“Why not?”

“We haven’t hit that point in our relationship.”

“I can’t leave you alone.”

She dropped her arms, squared her shoulders, and raised an eyebrow. “I’m a grown woman. I can pee on my own. Go make coffee or some shit. You are not going to stand there and watch.” She pointed toward the door behind me. “Out!”

“You’re really cute when you’re mad.” She really was. I mean, Georgia was drop-dead gorgeous, but when she was pissed off, her forehead wrinkled in just the perfect way, making her stunning.

“Get out,” she repeated, waving her arm and pointing toward the doorway.

I threw my hands up and took in one more vision of her nakedness. “Yell when you’re ready and I’ll come get you.”

She flattened her hands on her face, slowly dragging them down her cheeks. “Go get my crutches and a T-shirt for me,” she mumbled behind her fingers.

“I’ll be right back,” I told her before I left the room and headed toward my closet.

“The door!” she yelled and grunted.

I poked my head back in the door and saw her still standing, holding on to the counter as she stood near the toilet. “Sorry.” I closed the door.

After I pulled on a pair of shorts, I headed to the car, grabbed her crutches, and jogged back inside. It was risky leaving her alone to hop around, especially with the soreness from the accident. There was a T-shirt hanging on the doorknob to the bedroom, and I grabbed it before knocking. “Ready?” I knocked lightly on the door.

“Almost!” she yelled. “Don’t come in.”

“You aren’t on your feet, are you?” I held the crutches and T-shirt and waited.

“Do you have an extra toothbrush?” Something clattered to the floor.

Opening the door, I found her leaning against the counter, a razor and my toothbrush on the floor. “I do,” I said as I rested the crutches against the wall and handed her the T-shirt.

“I’m sorry. I just want to be able to do things on my own.” She lifted her arms, trying to put on the T-shirt, but sighed. “I can’t do this on my own. Fuck me. I can’t deal with this.”

I stood quickly, tossing the items from the floor onto the counter. “Let me.” Pulling the T-shirt over her head, I gently placed each arm in the sleeves. “We’ll get you something for the pain.”

“No drugs.”

“Tylenol will help.”

“After I brush my teeth.”

I opened the medicine cabinet and grabbed a spare brush I’d saved for when I had a guest. “Here ya go.”

“Always prepared.” She pursed her lips.

“Don’t judge—you had one too.”

She shook her head with wide eyes. “I’d never!”

“Stop talking so much and brush. I need coffee.”

“Nectar of the gods.”

“Brush.” I grabbed my toothbrush off the counter and gave it a quick rinse.

We stared at each other in the mirror and brushed our teeth. Our eyes roamed over the other but never focused elsewhere. There was a sense of comfort to it for me. Jeanine and I could never stand in a room together in silence. Never. But with Georgia, there was a calm I’d never felt. Whether it was her lying in my arms or the small breaks in conversation, I always felt at peace.

Her face had bruised overnight, the impact of the airbag leaving its mark. She’d heal in a few days, and with a little makeup, it’d be barely noticeable.

After she spat out her toothpaste in the most unladylike fashion, she turned to face me. “Will you take me home after coffee?”

I cupped my hand under the water, filled my palm, and brought it to my lips. After I swished it around and stared at her, I spat it and answered. “We’ll talk about it after coffee.”

“Don’t make me call my dad.”

“He knows you’re here.”

“But I’ll tell him you’re holding me hostage,” she threatened with a small grin.

“Go ahead.” I placed my toothbrush back in the cup where it belonged.

“Coffee,” she said, changing the subject.

I grabbed the crutches and handed them to her. “You first. I’ll follow in case you fall.”

Her nostrils flared as she placed the crutches under her arms. “You’re a little overbearing.” She took a step forward, wobbling a little.

“I know,” I admitted, reaching out and grabbing her hips.

“The last thing I need is another overprotective man,” she huffed, slowly making her way out of the bathroom.

I dashed in front of her, kicking shit that I’d left on the floor out of her way. “Hey, now. You’re injured, so yes, I’m going to be protective of you.”

She didn’t respond as we made our way to my kitchen and I started to make the coffee. I left her on her own to sit down at the island and deal with her crutches. I didn’t want to suffocate her, but I glanced over my shoulder a couple of times, making sure she was okay.

“Your place is nice. I haven’t looked around too much, though.”

I hit start on the coffee maker. “You sound surprised.”

“I am,” she said, glancing around the room. “I expected it to be more…”

“Frat-like?” I raised an eyebrow.

“Maybe. It’s cleaner than I thought.”

“It’s the military in me.”

“Interesting.”

A phone started to ring in the bedroom, but it wasn’t my ringer. “Can you get that? It’s my phone. It may be work.”

I pushed off the counter and ran to the bedroom, grabbing both phones from my pants pocket. It wasn’t the school calling, but her father.

“It’s your dad!” I yelled from the bedroom.

“Answer it!”

“Fuck,” I muttered before answering the call. “Hello.”

“Frisco?”

“Yes, sir.” I grimaced.

“How’s my girl?”

“She seems good. Feisty as ever.”

“Good to hear,” he said, his voice gravelly. “Would you mind bringing her here for the day?”

I scratched my head and turned in a circle before heading back toward the kitchen. “Sure.”

Georgia gave me a strange look and held out her hand.

“Georgia wants to talk to you.” I started to hand the phone to her.

“Frisco!” he yelled into the phone.

I brought it back to my ear. “Yes, sir?”

“You and I have some work to do today.”

I glanced at Georgia and dragged my eyes away from her. “Yeah.”

“Put my baby girl on the phone.”

I held the phone out to her.

She gave me a weird look as she studied me. “Hey, Daddy.” She leaned forward against the counter, resting her chin in her hand as she spoke.

The knot in my stomach that had dissipated returned full force. I wasn’t scared of the man or what he wanted us to do, but lying to Georgia about it didn’t sit well. It wasn’t an outright lie, more a lie of omission.

I poured our coffee and slid a mug in front of her as she chatted. Watching her, I sipped the warm black liquid I couldn’t do without.

“We’ll be there in an hour,” she told him, sliding her cup closer. “Yeah, Dad. See you soon.” She stared at the screen before setting her phone on the counter. As she wrapped her hands around the mug, she sighed. “Sorry about him.”

“I like your dad,” I lied and took another sip.

“Mm-hmm.” As she tipped the cup back, taking her first sip, she closed her eyes and savored the taste.

Her father had me a bit on edge, and I’d forgotten to even ask how she wanted her coffee, but I guess she was like me, no bullshit, just caffeine. After grabbing the Tylenol from the cabinet, I set two pills down in front of her. “Take those.”

She nodded and swallowed them down with her coffee before I had a chance to get her a glass of water.

“I need a shower.” She pushed her empty cup toward me and smelled her hair.

“How about a sponge bath?” I asked with a grin.

“Never mind.” She rolled her eyes. “I’ll just wait until you take me home.”

“I won’t be leaving you alone for a couple of days.”

“Why?”

“When you’re less sore, then I’ll leave you alone.”

Her eyes bored holes into me. “Why?”

I could see how this conversation was going, and Georgia wasn’t happy with me. “’Cause you need help.”