Page 68 of Her Faithful Protector

Camilla’s eyes snapped open. “No. I slept on the plane the entire flight, I can’t possibly be tired.”

Nic chuckled. “No, you’re not tired at all,” he said facetiously.

“You know what I mean,” she tried to snap, but her yawn ruined it.

“How about if I get you something good to eat, not like that box of food we had to pay for on the plane. Would you like that?”

Camilla adjusted her sling. Keeping her injured arm in the exact right position really helped to alleviate unnecessary pain. She massaged her sternum. Now if there was just something to stop her chest from aching as her bruises healed.

“Do I need to bring you a pain pill with food?”

“What kind of food?”

Nic pulled pillows from the other side of the sofa and put them behind her back and gave her one for her lap. It was perfect. “Thanks. So what kind of food?”

“I don’t know. I have to check the fridge. Mom said she was going to leave something. That means there are probably enough meals for an entire week.”

She could believe it. She remembered the food that was always available at the Hale house when she would go over. It had seemed like it was Mrs. Hale’s life mission to make her gain weight back in the day.

While Nic went to go check the fridge, Camilla leaned back and took a look around her. She was actually kind of shocked; his place was really nice. Like nice, nice. If she had to admit, it was put together better than hers. The living room was painted mint green, and there were big black and white photos of forests. Then on another wall was a big grouping of people. Camilla struggled to get up, she wanted a closer look.

“Hey, what are you doing?”

“I wanted to see who everybody was over there,” she pointed with her left hand at the pictures on her wall.

“I’ll introduce you to everybody later.” Nic grinned. “First you’re going to eat. You get to choose from chicken and rice or lasagna.”

She pursed her lips and raised an eyebrow. “Really? You even have to ask?”

He let out a big laugh. “Hey, you’re the one who said I don’t know you anymore, I didn’t want to assume anything.”

“When it comes to Italian food, you are free to assume.” She grinned.

“Okay, lasagna it is. Let me put it in the oven. It wasn’t in the freezer, just in the refrigerator, so it shouldn’t take too long. In the meantime, how about I get you a fruit smoothie?”

She thought about it. “Nah, that’ll be too much. Thanks though.”

“Be back in a moment. You stay on the couch. Promise?”

She nodded, then watched him walk to the kitchen. God, he looked good from behind. Those jeans really showed off his butt. Camilla took a deep breath.

Down girl, you’ve just been celibate too long. That’s all. After all this time, anybody would be looking good.

She choked back a laugh. Really? Really? You’re going to tell yourself that big of a lie? Soon you’ll be saying that bigfoot is real. She leaned back against the pillows and waited for Nic to return and hoped she could pull herself together before he did.

Once again, the same phrase swirled in her head. “I want a second chance.”

She couldn’t get those words out of her brain, out of her heart. Was a second chance possible? They weren’t those two high school sweethearts anymore who had only eyes for one another. Now they were grown adults with varied experiences and disparate lives of their own. They were just so different. What happened if they did fall in love again; could they make things work?

She sat up straighter and thought about him cradling her head in the hospital, his tears mingling with hers.

Possibly fall in love? What a crock, I’m damn near at the bottom of the love hill.

“Hey, are you out here thinking deep thoughts?”

He held out a bottle of water and she took it gratefully. He’d already taken the top off for her. He sat down beside her on the couch.

“Are those photos by Ansel Adams?” she asked, trying to focus on something tangible.