Page 42 of Meant for Two

Not wanting to make either man wait too long, Blair quickly finished shopping and then went to check out. Who should pull up behind her but none other than John Gaines.Well, crap. He better not have been stalking her.

“Fancy meeting you here,” John said with more cheer than she’d heard from him in a while.

She didn’t want to engage with him but being rude wouldn’t serve her purpose either, especially if had anything to do with the accident. “I need food. It’s what grocery stores are for.”

“You don’t have to be snippy. I’m trying to be nice.”

It took all of her resolve not to say something snarky. Blair turned back around and placed her goods on the check-out counter. When her groceries were bagged and paid for, she gave John a weak smile and left. She might appear calm on the outside, but her hands were clammy and her heart was racing.

When she spotted both men standing by their vehicles, she was so happy to see them. Blair waved and headed over to them.

Both men rushed over and pulled the bags out of her cart. “I can do that, you know,” she said.

“We got this. Until you’re healed completely, you shouldn’t lift anything heavy,” Zane said.

Blair had been independent growing up. She had to be, but she could admit that it was nice to have someone dote on her. She just wished she understood why they were treating her so well. “Then thank you.”

Over dinner, she’d have to pick their brains about their sudden interest in her.

“Zane, how about driving Blair to her place? She wants to pick up a few things. I’ll take the groceries up to the loft,” Jeff said.

Zane nodded. “I need to drop a few things off at my place, too.”

“See you in a few then,” Jeff said.

Zane smiled at her as he opened the car door. Why these men hadn’t been scooped up before, she couldn’t understand. Between what Avery told her and what Blair had heard around town, Zane was quite the lady’s man. The women loved him, but he never seemed interested enough to stick around for long. As for Jeff, he wasn’t one to date much. Work seemed to be his love.

Wanting to be transparent, Blair told him about her unexpected meeting with her ex. “I saw John Gaines in the supermarket.”

Zane’s hands gripped the wheel. “Did you speak to him?”

Blair hadn’t expected the sudden anger. “He pulled his cart up behind mine. He was cordial. I wasn’t. I couldn’t wait to pay and get out of the store.”

Zane started the engine. “He didn’t ask you to come back to work for him or anything?”

“No. I was surprised that he wasn't angry. When I saw him last, he was his usual arrogant self.”

“Let’s hope that will be the end of him,” Zane said as he pulled out of the lot.

“Yes, let’s hope.”

When they arrived at Blair’s place, Zane stopped in front. “Do you feel safe going inside and packing while I run to my apartment? I shouldn’t be more than fifteen minutes,” he said.

“I appreciate your concern, but in all honesty, it almost makes me more scared when you act as if something bad is about to happen to me. Is there something you aren’t telling me? Did you learn who ran me off the road and worry they might return?”

Zane twisted in his seat and clasped his hands. “No. And that’s the truth, but if your accident was deliberate, the person is still out there. I’m going to watch you go in. Please lock your door. If I knew you were in real danger, I’d come in with you and not let you out of my sight.”

On a whim, she leaned over and kissed his cheek. “You are sweet. I promise I’ll be careful.”

Before she asked him to escort her inside to possibly do more than just watch her pack, Blair grabbed her purse and rushed up to the door, ignoring the slight discomfort of being stiff from sitting.

As soon as she entered her apartment, she locked the door and then looked out the window to make sure Zane really planned to run back to his apartment. She didn’t know where he lived, but most likely it wasn’t far.

Blair headed to the bedroom where she grabbed a small suitcase and filled it with a few more outfits for work as well as something sexy to sleep in—just in case she got lucky tonight. Because Jeff hadn’t stocked the bathroom, she grabbed some soap, shampoo, and some bubble bath. A nice relaxing soak in the tub would do wonders for her aches and pains—both physical and mental.

Once done, Blair carried her suitcase to the front door and set it down, ready to wait for Zane to return. When her cell rang, Blair’s nerves sharpened. She only relaxed when she saw it was Avery.

“Hey, girl. You’re not at work still are you?” Blair asked.