Ride shares into San Antonio were expensive, but I didn’t have much of a choice. Since I knew the general area of Garrett’s truck, I had the driver drop me off at a mall entrance. The parking lots surrounding the outdoor mall were huge, but how hard could it be to find a vehicle?
Garrett had given detailed instructions about what store he’d parked near and what could be seen from the lot. He’d also mentioned that the lot was nearly empty when he’d parked. That tidbit of info wasn’t helpful now.
Looking around to get my bearings, I spotted the roller coaster at the amusement park next to the mall.
I clicked the fob and listened for the beep of the alarm. Only screams from the roller coaster and the low hum of city noises could be heard. Trekking down one row, I scanned for a black truck. Why couldn’t he own a red truck or, even better, a yellow one? Those colors would stand out more.
Maybe finding a truck wasn’t as easy as I’d first assumed. Was it possible to run a battery down by clicking the remote?
I marched down another row, thankful it wasn’t August. The cool November air made this tolerable.
In two rows, I hadn’t passed one empty space. Because it was the day after Thanksgiving, thousands of people had opted to go to the mall.
When a car slowed down and started following me through the lot, it wasn’t hard to figure out what they wanted—my spot. I just had to find the truck first.
Taillights flashed up ahead, and I ran to the black truck. One item on my list was taken care of. Next up, I needed to get his meds. Saving the most awkward task for last wasn’t accidental. I still hadn’t figured out what to say to Ava. While I didn’t want her to worry, I had to tell her something true. And knocking on her door to tell her Garrett was alive was a horrible way to not raise alarms.
Something would come to me. Hopefully.
After picking up meds and a quick run through the grocery store, I headed out to the ranch. No one was in sight when I parked in front of the cabin, and I sighed. Maybe this wouldn’t be bad at all. I hopped out and walked up to his door, keys jingling as I went.
“Hello!” Ava called out as she walked down the hill.
The neighborhood watch here on the ranch was working. I couldn’t even sneak into the man’s cabin. In the daylight at least.
Smiling like I wasn’t keeping secrets, I waved. “Hi, Ava! How are you?”
“Tessa?” She cocked her head.
“It’s me. I was just grabbing some stuff for Garrett. We decided on a little getaway. Just a little vacation . . . kind of.” So far, everything I’d said was true.
Her eyebrows lifted. “You and Garrett? I didn’t realize . . .”
“We aren’t sleeping together. Separate bedrooms. Because we aren’t . . . I mean . . . he just . . .” I needed to shut my mouth. “He seems really nice.”
“This explains why you were here last night.” Laughter bubbled out of Ava. “Y’all have fun.”
What? She knew.
“No. I just came last night to get him some . . . clothes.” My words were not making anything better.
Ava stared at me for a second, her expression serious. “If you and Garrett want to keep your relationship a secret, I can do that. And I’ll tell Goldie”—Ava pointed at the first cabin—“not to say anything about you being out here. Call if you need anything.”
“Thank you.” I ducked into his cabin before she asked me any other questions or before I stated other truths that didn’t need to be said. Announcing that we weren’t sleeping together probably made it seem like we were. Even if Ava believed that part, now she thought Garrett and I were dating. In secret.
Ugh. Why had I picked up a stranger off the side of the road? Why hadn’t I left after he was safely at the hospital?
I knew why I’d picked him up. Leaving an injured man on the side of the road felt wrong. Fear wasn’t enough of a reason to leave another person in pain.
The reason I’d stayed with him had everything to do with the way he made me feel, and it scared me a little. I pictured the handsome face and sparkling blue eyes of the man who’d asked me out only weeks ago, and I remembered the tenderness of the pained man who’d wiped tears off my cheek when I wasn’t even the one hurting. I couldn’t walk away from that. But once he was back on the ranch and had all the help he needed, leaving would be easy.
Glancing around the small cabin, I was somewhat surprised. Beau Henry had money. That was no secret. But Garrett wasn’t living like the son of a rich man. This place was smaller than my apartment. And my apartment wasn’t big. Nothing had changed since last night, but I’d slept and could now actually process thoughts.
I pulled a duffle bag out of the closet and dug through drawers. I grabbed a clean pair of jeans. Sweatpants would be more comfortable while he healed, and I found two pair in another drawer.
