Chapter 15
Chapter
Fifteen
Andy pulled into the parking lot at Café Tabby, smiling when he recognized most of the cars in some of the bays.
Steve had told him he was going to close the office to welcome Narelle home from her hospital visit.
He’d told his boss that he wasn’t sure when they’d be leaving the hospital, because doctors could be held up, making their wait longer than it should’ve been.
Luck had been on their side today, and everyone had been on time.
He’d still texted his boss to say they were leaving the hospital.
“Oh, I was hoping you’d bring me here.” Narelle was leaning forward, and the excitement on her face made him happy. He only hoped that she wouldn’t mind the little party that was waiting for her beyond the doors.
“Of course, it’s only the best place to eat in Perth.”
“If her pastries are anything to go by, I’m sure she deserves that reputation.”
“Prepare to be delighted,” Andy said, as he got out of the car. He surveyed the area, not seeing anything out of the ordinary. He doubted there would be an issue. Steve had installed cameras everywhere to ensure his wife, and her employees’ safety.
Even though there hadn’t been any more threats to Narelle, he was still on edge. Whoever was after her was too quiet, which meant they were biding their time, waiting to strike when they let down their guards.
That wouldn’t happen, though. Andy wasn’t going to rest until whoever was behind it all was caught.
Although finding out who was after Narelle, and why, was proving harder than they thought it would be.
Wilt had found a lead on the nurse, but when they arrived at her home, there was no sign of her.
Her landlord didn’t know where she’d gone.
Either she’d taken the money she’d been paid and run somewhere far away where she couldn’t be touched, or she’d been eliminated for failing to complete the task she’d been given.
Andy hoped it was the first, because regardless of the fact that she’d gone after Narelle, no one deserved to die, especially if they’d been pressured into acting that way in the first place.
If she hadn’t been pressured, then the woman needed to be held accountable and face the consequences for her role in it all.
Once Narelle was all settled and was comfortable with her leg trolley, they made their way to the entrance. Tabby had reserved a bay for him close to the entrance, so they didn’t have far to walk.
The door opened as they approached, and a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth when he saw Tabby holding it for them.
“Welcome to Café Tabby! It’s so wonderful to see you up and about, Narelle.” Tabby came up and gave her a hug.
Andy kept his hand low on Narelle’s back to provide her with, not only extra support, but knowledge that he was near if she should need him.
“Thanks, I wouldn’t say I’m fully up and about,” Narelle said, pointing to her leg trolley and braced arm. “But at least I’m not in the hospital anymore.”
Andy still couldn’t believe that she hadn’t suffered more significant injuries in the accident. Someone had been looking out for Narelle, and whoever that was, Andy was immensely grateful for them.
Considering what he’d done in the past, and what he still did, believing in other worldly beings keeping people safe could be considered fanciful by others. For Andy, though, his instincts had saved him more than once, so he wouldn’t dismiss others having guardian angels looking after them.
“Follow me.” Tabby started walking toward the back of the café. “Everyone is here waiting.”
“Everyone?” Narelle asked, her brow furrowing in confusion. “I thought it was just us having lunch together.”
“My team wanted to celebrate your release,” he responded simply.
“They did? But they don’t know me that well.”
Andy brushed his fingers down her cheek, his skin tingling at the touch, and a flash of desire flowed through him. “You’re important to me, which makes you a part of our team.” He could see she wanted to protest more, but he shook his head. “They wanted to do this for you.”
“Okay.” She still looked uncertain. Tabby was watching them, and he appreciated that she hadn’t interrupted them to see what was going on.
“We can leave whenever you’re ready. If you only want to stay ten minutes, and then head to my place, we’ll do that. Whatever you want, you let me know.”
The last thing he wanted was for her to feel uncomfortable around his friends.
He hadn’t lied when he’d told Narelle she was important to him.
Over the past two weeks, they’d talked a lot in the hospital.
Learned a lot about each other. He found he liked and admired her even more than he thought was possible.
“I don’t want to disappoint them by leaving early. It’s sweet of them to do this for me.” She smiled up at him, and he studied her for a few seconds, looking to see if she was just saying the words to make him happy, or she really meant them.
Her gaze was clear. The uncertainty that had clouded her blue eyes, was gone.
“Okay, then, let’s go see what feast Tabby has cooked up for us. I guarantee we’ll be leaving here with enough food to feed us for the next week, if I know my boss’s wife. She’s a nurturer and we’re her family.”
As predicted, they left Tabby’s restaurant with three carry bags full of food. The afternoon had been wonderful. The guys had all joked around with Narelle, and she’d given as good back to them.
Even Margot, the company’s receptionist, had joined in. Andy had seen the way Damon watched her when he didn’t think anyone else was looking. His friend generally kept to himself, so his interest in Margot was a surprise.
Narelle yawned as he pulled out of the parking lot, not surprised at all by her fatigue. She’d been wavering as the afternoon progressed. “You lasted a lot longer than I thought you would,” he said, as he checked the traffic and pulled out.
“What? Did you think I was only going to last a half hour? Did you think I wasn’t going to like your friends and demand we leave?” There was a bite to her tone, and he took a second to think over what he’d said that may have upset her.
“Oh wait, no I didn’t mean it in a bad way. I just thought you’d get tired quicker.” Fuck, that didn’t sound any better.
“You need a shovel to help you dig that hole a bit deeper?”
He glanced at Narelle, relief slamming into him when he saw the cheeky smile on her face. “I think I’m doing an admirable job myself.”
Narelle laughed, and he joined in, happy she’d somehow landed back in his life.
He wasn’t going to be so stupid as to do anything to jeopardize the growing relationship between them. He wanted a future with her, and he hoped that she wanted the same with him.