Chapter Fourteen
Jethro did as he said and waited by the door while Hudson sat down next to her, careful not to jostle her arm. Her fingers were knitted in her lap and she had to swallow before looking up at him.
“I’m sorry.”
“What for, Pocketful? The only person who should be sorry is Trent. And if he’s not sorry already, you know he will be.”
She gave him as much of a smile as she could muster since she knew that’s what he was looking for. “You were trying to be nice earlier, and I freaked out and I didn’t mean to make you feel bad.”
Hudson shrugged. “I was surprised, but you had a really rough night and you need what you need. Seems like what you need right now is Jethro. So if you’re happy, I’m happy. I knew I wasn’t going to get to keep you forever.”
How had he known that? Sable hadn’t known. She thought she’d be content with how things were forever. Yes, she wanted more of what Hudson could give her but she hadn’t thought she could actually have it. Going to the club every other week or every week if she was exceedingly lucky was the ration she allowed herself.
But now everything was different, had changed in the course of a few hours. It made her nervous to be too far from her daddy, she wanted him all the time. Maybe it was simply the assault and her injury and once she was better the craving would go away. But right now, all she wanted was to be close to him, held by him, and for him to take care of her.
There was a huff of laughter from beside her. Right, Hudson. She dragged her attention away from her handsome daddy and turned toward her top. “Thank you for everything.”
“You know you can still call me if you need anything. I’m always here for you, Pocketful.”
“I know, and I appreciate that so much.”
She leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek, and then stood. She felt a little wobbly still, but steady enough to walk over to Jethro. He studied her every move like she was a baby colt he was worried was going to topple over.
She didn’t, but the gratitude knowing he’d scoop her off the floor if she had overwhelmed the feeling foolish. Barely.
“Ready?”
She nodded and let him lead her through the club with an arm around her waist, his big hand spread on her hip, and hauling the rest of their stuff in his other arm. Jethro was strong. While muscles weren’t a thing that usually got her motor running, the idea that he could protect her, carry her, really did.
They reached his truck in the parking lot, and he opened the passenger side door and flipped down the seat to stow the gear before handing her up and buckling her in. She could’ve protested that she could do it herself, but she liked that he wanted her to be safe. That it was important enough to him that he saw to it himself.
Jethro had told her it would take half-an-hour to get home, but about five minutes in she began to nod off and tried to wake herself. But Jethro reached over, passed a hand over her hair before resting his hand on her thigh.
“You’re exhausted, baby, it’s okay to rest. Close your eyes, and I’ll take care of everything.”
It shouldn’t have been novel to feel surrounded with safety and kindness, but despite all the money her family had, she’d never felt comfortable. Materially, yes, but inside? No.
Jethro made her feel like she’d been laced into a corset too tightly and he came along and cut the strings, let her breathe. So she did as she was told and closed her eyes.
When she woke, she was being carried up a staircase inside a strange house. Jethro’s house.
Unlike her glass and chrome modern apartment, this house was all wood and textiles and warmly painted walls. A farmhouse? She wouldn’t be able to say for sure until she saw it from the outside. But she liked the moldings and the worn carpet runner under his feet.
“Welcome home, baby,” he said and for the first time in her life, Sable felt as though that might really be true.
She nuzzled against him and looked around as he carried her down a hall with pictures lining the walls. Were any of them of Jethro? She’d look at them later.
He brought her into a big bedroom and set her down on the side of a huge wooden four-poster with a quilt on top that she just wanted to flop down on. Tired, she was so tired.
“Since you’re awake, we’ll wash your face and brush your teeth. You don’t have to take a bath tonight, but you can if you’d like to.”
She shook her head, feeling like it wasn’t entirely screwed on her shoulders. “No. Sleepy.”
“Okay. Stay right there, I’ll be back in a minute.”
Sable almost gave in to the exhaustion and lay back, but she did want to get this make-up off her face and she hated waking in the morning after having not brushed her teeth. Made her mouth feel all mossy and gross.
Jethro was back in a moment with a bowl of water, a cup, a toothbrush and toothpaste, plus a packet of makeup wipes.