“Oh, okay,” she said.
He lifted her up to her feet and then stood before folding the blanket and draping it over the back of the sofa. After he took her hand, they walked to the kitchen.
“Good morning,” he said.
“Hey, guys. Holly and I are about done with breakfast if you want to get the plates and silverware,” Jonah said.
Nolan nodded. “We can do that.” He poured big glasses of orange juice for the girls.
He handed Caylee hers. “Here, baby. Sit down and drink as much as you can.”
She nodded and drank half down instantly. He loved the way she blushed when she noticed him watching her.
They hadn’t finished breakfast before they messed up with the girls. Nolan hated that their first morning together, they had accidentally scared the girls because they hadn’t told them about a visitor, and when he found them hiding, he saw Caylee huddled against the wall under the bed and terror in her gaze.
He hated seeing that and was going to do whatever it took to prevent it from happening again. She was much too young and innocent to know what terror felt like.
Chapter Three
“Girls,” Nolan called out.
When he found them, he coaxed them out from under the bed, and then he pulled Caylee into his arms.
“Baby girl, nothing is going to hurt you. I promise you’re safe.”
She nodded and rested against him.
He held her for another moment before taking her hand. “I want you to meet a good friend of mine.”
They introduced the girls to Dustin, a friend and colleague of theirs, and told them that he was there to help them.
It took a few minutes until Nolan could tell Caylee had settled down a bit until they wanted them to talk about what had happened to them. It was then that he could see her tremble in fear.
He tried to stay calm as Holly told them what had happened. When it got to the part of the man hurting them, Caylee flew from his arms and raced out of the room.
He stood to follow her, and his first glance of her was of her standing at the window, looking out, with her arms wrapped tightly around her waist. It broke his heart.
He walked up behind her and folded his arms around her. “I’m so sorry this happened to you. We’ll do everything we can to keep you girls safe.”
She nodded and rested against his chest. They stayed silent for a minute.
“How about you lie down for a while? I can tell you’re still exhausted.”
“I’d like that. I can’t think straight right now.”
He pressed a kiss to the back of her head before leading her over to the bed. He tucked her in and pulled the blanket over her before sitting down by her hip.
“Get some sleep,” he said.
“Where will you be?” she asked.
“I’ll be right here.”
“You won’t leave?”
“No, baby girl. I won’t leave.”
He waited until her eyes closed before he moved away from the bed. Noah was glad to see Jonah tucking Holly in on the other side, and Nolan knew it would help them both rest easier if they were next to each other.