Breathe (Colorado Mountain #4)(45)

He gave my hip a squeeze, I read the command, pushed back into my seat and Chace looked out the window, his profile contemplative while answering.

“No. Want him to feel safe. Don’t want him to think it’s a trap. He needed that shit yesterday. He knows he can outrun us or lose us. He saw us before he even returned the books. Maybe he knew he could get away, didn’t want to waste the effort of walkin’ here from wherever to return the books. Maybe he thinks we’re no threat. No f**kin’ idea. But now, I think we should keep a distance, keep givin’ and hope he takes you up on your invitation and gives back. Writes a note. Gets comfortable. Gets to know you. Maybe he’ll approach us.”

This sounded like a good plan.

Or at least it did until Chace hissed, “Fuck,” with a lot more emotion than he’d been talking with a mere moment before.

“Chace?” I whispered but his eyes didn’t leave the library.

“Saw it yesterday, saw it clearer today,” he replied.

“What?”

His eyes turned to me and I caught my breath at the anger I read in them. I was stunned that his seemingly mellow mood had shifted in an instant.

“His face, Faye. That’s a week of healin’.” He shook his head and his gaze moved back to the library on another, “Fuck.”

I reached out a hand and curled it on his knee, leaning into him, whispering, “Chace.”

He shook his head again once but spoke. “Not eatin’ right, no medicine, no water to clean, probably doesn’t even know to do it. That’ll all delay healing but that doesn’t mean that kid didn’t get nailed. He got f**kin’ nailed. Nine years old, slinkin’ around for food, dumpster diving, I’m across the goddamned street and all I can do for his sake is sit on my ass, watch and wait.”

Entire verses of “Holding Out for a Hero” crashed in my brain.

As they did, I squeezed his knee and called softly, “Honey.”

Instantly, his head turned to me but I was so focused on his anger for the boy, I didn’t see the expression on his face.

“He’s got food. I’ll put medicine out tomorrow and tell him how to use it. Shampoo, soap, a washcloth, a towel, suggest he finds someplace to clean up. Urge him to eat the fruit and veggies. Maybe buy some vitamins and ask him to take those too. We’ll take care of him and then we’ll get him.”

“I know we’ll get him, darlin’, and that’ll be good. But who I really wanna get is whoever f**ked him up.”

I pressed my lips together because he said that like he meant it a whole lot.

Then I unpressed my lips and replied quietly, “I want you to get him too.”

His eyes moved over my face before coming back to mine and he whispered back, “Then I will.”

I smiled at him.

He leaned in and touched his mouth to mine.

Unfortunately, he leaned right back and said softly, “Gotta get to work.”

“Right,” I replied.

“Call you before you go to bed.”

I smiled again and repeated, “Right.”

His eyes dropped to my mouth before they came back to mine, he leaned in several inches and whispered, “I’d take that mouth, but that’d mean I’d be makin’ out with you in your car on the street. The town’s pretty librarian doesn’t need that kinda talk.”

This was disappointing.

Until he finished, “Least not yet.”

I smiled again.

Chace awarded me a return smile.

Then he took off and I drove my Cherokee into the lot, parked and went to the library.

* * * * *

Nine fifty-five that night

I was on my back on my couch, feet in the seat, knees to the ceiling, apple candle burning, snapping a piece of bubblemint in my mouth, the last glass of the wine Chace brought the night before mostly consumed and sitting on a table beside me.

I had my Nook in my hand and I was reading.

Lexie was luckily free. Her friend Wendy was not on shift at Bubba’s so she came with us to the outlet mall. They were both not only free, but also beside themselves with glee that we were going to the mall because I was going out with Chace. Lexie especially. She was delighted and didn’t mind showing it.

This felt good.

It also felt hopeful.

I liked my clothes but contradictorily, I wasn’t a shopper. Luckily, I knew what I liked and I knew where to get it so my shopping experience was as narrow as my life had been (that was to say, as narrow as it was a couple of weeks ago).

Lexie and Wendy took me to the outlet mall and opened up an entire world to me.

This was why I came back not only with an outfit that even I thought was fan-freaking-tastic to go out with Chace in but also four other bags of clothes, shoes and (it made me blush but that didn’t mean I didn’t hope it wouldn’t eventually come in handy), sexy undies and nightgowns.

They were having the time of their lives and I did too. I didn’t know shopping could be such a blast. But with those two, it totally was.

Now I was home, unwinding, trying to read at the same time wondering if Chace liked dogs and/or cats. Since Holly didn’t mind pets, I’d been thinking now for months about getting one or the other. This was what was on my mind when my phone rang.

It was the house phone again so I twisted, grabbed the handset from the charger by the couch, beeped it on and put it to my ear.