Too Close to Resist by Nicole Helm Page B

She could damn well take care of herself. She’d made sure of that. It might still scare the hell out of her, but she wasn’t a child to be looked after. Maybe she had little setbacks like the stupid incident at the gym, but she’d dealt.
    With Kyle’s help.
    Grace squeezed her eyes shut. Okay, maybe she didn’t have it as together as she wanted, but she was working on it. Regardless, it was her problem and her burden to bear. Not Jacob’s, not her family’s and most certainly not Kyle’s.
    “It’s important that someone’s looking after you,” Kyle added, as if that helped the situation.
    It didn’t. She hadn’t spent the past seven years working on herself so her baby brother had to look after her. She hadn’t taken up temporary residence here to make anyone’s life more complicated. She might not feel comfortable being alone yet knowing Barry was free, but being babysat? That was what she was trying to get away from.
    “I do not need looking after,” Grace said, trying to remain calm. Trying to keep her emotions under control. She took a deep breath and forced a smile. “I appreciate the concern.”
    Kyle and Jacob exchanged frowns.
    “Go on your business trip, Jacob. I don’t know why we’re even discussing this. It’s not different from when you were dating Candy and weren’t ever here.”
    “But that was different, and the reason I broke up with Candy was so I could...” He clamped his mouth shut.
    Right. Apparently it was because of her. Fantastic.
    Kyle took a step forward as if to stand between her and Jacob, but when he spoke, it was to Jacob, not to her. “Your parents have backed off. Perhaps...”
    “I think they need more time. They’re backing off because I’m here. If she was alone, they’d harp all over again.”
    Grace’s stomach cramped. In other words, nothing would ever be normal. A hard realization she didn’t have the stomach for right now.
    “Don’t you have an aunt who lives in Ohio or something? Maybe she could visit.”
    Grace could honestly not believe what she was hearing. “Uh, hello?”
    Two clueless pairs of eyes blinked at her.
    “You know I’m right here, right? I didn’t suddenly become invisible. I’m here. Older than both of you, or do I not have the equipment required for your little ