woke up and threw him out, he hung around the hospital every day. When Anna Victoria and I came to visit, he would ask us how you were doing.”
“And you told him?”
“No, no. Not like that. He just wanted to make sure you were okay. What happened?” J.D. continued. “With you and Krieger?”
Her fox hissed at the mention of the name, and her gaze dropped back to the snow globe. What was this about? He was obviously trying to remind her of their short time together. A little flare of heat sparked in her core at the reminder of those two nights they spent wrapped up in each other’s arms. The feel of him on top of her. His hard body and—
“You all right, Dutch?” J.D. peered at her curiously.
“Um. Yeah.” She shoved the snow globe back in the box. “I’m fine.” But what was Krieger up to?
The following day, another package arrived, this time in the form of a food delivery—toast, and bacon and eggs from the local diner. Like the breakfast he made. The meal itself hadn’t been memorable, but what they’d done on that table after sure was.
In the next few days, more gifts came to her aunt’s doorstep. He sent her a basket of bath bombs, salts, and candles. She smiled, thinking about how she had told him she loved long baths. Then a teddy bear wearing a Blackstone Rangers uniform shirt, similar to his uniform that she wore around the cabin.
The gifts didn’t stop with just her, either. No, Krieger sent flowers to both her aunts. And Rosie said he stopped by to eat at the pie shop, devouring an entire pie by himself—cherry with extra whipped cream.
It had been so long ago … how did he remember such details in their brief time together? What was he trying to say?
A few more packages and food deliveries came in the following week. Takeout from her favorite Chinese place. Pizza from Giorgio’s, the local Italian restaurant. Greek food from a new restaurant on Main Street. Thai food from the food court in South Blackstone. She and Angela didn’t have to cook for the next two weeks as lunches and dinners would just magically show up on their doorstep.
Then one day, the strangest gift of all arrived—a box of romance novels, delivered by Isla, who introduced herself as the owner of the local bookshop that had just opened up on Main Street. She couldn’t stop from smiling when the bespectacled young woman told her that a huge scary man came in asking for all her latest romance titles, except anything where the man on the cover wears a kilt.
What are you up to, Krieger?
And more important, where was he?
It had been over three weeks since she’d seen him outside the hospital. Her vixen did not like her train of thought. In fact, it didn’t like any of the gifts. But Dutchy couldn’t stop the butterflies in her stomach from fluttering or her heart hammering in anticipation as she waited and wondered what the day’s gift would be.
So, when the doorbell rang the next afternoon, she raced to the front door—well, walked briskly anyway, as even though she was feeling better, her arm and shoulder were still sore.
She yanked the door open, expecting a deliveryman on the other side. However, her heart slammed into her rib cage as she stared up at the man himself.
From the look on his face, he wasn’t expecting to see her up close either. “I—” He took a few steps back from the door. “Is this okay?”
For a moment, she was distracted by his presence and aura. The dark T-shirt he wore stretched over his powerful shoulders, molding to them like they’d been painted on. “Huh?
“Am I far away enough?”
“Oh.” He was still concerned about her fox hurting her. “Yes, it’s fine.” Funny enough, though her animal seethed at the sight of him, his presence didn’t trigger any violent reactions. “Um, thank you for the gifts.”
“You got them all?”
“Yeah.” She bit her lip as she shuffled her feet. “I don’t get it though.” Slowly, she lifted her head to meet his gaze. Her heart ached, wishing she could see that indescribable blue of his eyes again. “Why?”
He paused. “I told you why.”
I’m going to fix you. I’m going to fix us.
Those words haunted her every day, lurking in the back of her mind. Yet, she didn’t know how the gifts fit in except to remind her of what they’d shared in the past.