After grabbing a few other items, I took inventory. Shirts, pants, socks, a jacket, tennis shoes. What else did I need to grab? Bathroom stuff. There was a small travel bag in the bathroom drawer, and I threw in the electric shaver and other toiletries. He probably wouldn’t be shaving anytime soon, which wasn’t a bad thing because he looked pretty good with scruff.
I gave the room one more sweeping glance and thought of showers. If I had to help the man shower, he’d need a swimsuit.
I dug through the drawers until I found two, then shoved them in the bag.
Hovering in the bedroom doorway, I knew I was forgetting something important. But what?
The image of Garrett in that hospital bed was pretty much seared on my brain, and I thought back to what I’d said when he wanted to leave the hospital before I’d grabbed him clothes. “Whatever’s under that sheet.” Underwear. I hadn’t packed any of that. Underwear was important.
After shoving boxer briefs into the bag, I peeked out the kitchen window to make sure Ava wasn’t out for a stroll near the cabins, or Goldie for that matter. I’d already said too much. When I was satisfied that the coast was clear, I ran out, hopped in the truck, and zoomed back to the apartment.
Maybe Garrett had booked a place. I hoped so. It would mean a lot less sneaking around. I was tired of sneaking.
Before I let myself get distracted by where we’d be staying, I put away groceries, helped Garrett make the appointment to get his hands checked by a specialist, and started a soup.
While it simmered, I went back to the bedroom. “Okay. I think everything is covered. Lunch will be ready in just a few minutes.”
“You’ve been buzzing around since you got home. How did it go at the ranch?”
I chewed my bottom lip and remembered that I’d meant to get more Chapstick. “Um, well . . . Ava doesn’t know that you were hurt, but I’m pretty sure she thinks we’re dating.”
A smile spread across Garrett’s face as he reached for a pillow.
“And it’s possible she thinks we’re sleeping together.”
He hugged the pillow to his chest. “Laughing isn’t comfortable.”
“Laughing? It isn’t funny if she thinks that. But she might’ve believed me. I told her we weren’t sleeping together and that we were getting separate bedrooms on our getaway.”
His shoulders bounced as he groaned, his face twisted in pain. “I’m sorry for laughing. I just keep imagining you telling Ava that we aren’t sleeping together.”
“We aren’t!” I wanted to whap him with that pillow.
“I know. It’s just that usually makes people think the opposite.”
I sat on the edge of the bed. “I was afraid of that, but I hope not because Ava and I go to church together, and her husband used to be the pastor.”
Garrett rubbed his bandaged hand on my back. “I’m sorry, Tessa. I shouldn’t have asked you to stay at the hospital.”
I didn’t want to think about that. “And you were wrong about nobody noticing me in the middle of the night. Ava knew I’d been to your cabin. I don’t know how—maybe because of Goldie—so I told her I was there to get your clothes.”
He pinched his lips together. “Sorry.”
“Did you find a place for us to stay?”
He nodded. “If you open the laptop, I can show you pictures.”
“Just tell me about it.”
His hand continued to move up and down on my back. “It’s a house at the northwest edge of town. There is a kitchen if you want to cook. But I’m not saying you have to. We can order out all week if you prefer. And there’s a hot tub.”
“Okay. Let me know what I owe you for my half. I need to check the soup.” I stopped when I reached the doorway. “Want to eat in here or in the living room?”
“This week is on me. All of it.” He swung his legs over the side of the bed. “I’ll go out to the living room. Did you get my clothes?”
“Yes. Sorry. They are in the truck. I brought in the groceries and forgot the bag. I gave you your medicine, right?”
He nodded. “Get the bag after we eat. If you can stand looking at my chest a little longer.”
“I’ll live.” I walked back to the bed and helped him up. “Maybe.”
He draped an arm around my shoulders, and I pretended that it was because he wanted help down the hall. “If I’d known all it would take to spend a little time with you was to get beaten to a pulp, I might’ve tried it sooner.”
“Funny.” I looked up at him and immediately fixed my gaze in front of me. Now that the swelling on his face was going down and his blue eyes were visible, looking him in the eye was more dangerous. Way more dangerous.
Not only had I sworn never to risk picking up another stranger, but I’d also promised my heart I’d never risk it again. Being jilted right before my wedding had been horrible, and I’d sworn I’d never risk falling in love again. Not dating made it easy to keep that promise to myself. This helpless hunk was the first one who’d even made me question that promise.
