“Uh oh,” Cassie sing-songed. “Better remember what I told you earlier.”
Elizabeth glanced over at him curiously.
“Too big for my britches, huh?” he muttered for her alone. “Elizabeth, darlin’, you have no idea.” Then he said to Cassie, “I’ll remember your advice, honey, just as soon as I get the chance. You got your coat on now? We’ll be there soon.”
Scarlet heat flamed through Elizabeth’s body, flushing her cheeks in aroused embarrassment as she turned quickly away from him, remembering just how big he could get. Definitely too big for his britches. She swallowed tightly then breathed in with slow even breaths to fight the sudden hard thump of her heart. Damn him. Did he have a countermove for everything?
The rest of the drive was completed in silence. Elizabeth steeled herself for the coming arrival. Death or safety. With each move she had made over the past two years it came down to this. And though she was beginning to trust Dash to a point, finding it in her to trust someone on his say-so alone was harder.
The Hummer pulled through the snow easily, though Dash didn’t push for speed. Still, all too soon they rounded the last small hill and the two-story ranch house came into view. It was well lit. The front door opened as the wide entrance to a garage slowly began to rise.
A tall man moved easily from the porch along a shoveled walkway, timing his steps to coincide with Dash maneuvering the Hummer into the wide garage. As they cleared the door, it began to lower once again, enclosing them in the brightly lit area as Dash cut the ignition.
“Momma.” Cassie’s voice was faint. “The fairy says it’s okay. She really does.” But Elizabeth heard her daughter’s fear as the strange male began to come alongside the vehicle.
“Come here, baby.” Elizabeth unbuckled her seat belt as Dash did, grabbed the service revolver in one hand and motioned her daughter to her with the other.
In an instant Cassie was over the console. Her thin arms wrapped around Elizabeth’s neck, her head burying against it as she trembled.
“Elizabeth?” Dash turned to her, watching Cassie in alarm.
Elizabeth shook her head. “She’s frightened.” She ran her hand down Cassie’s back soothingly. “Big men scare her, Dash. Except you. She thinks she knows you…” She let it trail off.
She and Cassie didn’t know the man now standing patiently on the other side of Dash’s door, his expression concerned as he waited on Dash to open the door.
Dash breathed out deeply as she watched him somberly. “She’s just a baby…” She tried to explain, afraid Dash would now expect more from Cassie than she could give. Cassie had her moments of terror. Her moments of happiness. Elizabeth had learned to accept each as they came.
“I know that, Elizabeth.” His voice was soft, though his eyes flashed dark fire at her reprisal. “I was worried for Cassie. Not Mike. We can sit here as long as you need.”
Elizabeth shook her head. Better to find out now what awaited them here in this new atmosphere.
“If she finds safety, she’ll calm down.” She left the rest unsaid.
Dash pushed his fingers wearily through his hair as he pulled the keys from the ignition and opened the door. Cassie tensed, a small, mewling whimper escaping her lips.
Dash stopped. His jaw tightened before he closed the door back once again.
“Cassie.” His voice was so incredibly gentle as he turned that Elizabeth wanted to cry at the sound. Had she ever heard a man speak to her or her daughter with such warmth? “Cassie. The door’s closed, honey. Won’t you look at me?”
Elizabeth rocked her baby slowly, knowing the fear could lead to deep, shuddering tremors that came so close to convulsions they terrified her.
Surprisingly enough, Cassie peeked up at him, though her hands gripped Elizabeth’s neck so tightly they felt like bands of quivering steel.
“I’ll be okay.” Cassie was fighting to be brave, but her voice trembled with her fear. “The fairy said it’s okay. The fairy is always right. She’s always right.” Elizabeth could hear the tears filling Cassie’s voice now.
“You know, Mike has a little girl, too,” Dash suddenly said softly. “Just a few years older than you are. Her name’s Mica. And I bet, living out here without any little girls to play with, that she’ll be very happy when you come in the house.”
Cassie’s head lifted further. She glanced outside the Hummer. “Is she here now?” she asked him suspiciously.
“She’s in the house, Cassie,” Dash said. “I heard her playing when I talked to Mike on the phone earlier. Would you like to meet her?”
Cassie didn’t loosen her grip on Elizabeth, but the shudders eased perceptively.
“You’re sure she’s here, Dash?”
“Tell you what, I’ll step out here and talk to Mike and have him get Mica to come to the inside garage door.” He indicated the closed door at the side of the wide room. “How does that sound?”
Elizabeth lowered her head, kissing her daughter’s curls as she fought to hide her tears. Dash was being gentle, understanding. His voice wasn’t patronizing as Dane’s would have been, but kept its usual inflection without being demanding.