by Susan Stoker
He smiled down at her. “No, Flower, I need to get back to Silverstone. But I’ll take a rain check.”
“Okay,” she agreed. “Be safe out there.”
“I always am,” he said. Then he leaned down toward her.
Taylor held her breath as he got close. But instead of kissing her, he brushed his lips against her temple. “Have a good day,” he said quietly, then straightened. “Lock this immediately behind me.”
She could only nod. Then he was in the hall. He raised an eyebrow when she just stood there. Taylor forced herself to move and shut the door. She threw the dead bolt and heard his steps going down the hallway.
Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and leaned against her door.
What was wrong with her? She shouldn’t have been expecting him to kiss her. And she definitely shouldn’t have been disappointed when he hadn’t.
“Get a grip,” she said out loud. He was probably the best friend she’d ever had. She didn’t want to do anything to mess that up, despite his suggestion that they might date in the future. And kissing would definitely change things between them. Wouldn’t it?
Taylor was so confused. But she’d always been practical. Overthinking the situation wouldn’t change anything about it. So she pushed herself off the door and headed for her bedroom. She’d shower and get to work on proofreading the history textbook she’d picked up at the post office the other day. When she had something as dry and technical as a text, she usually broke up the monotony by also proofing a shorter speech or a romance novel. It helped her brain stay focused. And today, she needed to forget about Eagle and Silverstone. At least for a little while.
So much had happened in a short period of time. She’d never expected to meet someone who would become so important to her this quickly. If she was smart, she’d put some distance between herself and Eagle, but Taylor knew that wasn’t going to happen. She looked forward to chatting with him every night, even if they just talked about how their days had been. And now that he’d opened up and told her about Silverstone, something only a handful of people knew? There was no way she could hold him at arm’s length.
She had no idea what Eagle saw in her, but she hoped and prayed he wasn’t simply amusing himself. She hadn’t realized how badly she needed a friend, and giving up Eagle might just break her.
It was a weird feeling to miss someone. Eagle had never felt as close a connection with anyone as he did with Taylor. After dropping her off at her apartment, he’d gone back to Silverstone Towing and gotten on the road. He’d worked for a few hours, then met his team back at the garage, and they’d gone over the day’s intel they’d received from Willis.
But throughout the day, Taylor was always in the back of Eagle’s mind. What was she doing? Had she eaten lunch? Had she made a dent in the new textbook she was going to start on that day?
Eagle had always been something of a loner. He’d dated women, but never felt as if he needed to talk to them all the time, to be with them constantly. He supposed that made him kind of an asshole, but none of the women he’d gone out with had seemed to mind. Everything had always been casual. Whatever the connection was that he had with Taylor felt anything but.
He’d wanted to kiss her when he’d dropped her off. Really kiss her. But at the last minute, he had forced himself to give her a casual brush of his lips against her temple. The last thing he wanted to do was mess up what they had. Taylor needed a friend badly, and he was going to prove that he could be one for her. People she’d known in the past were assholes for letting her condition scare them away.
So what if she couldn’t recognize him by his looks? He’d seen the panic in her eyes that morning when he’d walked toward her at Silverstone. But the second he’d called her Flower, all the uncertainty had dissolved from her expression. If all it took to make her relax was a code word letting her know who he was, that was easy. Why no one else had bothered to try to help her in that way was a mystery.
But that was in the past. He’d seen how touched she’d been by Skylar’s gesture. Name tags were a great idea. She could identify everyone at a glance and wouldn’t have to rely on others to constantly introduce themselves.
Eagle would do whatever it took to increase her confidence and be the best friend he could be. He wouldn’t screw that up by letting his feelings for her get in the way . . . at least not so soon.
With that in mind, he relaxed on his couch and picked up his cell. He punched in her number and waited for her to pick up.
“Hey, Eagle.”
“Hi. I just wanted to see how your day went,” he said. He heard the volume of the music in the background lower.
“It was good.”
“What’d you do?”
For the next hour and a half, they talked about nothing and everything. She told him about getting started on the history textbook and how slowly it seemed to be going. When she asked about his meeting with his team, it felt so good to be able to be honest with her about what they’d discussed. He didn’t share specifics, but when he explained that they’d read firsthand accounts of some of the women who’d been forced into prostitution in Amsterdam, she’d been extremely empathetic.
While prostitution was legal there, many of the women who worked in the brothels were doing so against their will, forced to have sex with dozens of men a day to keep their families safe from the evil men who’d blackmailed them. Silverstone wanted to find the man, or men, responsible at the highest level. Not the johns and pimps on the front line. They were small potatoes compared to the heads of the sexual-slavery rings.
He and Taylor had a long discussion about what could be done to help the women, which turned into a conversation about the pros and cons of legalizing prostitution. She brought up some good points that he and his team hadn’t thought of. Eagle had known that Taylor was smart, but being able to have an intellectual conversation with her about a very controversial topic was more satisfying than he would’ve thought.
“What are your plans for tomorrow?” Eagle asked her.
“Same as today. Although I do need to go out for a bit.”
“Where to?”
