His Safe Keeping (The Safe Series) by Tina Bass

Kade.”
    He had underlined the word ‘anything’ three times and she just had to smile at that. Krista considered calling him, but thought he might be busy and she didn’t want to interrupt him if he was. So, instead, she decided to cut the grass. Her yard was way past needing to be mown. She ate a little, then changed into her yoga shorts and sports bra, slipped on her old shoes—the ones she only wore to cut the grass—grabbed her mp3 player, and went out the door.
    Kade pulled into her driveway and saw immediately what was going on. Surprise did not begin to cover what he was feeling. “What the hell does she think she’s doing?” he asked aloud to no one. He parked, got out of the truck and stalked toward her. Krista was just turning the lawnmower around to make another pass when she caught sight of Kade almost on top of her. She jumped and let go of the mower, which automatically shut it off. He stood there, knowing she was wearing ear buds, with the same music blasting, so loud she wouldn’t be able to hear him. When she let go of the mower and turned more completely to face him, she smiled up at him. He reached forward and yanked the ear buds out of her ears. “What the fuck?” He simply couldn’t believe she was out here mowing the grass.
    “What? What?” Krista asked, startled. Her heart sped up and she didn’t know if it was because he startled her or if it was how he looked. Damn, he was good-looking, standing there looking all macho-like, with his hands on his hips.
    “Krista,” he growled. She stood there looking so incredibly beautiful, staring up at him all wide-eyed and innocent. His eyes took the time to scan her body. Her very sexy little body, in very little clothing. These were clothes he could have her out of in ten seconds flat. When he said nothing else, she grabbed his hand.
    “Come on.” She tugged on him to her little front stoop, where she sat down, continuing to tug on his hand so he would sit down beside her. When Kade folded his tall body to sit next to her, she looked over at him. He opened his mouth to speak, but she got there first. “Don’t start yelling at me.” She sing-songed the words so sweetly, with a smile. He shut his mouth because that’s exactly what he had planned on doing. After her words, he bent forward, laid his arms on his legs and looked down at his boots.
    “Explain.” The one word was all he said and though he was still gruff, he managed to not growl. She took a deep breath. “Oh, shit,” he mumbled under his breath and he turned his head toward her.
    Spreading her arms wide, she beamed at him. “I woke up a little while ago and I feel great! Even better than I did the day after last week’s treatment. Which surprised me. I’ve dealt with this all my life. I get it that this is all new for you, but it’s not new for me. After each treatment, as soon as I start to feel better, I go right back to doing what I normally do. It doesn’t stop me. It can’t and I can’t let it. Please try and understand. My whole life, all I’ve ever wanted was to be normal. I can’t be normal and I’ll never have that. So, I have to be as normal as I can be.”
    “Krista, you were cutting the fuckin’ grass,” Kade spoke softly to her, almost as if the words hurt him to say them. He had to speak his mind, make her understand. But, he didn’t want to take her ‘normal’ away from her either, or make her think he didn’t get it.
    She looked out at the yard toward the lawnmower and then back at him. “It needed cutting,” she stated, logically.
    Kade rubbed his face with both of his hands. “I could have cut it for you.”
    “Why? I know how and I’m capable of doing it myself.” Krista protested, looking kind of confused about the whole thing and not very happy. Kade wasn’t sure if she was unhappy at him or the fact that the grass needed cutting. “Although…” She looked at the lawnmower like she wanted to blow it up and then looked back at