“Do you know anything about Graham?” he asked.
“I know he’s kind and considerate. He understands the pain I’ve been through and the vulnerability I still experience when I’m out and about. I know he gets along well with Lily, not that any of this is your business.”
“He’s a strange man who’s new to town. It sure as hell is my business.”
“Explain to me how that’s your business,” I said.
“Because if he hurts you or Lily, then I’ve failed Bradley.”
I sighed and felt my eyes water as Paul turned his back. Maybe I was reading too much into his behavior. Maybe he was only trying to protect me the best way he knew how. Paul had always been kind to me, wrapped me up in big hugs and listened to me whenever Bradley and I were having arguments. The three of us had always been close, yet I was acting like I was the only one who was hurt by all of this.
Maybe he was seeking closeness with me to get closer to Bradley.
“I’m sorry,” I said.
“I miss him, too, Cindy,” Paul said. “Like you do.”
“I thought that you were—”
“It’s not always about you.”
He whipped around faster than I’d ever seen him move, and it caused me to jump back on the couch.
“Sometimes, me coming to see you isn’t always about you,” he said.
He put his wine glass down on the coffee table and walked to my front door. I watched him with wide eyes as guilt flooded my stomach. He was hurting. Aching. Missing his best friend and trying to get close to me to feel a little closer to him. I got up from the couch and rushed to the kitchen, trying to find a way to fix this, to tell him I was sorry for reading more into what he was doing than what there was.
“Paul, please. You don’t have to go,” I said.
“You need to realize who the good guy is here, Cindy. I know you’re lonely, and I know you’re confused. But keep your wits about you. If you don’t want me here, that’s fine, but that means you have to keep aware of your surroundings.”
I furrowed my brow at his comment as he shut the door behind him.
The good guy? Keep aware of my surroundings? What the hell did that mean? I felt shivers run up and down my back as I watched Paul get into his car and drive away. Was I in danger somehow?
Suddenly, I thought back to the night before when Graham had burst through my door. Had something really been going on and he had made up a cover story because Paul had been there? Did he know more than he was letting on?
I stepped out onto the porch and turned my head toward Graham’s house. All of his lights were off, and his truck wasn’t in his driveway. Where would he be at this time of night? Surely, the mechanic shop wasn’t still open. The wind whipped through the trees, rustling the grass as the crickets started to chirp. My body shivered as I went back inside, my hand slowly closing my kitchen door behind me.
And for the first time in years, I locked both the deadbolt and the doorknob.
CHAPTER 24
GRAHAM
A knock came at my door, and I waited for the second set. There was only one person I was opening that door for. Everyone else was in danger if I opened it for them. I listened as a second set of knocks spelled out the one name I was looking for. Only then did I hop up from the couch and whip the door open.
“Fucking finally,” I said.
I pulled Daniel into the house, still a bit shocked he was there. I enveloped him in a hug and patted his back, relieved someone else was there with me. The past couple of days had been torturous. Lily had come knocking on my door several times, and Cindy had even tried once. It had been hard, not answering the door for them.
But I couldn’t.
I had to keep them safe.
“You look surprised to see me,” Daniel said.
“So shoot me.”
“Don’t look so surprised. I have to be here to help,” he said.
“Thanks for coming,” I said.
“Have you seen Cindy at all lately?”
“Nope. Been keeping my distance from them. They’re at risk now because of my inability to stay away. Thanks for that, by the way.”
“Hey, how is this my fault?”
“Blend in with the crowd. Make friends. Get laid.”
“I said nothing about getting laid, but it’s about damn time that happened too.”
“And now she and her daughter are in danger because of me,” I said.
“You don’t know that. I have no intelligence that says that.”
“What do you have?” I asked.
“For now, I think you’re actually safe.”
“Are you fucking kidding me? You came into town to tell me I’m okay? I know you better than that.”
“I said you’re safe for now. No one’s been spotted in town for the past twenty-four hours, and chatter about you at the Agency has died down to almost nothing.”
“I’m not making any excuses this time until I have some answers,” I said.
Then, a knock came at my door.
I paused, waiting for the person to go away. But instead, another knock landed. Then another. Then another still. I gritted my teeth as Daniel looked at me, his gaze commanding me to open the door.
But I shook my head.
“Graham? You there?” Cindy asked.
“Mr. Graham? Do you still need a Band-Aid?”
I watched Daniel’s jaw drop with an ‘aw’ before he reached for my door. I tried to stop him, irate that he would still want to put them at risk like this. It didn’t matter that he thought we were safe for the moment. I knew the dangers lurking out there. I knew the trouble I was in. But Daniel was too busy playing fucking matchmaker to care.
He whipped the door open, and my eyes fell on Cindy, her beautiful body and her wonderful presence as her daughter held her hand.
“Graham!” Lily said. “I missed you.”
“Hey there,” I said. “How are you?”
“Lily and I were about to head out to dinner, and I figured you might wanna join us. I didn't realize you had company, though,” Cindy said.
“Yeah. Got a friend visiting, but maybe another time?” I asked.
“He could come if he wanted. I’m Cindy, by the way.”
“Daniel,” he said with a smile. “And who is this beautiful little girl?”
“I’m Lily,” she said. “Do you like bread?”
“I love bread. Is that what we’re having for dinner?” Daniel asked.
“We’ve already got dinner plans,” I said.
“And they were just canceled,” Daniel said.
I saw the confused look on Cindy’s face and the puppy dog eyes Lily was giving me. She obviously got those from her mother. Daniel was looking at me with a shit-eating grin on his face, and I heaved a heavy sigh. At least if they were going out with both of us, they would have double the protection if something happened.
“Okay,” I said. “We’ll come to dinner.”
“Yay!” Lily said. “Come on, Mommy. I’m hungry.”
The four of us hopped into Cindy’s car and headed into town. Daniel kept making conversation with Cindy, and I could see the growing curiosity in her eyes. Lily kept interjecting with questions, and Daniel answered them with ease, and in any other scenario, it would’ve been nice. The girl I liked and her daughter getting along with my best friend.
But I kept my eyes peeled for danger as we walked into the restaurant.
The night actually turned out to be pretty nice. Cindy and Daniel got along, and Lily and I talked about her day. Cindy kept eyeing me with that cute smile of hers, and Daniel entertained Lily so we could talk a bit. The food was fabulous, and the company was superb, and I felt my worries slowly melting away.
It was like enjoying a family meal, a real, tried-and-true family meal.
I enjoyed myself. I enjoyed the conversation and the presence of Cindy and Lily. It had only been a couple of days, but I had missed them a lot. They were my weakness, Lily with her persistent, energetic demeanor and Cindy with her soft presence and her motherly calm.
I basked in the meal we all shared before we set out for home.
I walked Cindy and Lily to their door as Daniel disappeared into my house. Having him there was a constant reminder of the danger we were all in. But every time I met Cindy’s eyes, a calm spread over me like a soft and cozy blanket.