Eagle was surprised when Taylor didn’t immediately answer him.
“I just . . . something I do every Sunday,” she said.
He wasn’t happy with the vague answer, but he told himself that even though they’d talked every day, there were a lot of things he still didn’t know about her. “Cool. It’s okay if you don’t want to tell me, you’re allowed to keep your life private.”
“It’s not that, it’s just . . . it’s something I started doing about a year ago, and at first I had mixed feelings about it, but now it feels like a calling for me.”
“I hope you’ll tell me about it sometime, but don’t think I’m going to be sitting over here pouting because you won’t.”
She chuckled softly. “I can’t see you pouting about anything. Except maybe not winning at pinball.”
And just like that, she’d satisfactorily changed the subject. Eagle let it go, not wanting her to be uncomfortable in the least while talking to him. “I still think you cheated on that last round.”
“How could I have cheated?” she asked. “Seriously, you’re just a poor loser.”
“Okay, that’s probably true,” Eagle admitted.
She laughed again. “Eagle?”
“Yeah, Tay?”
“I like this.”
He knew exactly what she was talking about. “Me too. You’re easy to talk to.”
“Same.”
“I’m going to let you go. It’s late,” Eagle said, glancing at his watch, surprised at exactly how much time had gone by. He’d never really liked talking on the phone, but with Taylor, he couldn’t seem to get enough.
“Okay. Thanks for introducing me to your friends.”
“Of course. And they’re your friends now too.”
She didn’t comment on that, and Eagle knew she’d need to spend more time around them to really fee
l comfortable.
“I’ll call tomorrow night?” he asked.
“I’d like that,” she reassured him.
“Be safe tomorrow at whatever it is you’re doing.”
“I will. You too.”
“Always,” Eagle told her. “Sleep well.”
“Talk to you later.”
“Later.” Eagle clicked off the phone and just sat on his couch, smiling and recounting their conversation for at least five minutes. Reluctantly, he admitted he’d rather spend the rest of his life in the friend zone if dating meant the risk of breaking up and losing her forever.
It had taken thirty-six years, but Eagle had finally found a woman whose happiness he’d put above his own. It felt scary, but so right.
Taylor Cardin didn’t know it, but as of this moment, her life was going to get much better. He’d make it his mission to show her how fun life could be. She’d hidden herself away and protected her heart because of the assholes in her past. That was over.
Eagle nodded. He might never have the kind of relationship he wanted with her, but if Taylor lived her life unafraid of what others might think or say about her, Eagle, in turn, could find peace with that. She was an amazing human being, and the world needed more people like her. Hiding in her apartment, afraid to run into others she knew but didn’t recognize, was wrong.
He’d make sure those who did know her changed the way they interacted with her. Make them learn to tell her who they were up front. He’d make everyone see her the way he did.
His decision made, Eagle got ready for bed with a lighter heart. He couldn’t wait to see his Flower blossom.
Chapter Six
More than two weeks later, Taylor was cleaning up after her simple dinner when she realized she hadn’t heard from Eagle all day, which was highly unusual. They’d continued talking or texting daily, and every couple days or so, he’d talked her into getting out of her apartment. He’d taken her to the zoo, they’d gone on a bike ride, she’d hung out with him at Silverstone Towing. He’d even brought her over to Bull’s apartment one night, and she’d hung out with his friends and Skylar.
At first she’d been reluctant, but she’d come to look forward to his spontaneous invitations. He’d also finally agreed to come into her apartment, and she’d made them dinner one night. Nothing fancy—baked chicken and vegetables—but he’d told her that her cooking rivaled Archer’s.
She’d recently gotten to meet the man who made such delicious food at Silverstone. Shawn Archer was a large guy whose laughter seemed to fill the room. It made Taylor happier just hearing it. She’d also met his daughter, a precocious little girl named Sandra.
All in all, not only had Eagle invited her into his world, but all his friends had also welcomed her with open arms. It felt amazing.
But for the first time in a month, she hadn’t talked to Eagle even once today. Which surprised her. She’d texted him and gotten no response. She’d also called and left a message, but he hadn’t returned her call.
Debating with herself, she finally picked up the phone and called Skylar.
“Hey, Taylor. Everything all right?”
“Yeah, I’m good. But I haven’t heard from Eagle all day. I was wondering if you knew if he was okay?”
“Oh, I’m sure he is. They aren’t on a mission, if you’re worried about that.”
Taylor hadn’t even thought of the possibility. “Oh, no, he told me he’d let me know if they were headed out. I just . . . it’s probably nothing. I’ve just gotten used to talking to him. I’m sure I’ll get in touch with him tomorrow.”
“I’ll call Carson,” Skylar said. “He’s still over at the garage. He called earlier and said they were neck deep in research.”
“Oh, okay. I’m sure he’s just busy,” Taylor told her. “Don’t bother them.”
“It’s not a bother,” Skylar said gently. “And it’s not like him to not call. I’ll see what I can find out and either call you back or tell Carson to have Eagle call. Okay?”
