Page 144 of Cautious Love

I called the Wooden Cowboy to see if Shiloh had a shift. They said no, but she did tomorrow. So I’m jumping at the opportunity, and it kills two birds with one stone. I can make sure she’s safe.At least for a little while.

I stopped at the diner to ask if Mollie-Mae knew where Shiloh lived. There aren’t many apartment buildings in Paxton, so I would have figured it out eventually, but I figured I’d save time by asking her friend.

Mollie-Mae told me reluctantly, so now I’m driving it to her place, with dinner and the dog in tow.

When I pull up to her building, it’s one of those quads with four apartments, two on the upper floor, two on the lower.

When we get to the front door, I look for a name, and since there’s one blank, I take a shot at that one, hoping it’s hers.

I buzz it for the intercom and there’s no response. I frown and see her Jeep in the small lot. She’s got to be home.

I buzz it again.

“Hello?” she says.

Her voice over the fuzzy intercom strikes me like an arrow to the heart. “Hey, it’s me.”

It’s silent for a moment, then she appears at the front door, frowning at me and the dog.

She opens the door and drops down to pet Dozer. He wags his tail so hard his butt moves with it.

“Hi, baby, ugh, I missed you so much,” she says into his fur.

“I brought dinner,” I tell her, holding up the bag.

“Ledger, what are you doing?” she asks.

I shrug. “I figured you’d want to see Dozer, and I hadn’t had dinner yet so I thought I’d see if you wanted to eat with me.”

She looks between me, the food, and the dog. I can see the indecision in her eyes, but when they land back on me, they soften.

“Okay, fine. I hope you got a piece of the chocolate cake,” she mumbles and starts up the stairs.

I smile to myself, mentally fist-pumping as I follow her up the stairs and fight my eyeballs from staring at her yoga pants covered ass.

“Quit staring at my ass,friend,” Shiloh tosses over her shoulder.

I lift my gaze to hers and shrug nonchalantly. “You know how I feel about those yoga pants,” I mumble.

“And the shorts, and … honestly all my pants.”

I don’t respond, and she opens the door to her mostly empty apartment. It has a grey carpet and the walls are all white.There’s a fold-up table and chairs by the kitchen, and a few pillows on the floor with her quilt in the living room area.

The kitchen is spotless, though I’m not sure she has a pot or a pan. I can’t imagine the bedroom is any different.

“How are you settling in?”

She drops Dozer down and looks around the white walls.

“Fine, I guess. I know I’m going to need some furniture and stuff, but I got an air mattress and a chair to sit in. It’s enough.”

I set the bag of food on the kitchen counter, trying to keep my face neutral. She deserves more than this.

Shiloh walks past me, brushing my arm, and the hair stands on end. Every cell in my body begs to bring her into me and keep her there where she belongs. But I can’t because we’refriends.

“I hope they tossed plastic forks in there because I only have one fork,” she says.

I nod and pull out two utensil packs.