“I told Him to take away the darkness from you. As I said amen, I thought you’d wake up and tell me you were okay. You didn’t, and it was a bit of a blow to my faith. But I noticed you’d settled in my arms and then you slept peacefully. I think that was what you needed.”
She had no choice but to nod. Sleeping without the nightmares was a gift she’d never expected to receive. She had Braden to thank, and apparently heaven as well.
Owing heaven rubbed at her wrong.
“It was the merciful Lord who took away those dark images and gave you peace and rest,” he said. “Not me.”
Maddie had no idea what to make of what he was saying or how to respond to him. Her family was deeply spiritual. She had no problem with other people’s spirituality or trust in God and prayer. She just knew those things weren’t for her. Not anymore. Why else would she suffer with the nightmares? Why would her calling in life be to distract evil men from their depraved acts with her looks and then dismantle or kill them to protect the innocent? She was very, very good at what she did, and the wall of darkness between her and heaven was thick. She hadn’t tried to penetrate it in years.
But somehow Braden had knocked down a layer of the wall for her, had prayed over her, had cast the demons from her mind in the night. Did that make sense? Was it possible? It had happened. She couldn’t deny that she’d slept in peace. Because of his strong arms, not because of heaven. Right? He claimed it was all the “merciful Lord,” but she would prefer to think it was all Braden.
Well, maybe not. She couldn’t be bound to a man any more than she could be bound to heaven above.
She couldn’t accept heaven’s help or allow a fabulous man into her heart. She couldn’t trust in Braden’s arms, kindness, and willingness to protect her and give her peace, or in heavenly support, or she might implode from all the duplicity and conflicting emotions. There were only two things she could put her trust in: the Delta family and herself—her training, expertise, street smarts, and physical strength.
It was past time to move on or she might say or do something she would regret. It was either drop to her knees and beg for God to love and forgive her, throw herself at Braden and beg him to love and kiss her, or … eat breakfast.
“Okay. Well, um … let me call down for breakfast. You’ll love Shelly’s breakfast, especially the baguettes and beignets. Did I tell you she spent almost ten years in Paris when her husband was alive? He had a business there. Some kind of computer data—”
“Maddie.” Braden interrupted her rambling and slowly walked toward her.
“Don’t do this to me,” she begged, holding her hands up to ward him off.
He stopped. “I said far too much last night before you fell asleep. I don’t want to push you away or move too fast. Helping you with the nightmare, praying for you, and then holding you in my arms throughout the night was incredible. You are this tantalizing and perfect woman for me. The dream woman I never knew existed. Give me a chance to get to know you, to hold you, to be there for you.”
He’d been there for her big-time last night. A peaceful night of sleep, wrapped in those beautiful arms of his. Buff, Beautiful, not-bad-at-all Braden. She should be thanking him and throwing herself at him. But that wouldn’t be Maddie Delta. Tantalizing and perfect? The dream woman? No way. She was nobody’s dream. She was a living nightmare, and she’d never be able to connect emotionally, love openly, or have a normal relationship. He was the dream, and completely out of her reach. She had to stop this.
Smart aleck comments.Please. Where are you when I need you? Her head was empty. Empty of everything but the peace she’d felt, and Braden. What if there was another possibility? What if the miracle of Braden praying over her and her not having the nightmare was heaven trying to get through to her and tell her she wasn’t lost? What if God was saying she still had a soul and could be forgiven? Was Braden some kind of earthly angel sent to redeem and love her back into God’s grace?
Her cell phone rang. She jumped, and then realized she’d been rescued from all these crazy ideas and this too-good-for-her man.
Rushing around him, she made it to the dresser by the door and fished her phone out of her purse. Papa. Oh, thank heavens. She loved her Papa even more at the moment.
“Papa,” she all but screamed into the phone.
“Good morning, sweetheart. You two all right?”
She risked a glance back at Braden. He’d pivoted to face her. He stood straight, tall, perfect, irresistibly perfect. She turned away and stared at the door. “We’re great. Slept great. Feeling great. No threats. No worries. Deciding what to order for breakfast. Have I ever told you about Shelly’s beignets? Oh, and her chocolate croissants … I’m drooling here. Sorry I can’t bring one to Colorado for you.” Her voice was so high and so fake she worried what Papa would do.
“Maddie.” Papa’s voice was deathly serious. She felt like she was a teenager who’d been reported to the principal for threatening the head cheerleader with plucking every last one of her perfect eyelashes out if she ever humiliated Bentley Jardine in an assembly again.
That only happened once.
“Did Braden …?”
“Oh, goodness no. Papa. No.”
He let out a heavy breath. “From the moment I interviewed him, I felt the honor and loyalty that are deeply imbedded in him, and I know you could keep yourself safe from anyone and anything, but I—well, I’m your grandpa, so I worry. I can imagine he’s very … appealing to a woman, and you are alone with him in a hotel room.”
“Oh, boy. It’s getting so deep I need my hip waders. I’m fine, Papa. You know I don’t fall for handsome faces.”
She heard steps and then she could feel Braden easing closer to her. She could smell his musk, lime, and salt scent. All she wanted to do was lean back and let him know he could wrap his arms around her, support her, light up her world.
Oh, crap. Her body stiffened, and she studied the door more intently.
Papa didn’t laugh like she hoped. “Someday you’ll runtolove instead of away from it.”
Ooh, that was a heavy place for Papa to go. She didn’t always run from impressive men. Sometimes she punched them and they ran from her.