Taylor wanted to convince her to let it go, though she really did want to talk to Eagle. She suddenly had a gut feeling that something was wrong . . . but that was silly, wasn’t it? They weren’t dating, and Eagle could do whatever he wanted. He was an adult. He didn’t need her nagging him and bothering him when he was working.
But she still couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t right.
“Thanks, Sky. I appreciate it.”
“No problem. I’ll talk to you soon. You going to the garage this weekend?”
“I don’t know,” Taylor told her. It was Thursday, and she and Eagle hadn’t talked about their weekend plans yet. It was silly, but she’d spent the last two Saturdays with him, so she’d simply expected to spend this one with him too. But that was presumptuous of her. He might have other plans . . . or a date.
She’d refused to let herself think of Eagle as anything other than a friend, but it was getting harder and harder. She liked the man. A lot. He’d gotten under her skin, and every time he touched her, she wanted more.
“Well, I’m sure I’ll see you around soon,” Skylar told her.
“I hope so,” Taylor said. And she did. She really liked the other woman. She was fun and had such a positive outlook on life, especially considering what she’d been through. And the stories she shared about her kindergarten students were hilarious.
“Bye.”
“Bye.” Taylor hung up and bit her fingernail as she paced. Eagle didn’t need to check in with her, of course. But her worry wouldn’t go away.
Twenty minutes later, her phone rang, but it was Bull, not Eagle.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Taylor, it’s Bull. I talked to Sky, and she said you called about Eagle.”
“I did. Is everything all right? I mean, I’m probably being paranoid, but I haven’t talked to him today, which is unusual.”
Bull sighed. “We were reviewing a case today, and it upset him,” he said after a moment. “Most of the time we can look at police reports and newscasts and compartmentalize, but something about the case we were looking at today really got to him.”
Taylor’s heart sank. “Where is he?”
“He said he was going home,” Bull told her.
“I’ll just head over there and see if he’s all right,” Taylor said.
“I’m not sure that’s a good idea. Maybe you should give him some time,” Bull said.
Taylor didn’t believe that for a second. When you were alone with your thoughts, they seemed to get uglier. She would know. She’d spent most of her life alone, rehashing all the mean things people had said to and about her. After this last month with Eagle, she knew simply having someone to talk to released so many of those bad thoughts. Even if he didn’t want to talk, she could at least sit with him. Try to make him laugh. Something.
“Okay,” she told Bull, lying through her teeth. “I appreciate you calling to let me know.”
“You’re going to go over there, aren’t you?” he asked.
Taylor pressed her lips together and didn’t answer.
“Fine. But if he says anything out of line, don’t take it personally. He’s not himself.”
“I’m not going to break if he yells,” Taylor replied. “If he needs to let out his emotions, then I’ll be there to take it.”
“If you don’t call me in an hour, I’m coming over there,” Bull warned.
“That’s not necessary,” she protested.
“It is. Eagle’s one of my best friends, but you’re my friend too. I’m not going to let him abuse you or use you as a punching bag just because he’s frustrated.”
And now Taylor wanted to cry. “Thanks.”
“Don’t thank me. Text or call me, and let me know that you’re both okay. I’m giving you an hour because I’m feeling generous . . . and I think you could be just what he needs. But do not take shit from him. Hear me?”
“I hear you.”
“Good. And Taylor? Thank you.”
“Later,” he said.
Taylor shoved her shoes on and grabbed her purse before heading for the door. She’d been to Eagle’s apartment twice, so she didn’t have to think too hard about where she was going. Instead, she thought about what she was going to say to him. How she was going to help. She had no idea what the case was about, but it had to be bad for Eagle to lose his shit.
She pulled into his parking lot and hurried through the lobby. He lived in a fairly secure building, but the man who worked the desk simply nodded at her as she went by. Taylor had no idea if he was the man Eagle had introduced her to previously, but she didn’t have time to be anything other than grateful he hadn’t stopped her.
She hit the button for the second floor and waited impatiently for the elevator to rise. She practically jogged down the hallway and took a deep breath before knocking on Eagle’s door.
For a second, she didn’t think he was going to answer, but then the door opened, and a tall man was standing there.
He didn’t say anything, just looked at her.
“Eagle?” Taylor said uncertainly. She knew it should be Eagle, but honestly, it could’ve been anyone standing behind his door.
He sighed. “Yeah, Flower, it’s me.”
Taking a deep breath in through her nose, Taylor suddenly decided how she was going to deal with this. She nodded and pushed past a surprised Eagle. She kicked off her shoes, letting him know that she was planning on staying awhile, and headed for the kitchen. She saw a bottle of Jack Daniel’s on the counter and winced. Eagle wasn’t a big drinker; for him to have broken out the booze meant he really was feeling like shit.
She opened a few cabinets until she found what she was looking for. She brought a pan over to the sink and began filling it with water.
“What are you doing?” he asked a little belligerently.
“Making you dinner,” Taylor answered calmly.
“I’m not hungry.”
“Too bad. I am,” she said as unsympathetically as she could. The truth was, she wasn’t sure she could eat anything with the way her stomach was rolling, but she’d do her best.
