that. Call me if I’m not there beside you.”
She snorted. “How? I have no phone. And why would you be beside me? After breakfast, you’ll be dropping me off at the bed and breakfast and I’ll be alone.” She didn’t add the word again, but she thought it. She was starting to hate it too. Maybe it was time to make changes. She sipped her coffee.
Just then the waitress returned with large plates of food. She carefully put them on the table and returned with the coffee pot. She topped off the cups and said, “I’ll be back with your toast.”
Bree barely heard her. Her gaze locked on the food and she couldn’t believe how much there was. It was almost enough to make her want to cry. “I don’t know where to start,” she whispered. “I want it all.”
“Eat slowly,” he warned. “I don’t want you getting sick.”
She grinned. “What a way to go.” She tucked into her eggs first. Of all the things on her plate she couldn’t pack those up to eat later. And she’d take all the leftovers available. Who knew when her next meal would be? She had no idea if she had enough money to even get home, not to mention food. She paused as she picked up the rasher of bacon and took a bite. It was delicious. As she ate, she had to wonder, when had she started considering going home? Since this mess happened or earlier?
She worked her way through the full plate until her stomach stopped growling and her throat finally accepted it hadn’t been cut. She groaned in joy. “Now that was fantastic.”
“Are you going to eat your toast?” he asked, pointing to the plate beside her.
“I’ll have some coffee and relax first,” she said. “Maybe I’ll be able to eat more in a little bit.” She pushed her empty plate back slightly and pulled her cup toward her. “How are you enjoying your meal?”
He nodded and chewed another bite. “It’s good food.”
She yawned, the combined effects of being safe, being warm, and having a full belly. “I wish you weren’t leaving.”
“I won’t be just yet.” He paused with his fork in the air. “We came for training. And we’re not yet done.” He smiled as he took a sip of coffee. “Although it did take a different turn. One with more pleasant results.”
He motioned toward her.
She grinned. “Well, it was training in a way, wasn’t it?”
“It was.” He nodded. “We’ll be back out in the field in an hour.”
“Hour?” she exclaimed. “You’ve had no sleep.”
“No.” He grinned boyishly. “But I don’t need as much as you might expect.”
“Ha. You might not but I sure do.”
The waitress came back and filled their coffee cups again. When they half-finished those cups he asked for the bill. “If you’re ready, let’s go.”
She nodded. “I’m ready. Too tired to be of any use anyway.”
*
“Then off to bed with you.” He stood up and waited for her to stand. “Come on.” He led her to the front counter where he paid the bill and then walked outside with her.
Right across the yard was the bed and breakfast. With her standing beside him, he rang the doorbell, waited until the door opened. When it did he led her inside and took care of the paperwork booking her in a room. He wanted to make this as easy as he could on her.
“Is it for one person or two?” the chatty middle-aged woman asked.
“At least one.” Bree gasped quietly as Markus answered smoothly.
The other woman opened her mouth then snapped it shut with a twinkle. “Then I’ll give you the room with the double bed.” She rattled off the check-in information and the checkout times. But Markus rushed her through it and finally they were climbing the stairs to the second floor. Markus opened the door for her and nudged her inside the large bedroom with a beautiful double bed in the middle.
“Oh my God, it’s beautiful.”
Markus stared at her surprise, then looked around the spacious room as if he hadn’t really noticed. “It is nice, isn’t it?”
“I need
She snorted. “How? I have no phone. And why would you be beside me? After breakfast, you’ll be dropping me off at the bed and breakfast and I’ll be alone.” She didn’t add the word again, but she thought it. She was starting to hate it too. Maybe it was time to make changes. She sipped her coffee.
Just then the waitress returned with large plates of food. She carefully put them on the table and returned with the coffee pot. She topped off the cups and said, “I’ll be back with your toast.”
Bree barely heard her. Her gaze locked on the food and she couldn’t believe how much there was. It was almost enough to make her want to cry. “I don’t know where to start,” she whispered. “I want it all.”
“Eat slowly,” he warned. “I don’t want you getting sick.”
She grinned. “What a way to go.” She tucked into her eggs first. Of all the things on her plate she couldn’t pack those up to eat later. And she’d take all the leftovers available. Who knew when her next meal would be? She had no idea if she had enough money to even get home, not to mention food. She paused as she picked up the rasher of bacon and took a bite. It was delicious. As she ate, she had to wonder, when had she started considering going home? Since this mess happened or earlier?
She worked her way through the full plate until her stomach stopped growling and her throat finally accepted it hadn’t been cut. She groaned in joy. “Now that was fantastic.”
“Are you going to eat your toast?” he asked, pointing to the plate beside her.
“I’ll have some coffee and relax first,” she said. “Maybe I’ll be able to eat more in a little bit.” She pushed her empty plate back slightly and pulled her cup toward her. “How are you enjoying your meal?”
He nodded and chewed another bite. “It’s good food.”
She yawned, the combined effects of being safe, being warm, and having a full belly. “I wish you weren’t leaving.”
“I won’t be just yet.” He paused with his fork in the air. “We came for training. And we’re not yet done.” He smiled as he took a sip of coffee. “Although it did take a different turn. One with more pleasant results.”
He motioned toward her.
She grinned. “Well, it was training in a way, wasn’t it?”
“It was.” He nodded. “We’ll be back out in the field in an hour.”
“Hour?” she exclaimed. “You’ve had no sleep.”
“No.” He grinned boyishly. “But I don’t need as much as you might expect.”
“Ha. You might not but I sure do.”
The waitress came back and filled their coffee cups again. When they half-finished those cups he asked for the bill. “If you’re ready, let’s go.”
She nodded. “I’m ready. Too tired to be of any use anyway.”
*
“Then off to bed with you.” He stood up and waited for her to stand. “Come on.” He led her to the front counter where he paid the bill and then walked outside with her.
Right across the yard was the bed and breakfast. With her standing beside him, he rang the doorbell, waited until the door opened. When it did he led her inside and took care of the paperwork booking her in a room. He wanted to make this as easy as he could on her.
“Is it for one person or two?” the chatty middle-aged woman asked.
“At least one.” Bree gasped quietly as Markus answered smoothly.
The other woman opened her mouth then snapped it shut with a twinkle. “Then I’ll give you the room with the double bed.” She rattled off the check-in information and the checkout times. But Markus rushed her through it and finally they were climbing the stairs to the second floor. Markus opened the door for her and nudged her inside the large bedroom with a beautiful double bed in the middle.
“Oh my God, it’s beautiful.”
Markus stared at her surprise, then looked around the spacious room as if he hadn’t really noticed. “It is nice, isn’t it?”
“I need
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