“You couldn’t see yourself the way I saw you, back then.” He rested his arm on the bar and regarded her, but she had a funny feeling he was looking back in time.
“You saw a troublemaker.”
“I saw a trouble-magnet. A beautiful girl who looked more mature than she was. Vulnerable in ways you didn’t appreciate.” His laugh sounded slightly pained. “You fucking terrified me.”
“I terrified you? Why?”
“I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to protect you.”
Oh, God. This man. A part of her wanted to wrap her arms around those save-the-world shoulders of his and hug him for giving a shit about a smart-mouthed brat who couldn’t even inspire an ounce of concern from her own mother. Instead, she put her glass down and pushed at the sleeve of her sweater. “I didn’t need protecting.”
“You did, first and foremost from yourself. Sometimes you still do.” He trailed his fingers over her jaw.
It occurred to her Booker touched her whenever and however he pleased. Not just sexually, though there was always a spark whenever their skin brushed, but more like she…belonged.
You belong to yourself. You look after yourself.
She straightened and shook her head. Shook off the gentle caress. “I haven’t been jailbait for years, and I outgrew any need for protection a long time ago.”
“One of the first things you learn in law enforcement is we all need someone watching our backs. It doesn’t make you weak. It makes you human.”
The warning sirens sounded again, but not as loud, or maybe she was just getting better at ignoring them because she wanted to hear what he had to say. “You had my back?”
“Always.” A smile raised the corner of his mouth. “I’ll always have your back. But you’re right about the other thing.”
“What other thing?”
“You’re not a kid anymore. You grew up, and into a smart, hardworking, accomplished woman. I’m proud of you.”
Warmth crept up her neck and into her face. Jesus, was she actually blushing for the second time in one night? Before she could point out her accomplishments had burned to the ground yesterday, the hostess appeared and invited them to follow her. Booker motioned her ahead of him, and soon they were seated next to each other at a small corner table.
The hostess handed them menus, and then leveled an inquiring gaze on Laurie. “Another wine?”
She froze in the process of raising her glass to her lips and realized she only had a swallow left. Pounding wine smacked of a Denise coping mechanism, so she put her glass down and pushed it away. “I’m good.”
The girl assured them their server would be over shortly and retreated. Booker shifted in his chair. A hard thigh brushed hers. “Are you good, Lauralie?”
His voice held no hint of challenge. He really wanted to know how she was doing. More alarming, she was pathetically tempted to tell him. Rest her head on his strong shoulder and pour out her troubles. “Just dandy.” She crossed her legs and pulled herself together. “Okay, we’re on a date. What now?”
He lifted her fist from where it rested on the table, and cradled it in his palm. Her hand—her average, unremarkable hand—looked small and delicate compared to his, especially when he ran this thumb over her knuckles. “Now we engage in the lost art of conversation.”
“What do you want to talk about?”
“Whatever’s on your mind. Have you notified your insurance company yet?”
Speaking of troubles. She plucked at a loose thread on the tablecloth. “Let’s not ruin a perfectly good fake date with reality.”
“I’ll take that as a yes.” His thumb made the trip over her knuckles again.
She sighed and nodded. “Yes. I actually met with my agent yesterday afternoon at the bakery.”
“That was fast.”
“The benefit of going with a local agent. He’s not like a good neighbor, he is a good neighbor, and if I need to file a claim on New Year’s Day, he’s there. Anyway, he walked me through my coverage, took photos, and helped me complete and submit the initial claim paperwork.”
“Did he mention next steps and give you any timeframe?”
Another sigh threatened, but she swallowed it. “He said pretty much what Chief Nelson said. The company will do its own investigation, I’m obligated to cooperate, and these things take time.”