Rick understood they were trying to make light of a bad situation, but it didn’t change the fact that Kaylee had put herself in danger.
While he’d given props to Jolene for doing the same thing, she wasn’t the woman that he cared about.
Rick sent them back inside to enjoy the dance while he waited for the paramedics to arrive.
They loaded Johnny up into the back of an ambulance, and the cops had taken Rick’s statement.
Although people had peered outside, wondering what was going on, they mostly stayed out of the way when he went to get Kaylee to give her statement.
Listening to her describe the events made his blood run cold.
If Jolene hadn’t come out, she could’ve been spirited away, and he would’ve lost her for good.
That alone made him ready and looking for a fight.
Rick parked in front of Kaylee’s house, and Josie and Kaylee didn’t even wait until he’d fully parked to jump out of the vehicle. Rick followed, coming around the front of the car, and put his hand on Kaylee’s lower back.
“Have a good night, Josie,” he called, pressing her forward. “We’ll see you in the morning.”
Josie’s eyes widened, and she looked at Kaylee for confirmation. He stared down at Kaylee until she nodded her head.
“I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“All right, if you need me, I’m just a few steps away.”
“She’ll be fine,” Rick said.
He ushered Kaylee up the stairs to the front porch, urging her to open the door. As soon as the door closed behind them, Rick threw the lock and then spun around, taking her by the shoulders.
“Are you out of your fucking mind? You were just going to let him take you?”
Kaylee’s eyes widened. “He threatened Josie. I was trying to keep everyone safe. I figured that if I could get him away from everyone, then no one else would need to get hurt.”
“You could’ve gotten hurt, do you understand that?” His heart seized, realizing how close he’d come to losing her.
“Yes, I’m very clear that I could’ve gotten hurt, but I’m the one they want, so it’s better that they come for me than anyone else.”
“You see, that doesn’t work for me because I care about you,” he said, giving her a light shake. “You’re mine. I want to protect you, but I can’t do that if you go off half-cocked and put yourself in dangerous situations.”
“I don’t go off half-cocked,” she muttered.
“Really, because the night Elasia died, instead of calling the cops, you went and looked for her yourself.”
“Are you blaming me for what happened to Elasia?” Kaylee glared at him. “Because it was actually Wyatt who got her killed. Johnny told me they found out he was an FBI agent and had been stealing from them. They killed her because she was with him.”
“God, Kaylee, I wasn’t blaming you,” he said, releasing her to run both hands through his hair. “I’m trying to tell you that I am falling in love with you, and if you get hurt or killed, I’m not gonna recover from that.”
Kaylee’s jaw dropped. “What did you just say?”
Rick’s eyes widened for a split second before he softened, the sweetest smile curling his lips. “That if you get killed, I won’t recover from that.”
“Before that.”
“I don’t blame you for Elasia’s death?”
“After that!” she practically shouted, her voice laced with exasperation.
Rick took her by the shoulders again and dropped his forehead to hers. “I am falling head over heels in love with you, and I want a chance to make you fall in love with me, too.”
Kaylee’s eyes shimmered, tears escaping and rolling down her cheeks. “That’s not fair. You can’t say things like that. We’re in the middle of a fight.”
“I don’t wanna fight, Kaylee. I just want you to understand that when you make decisions, even with the best of intentions, they affect others, they affect me.
” He kissed her forehead, pulling back enough so he could meet her gaze.
“When you called and told me you were outside, and I walked into that mess, my heart literally dropped into my stomach. I thought of every scenario that could’ve happened, especially if Jolene hadn’t come out there, and I’m begging you, don’t ever do that to me again. ”
“I won’t,” she whispered, leaning up on her toes and kissing his jaw. He lowered his head so she could reach his lips, and they kissed for a long time, slow and sweet, then wild and urgent.
Kaylee grabbed ahold of Rick’s jacket, pulling him down the hall toward her bedroom.
“What are we doing?” he asked.
“I’m making it up to you.”
“You don’t have to make up anything to me, Kaylee. Just stay safe.”
“I promise.”