“I’m not sure why, but I already feel like your mine in some way.”
Her heart and hopes lifted. “How?”
“That’s something we’ll have to figure out as time passes. But for now. You’re with me to stay unless you hate it here. Then I’ll find someone else for you to stay with until everything is safe for you.”
She couldn’t describe the feelings of faith, trust, and happiness she felt at that moment. They were feelings she’d taken for granted with her grandmother and aunt, but otherwise, she hadn’t felt that way about anyone except Devon.
Emma nodded.
“I have some questions to ask you, pet. But, first, I want you to eat something.”
She bit her lip, and her stomach took that moment to growl. Food had become secondary to hiding the last several weeks.
He chuckled and held a hand out. “Come on, let’s get you fed.”
She took his hand and bit back a gasp as tingles and warmth radiated up her arm. She’d never felt that sensation before, but she was still too tired to think about it and what it might mean.
He walked her down a long hallway. She peeked in the rooms that had the doors open and saw a bathroom, an office, and what looked like a storage room filled with boxes.
“I still have a lot of things I need to unpack,” he explained to her when she looked into the room.
The whole place was fancy and new but masculine and with very little color.
“How long ago did you move in?”
“Several months ago. I’ve been busy building my business.”
“Oh.”
He led her around an island and lifted her into one of the stools.
“Are you allergic to anything?”
She shook her head. “No, but there are a lot of things I don’t like, though.”
“I’ll learn those as I go along. How about some scrambled eggs and toast? That shouldn’t upset your stomach.”
Her stomach was cramped in hunger. “That sounds good.” Besides the food she’d received from the diners she worked at the last few weeks, she’d barely had anything. She’d been too afraid to go into stores. She knew she lost too much weight, but she’d be able to gain back her strength quickly.
He placed a plate with a piece of toast and scrambled eggs with cheese in front of her.
“I have coffee, water, milk, or juice.”
“Juice, please.”
She liked it when he sat down beside her and ate his own plate. It felt natural and easy to be with him.
He took her plate when she finished.
“I can help.”
He smiled at her. “When you’re stronger, you can. Right now, I just want you to rest.”
She watched him quickly clean up the kitchen.
A vague thought popped into her head.
“What are you thinking about?”
She jerked. She hadn’t realized he was watching her.
“I just thought that I’d lost too much weight, but my mother would be pleased for once.”
Devon leaned on his elbows on the island and faced her. “Explain that.”
“I’ve always been a fat person…”
“Whoa, is this your mother’s opinion you’re talking about?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“Okay, it’s bullshit, but go on.”
“Anyway, when she came to visit me, that was usually her first complaint.”
“Visit you where?”
“My grandmother’s.”