Chapter Seventeen
“I can’t believe you’re here,” Jules said to Dalton as they stepped into the hallway to head to the waiting room, where a fresh pot of coffee waited.
“It’s good to be home,” he said. Home. Oddly, he’d had the same feeling when he was around Blakely. But it was no use. Her mind was made up. He had no idea what he was offering her anyway. And even if he had a clue, she’d been honest about needing to be alone.
After hearing the reason behind the scar on her forehead, he couldn’t blame her for going into protect-herself-at-all-costs mode. As much as he wanted a chance to see where a relationship might go between them, it took two to tango. She was both unwilling and unable to meet him halfway.
As much as he hated to admit defeat, it was time to cash in his chips when it came to the sexy judge.
“Grandpa Lor is looking alert,” Dalton said, switching topics in an attempt to reroute his thoughts.
“The doctor says his cognitive tests are coming back looking very promising,” she said.
They’d wheeled him out of the room, promising to bring him back soon.
Dalton wished the prognosis on their grandmother was better.
She’d been having a difficult time. Much more so than Grandpa Lor.
At least there was hope now, which was more than they’d had yesterday.
“But it’s getting late, and we should think about ordering in food. ”
“I can swing out and pick something up,” he said. “No need to eat more hospital food.”
“It wasn’t too bad the first few days,” Jules said. “But I can’t stand the smell of it now.” His sister stood there for a long moment. “He’s awake, Dalton.” Her voice held disbelief and shock rolled up into one.
“It’s a miracle,” he agreed, still trying to process the news. He’d bolted out of the courthouse quickly. Part of him felt guilty for not telling Blakely himself, but there’d been no time, and he’d needed to get on the road as quickly as possible.
“Don’t take this the wrong way, but is everything okay?” Jules asked. “You seem distracted.”
“I’m good,” he said. “Shock is probably a better word for what I’m feeling right now.” It was mostly true. There were other feelings mingled with regret.
Jules’s gaze shifted to a spot behind Dalton’s left shoulder. Her forehead wrinkled in confusion. “Someone is headed toward us, and her gaze is fixated on the back of your head. Should we be concerned?”
Dalton turned in time to see Blakely making a beeline straight toward him.
Threads of hair had freed themselves from her slicked-back ponytail.
Half of her white shirt was untucked from her navy pencil skirt.
He blinked a couple of times to make sure he wasn’t hallucinating. “What are you doing here?”
Jules cleared her throat and introduced herself to Blakely. “I’m Dalton’s sister.”
“I’ve heard about you,” Blakely said, offering a handshake.
“Really?” Jules asked, wide-eyed. His sister needed to get better about hiding her surprise when she was caught off guard by a comment. “Well, it’s good to meet you.” She turned to Dalton. “I’ll run out for burgers. Do you still like the usual?”
“Yes,” he said, pulling out a credit card and handing it to his sister. “But only if you let me pay.”
“Can I get you anything?” Jules asked Blakely, ignoring him.
“No, thank you,” she responded.
“Put that away,” Jules said with a wrinkled nose before excusing herself and making an exit. That was Jules. She had a dramatic flair.
“You didn’t answer my question,” he said to Blakely.
“I heard there was a family emergency, and I was afraid something… How are your grandparents, by the way?” she asked.
“My grandfather woke up,” he said. “Apparently, he just sat up and asked for my grandmother’s potato soup. Said he was starving.”
“And your grandmother?”
He shook his head. “There’s been no change.” It dawned on him that no one followed Blakely out of the elevator. “Where is your protection?”
“I’m sorry about your grandmother, but that’s incredible news about your grandfather.” She ignored the question.
“Thank you,” he responded, then repeated the question, slower this time.
“Nice guy,” she said. “I ditched him.” She made a move to enter his grandmother’s room. “Are visiting hours over?”
Did she think he was going to gloss over that response? “Not for family. And why the hell did you think taking off without protection was a good idea?”
“I didn’t.” She lowered her voice, fisted her right hand and then planted it on her hip. “In fact, I didn’t think at all. You were gone, and I didn’t know if you were okay. So I slipped out the back, and Ralph drove me to my car. I had to check on you.”
She’d been clear where he stood with her. Did she need a reminder?
“My supervisor is probably popping TUMS over this incident,” he said through clenched teeth. “Coming here on your own is reckless, Blakely. Or have you forgotten that someone out there is trying to kill you?” He fished his cell out of his pocket.
“I needed to know that you were okay,” she said. “Now that I have, I can go.”
As she tried to stalk past, Dalton grabbed her wrist to stop her. Skin-to-skin contact wasn’t his brightest idea. The sizzle of electricity nearly lit a fire. “Don’t. Go.”
She lifted her gaze to meet his.
“It’s not safe for you to leave by yourself,” he clarified. The last thing he wanted to do was give her hope. She’d crushed any fantasy he’d had about the possibility of the two of them being more than professional associates. “You get that, right?”
