"There has to be a way. If we can't figure it out, my dad's going to have no defense. He'll lose his business. Your business."
"Don't you think I know that?"
She sagged. "I'm sorry. I know you're doing everything you can. I'm just worried."
"I know you are. I am, too. And not just about the business. I worry about you as well."
"Yeah?"
He held her chin and brushed a kiss over her nose. "Yeah. The new cameras are being installed at The Fix today. I'm sending them to your apartment, too. No argument."
"Not making one," she said.
"Good." He hooked an arm around her shoulder. "I want to keep you safe."
And from a man like Brent, she thought, that was almost like saying he loved her.
Elena and Brent spent the next seven days together, waking up beside each other at his place, then taking Faith to school together before simply hanging out until it was time to pick her up and for Brent to go to work. On the days he didn't go in to The Fix, the three of them often stayed in, cooked dinner, and simply hung out, usually with a children's program on in the background while Elena worked on her thesis and Brent continued to pursue the tagger.
They'd finally stopped trying to hide Elena's presence, but they still didn't tell Faith that Brent and Elena were dating. For that matter, Elena wasn't entirely sure they were dating. She thought so--she hoped so--but she wasn't sure.
Instead, they told Faith that Elena was having work done at her place, so she was staying at Brent and Faith's house. They kept a blanket and pillow on the couch, but even if Faith realized that Elena was in Brent's bed, she doubted that the little girl would think much of it.
The days passed quickly, and whenever Elena went out on her own, her biggest thrill of the day was walking back through those doors. She'd told Selma and Hannah, but only because they'd pried the truth out of her during lunchtime cocktails one day.
"It's real," Selma said. "I mean, you've practically got serious stamped on your forehead."
"I do, sure," Elena agreed. "But I still don't know where Brent stands."
"Here's an idea," Hannah said. "Ask him."
Elena shot her friend a level look. "Thanks for the tip. I'm working my way up to that." Because if she was wrong, it was all over. She knew that, and she really wasn't ready for it to end.
As if she'd read her mind, Selma put her hand on Elena's shoulder. "It's gonna be fine. The guy's wild about you."
"I've never doubted that," she admitted. "I'm just not sure with Brent if that's going to be enough."
That worry was still on her mind when she swung by The Fix to check on the plans for the Food Fair. Megan and Jenna were the true masterminds behind the event but Elena and Tyree were putting together most of the dishes for The Fix's table by themselves, and running a series of cooking videos on the screen behind their station. She trusted Megan and Jenna, but she still wanted to double-check.
And, besides, that gave her the chance to peek at Brent, and that was never a bad thing. Even though they were still keeping their relationship secret, he flashed a smile at her the moment she walked through the doors. The kind of smile that made her panties damp and promised all sorts of decadent delights come evening.
He was with Tyree, and Elena saw the way her dad looked at him--and the bland way that Brent looked back, neither acknowledging or denying.
She took that as a good sign. Because if Brent was willing to let Tyree get even a hint of a clue that he and Elena were involved, then that had to mean it was serious to him, too.
The thought put a little extra bounce in her step as she headed toward her dad.
"Hi, Daddy. Hi, Brent."
He grinned. "Hi, yourself."
She kept her hands at her sides, fighting the urge to reach for him. "I was just checking in about the fair," she told Tyree. "It's already Thursday, so Saturday is pretty much here. I'm sure Megan and Jenna are ready, but are we? Any more videos to make? Food to prep? You have servers to work our table?"
Her dad chuckled. "This isn't my first time at the rodeo, mon bijou. Your work is done. All you have to do is come on Saturday and enjoy yourself."
"Yeah?"
"And taste the competition's food," he added in a stage whisper. "Gotta know if anyone outshines us."