Page 26 of Rescued Dreams

She groaned and slumped back on the grass again. Closed her eyes and let out a long sigh.

“But first I’m calling the police about your broken window.”

“Nope.” She sat up, shaking her head. “Don’t waste their time.”

“How did it break?”

Amelia pulled her hair tie out, because the ponytail wasn’t helping her headache, and ran her hands through her hair.

“Amelia.” He sounded choked.

She looked up at him. “What?”

She had no idea what that look was on his face. Was he just going to stand there staring at her?

“You’re purposely distracting me. You need to answer the question.”

“Distracting you?” She shook her head. “I didn’t ask you to be here. I don’t need your help.”

If he needed her to, she would keep saying it over and over again.Don’t want your help. Don’t need it.Not just for his sake. It also helped to keep her own thoughts in line. The promise of whatever could be between them was a wasted daydream. She had work to do, and her life hardly had room in it for a relationship, even if she was interested in taking a risk like that.

Ridge turned and sat by her on the grass, enough space between them that he wasn’t crowding her. “I’ve never seen you with your hair down.”

Amelia frowned. “And it’s distracting?”

He scanned her head. “It looks good loose.”

She pulled it back and secured it in a messy bun, just to get it off her face. “This isn’t about my hair. I have a headache.”

He opened his mouth to say something but changed his mind. Shook his head. Said, “Are you hungry?”

Not what he’d wanted to say, but she didn’t feel like challenging him right now.

“I have cleanup to do inside. I’ll eat after.” Or she would fall into bed exhausted and eat tomorrow. There were probably some leftovers in the little fridge she kept in her room.

“Like glass from the window?”

She nodded. “The door was open when I got home. There are a couple more holes in the drywall than there were when I went to work.” She sighed, climbing to her feet.

He caught her elbow and helped her the rest of the way up.

“I’m fine, okay? It’s just a bruise on my side where I landed on it. That’s all.” She didn’t want him to bench her. “I can work tomorrow.”

Having to stay home because of injury was about the worst thing she could imagine. How could she do the work she was supposed to do and save people’s lives if she wasn’t up to the job? Kiss of death.

Ridge walked with her to the front door. “What did the cops say?”

“You mean about how the firehouse surveillance cameras don’t even show their faces? They told me after they watched it.” She sighed. “I wasn’t going to watch myself get tackled. I already felt it.”

He scanned the door frame, split a little close to the strike plate. “Someone broke in?”

“Not the first time. Won’t be the last.” She lifted a hand. “Don’t bother calling 911. If no one saw anything and they left nothing behind, then the police can’t find the culprits.”

Ridge frowned. “I have so many questions, I don’t know where to start.”

She could kick him out, but that would never satisfy him. What she could do was give him some time andthenkick him out. “Order a pizza delivery from Backdraft, and I’ll sweep up the glass. I’m not saying I’ll answer everything, but you can ask.”

Ridge pulled out his phone, watching her. Probably wondering what was up with her since she was suddenly being accommodating.