“Your hair is beautiful, baby,” Nolan said.
He smiled when she blushed.
“Thank you.”
“I think that’s good enough for now. You’re getting shakier, and I still want you to drink a few glasses of water while you’re sitting here.”
She got two and a half glasses done before she started to shiver.
He lifted her in his arms and laid her down on the bed before tucking the blanket up to her chest. Then he sat down beside her on the mattress. “Come and get me if you need me. I’ll be across the hall.”
She nodded and closed her eyes.
He studied her for a moment before he stood and left the room.
Both he and Jonah discussed the girls, and they both seemed to be attracted to them. Now, they just had to learn what they were running from.
A few hours later, he checked on the girls and found Caylee’s side of the bed empty. He couldn’t believe how close to panicking he was. He’d fought men who enjoyed killingAmericans and never flinched, but this little girl tested his resolve and strength as he walked through the condo. She couldn’t have gotten far because she wouldn’t have been able to open doors, and no one could get in to take her.
The air caught in his throat when he saw her sitting in a chair with her arms wrapped around her legs, staring out the window at the people below.
Chapter Two
“Sweetheart,” he said gently, but he knew he’d startle her no matter what. She sprang from the chair and looked around like a terrified, wounded animal trying to find a place to hide.
He put his hands up. “Easy, Caylee. It’s me, Nolan. You remember me?”
She stopped, looked at him, exhaled, pressed a hand to her stomach, and nodded. “Yes. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry, sweetheart. You’ve gone through a horrible time. Of course, you’re going to be jumpy. Why are you awake and looking out the window?”
“I had a nightmare, and I didn’t want to disturb Holly or you, so I came out here and moved the chair over so I could try to see the people outside.”
“Why?”
“Because it made me feel less lonely.”
The comment felt like it pierced his heart. He grabbed the blanket that lay over the back of the sofa.
Nolan had forgotten to put anything on because he’d been anxious to find her, so he let her gaze slide over him in his shorts. He thought about getting more clothes on, but she didn’t seem upset or uncomfortable being with him half-dressed, so he stayed.
“Do you want to sit with me?” he asked. “We don’t have to talk if you don’t want.”
She bit her lip and then nodded as she walked into his arms. “Okay.”
His brows snapped together when he felt her skin. “Baby, you’re frozen.”
She let him wrap the blanket over them, giving her his body heat.
“Oh, you feel so good. You’re so warm.”
He tucked the blanket up under her chin. “If you’re ever cold like this, come to me. This worries me.”
“Don’t let it bother you, Nolan. I’m used to it.”
“Why?”
“I get cold very easily and am only really warm when I’m in a hot shower or if it’s a hundred degrees outside.”