“He’ll leave loads of hair all over that shirt of yours if you let him.”
“Doesn’t matter. Just finished training so I need a shower anyway.”
Deacon picked up the bucket again, reached over the gate and filled the horse’s feed bin. “That’ll keep him happy. Come and walk outside with me and we can talk about what Drew needs me to do.”
When Liam had finalized arrangements for the horse and carriage, the sun had long gone from the sky. He drove home for a quick shower before going out again. A hazy calm lay over Hope Island as he drove down to the harbor where the town’s shopping village sat perched in the quiet evening glow. He parked behind the bakery, knowing there was no point trying to go through the front of the shop as the door would be locked. Besides, Aggie wouldn’t hear him banging on the door if she had her industrial mixers churning away inside.
He smoothed down his casual jacket and checked he didn’t have anything stuck in his teeth before he got out of the car, a handful of flyers with him. His heart pounded as he locked the vehicle. With a hint of trepidation mixed with a healthy dose of anticipation, Liam made his way to the back door. He knocked and waited. Knocked again and peered through the security screen. He couldn’t see Aggie but there was definitely movement inside. The mixers churned away so she’d started her prep.
Liam tried the door and found it unlocked. He stepped inside. He moved through the back entrance, past the bags of flour and opened his mouth to call out when he smacked right into her.
Aggie screamed and stumbled back. Liam grabbed her to stop her falling to the ground, and she swung at him, scoring her nails down his cheeks.
* * *
Aggie gasped for air. She couldn’t breathe. Her heart pounded so fast she could hear it pushing the blood through her veins. Ears ringing, mouth dry, she tried to scream but her throat locked up. She lashed out, her nails clawing at anything she could make contact with. Arms grabbed her and she kicked wildly, desperate to save herself any way she could.
“Aggie, stop! Aggie!”
He pulled her close, bound her arms against her sides, and the fear kicked up a notch. She wanted to throw up. She couldn’t get loose. Darkness started to take over and she let it swallow her whole. Not again, oh god, please not again.
* * *
A hand wiped across her cheek. “Aggie, hey, wake up. It’s Liam. You passed out.”
Liam? She bolted upright and scrambled away from him into a corner, her back pressed against the wall. “What are you doing here?” She looked around, her eyes darting from corner to corner, looking for her assailant.
“I didn’t mean to scare you.”
She fell back on her butt. Of all the idiotic things to do. He was the one who had scared the crap out of her, wasn’t he? “That was you? There isn’t someone else here?”
“No. Just me.”
She dropped her face in her hands and was thankful he kept his distance. “What do you want?”
“To talk to you. The back door was open. I knocked, and I guess you didn’t hear me over the noise.”
Aggie lifted her head and stared into his troubled eyes. She ran her hands over her hips and groaned. He was the last person she needed to see her having a panic attack. “I wasn’t expecting anyone. I thought the door was locked.”
He stood and leaned against the opposite wall, his arms behind his back. “I’m the last person who’d hurt you. Don’t you know that?”
He was more likely to smother her in love. It was the way he was and one of the reasons she’d fallen for him when she was a little girl. Liam Davidson, the kindest person she knew. “Yeah, I do. Don’t take it personally. You scared the crap out of me. I was in a world of my own and wasn’t expecting anyone.” She scrambled to her feet and noticed the papers laying over the floor. Liam didn’t make a move toward her, which she was grateful for. She couldn’t deal with soothing hugs right now. It would make her break down, and it was a struggle keeping her shit together every day as it was.
“Nothing around here is likely to hurt you though. Safest town around. At least that’s what we always said growing up.” He watched her from hooded eyes.
She shrugged. “Yeah, well, times change. This is an angry world we live in.” She should know better than anyone. “So what are you doing here?”
“I wanted to see if you were okay. I went out to Deacon’s place after training and arranged for the horse and carriage. Thought I’d drop in and talk to you. Ben wants me to put up posters around town for his new self-defense class for women and girls. I was hoping you’d let me put one in the bakery.”
So that accounted for the mess on the floor. He must have dropped them when she screamed. Aggie closed her eyes. Her world was still spinning, the nausea ripe in her throat, and talking about women’s self-defense didn’t help at all.
“I’m walking closer, Aggie.”
She opened her eyes and found Liam standing right in front of her.
“You need to sit down. Come on, let me help you.” He slid his arm through hers, helped her to the small cupboard she called an office, and pushed her into the chair. “I’m going to make you a cup of tea and sit with you until you feel better.”
She tried to protest but it came out sounding feeble. “No. Look. I don’t need help, okay? It was just a fright. You caught me unawares, but I’ll be all right.”
“You can lie to yourself all you want, Aggie, but don’t lie to me. I know you too well.” He walked out and Aggie could hear him puttering around
