Page 31 of Searching for Bristol
Bristol nodded. “But I’m not going to change my mind,” she warned him.
“I like her,” Brock said from his seat at the table next to theirs.
The rest of the meal was relatively uneventful. Friendly conversation continued, and it felt as if Bristol had been a part of their group for years rather than a couple of days. They’d all finished eating, and everyone was talking about nothing important, prolonging their time together, when Rocky noticed Bristol’s eyes getting heavy. He looked at his watch and was surprised to realize how late it was.
“We need to get going,” he announced.
Bristol’s gaze swung to his. She gave him a tiny nod.
Relieved that she wasn’t protesting, Rocky gestured for Raid to scoot out of the booth. He did so without complaint, and soon he had Bristol in his arms once more. It took longer than he would’ve liked for her to say goodbye to his friends—and now hers—but also to Sandra and the other locals who were eating in the diner.
Lilly promised to come over the next day to visit. Elsie and Bristol spoke for a moment about what books Bristol might like to read, and Elsie promised to pick up a few novels at the library and drop them off after her shift was over at the bar tomorrow. The rest of the guys also said they’d stop by to see if they needed anything.
Rocky was grateful for the support, but he was also a touch exasperated. He couldn’t help but want to spend some time alone with Bristol. He’d enjoyed their time together as they walked through the forest, even if it wasn’t the best situation. He couldn’t wait to learn even more about her, now that she was feeling better.
He carried her out of the diner and back to his car, settling her in gently, then jogged around to the driver’s side. The drive to his apartment wasn’t long, and as he took Bristol back into his arms, Rocky couldn’t help but sigh in contentment.
He walked up the stairs to the second floor of the complex. His apartment was on the far end of one side, and Ethan’s had been three doors down. It was empty once again, now that Elsie and Tony had moved into Zeke’s place.
There were six apartments on the lower level and six on the second. A single staircase led to the second-floor walkway. All the doors faced the parking lot. It was nothing special, but Rocky had never really minded the slightly rundown look of the place. The apartments were clean and his neighbors all pretty much kept to themselves.
He leaned over at his door, letting Bristol unlock the bolt and turn the knob before he carried her inside. He gave her a quick tour of his place, which literally took five seconds, pointing out the kitchen, living room, master bedroom, and the bathroom in the hall they’d be sharing. Then he brought her into the guest room, surprised and grateful at the homey feel. Zeke and Elsie had outdone themselves in making the space welcoming for Bristol.
The full-size bed had a comforter Rocky had never seen before, and there was a small lamp on the table next to the bed. They’d cleaned the space entirely; the boxes and random workout equipment he’d stored in the room were nowhere in sight. Rocky assumed they were either in his room or the closets. He made a mental note to thank his friends.
He gently placed Bristol on the bed and took a step back, feeling awkward now that she was no longer in his arms. “Um…do you need help with anything?”
She smiled gently. “I could use my bag with my stuff.”
“Right. Sorry. Yeah, I’ll go get that now,” Rocky said with a small shake of his head as he backed toward the door.
“Rocky?”
Her voice stopped him. “Yeah?”
“I appreciate what you’re doing for me.”
He grinned and shook his head.
“Hey, I didn’t say thank you,” she protested with a twinkle in her eye.
“I’ll be right back. Don’t go anywhere,” he joked.
Bristol laughed. “I won’t. I’ll be right here when you get back.”
Rocky loved seeing her happy. He stopped with a hand on the door and turned back. “Thankyoufor trusting me, Bristol. I swear you’re safe with me.”
“I know. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t trust you.”
Feeling good, Rocky gave her another nod, then left, heading for the front door so he could go and collect their bags from the car.
An hour later, after Bristol swore she didn’t need him to call Lilly or Elsie to help her get ready for a nap, Rocky peeked into the guest bedroom. Bristol was on her back, her leg propped up on a pillow, and she was dead to the world. She’d probably overdone it today, but Rocky couldn’t be sorry. He’d loved seeing how comfortable she was around his friends.
He closed the door almost all the way, leaving it open about five inches so he could hear if she called out and needed anything, then wandered back out to his living room. Sitting on the couch, he realized he was content.
Usually when he came home at the end of a long day, he was fidgety. He didn’t spend a lot of time in his apartment because it didn’t feel like home to him. But tonight, knowing Bristol was down the hall, and would require help with her basic needs for at least the next few days, made Rocky feel needed.
He enjoyed his job. Loved what he did as a part of the Eagle Point Search and Rescue team. But he’d been increasingly lonely. Having Bristol here felt…nice.
