“If you want something—” she began.
He shook his head and found a ten-pound bag of sugar in another cabinet beside bags of white flour, whole wheat flour, rolled oats and other staples. Tearing open the sugar, he put two spoonfuls into the mug.
She still stood in the middle of the kitchen, her arms wrapped around herself. It was all he could do to lean a hip against the counter and keep his distance.
“Why don’t you pull up a stool?” he suggested as gently as his rough voice allowed.
Cait nodded with unexpected docility and obeyed. He was able to pour boiling water into her mug and carry it over to her, staying on the kitchen side of the breakfast bar.
“You want to talk about this?” he asked.
Her eyes met his, then shied away. She shook her head.
“What do you think he’ll do next?”
She used the spoon he’d left in the mug to stir, her head bent. “I don’t know.”
“You have any reason to think he’s done this kind of thing before with other women?” Noah asked. Surely Colin had looked for a police record.
“I… If he has, I didn’t know. Neither of us were seeing anyone else when we met. At the time, he seemed smart, funny, kind of intense but in a flattering way.” She stole a look up at him. “How could I have had a clue?”
Noah shook his head. “You couldn’t,” he said flatly. “Short of doing a background investigation on every guy you date.”
“And even then…”
“He may never have been this obsessed before.”
She screwed her face up in an unhappy expression. “Wow. I hope that’s not true. I don’t want to think there’s something about me—”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” He found he was scowling. “This isn’t your fault in any way, shape or form. Got it?”
Her lips quivered into a near smile. “Understood, sir.”
Okay, Mr. Sensitive he wasn’t.
“Here.” He pulled the plastic trash container out from beneath the sink. “Let me have that tea bag.”
She squished it with the spoon and deposited it in the container, watching as he put it away again. “It was nice of you to come, Noah, but I’m okay now.”
“Trying to chase me out?”
“As soon as I finish this—” she lifted the mug “—I need to shower and get to bed.”
His entire being revolted at the idea of saying good-night and leaving her there alone, but he really didn’t see the scumbag making another appearance tonight. And anyway—what was he doing there?
Say it again. I am not her boyfriend. I’m not even a friend. There was a whole lot of awkwardness attendant on him doing something as stupid as offering to spend the night on her sofa.
“All right,” he said with deep reluctance. “You’ll keep your phone close.” It wasn’t a question.
“Of course I will.” She finally took a sip of the tea and grimaced. “How much sugar did you put in here?”
“Drink it. You’ve got to be in mild shock.”
She heaved a sigh and slipped off the stool. “I’ll walk you to the front door.”
What could he do but let her escort him out? He told her to call him if anything happened, said good-night, then hovered on the porch until he heard the dead bolt strike home.
Then, every bit as unhappy as her brother had been, Noah left, knowing damn well Cait was unlikely to get any sleep at all.
* * *
CAIT CAREFULLY SET the iced tea and sandwich on the table in Subway and let her heavy bag slide from her shoulder onto the seat beside her. She had maybe ten minutes to eat, which meant gobbling. Sitting so she faced the back wall was her best tactic for going unrecognized, so she might actually have a chance to gobble without interruption.
“Mind if I join you?” said a cool voice.
Oh, God. Nell.
In the act of unwrapping her sandwich, Cait looked up. “Of course not, but I have to tell you, I’m in a huge hurry.”
“That’s okay, I don’t plan to eat.” Her sister-in-law slid into the booth across from her.
“How did you find me?”
“I just finished grocery shopping at Safeway and saw your car when I was leaving.”