She compressed her lips and nodded.
“You have to take this threat seriously,” he continued, firing off a text to his supervisor to let him know she was safe. The move might get him in more trouble, but it was the right thing to do.
“You don’t think I am?”
“Ditching the person sworn to protect you isn’t a good move, Blakely.”
There was so much hurt and disappointment in her eyes that a knot tightened in his chest. Damn. He needed to get a grip.
* * *
“I shouldn’t have come here.” Blakely had made a huge mistake.
It was clear to her now that Dalton had been doing his job and didn’t want to see her again.
As far as the couple of kisses went—kisses that had more promise than any she’d had before meeting him—he most likely got caught up in the moment.
Besides, she’d been the initiator, and he’d been along for the ride.
When she put it like that, it didn’t sound a bit like Dalton’s personality. But it was easier to stick him in that bucket than face the fact she’d let a good person go because of fears she couldn’t seem to conquer.
“You’re here,” he said, all business now. “You might as well stick around until someone can be sent for you.”
His cell buzzed. He checked the screen and then excused himself to take the call.
While he was gone, Blakely sent the message to clear her docket for the rest of the week due to her personal safety being compromised.
Johnny Spear, or whoever had been behind the wheel of the SUV that had rammed into her, would be able to set up on a nearby rooftop and make the shot as she walked up the courthouse stairs.
Disappearing for a minute to give authorities time to find him and catch him made the most sense to her now. But where could she go? She should have considered this before hopping into the car on a whim. Blakely didn’t do “whim.” She’d never done “whim.”
What had gotten into her?
The short answer? Dalton Remington. He was a game changer. One she couldn’t afford.
Speaking of the devil, he came walking up.
“How is your sister?” he asked after tucking the cell inside his pocket.
“Stable,” she said. “Greg and Chase should already be with her this evening. She’s sitting up and able to talk on the phone.
We had a good conversation on the drive over.
” Blakely issued a sharp sigh. “Looks like we’re both getting positive news tonight.
” She wasn’t sure how he would react to what she wanted to say next.
“Would it be all right if I went inside the room and met your grandmother?”
“There a reason?” he asked.
“I’d like to be your friend,” she said. “If that option is ever on the table. And if it isn’t, then we both walk away once this is over.”
“After you,” he said with a small nod and a ghost of a smile on his lips—lips that she didn’t need to focus on.
The room was softly lit. The steady beep of machines next to his grandmother’s bed that were much like a heartbeat reassured her.
There were flowers and cards on every surface. The room smelled of lilacs and roses. “Wow.” There was so much love surrounding this woman.
Who would care if Blakely was gone?
Her sister and Chase. At one time, she would have added Greg’s name to the list, but she barely recognized her brother-in-law anymore. At her gravesite, there would be exactly two people.
How sad was that? And why did she suddenly care? She’d gotten by fine until now taking care of her sister and Chase. Wanting more out of life aside from her small family and work came out of the blue.
“I don’t think it was the smartest idea to ditch your protection and drive here on your own,” Dalton whispered. “But I’m glad you made it safely.”
“My car took a hit, but I’m okay.” She regretted the words the second they left her mouth. “Before you jump on me again, it happened in my neighborhood before I could get to the highway, and I called it in.”
“Johnny Spear?” he asked, the corners of his mouth turning down in a frown.
“I couldn’t get a good look at the SUV driver, but I assumed it was him,” she said. “Who else would it be?”
Concern lines creased his forehead. “Did Houston PD report back?”
“As far as I know, he’s still on the loose,” she said.
“Consider me back on your case,” he said under his breath.
“Is that a good idea?”
“Do you have a better one?” he quipped, raking fingers through his hair. He paced back and forth in front of the window.
“I haven’t really thought about it,” she admitted. “Ralph was able to keep me safe out the back of the courthouse, and he was the one who made sure I was behind the wheel with doors locked before he even thought about leaving.”
“Johnny Spear could have followed you from the courthouse or been waiting for another opportunity to strike at your house.”
“That’s the reason I took Ralph with me,” she tried to explain.
“Not good enough, Blakely. You could have been killed.” The pacing quickened.
“But I wasn’t,” she said, trying to soothe him. As it was, she could almost see the wheels spinning as he retreated in thought. “I’m here. I’m in one piece. And I can’t spend my whole life worrying about ‘what if’ because that would push me over the edge. A lot can happen. It didn’t. I’m safe.”
“Promise me that you won’t disappear,” he stated. “I’ll request to be put back on your case, but you have to give me your word that you won’t do anything to jeopardize your own safety.”
Blakely raised her right hand. “Do you have a stack of Bibles?”
Because she was ready to take an oath that she would stay by Dalton’s side and allow him to protect her.
Could she trust him with her heart?