“I already found some.”
The corner of my mouth kicked up. “She comes prepared.”
Hallie just grinned as she pulled out her phone to show me a photo. “Damien has a litter of puppies that should be ready soon. They’re some sort of mixed breed. Look how cute.”
I glanced down at the photo. They were certainly adorable, even though their giant paws spoke to how big they might get. But my mind was stuck on something else. “Damien?”
My tone was far too casual.
Hallie’s cheeks flushed. “Dr. Miller, the vet. I met him at Aspen’s.”
A sick feeling swept through my gut. “You like him.”
Her eyes flared. “No. I mean, yes. I mean, he’s nice. Good with the animals and Cady and Charlie. He asked me to get coffee.”
That muscle beneath my eye began to flutter. “You going?”
Hallie twisted her fingers together. “I told him I needed to think about it.”
Think about it. She might not be ready now, but she would be someday. And I’d have to watch her leave for dates. Come home from them. Or worse, not come home at all. I gripped the edge of the counter as the torturous images filled my head.
“Dad! Hallie! Come on!” Charlie called. “It’s starting.”
Hallie shut the dishwasher and headed for the living room.
And I just watched her go, hating every second of her walking away.
23
HALLIE
I was floatingin a sea of warmth. Everything about it was wonderful. Like a cocoon of safety, comfort, and heat. I let out a moan, trying to burrow deeper.
An arm tightened around me, and I froze.An arm?My eyes flew open. The living room filled my vision, credits rolling on the screen. But Charlie, Drew, and Luke were nowhere in sight.
I shifted slightly and realized why I was so warm and comfy. I was lying on Lawson. Practically using him as a mattress and blanket all in one.
Slowly, I pulled back, meeting his gaze. “I’m so sorry.”
He chuckled. “Don’t worry about it. You’re cute when you sleep. You burrow like a kitten.”
I flushed. “I practically accosted you.”
A grin spread across Lawson’s face. “I’ve taken self-defense. I could’ve extricated myself if I wanted.”
What the hell did that mean?I knew what I wanted it to mean. What his hands on my face had meant in the kitchen. But I feared it was simple kindness and nothing more. He’d told me straight out that he wasn’t equipped for relationships. Only I knew there wasn’t anyone else I’d rather try to find normal with.
Lawson’s thumb glided up and down my arm, sending pleasant shivers coursing through me. “Good nap?”
“I don’t think I’ve slept that deeply in years.” Not since I took pills to knock me out in the hopes of getting a single decent night’s sleep.
He frowned. “Have you been having nightmares?”
I shifted in place, but it only brought me closer to Lawson. Too close. That scent of sage and bergamot wrapped around me.
Lawson lifted his hand, sliding it along my jaw until his fingers tangled in my hair. He tipped my head back, so I was forced to meet his gaze. “Talk to me, Hallie.”
“They’ve been worse since the missing woman was found,” I admitted.
