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“Baby, they will.”
“And if they don’t?”
“Then you’ll have me. You’ll always have me.”
Headlights pulled up next to me and I tensed. The last thing I needed was a random person asking if I was okay. I didn’t want anyone to see me.
I wished I was home in the fields. Those were far more private.
A shadowapproached the car, and I knew I had to tell them I was fine and to leave me alone. However, when I turned to do just that, I didn’t see a stranger.
I saw Cain.
He had his ball cap on. His phone to his ear. He slowly pulled it down and ended the call.
My jaw fell open and I rolled the window down. “What the?—”
“Hey, princess.” He leaned forward on the side of the car.
“You’re . . . you came . . . here?”
“You might have needed me. So here I am.”
“But Nashville is three hours away.”
He rubbed the back of his neck. “I asked Jackie to watch Eric the second you left. You seemed really torn up about thisex. If you didn’t need me, then it would have just been a drive to clear my head. But if you did ... I’d be here.”
I could only stare at him.
Tears gathered in my eyes again.
“That bad, huh?”
“No. I mean, yes. God, you ...thank you.”
“I’ve seen what happens when someone faces a man like Trevor alone. Never again will I let that happen.”
“So I do have you,” I said, leaning out of the window to bury my face in the crook of his neck. Even with all the chaos of the city, being near him still made me feel safe. Cain’s hand curled around the side of my head, fingers running through my hair.
“Always,” he replied.
I sniffed as I pulled away. My life was a mess, but I wanted to make sure I didn’t mess his up either.
“It’s getting late,” I said. “I imagine you wanna head back.”
“I’m actually under strict orders from Jackie to at least take you out to dinner. The punishment is pretty severe.”
“That’s sweet, but you can’t want to stay in Nashville longer than you have to.”
“I may not like the city, but we’re here. You have to know somewhere good to eat, and I have a feeling you’re hungry. Unless the shit birthday party fed you.”
“All I’ve had is cake.”
“That’s not dinner. Tell me where you wanna go.”
“I want a burger,” I said. “And I have the perfect place.”
He looked down at his flannel. “Will I be underdressed?”