“Did you enjoy the bath?”
Blythe nodded as she used a banana clip to pin her damp hair to her head.
“I didn’t mean to be in there for almost an hour. You must be starving.”
Dane gave her a lopsided grin, which caused her heart to do a little flip in her chest.
“I’m glad you enjoyed your bath. As for dinner, I figured you would be in there for a while, and decided to make your favorite comfort foods.”
Blythe’s eyes went wide when she saw the dishes on the table in the breakfast nook.
“You remembered…”
Blythe looked into Dane’s eyes with awe. She didn’t let many people in her life close enough to learn her favorite foods. He gestured for her to take a seat. Instead, Blythe threw herself into his arms and hugged him. He was stiff against her at first, but then his arms circled around her and pulled her closer.
The warmth of his body soaked into her. She took a deep breath against his chest, his spicy scent filling her nose. If Blythe could stay in his arms forever, she would. Dane was like no other person in her life. From the moment her eyes met his at the age of six, she had felt like she had known him forever.
It had seemed crazy to her, especially as she got older. Who looks at someone and feels like their soul recognizes them? Blythe never told anyone her feelings regarding Dane, and if it was up to her, she never would. The man was a war hero who could have his choice of women. He would never pick her.
Dane ended the hug by pulling back to look down at her.
“Should we eat before it gets cold?”
Blythe moved to a chair and sat. Dane scooped up the homemade macaroni and cheese for her. He added a piece of chicken, which he had breaded and baked using his mother’s buttermilk chicken recipe. When he uncovered the cornbread, Blythe’s mouth was watering.
She couldn’t wait to dig into the food. Dane was a fantastic chef. Cooking had always been a way for him to decompress after football and baseball games, or tests. Then when he joined the Air Force, he found a different outlet to channel his energy whenever he felt anxious or nervous. After being medically retired, he turned back to cooking and took on the challenge of turning around the failing cafe in the building he owned.
Dane and Blythe ate in comfortable silence for several minutes. When Blythe reached for seconds, Dane chuckled and helped refill her plate. Once they both had their fill, Blythe helped Dane clear the dinner dishes and put away the leftovers.
“Is your room to your liking?”
Blythe stared blankly at him. She tried to recall anything about the room and discovered the only thing she could remember about it was that it was the closest to his and her luggage was in there.
A blush crept up her cheeks.
“I think so. I don’t remember anything about it.”
Dane barked out a laugh. “My designer will be happy to hear it was so memorable.”
Blythe playfully swatted at him. “I’m sure the room was fine. I was focused on a bath rather than the room. Although, I remember your room.”
“Oh yeah. And what did you think of the space?”
“The French provincial furniture was a shock at first, but it balances the space and helps soften the lines.”
Dane shook his head as he chuckled. “I inherited the French provincial furniture from my great-grandma. I made the designer include it because it saved money and was functional.”
Blythe rolled her eyes. It made more sense that the furniture was heirloom pieces that served a functional purpose. Dane never cared about the aesthetics of things, just the comfort and functionality.
“Regardless, your room looked good, and I’m assuming mine looks fine too. I just need a place to crash for a night or two so I can arrange to work remotely until I figure out what to do.”
“You’re thinking of leaving again aren’t you?”
Blythe looked down at her hands. She hadn’t completely decided on what her next steps would be. She couldn’t impose on Dane indefinitely, or her parents for that matter. She also couldn’t keep living like this. She needed a better plan.
“I haven’t decided on anything yet, but I have thought about leaving and changing my name again.”
“He’ll just keep coming.”
Tears slipped from her eyes. “I know. He always does.”
Dane gathered her into his arms. “This time, you have me.”
Blythe smiled. “True. You are the elite of the elite. If anyone can keep me safe and get Leo to go away forever, it’s you.”
“Damn straight.”
Blythe snuggled deeper into his embrace. She could stay like this forever with Dane. All too soon the moment was broken when she let out a big yawn.
She could feel Dane’s chest rumble in her ear from his soft laughter. “Let’s get you to bed, Bly. In the morning, we’ll have breakfast and then we’ll call the police and file a report.”
Exhaustion crashed over like a rouge wave. Her breathing picked up as she thought of all the things she was going to have to do — find a new job, change her name, pick a new city, leave her family behind again…
Dane tipped her chin up and wiped the tears from her eyes. “Hey now. One step at a time, Bly. You didn’t have me before, but you have me now.”
“But Leo… You don’t understand. He has connections and nothing happens. Whenever I move, he finds me within a few months to a year. I thought I was safe this time.”
“You were hiding in plain sight and had home-field advantage. He didn’t anticipate you staying close to home after the last time.”
Dane rubbed his hands up and down her arms in an effort to comfort her. “He may have connections, but so do I. And Bly? I will not fail against him.”
Blythe took a couple of deep, shuttering breaths before smiling at Dane. “Thank you. You’re right. I need to focus on one thing at a time and not let Leo rattle me.”
“Exactly.”
Dane walked her to the guest room before tucking her in. She would have felt insulted about being treated like a child; however, it was different with Dane. He was taking care of her, while also gauging her anxiety and trying to keep her calm.
Blythe was grateful as she drifted off into a deep sleep. Her last thought before sleep claimed her was how safe she felt for the first time in years.
