I shook my head at him and luckily, he didn’t argue with me. I snagged my gloves and stamped my feet into my work boots before going to the door and opening it for him. It was pitch dark by the time we walked outside, a sure sign that winter was bearing down on us at a lightning fast clip. It would make the work all the harder at the center, and I made a mental note to find more jobs that would keep Nolan inside the heated buildings.
Assuming he even stayed that long.
It didn’t take long to walk back to the driveway where Nolan’s car was parked. I’d installed motion detector lights along the side of the building that housed my office, so the parking lot and Nolan’s car lit up under the bright light as soon as we rounded the corner. I eyed Nolan’s shitty car, which was different from the one that had broken down on him. I just hoped that the car was more reliable than it looked since the temperature had fallen considerably as the sun had gone down.
“See you tomorrow,” Nolan said as he huddled inside his jacket and searched his pockets for his keys. I’d taken them out of his jeans before tossing his clothes in the wash and had left them on top of the washing machine, so I was hopeful he’d seen them when he’d been getting dressed. The jangle of keys a moment later answered my question. But the sight of Nolan’s bare, reddened hands as he fumbled to unlock the car door had me striding forward.
He stifled a soft gasp when I grabbed his hands and pointed to them, then motioned to my own glove-covered hand.
“Um, yeah, I haven’t had a chance to go shopping for winter clothes yet.”
If he hadn’t dropped his eyes, I would have believed his excuse about not having time. But when he tried to pull away from me, I knew there was more there.
And I had a pretty good idea what it was.
I held onto him and then stripped my own gloves off.
“Dallas, no-” Nolan began, but I cut him off with a grunt. I didn’t purposely make the sound often, but it did what I’d intended and caught Nolan off guard. I worked my gloves onto his chilled hands.
“Thank you,” he murmured. “I’ll bring them back tomorrow.”
I shook my head and then pulled out my phone and began typing.
Keep them, I have another pair.
Before he could argue, I took the phone back and then reached into my pocket for my wallet. The second I began pulling cash out, Nolan began shaking his head. He refused the money I thrust at him.
Take it, I typed. Consider it an advance on your salary and buy yourself some clothes.
“No,” Nolan said, his voice firm and unbending as he read the note. “No,” he repeated, his eyes connecting with mine. “I’m fine.”
Frustration coursed through me and I quickly typed out, Then at least get a new coat. You know yours won’t keep you warm enough now that the weather’s changing.
He shook his head again, but I grabbed his chin and held him still for several beats before typing another message.
Do it for me, Nolan. Or I’ll worry about you.
It was a low blow, playing the guilt card, but it was the absolute truth. He held my gaze for a moment before I saw his eyes soften and he nodded. I handed him the cash.
“It’s a loan,” he said insistently.
I nodded.
“Thank you,” he said after a moment. I was glad his voice sounded so even. I really didn’t want him to leave here in the same broken-down condition he’d been in the day before.
“See you tomorrow.”
I nodded again and stepped back. Nolan climbed into the car. Worry niggled my insides every time he started the car and it sputtered before dying. By the fourth try I was about to tell him I’d give him a ride, but the car turned over. Nolan waved at me through the window and then put the car in gear and backed out of the parking lot. Once his taillights disappeared down the driveway, I snapped my fingers at Loki as I began trotting back to the house…and my truck.
I told myself that my need to follow him to make sure he made it home was just the normal actions of a boss worried about a valued employee, but I knew it was horseshit.
Just this one time, then I’ll get us back to where we should be. Employer and employee. For as long as he’s here.
Sadly, I didn’t need the power of speech to call myself a liar.
It wasn’t the one time.
It was every damn night for the two weeks that followed.
Even when he got the other car back, I still couldn’t stop myself from following him, especially as the temperatures continued to drop. For early November, it wasn’t anything out of the ordinary, but since Nolan still hadn’t bought himself some warmer clothes, I’d found it harder to let go of my concern that he wasn’t staying warm enough.