The Protector (Game of Chance, #1)(21)

“For what?”

“For not giving you a tour, for not explaining how stuff around here works before I passed out on you.”

“It’s not like you did it on purpose,” she said with a small shrug. “I should’ve figured out the stove. That was stupid of me.”

Chappy didn’t like hearing her disparage herself. “You aren’t stupid. You managed to keep the fire going. You took care of me. You did what you needed to do in order to survive. Just because you didn’t know about the stove or the generator doesn’t make you stupid.”

She shrugged again.

“Will you sit with me while I eat?” Chappy asked.

She glanced at the sandwich she’d made for him and winced as she reached for the plate. “Let me heat you some soup. You don’t have to eat that.”

Chappy reacted without thought. He grabbed her wrist to prevent her from picking up the plate. “Peanut butter and jelly is one of my favorite foods in the world,” he told her, completely seriously. “Why do you think I have so many jars of the stuff?”

His thumb caressed her wrist as she studied him, probably trying to decide whether to press the issue or not. Her skin was remarkably smooth, and he could feel her pulse hammering in her wrist. He wasn’t sure if it was because she was scared or if it was his touch that made her breathe faster.

It was the uncertainty that made him let go. The last thing he wanted was to make her uncomfortable.

He might not have invited her here, but she was here now, and with the way the storm outside sounded, she wasn’t leaving anytime soon. He didn’t want to make her stay awkward or uncomfortable. Especially after what she’d done for him.

Chappy couldn’t remember the last time someone had taken care of him without any expectations. After he and his friends had been rescued, they’d been taken to a military hospital in Germany, where nurses and doctors had looked after them and done what they could to heal their injuries, but that had been their job. Women had fawned all over him when he’d first returned to the States, but Chappy knew it was because he and his friends were all over the media after everything that had happened. The last thing he wanted was someone dating him out of a desire to be with someone “famous.”

Chappy was pretty sure the woman standing next to his kitchen table, looking adorably mussed, had no idea what had happened to him. She hadn’t made sure he was warm, fed, and hydrated because she’d seen his face on the news. She’d done it out of the goodness of her heart. Yes, she was essentially trapped in the cabin with him because of the storm, but if she truly hadn’t cared about his well-being, she could’ve done the bare minimum.

“Please sit, Carlise,” Chappy requested again.

To his relief, she pulled out the chair next to him and slowly lowered herself onto it.

Chappy held out his hand as he said, “Maybe we can start over. I’m Riggs Chapman. My friends call me Chappy.”

“Carlise Edwards,” she said somewhat shyly, putting her hand in his.

“It’s nice to meet you,” he said with a smile. “Welcome to my home away from home.”

He saw the question in her eyes as she shook his hand. He didn’t want to let go, but he did anyway. “I have an apartment in Newton. It’s the closest town to here. My friends and I own a tree service company called Jack’s Lumber, which is based out of there.”

“Who’s Jack?” she asked with a slight frown.

“Right . . . so, maybe I should go back a bit. My friends and I were all in the military together. When we got out, we decided to go into business.”

“Cal, Bob, and JJ, right?” she asked.

“Yup. Callum ‘Cal’ Redmon, Kendric ‘Bob’ Evans, and Jackson ‘JJ’ Justice are my best friends. We could’ve called the business Lumberjacks, but I think JJ would’ve had a hissy fit.”

Carlise giggled.

The sound made Chappy grin. “Anyway, we cut and trim trees, pull up stumps, help the emergency rescue folks when there are trees down across roads. We also do maintenance on the Appalachian Trail, making sure it’s clear, the trail markers are visible and haven’t been worn away, and accompany people who’re unsure about hiking through the Maine part of the AT by themselves.”

“Wow. I’m guessing you’re pretty busy then.”

“In the warmer months, yes. Not as much in the winter, which is okay by all of us. I bought this cabin and fixed it up so I’d have a place to go to unwind when I needed it.”

Carlise nodded as if she understood perfectly, though he knew most people would probably laugh. It wasn’t as if Newton was a huge metropolis or his job was all that stressful. Still, there were times when Chappy just needed to be alone.

The thought startled him. He should be upset that his retreat from the world, from the crap that sometimes swirled in his head, had been intruded upon by a stranger. Oddly, Carlise didn’t feel like a stranger.

He opened his mouth to say something else, he wasn’t sure what, when she gasped and bolted up from the chair.

Chappy stood just as abruptly, slight dizziness assailing him as he looked around to see what had startled her. When he didn’t spot anything, he watched as she frantically sorted through the cans in his pantry.

“What’s wrong?” he asked urgently.