Page 11 of Her Hero Daddy

Shit. Asshole. Be gentle with her.

“I’m sorry, honey. I didn’t mean to curse. I just can’t stand seeing those bruises on you. Can I come in?”

She hesitated before stepping back and opening the door for him. He walked in, noticing the cartoons she was watching on the TV. When he turned to look at her, she stood near the door as though she was ready to bolt at any moment.

Damn.

You’re supposed to be putting her at ease.

He sat on the edge of the bed, trying to bring himself down to her level, though even with him sitting, he was still taller than her. The bathrobe she wore was gigantic on her small frame.

“Why aren’t you sleeping, little one?”

“I couldn’t sleep.”

She reached up and brushed her caramel-brown hair that hung loosely over her shoulders away from her face, exposing the dark bruises on her lower arms. He stood, wanting to go to her, but as soon as he took a step, her entire body trembled, and she had to grab the back of a chair to steady herself. He sat again, bringing himself back down to her level. He hated that he had that effect on her. He had that effect on a lot of women. He wasn’t the kind of guy you looked at and got the warm fuzzies. He was the kind of guy you looked at and wondered if you were about to be on a stretcher on the way to the hospital after he finished with them.

Nodding his head, he gave a small smile. “That’s understandable. I’m Kane Scott, by the way.”

“I’m Haylee… Haylee Maxwell.”

“Nice to meet you, Haylee.”

That’s a start. Gain her trust.

He noticed the opened chocolate bar on the bedside table.

“You had some chocolate. Does that mean you ate a slice of pizza?”

“Yes. I could only eat one, though. My tummy was all twisted up last night.”

“Good girl. I’m glad you ate a little bit.”

Something flashed in her eyes when he called her good girl, and she visibly relaxed.

“Well, I couldn’t really sleep either. Do you want to get dressed and we can hit the road early?”

She studied him quietly for a moment. “You need to get some sleep before you drive. I can drive, though, and you can sleep.”

Lowering his brows, he shook his head. “You’re not driving, little one. I am perfectly fine to drive. I’m a retired Marine and was a part of many recon missions that kept me up for days at a time. I am used to little sleep. Besides, I would prefer that you try to sleep some more while I drive. I know you’re exhausted.”

“Oh.”

He nodded and stood, not missing that she stepped back to create more space as he did so. He hated that she was afraid. He was the last person she needed to be scared of.

“I’ll go grab the clothes that Ally packed for you.”

She nodded and stepped aside so he could leave the room. He questioned whether he had made the right choice in not having Luke and Ally come. He didn’t want her to be stressed or worried the entire time they drove.

Once back in the room, he grabbed the bag of clothes, his keys, and his wallet and returned to her. Ally had said that she and Haylee were the same size, but Haylee looked much smaller than Ally, and Ally was just a little thing. That thought bothered him. He worried that the clothes he’d brought would be hanging off her, but they would have to do for the ride.

She disappeared into the bathroom to change without saying anything. When she walked out wearing the pair of leggings and T-shirt, he frowned. She was practically swimming in them.

“Ally said you two were the same size.”

Her eyes widened, and she looked down at the clothes. He cursed himself when he saw her bottom lip tremble. Damn, he was such an asshole. Why couldn’t he just keep his mouth shut.

“I… Tim was constantly telling me I needed to lose weight, so I… I don’t eat much anymore.”