you come home with me it will ruin all of that and you might miss your shot at drawing her out, but I don’t care. I care about you. I’m worried about you. And I’m telling you it won’t matter if you go back to that crappy apartment or not because even if you do, Case is going to surround the place with his deputies. If Shot lurking about was really enough to keep her away, what do you think the entire Loveless Sheriff Department is going to do?” She paused in her tirade long enough to blow out a breath. “I know the whole ‘family’ thing is new to you and you’re trying to adjust to having all of us all up in your life. So, I’m asking—no, I’m pleading with you to do this for me, Presley. Come home with me, for a few days at least. Let me take care of you. Let me help you.”
It was on the tip of my tongue to tell her no, but I couldn’t do it. No matter how independent and solitary I was, there was no looking into those big, green eyes so like mine and denying her. It was a strange sensation, putting Kody’s wants and needs before my own survival instincts. I’d lived so much of my life as the primary caregiver for my mother, it was nearly impossible to switch gears and accept being the person who was being cared for. I’d never had to worry about hurting anyone before, and the weight of that responsibility was honestly alarming.
I slowly nodded my agreement to her demand and told her softly, “I’ll come, but only for a day or two. I don’t want to impose on you and Hill.”
They were a new couple, both with busy schedules. They didn’t need a third party lingering around during their honeymoon phase, and I didn’t know how long I could tolerate being in the middle of Kody’s constant bedlam. But I was going to try to acquiesce because she was family, and because she was important to me. I didn’t want to give her more reasons to worry about me, as much as I didn’t want to worry about something happening to her because of me. It was exhausting, and again I longed for the days that all passed in one beige blur.
Plus, Kody was right. I needed to figure out what family meant to me now, and it was up to me to learn to function as part of one.
Chapter 3
Shot
Stay away from my sister, Caldwell.”
I lifted my eyebrows and looked at the sheriff of Loveless over the rim of the coffee mug I had pressed to my lips. I’d done my best to avoid Case Lawton for the last few days. I knew he was going to have questions I didn’t have answers for, and I knew he was going to get cranky when I stonewalled him. It wasn’t that I had anything against the stern and stoic lawman. I actually respected him and appreciated his no-nonsense approach to keeping the peace. However, we were never going to see eye to eye when it came to my viewing certain laws and regulations as suggestions rather than absolutes. We were also never going to be on the same page about me being an acceptable partner for his sister…either one of them.
Pushing his buttons, mostly because I could, I set the coffee cup down and asked dryly, “Which one?”
Case’s low growl rumbled from the other side of the table and his big hands curled into fists. I grinned when a muscle ticked in his cheek. I could practically hear his back teeth grinding together in frustration.
“Stay away from both of them. I’m sure you know that most places have some kind of surveillance equipment installed, even crappy apartment buildings in small towns. I don’t know why you’re suddenly interested in Presley, but I don’t like it. If I have to, I’ll push her to get a restraining order, and if you break it, it’ll be my pleasure to lock your ass up for stalking.” He leaned his big body back in the booth and narrowed his sharp, observant gaze in my direction. “Kody went and found herself the right kind of forever, and I’m sure that had to sting your pride. But I’ll be damned if you’re trying to replace her with Presley since they just happen to look so much alike.”
I blinked in surprise, honestly taken aback at the accusation.