“Lock your door, Cedar,” he bit out.
“Okay. Night.”
“Night.”
I closed the door, locked it, leaned back against it, and listened as he drove off. I got ready for bed, but wished I had asked him to stay. Was his hesitation at the door him waiting for me to ask him? Was it possible Killian was as curious about me as I was about him? The thought brought a chill that moved from my head down to my toes. That lovely chill changed when I heard the scratching outside. It was loud, enough that even Lucifer came into my room, safety in numbers. I hit the lights, throwing everything into darkness. It was likely raccoons or deer. That guy, the ranger man had warned me I’d hear things, but there was a part of me that wondered if it was the brute from the incident. Had he been biding his time? I wanted to call Killian, but I resisted. I double-checked the doors were locked, then locked the bedroom door and climbed under the covers. Lucifer stayed, curled up next to my head. I didn’t think I’d fall asleep, but did almost as soon as my head hit the pillow.
Chapter Sixteen
killian
The following day, Killian arrived at Cedar’s with Cooper and Max. As soon as he let them out of the truck, they went running…to her. They didn’t like people, but they’d taken to her from that first day. Like him, something about her pulled at them. Hell, the whole crew liked her, but then, she fed them: took their orders and went into town to pick it up. She was going to find herself in the poor house if she kept that up for the duration of the work, but she’d earned some loyal workers because of her thoughtfulness.
Last night seeing her at The Rodeo, he’d had shit day but seeing her took the edge off. He’d not experienced that before. Driving her home, there was a part of him that didn’t want to leave. He felt like a thirsty man finally allowed near water. Trouble was, he hadn’t known he was thirsty, and now he couldn’t seem to quench it. He wasn’t sure he wanted to try because Liam was right. She’d been through something. He wasn’t sure he was the right remedy.
She was in the garden, adding more flowers to the already overflowing space, but it was the jean shorts and bedazzled hot pink tee that held his attention. The outfit seemed a bit bright compared to what she usually wore, but, somehow, seemed more fitting to her. He could only see her profile, but he saw the big smile when she was ambushed. They knocked her on her ass, but instead of getting pissed, she was laughing.
As he approached, he realized she was talking to them. He talked to them too, but she seemed to be waiting for an answer.
“Who is who?” She said, running her hands over them. Killian clenched his jaw at the thought of her running her hands over him.
“I’m going to guess Max has the gold eyes and Cooper the blue.” She glanced back at Killian. “Am I right?”
“Yeah.”
She stood; there was dirt on her ass. He pushed his hands into his pockets, so he didn’t give in and brush the dirt off for her. He wasn’t sure he’d stop at her ass.
“Is it okay if we go for a walk?” she asked.
He was still thinking about her ass, so it took him a second. “Yeah. They know the area well, so follow their lead.”
“Okay. And lunch?”
“I got shit in the truck.”
“Cool.” She rubbed them both on the head. “Coffee and sticky buns inside,” she offered.
“You’re going to go broke feeding us.”
“It was something my mom used to do.” Her voice went soft, and a shadow moved over her expression. “I always thought it was nice. Sure, she was paying the workers for their services, but it was something small that showed she really appreciated them.” She shrugged, looked back at her house, though she didn’t brush off the sadness so easily. “I really appreciate what you’re doing, and will every time I enjoy my morning coffee.”
Her gaze came back on him, and she smiled.
“How long ago did you lose her?”
It was a fresh wave of pain that moved across her face, but she surprised him when she said, “I was eighteen. I lost them both, a car crash.”
“I’m sorry,” Killian said softly.
She smiled again, looked around her property. “They would have loved it here.” Her smile dimmed a little. “Sometimes I swear they’re here when I catch the subtle scent of oranges and vanilla. Mom always smelled like oranges and vanilla. One year, Brock and I tried to make her perfume, using orange and vanilla extract. We almost blew up the kitchen.” That pain returned; her eyes got bright before she looked away. “Anyway, I think I’ll take these two for a walk.”
Who was Brock? The mentioning of him made her sadder. He didn’t ask, instead said, “You got your phone?”
“Yeah.”
“Not that you need it because that shirt can be seen from space.”
She glanced down at her shirt before she met his stare. “It’s great, isn’t it?”
“It’s something,” he muttered.
Mischief replaced sadness. It was a better look. “Be careful, Killian. I have a bedazzle gun, and I’m not afraid to use it.”
Possession moved through him, hearing his name from her lips, but he moved past that and said, “I don’t know what the fuck that is and will die a happy man if I never do.”
“That was the wrong thing to say,” she teased, rubbing her hands together like a cartoon villain. “All the possibilities.”
“Go for your walk,”
