Page 21 of When She Needs Them Most
She wiggles around a bit, placing it where she likes it. “Thanks. I checked them out, but they were kinda expensive.”
Hmm. My phone is in my pocket. I can have one here by tomorrow if the shipping is on point. Our town is small. I’m not even sure if we have a baby store, but Blacksburg will. It’s the closest moderately sized town.
“How about a crib?” I didn’t notice one when I was peeking around.
“I have to take care of that this week,” she says with a heavy sigh. “I browsed a lot, but just as I was getting ready to purchase…” I twist until I can fully study her face. She frowns so deeply, wrinkles appear in her forehead. “I told you Luna’s dad left us some money. I didn’t even know he had a brother until he started harassing me. I don’t think he was pleased to learn that the money wasn’t going to him.”
The light stalking I did already told me that, butshedoesn’t know that I know.
“And that’s why you left—” I cut off as my mind races. She hasn’t specifically told me that she moved from Richmond. My brain scrambles for a way to finish that sentence. “I mean, that’s why you moved?”
“Yeah, I was ready for a change, but I would have waited until after Luna was born.” Her eyes clench closed. “I think I hoped it would be enough of a distance that he would finally leave me alone.”
I scoot down until my socks hit Sky’s bum and roll toward the little omega. “You couldn’t have moved next to a better set of neighbors. We run the Blacksburg office of Shadow Security. We’ve built our entire career around protecting people.”
Damn.
What am I trying to do? Give her the hiring spiel?
“And I appreciate it, but honestly, I hope it doesn’t come to that.” Her big blue eyes pop open, and the shiny way they glisten makes me think she might be on the verge of crying. “I feel bad. You know? He lost his brother. I’m sure that grief is a lot to process. If Luna wasn’t in the mix, I’d give it to him to be done with the situation. I don’t know, maybe it’s selfish. I just wanted to save as much of that money as possible to give to her one day. I know money can’t replace her dad, but it would be something special he left to give her a better future.”
“That will mean a lot to her one day,” I say, giving her what I hope is a reassuring smile. It also makes a lot more sense why she chose to rent instead of buying something. The late Clark Raynor left her just shy of a quarter of a million dollars. She spent five thousand securing Mrs. Wilson’s rental property.
Technically speaking, the guys and I could pay off the younger Raynor without blinking an eye, but that idea rubs me the wrong way. If he was an upstanding guy, maybe I would consider it, but he’s only concerned with paying off his bookie.
Chelsea has altruistic goals for her daughter’s future, and if she bonds us, then we’ll need to take over stocking up a fund for Luna’s college, wedding, and all that good stuff.
My hand comes to rest on the back of Chelsea’s head as she faces me. I dig my fingers into her thick, blonde waves. “Get some rest. We’ve got a lot of unpacking to do later.”
A tired smile breaks out over her face. “Thank you, Kase. This is all so bizarre. I feel like I’m taking advantage of your kindness, but I don’t know what I would have done without you guys stepping in to help.”
“It’s nothing,” I fib. “Just small-town hospitality. Neighbors look after neighbors around here.”
She yawns. “It sounds like I picked a great town to start over in, then.” Her eyes fall shut and stay that way as I tenderly massage her scalp.
It’s nice that she doesn’t ask me to stop or tell me to get lost. She’s already got one stalker, and if she realizes she has another, she might not take it well.
However, I only did a little light romantic stalking to ensure I have all the information about what she’s running from. If I don’t know everything, I won’t be able to keep her and Luna safe.
It’s also not stalking if she knows I’m here, right?
No, that’s just a little romantic observation.
Totally different from creepy stalking.
As long as she doesn’t try to cut me out of her life, we’ll be golden. If she does, I’ll have to work twice as hard to convince her that I’m not a threat. She triggered my instincts. There’s no walking away for me now.
I just have to pretend to be normal long enough that she lets me bite her, then she’ll never be able to escape.
Chapter Nine
Chelsea
My skin is sweaty, and despite being cold since I got here, I’m sweltering when I wake up. Sky’s furry nose dances around in my hair, and her paw digs into my lower back. She’s a cuddler of the highest order, and it’s adorable. I’ve always loved dogs. My mom worked too many hours for us to have one when I was growing up, and I’ve only lived in apartments since reaching adulthood. But I’ve always imagined I’d get a Lab or a golden retriever one day.
When I open my eyes, Kase’s curly brown hair fills my view. It takes seconds of blinking to determine he’s the little spoon. My nose is buried in his neck from behind, and I’ve got an arm tossed over his chest. His butt rests against my thighs, and it’s a cozy moment.
Kase was on top of the blanket when I fell asleep, but he must have relocated. His nutty, blueberry scent is everywhere. It makes my insides all warm and melty. It’s been so long since I’ve snuggled with anyone that I almost don’t know what to do with myself. He’s a very considerate guy, but alpha instincts push for them to comfort distraught omegas, and I can’t help but worry I’m taking advantage of his kindness.
