Chapter 13

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

A litany of curses hovered on his tongue as he stared at the red blossoms. He should have seen it coming; she’d done everything but tell him flat out she wanted nothing to do with him, and this was the final red flag waving in his face.

Goddamn it.

He pitched the fast food bag on top and slammed the lid, then stalked back through the garage and into the house. It wasn’t anger he felt, he acknowledged as he stepped inside. It was her blatant refusal to accept his help, or anything else from him.

He was honestly surprised she’d accepted the offer to work in his home office. She probably would have dug in her heels had Marley not convinced her otherwise. He shook his head. She was far too skittish. How the hell could he convince her he was only trying to help?

He blew out a harsh breath. Whatever she’d been through had affected her deeply, and it was going to take more than a few days to overcome her fears. He would just have to respect the line she’d drawn in the sand—for now. Eventually he was going to earn her trust and get her to open up to him. He couldn’t keep her safe if he didn’t know what—or who—she was running from.

And she was most definitely running. The more he watched her, the more he saw the obvious signs of distress. Dare had been trained to keep a keen eye on his surroundings, but his awareness was nothing compared to Ainsley’s. Her eyes never stopped moving, even inside the house. She always had one eye on the window or door, almost like she was waiting for someone to walk through and grab her.

The thought made him sick to his stomach. He wanted to reassure her, promise she would be safe, but she wouldn’t believe him. All he could do was wait, give her plenty of time and space to settle in and figure it out for herself.

The moment he stepped into the house, every nerve ending tingled with awareness. Less than a second later, the savory smell hit him full force. Dare toed off his boots, then cautiously made his way through the laundry room and down the hallway to the kitchen. He paused just outside and peered around the doorway.

Everything inside him softened when he spotted Ainsley in front of the stove stirring something in a large pot. Dare took the moment to study her. Her blonde hair had been pulled away from her face except for a rogue curl that hung down the nape of her neck. Her movements were fluid as she opened the oven door to check on what smelled like garlic bread.

Well, she was certainly making herself at home. Dare quietly retreated several steps down the hallway, then opened and closed the door again, this time more forcefully, sending the sound echoing down the hallway. “Ainsley?”

“In the kitchen,” she called out.

When he reached the kitchen this time, she stood facing him, her fingers nervously fiddling with a dish towel. “I hope you don’t mind,” she apologized. “I heard about…”

She trailed off, and her gaze darted away for a second before meeting his again. “I figured you’d had a long day and might be hungry.”

His ire from earlier melted away. How could he be upset with her when she’d done something so thoughtful? He was an idiot. She wasn’t putting distance between them because she disliked him; she did it to protect herself. Even though he’d just eaten on the way home, he couldn’t refuse her offer.

“I didn’t realize you’d heard about it.” He shot her an apologetic look. “Sorry for bailing on you. I know we were supposed to go into town this morning.”

“It’s fine,” she quickly replied. “You had way more important things to take care of.”

“I should have at least left a note. But it looks like you’ve been finding your way around okay.”

A scarlet flush swept over her cheeks. “I promise I wasn’t snooping or anything.”

A pang moved through his chest at her obvious discomfort. He hated seeing her like this, hated more the person who’d stripped away her confidence. But she’d evidently experienced enough anger for one lifetime; she didn’t need it from him too.

Instead, he forced a smile. “I know it’s going to take some getting used to—for both of us. But you’re always welcome here. I trust you.”

Her gaze snapped toward him at that, and she stared at him for several seconds, seeming to weigh his words. Finally she gave a tiny nod. “Thanks.”

He moved deeper into the room, intrigued by the delicious scent wafting from the oven. “I didn’t know I had any thing edible left in the house. What are you making?”

“Just spaghetti. I found some noodles and a can of tomatoes in the pantry. I figured I couldn’t go wrong with pasta.”

“You made that from scratch?” he asked as he peered into the simmering pot.

A blush stole over her cheeks. “I just added some spices I found in the cupboard.”

Dare pulled out a spoon, dipped it into the sauce, and took a small sip. Flavor burst over his tongue, sending his tastebuds into a euphoric bliss. “That’s delicious.”

“I’m glad you like it.” A slow smile unfurled over her lips, and it hit him like a sucker punch to the gut. The timer went off, and Ainsley turned off the oven before glancing his way. “The bread needs a few minutes to cool down if you want to change first.”

“I’ll be right back.” He hustled upstairs and changed into a pair of sweats and was back less than five minutes later.

On his way back he detoured to check on Sarge and found the dog happily lounging near the lake watching the birds. Dare filled his food and water bowls then carried them out to the patio. Sarge’s ears perked up at the sound of the door opening, and he loped toward the house. Dare scratched him behind the ears as he dug into his food, then headed inside for his own dinner.

Ainsley had already set the table, and Dare stopped next to the fridge. “Soda?”

“Water, please. I’ve probably had enough caffeine today.”

Dare made a face. “I haven’t had enough. I think I could fall asleep standing up at this point.”

Ainsley paused, dish in hand, and turned a pair of concerned eyes his way. “I can leave you alone.”

“No.” He shook his head. “I’d like you to stay. Please,” he said at her dubious look. “We haven’t had much chance to get to know one another.”

Dare recognized that, while he wasn’t in the best headspace after the events of the morning, he needed to reassure her. Besides, he liked having her here. She exuded a quiet peacefulness that made him appreciate her all the more. Right now he just wanted to focus on her and put the murder from his mind for a bit.

He reached for the plate, but she waved him off. “I can get it.”

He pulled out a seat and dropped into the chair. “What did you do today?”

“Not much.” She loaded up a plate and set it in front of him. “I got some files uploaded and filled out the paperwork for Marley.”

Dare picked up his fork, but Ainsley stood there, her gaze riveted on him. He glanced up at her. “Aren’t you going to eat?”

“Oh. I... Yeah.” Her gaze dropped away and she quickly turned back to the stove. Dare waited until she’d made up her own plate and slid into the seat across from him before scooping up a bite of food. It was just as delicious as he remembered, and he forked up another bite.

Across from him, Ainsley still hadn’t moved. He sensed her watching him from beneath her lashes, and the hairs on the back of his neck lifted. Had she done something to the food while he was gone?

His nerve endings prickled and he studied her surreptitiously. She gripped her fork tightly, her body tense. Suddenly it hit him. She was waiting for his approval.

A wave of compassion washed over him, and he gestured toward his plate. “This is the best pasta I’ve ever had.”

He could practically see the tension drain from her body as relief flooded her features. “I’m glad you like it.”

She finally scooped up a bite and lifted it to her lips. Dare ripped his gaze away and forced himself to focus on his food. With each passing moment his curiosity about Ainsley’s past increased. He wanted to know who’d hurt her. He wanted to make sure it never happened again.