Page 37 of Then Came You

He sighed. “It’s easier to get away with something when nobody’s around to see.”

She brought their coffees to the table and then sat in the chair across from him. Suddenly she realized how strange this was, having a man sit in the chair that Owen had formerly occupied. The only other men who had sat there were her dad and his. Looking at Sam across the table felt oddly comforting.

She cradled the warm mug in her hands like a life preserver and let the coffee aroma comfort her too.

“I don’t suppose this is decaf?” He’d picked up his mug, and she noticed how small it looked in his large hands.

“No. I was all out.”

“So, if I have trouble sleeping tonight, I can blame it on you.” His voice was teasing, and he smiled at her over his mug.

“After what we discovered, I might have trouble sleeping too, so we’ll both be up.”

He put down his cup, and his expression turned serious. “If that happens, call me. In fact, if you have any worries at all, don’t hesitate to call.”

“Sam…”

“I mean it. I’m used to getting calls at all hours of the day and night. It won’t bother me at all.”

“Not even if you’re in a sound sleep?”

He shook his head emphatically. “I’ll be more upset if I find out you were feeling scared and didn’t call me.”

“It’s not your job to protect me.”

He raised his brows and looked at her incredulously. “Yeah, it kind of is. And even if it wasn’t, I’d want to.”

She looked down at her coffee, wishing this didn’t have to be so difficult. She wished she could just let go and let him comfort her.

“I’ll be fine. And if it makes you feel better, tomorrow I’ll call a home security company.”

“Good idea, but it’ll probably be a few days before they can install it. So, in the meantime—”

“I’ll call you if I need to.” She surprised herself by how quickly she’d said it.

“Good, and don’t be surprised if you see my cruiser driving by your house more often.”

“More often?” She hadn’t been aware he’d driven down her street at all other than to come over and pick her up for their outings. Patrolling the streets was part of his job. It had nothing to do with her, right?

Averting his eyes, he picked up his mug and took a long sip.

“Have you been checking up on me?”

“I drive all over Holly. It’s my job.”

“The way you said it, I thought—”

“I’m not gonna lie, Gillian. I’ve driven by here a few times to check things out. But unlike your neighbor, I promise not to spy on you with my binoculars.”

She laughed, although she was still shaken up over everything that had happened.

“Are you mad at me?”

She eyed him from across the table and thought it was sweet that he seemed genuinely concerned.

She slowly shook her head. “How could I be mad? You were just doing your job, right?”

He gazed at her for what felt like an eternity, yet she couldn’t look away.