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Time stopped for a moment. My heart quivered and swelled at the realization of what he was doing. I stared at him while he fidgeted withthe sausages, almost dropping them on the floor. The horror on his face amused and touched me.

No man had been this thoughtful or taken this much effort to ensure I was healing properly.

I wrapped my arms around him. “Thank you.” I squeezed him tighter. “Thank you for thinking of me. And for listening and remembering our conversation last night.”

Everything had poured out of me until I was left drained and fell into a deep sleep. I told him about my discomfort with the sizzling sound because it reminded me of the iron burning my skin.

“I think about you all the time.”

I smiled into his back and took his hand in mine. “You’re my charger too.” I swung our joined hands back and forth.

Something serious emerged in his eyes. “Have you ever wanted to remove those scars on your back? There’s advanced technology that can repair damaged skin.”

I didn’t know why, but insecurity bloomed within me, reminding me of my ex. “Does it bother you?”

“No, Tulip.” He sighed. “That’s not what I meant. You’reperfectfor me. But I just wonder if you’ve considered repairing them foryourself. Not anyone else.”

There he was again. The man who could see beyond the norm. The man who was always prepared. I should be used to him by now.

I hadn’t attended many social events because I didn’t want to wear any dresses that would reveal my back. There weren’t a lot of pretty dresses with a well-covered back.

“I didn’t see the need to back then. But maybe someday I’d like to wear a low-cut dress at the back or a bikini for you.”

His eyes warmed. “Whenever you’re ready, let me know. I know of someone who’s excellent at skin reconstruction.”

I nodded, appreciating his thoughtfulness. “I’ve never wanted to remove them because they remind me of the pain. Sometimes, I look at people and wonder what kind of pain they’ve endured and where it’s hidden. Everyone has pain somewhere.”

“Pain is pain. We can’t measure it. Pain eats at our soul. Butyougave me a piece of my soul back by sharing your story with me.”

I didn’t know what to say to that. He always seemed to say all the right things.

“You’re the first person to understand me so well.”

“Let’s keep it that way. I want you all to myself.”

After breakfast, I helped him clean the dishes.It was too early to check up on Kaylee, who was probably still sleeping. Snow had covered the backyard like a large, soft blanket. There was something beautiful and peaceful about watching the snow fall. I imagined some goddess in the sky, sprinkling snowflakes everywhere as she flew around.

What if each snowflake was a blessing in disguise? Life was too hectic for people to consider that concept. Everyone was so busy trying to get things done that they missed the beauty around them.

If I hadn’t been stuck here with Arrow, I wouldn’t have been staring at the snow and wondering about this. I would have been checking my dental calendar, continuing my research about Aimee, trying to get dinner ready for Kaylee, and so forth.

“I want to show you something.” Arrow led me into his office, slid into his leather office chair, and pulled me onto his lap. “Let me know if you recognize this person.”

He opened a file and clicked on an image of an Asian man. The man appeared to be in his early fifties. I didn’t recognize him, though his eyes seemed familiar, but I wasn’t sure.

“Who is he?”

“His name is James Chin. He worked at my warehouse in Texas and stole a large supply of my Bambooze. He also destroyed a portion of the warehouse. A third-shift worker had gone to the bathroom, stayed past his shift, and noticed. The entire warehouse would have been destroyed if he hadn’t been there.”

“Did anyone get hurt?”

“No. But we discovered a dead body hidden underneath the floor of his office.”

“Do you know who it is?”

“Forensics showed it was a male, and he had died about three years ago. They’re trying to get a DNA match, but I haven’t heard any updates yet.”

“You think James is part of The Triad?”