I stared at my phone, unsure how to respond. Did I want to go? I honestly wasn’t sure.
Chief?He pressed when I still hesitated.
Fear kicked in with surprising tenacity. It was one thing for Cash and me to explore being an us under my roof. To put it on display at his club? With everyone that was important to him? I wasn’t sure I was ready.
I think we’ll just head home. Thanks though. Have fun!
I winced at the exclamation mark and how forced it looked. I pocketed my cell phone and turned to Wren. “I’ll take a rain check on the club. But thank you for inviting Ri and me over. Obviously, she had a blast.” I gestured to Riley, who hadn’t stopped running or laughing since we’d arrived. I’d have a very tired, albeit blissed out girl on my hands for the rest of the night.
A look of indecision passed on Wren’s face as though she wanted to push me. Instead she nodded and smiled warmly. “I’m glad she had fun. You two are welcome anytime.”
“Thanks, lady. Ri, time to go!” I called, turning my attention to my little bundle of overtired.
Not surprisingly, it was only after a complete meltdown and then falling asleep in the car that I pulled up to our house a short time later. For the first time, I thought our two-story home looked unwelcoming with all the lights off as I hauled a sleeping Riley up into my arms.
“I’ll take her, chief.”
Cash’s voice had me shrieking in surprise as he came alongside me as if from thin air, reaching for Riley as though it was second nature. “Quiet, baby, you’ll wake her,” he chided as he took Riley’s weight in his arms and tucked her head against his shoulder with a tenderness that made me ache.
“I had no idea you were there. I thought you were at the club!” I whisper-yelled as we approached the house.
“Are you at the club?” he demanded.
“Well, no,” I sputtered as I let us into the house and turned on the lights, Oscar’s unearthly yowl greeting us.
“Well then, if I’m not at a meet, don’t see what I’d be doing there without you,” he answered impatiently.
I bristled at his tone. He was moving so fast and expecting me to keep up.
But now wasn’t the time to get into it. “We should wake her. She’ll be all screwed up if she keeps sleeping.”
“Yeah.” He rubbed her back, talking to her softly. “Time to wake up, Riley Bean. I bet Oscar’s ready for dinner. Want to help me feed him?”
He’d tapped into the one thing that would undoubtedly rouse her interest. She perked up immediately, her head rising from his shoulder as she looked at him with a bleary expression full of hope. “I can help?”
He grinned at her, his expression warm. “Course you can.”
“I fed Rosie earlier,” she boasted proudly, and it occurred to me how unsurprised she’d been to wake in Cash’s arms.
“I bet you were a big help,” he replied, his large hand splayed on her back rubbing in gentle circles, letting her wake up gradually.
I was in awe of his natural ability with her, while at the same time equally terrified. “I’ll make dinner,” I murmured, trying to buy some time to pull myself together as I pulled pasta out of the pantry.
Turmoil raged inside me as the conflicting desires to pull him closer and push him away dueled inside me.
Riley led Cash into the pantry with the cat food, and the two of them tended to our albino before settling on the couch, where Cash proceeded to read Riley her favorite book.
She was letting him in without any of the reservation I felt. I wished I could enjoy it rather than fear it.
I dished the pasta, listening to Riley giggle and Cash’s deep baritone. “Dinner’s ready,” I announced, setting the plates on the table.
Riley chattered through dinner while I remained largely silent, lost in my own head.
I took my time putting Riley to bed, trying to put off having to face Cash when my emotions were still a jumbled mess inside me.
When I knew I couldn’t put it off any longer and Riley had long since fallen asleep, I made my way downstairs, finding the kitchen spotless and Cash sitting on the couch flipping through the channels. His bright blue eyes found mine, watching me expectantly. The tension crackled between us as the silence stretched.
“She asleep?” His voice was a deep rasp when he finally spoke.