I carried Garrett’s duffle bag down the hall, nervous at the thought of changing the man’s clothes. Without looking at him, I set the bag on the bed and pulled out a pair of sweatpants, boxer briefs, and some socks. “I grabbed t-shirts and a few that button up the front because I wasn’t sure how your shoulder was feeling.”
“The t-shirt would be more comfortable, but I’ll need help getting it on.”
Nodding, I chose a super soft shirt. “All right. So . . .” I inhaled. “First you have to take those clothes off.”
“This is a bit awkward, but if you’ll unbutton my pants, I can handle the rest.” He held up his hands, showing that he’d worked his thumb loose from the bandage. “The doctor said the bandages could come off tonight anyway.”
“He said they needed to be changed tonight. Not exactly the same thing.” Standing in front of Garrett, I unfastened the button, then squeezed my eyes closed as I lowered the zipper. “All good?”
“Thanks.”
With my eyes still closed, I spun around. “I’m not looking.”
Change rattled in a pocket as his jeans hit the floor, and I slapped a hand over my eyes, knowing what was coming off next.
The mattress shifted, and Garrett’s breathing sped up.
I inched away from the bed.
A loud thunk sounded behind me, and Garrett grunted.
If he’d broken something else, this was going to be way more complicated.
“Do you—”
“Don’t turn around. I’m okay.” His voice was strained, and he didn’t sound all that okay.
As one minute stretched into two, he shifted and grunted, but I kept my eyes covered. After what seemed like forever, he stilled. “I’m really sorry. I tried to get dressed, but I’m going to need help with the pants. My boxer briefs are on. I managed that.”
“Sure. Yeah.” This was no big deal. Just because I’d never seen a man in his underwear—not true. I’d seen one, but I’d blocked out that memory. But this wasn’t weird. Not at all. I’d seen guys in swimsuits. It was almost the same thing. Shoot. Boxer briefs covered more than some swimsuits. I forced a smile as I turned around.
Garrett was on the floor, a sheepish look on his face. “Help. I’ve fallen, and I can’t get up.”
I tried not to look directly at him, but that lasted all of a millisecond. “Garrett, your legs. They are covered in bruises.”
“I’m one big bruise right now. And it feels like it.”
If I focused too long on his injuries, I’d start crying, and that would be embarrassing since I wasn’t the one hurt. “Do you want pants first, or should we get you off the floor before we deal with the pants?”
“It’ll probably be easier to get pants on once I’m back on the bed.”
“All right. We’ve done this once already. We can do it again. We’ll just try to skip the part where I fall over and end up with you on top of me.” I tried to remember how I’d gotten him up the last time.
“Is there a raincheck available for that?”
I rolled my eyes. “Okay. Now that I know your ribs are hurt, grabbing you around the chest doesn’t seem like such a great idea.”
He bent his knees. “If I can get on all fours, I can use the bed to get up.” After rolling onto his side, he shifted a leg.
I hovered over him, not sure where to touch to help him. “What do you need me to do?”
“If you could shove my hips up, that would help. With my abs sore and limited use of my hands, getting into position is difficult.”
With my hands on his hips, I helped him onto his knees. “What now?”
Braced on his elbows, he looked up at the bed. “I just need to reach the edge of the bed.”
“And I would love to have a gourmet kitchen.” I needed something for him to use to push up a little. “Okay. I have a plan. I dropped to my knees and crawled between Garrett and the bed. “Use my back to get up.”
“I owe you, Tessa. Seriously.” He managed to get upright enough to get his feet underneath him. Then he sat down on the bed. “After this week, will you even speak to me?”
“Not sure yet. But don’t be surprised if I always look near you and not directly at you.” I helped him get his feet onto the bed.
“If you can get the waistband up to at least my knees, I can do the rest.”
“Without falling off the bed?”
His blue eyes twinkled. “Maybe.”
He wriggled into his pants without much of a problem.
Putting on his shirt should’ve been the easiest part. But it wasn’t, because the temptation to press soft kisses to each of his bruises pounded on the inside of my skull. Kissing him was the opposite of not risking my heart.
I recognized it for what it was. Physical attraction. Nothing more.