“What reason did he give?”
I blink at her a few moments then just say it. “When I first started here, he told me to stay away from you. He said you were off limits.”
“What!” Her mouth drops open.
“It was about the time you told me the same thing,” I grin, touching her chin. “I thought you’d put him up to it.”
“I never!” She spins on her heel, ready to charge back into the gym. In one quick move, I’ve got her around the waist again, carrying her back to where we were. “He has no right!” she cries.
“Listen to me,” I cut her off. “I told you it’s for the best.”
She stops struggling and looks up at me. “Why? Do you have another job?”
“No.” With one finger, I slide a loose strand of hair off her forehead. I can’t stop touching her. She’s so pretty. “I’ve been thinking about this… thing we’ve got here.” I motion between us. “Mercy, I don’t have anything to offer you right now. No name, no house, no pack… I don’t even have a car—”
Her blue eyes go round. “I don’t care about that!”
“Well, I do. I’m not going to take you out of here until I can take care of you.”
“What are you trying to say?” That confidence I just saw in her slips, and I hate what I’m about to say.
“I’m going on to California. Alone.”
“What? No you’re not. I’m going with you!”
“You’re going to stay here where you have a place to live and food.”
Fire flashes in her eyes, and she pushes hard against my chest. “NO! You are NOT leaving me behind!”
Catching her wrists, I hold her against my chest. “It’s the right thing to do,” I say firmly.
She struggles several moments trying to fight me, until she finally gives up. Her face drops to my chest, and her body jerks with an inhale. She’s crying, and the noise of her quiet sobs almost rips me apart. Swallowing the thickness in my throat, I try to make her see reason.
“I can’t take you from all you have here to nothing with me,” I say softly. “I can’t let you live on the streets or in the woods while I try to find work. You deserve better than that.”
“If you leave, I’ll never see you again.” Her voice breaks along with my resolve.
I loosen my hold on her wrists, catching her chin so I can see those beautiful eyes. They’re flooded with tears.
“Hey…” I smooth the wetness off her cheeks with my thumbs, fighting the pain twisting my insides. God dammit, I can’t fight Mercy. “You think I can live without my soul? As soon as I find a job and a place for us, I’ll send for you. I promise.”
Her head is shaking before she even starts to speak. “I’m coming with you. I’ve got a plan. I’ve been saving for this for years.”
“California is a tough place.”
She clears her throat, ready to argue to the end. She’s such my little lynx. “We’ll go to San Francisco together. We’ll find a gym… Andy will give me a good reference, and I’ll speak for you. Once we’re out there, we’ll find a place, the two of us together — we’ll make it Koa, you’ll see.”
“I won’t let you carry all the weight.”
“Of course not!” She’s blinking fast, struggling to smile. “But would you at least sleep on my couch until you don’t need me anymore?”
“Mercy,” I groan, and she steps into my arms, pulling her small body tight against my chest. “I’ll need you til I die,” I say holding her, kissing her head.
Her arms tighten around my waist. “My Koa,” she says softly, and it’s all over. With those words, I’m fucking screwed. She can have anything she wants. Hell, seeing her cry nearly gutted me. “We’ll be all right. We will.”
My jaw is set, but she’s won. I hold her pretty face and look down into her eyes so bright with optimism. “You don’t fight fair.”
Another grin, and she steps back, reaching up to touch my cheek. “I’ll go and talk to Andy now. Meet you at Doris’s later?”