Page 123 of Guarding Over You
Something she’d missed for so long in her life from a man.
Having it now was like a weight lifted until she remembered the reason she was seeing more of him than how a normal relationship should progress.
Even the fear of them falling for each other due to the nature of the events in her life.
Then she had to remind herself that she shouldn’t be looking for everything wrong when so much with Blaze was right.
“I’m going to change and then get dinner started.”
“I want to ride my bike,” Gracie said.
“Maybe after dinner.”
Though she knew damn well Blaze would have something to say about it. She’d have to stay in front of the house and not leave the sight of her home.
She ran up the stairs, changed quickly, then came back and unpacked her daughter’s backpack, cleaned out the lunch bag, and started on dinner.
She picked up her phone, sent a picture of dinner to Blaze so he knew she’d have dinner for him when he got in later.Gracie wants to see you tonight.
There would be no reply and she didn’t expect it. He’d be done in ninety minutes unless unavoidable. And since she knew Clay was watching the house along with her getting alerts on her phone, she’d be fine like she’d been when he was gone.
For a guy who took a lot of extra shifts, he said he wasn’t doing it now until this was done. He didn’t want to be away from her on the weekends unless he was working, and he had the next few off.
Once she and Gracie finished dinner and Arden cleaned up, she opened the garage door to kill some time and let her daughter ride.
Billy had actually texted her two days ago to ask if there was any update. If things were getting better or not.
She didn’t know if he cared or needed reassurance to not push his sliding control.
It was best to keep things civil. She couldn’t risk any other strife in her life.
She pulled her phone out and captured Gracie riding her bike in a little video. “Tell Dad Hi,” she said. “You wanted him to see your new bike.”
If Gracie hadn’t brought it up the first day, then she wouldn’t have considered this. Gracie looked up from the driveway, then turned around and yelled, “Hi, Dad.”
The minute she sent it, she got up off the porch step. “I forgot to stop for the mail. You can ride down while I grab it.”
It was still close enough to see her place. There were other people out on this beautiful mid-August evening too.
She grabbed her mail from the box, then shut it and turned, Gracie turning and riding on the side of the road next to her.
“Stay in front and the driveway now.”
“Can I turn in other people’s driveways?”
“In this unit, you can. As long as there isn’t a car there.”
She didn’t think anyone would mind. Most of the neighbors weren’t outside anyway, if even home.
The mail sat heavy in her lap, a harmless routine suddenly feeling like a loaded gun as if teasing her to flip through.
She thumbed through envelopes. Ads, bills, coupons. Nothing that mattered.
Until one did.
Her fingers froze. A current of sharp dread shot up her arm, immediately piercing her fragile state of mind.
The hair on the back of her neck stood straight. Her pulse pounded so hard she could feel it in her teeth.
