right from her subconscious to her mouth without going through the filter of her brain.
“The last part is easy enough. They come back from Ireland on Tuesday. You could call their secretary and make an appointment.”
“I kind of wanted to know what sort of reception I’d get before I met them in person.”
“That can be arranged.” He collected their empty dishes and put them in the sink. “I won’t let anyone hurt you again. It kills me that I didn’t protect you today.” He wouldn’t look at her, just stared out the window over the sink.
She stood and crossed over to him. Wrapping her arms around his waist, she pressed her face into his back and inhaled his masculine scent. “It’s not your fault. How could you know some lunatic would attack me in broad daylight? I have no idea how he even knew I’d be at the store.”
“Unless he was following you,” J.T. said, turning around so he faced her.
“That’s kind of creepy.”
“But a possibility. I want you to stay at Mary Ellen’s tomorrow. Bill said the Farleys are coming over, and they don’t have any other plans. No matter what, stay in the house.”
Yesterday, she would have bristled at his directions. Now she was scared enough to follow them happily. “I’m sure Mary Ellen and Mrs. Farley will stuff me so full I won’t be able to move off the couch anyway.”
“Oh man, save me a plate.”
“I will. As long as you don’t wait too long to come pick me up.”
“I’ll always rush home to you.” He kissed her nose. “Come on, let’s sit on the porch a little bit and neck like we used to.”
“We never necked on my front porch. My mama would have chased you off with a stick.”
“Fine, let’s sit on the front porch and neck like I always wanted to.”
Her heart did the melty-flippy thing again as she followed him outside. “I don’t know that my face is up for a serious make-out session, but we can hold hands and watch the stars come out.”
“That’s fine too.”
They sat on the wicker loveseat and Nadya curled into his solid torso. The shower, massage and medicine had done wonders for her pain level, and the soup had eased her hunger. None of her problems had gone away, but she felt like she had a better handle on them.
For right now, she just wanted to relax with J.T. and enjoy the quiet.
“I used to sit out here all the time and watch the stars come out. Mama would tell me folk tales she’d heard as a little girl or make up stories. We didn’t have a TV, so she would add to the story every night like a soap opera.”
“My mama used to read from this huge book of nursery tales before bed. I always liked the ones with ogres and trolls and giants.”
“How old were you when she died?”
“Fourteen. She had a massive heart attack and died instantly. The doctors said she had a weak valve and there was no way of predicting what happened. She was only thirty-nine.”
“That’s awful. I’m so sorry.” Her heart ached for the fourteen-year-old boy who lost his mother so suddenly. “My mama died young too, but at least she made it to forty-six.”
“Did you know my dad asked your mama to marry him?”
“What? No! I never knew. When did that happen?”
“When we still lived here. I think she went to talk to him after she found me beating up trees. I know it was shortly afterwards that he started coming out here on his weekly visits.”
“Wow, she never told me. And we talked about everything.”
“I guess she turned him down flat, saying she wasn’t cut out to be a preacher’s wife. He kept asking her though.”
“Good. I’m glad my mama had the love of a good man in her life. After I got a job, the first thing I did was co-sign a loan so she could have an RV. She’d spent her life traveling from place to place, then had to settle down when she had me. The least I could do was give her the freedom of the road again.”
“Yeah, my dad told me she came to visit him in Texas. She turned him down there too.”
“It must have been hard on him.”
“Maybe, but it also got him living again. He hadn’t dated anyone since my mama died.”
“Then it must have been doubly hard when she died too.”
“I know he’d like to see you the next time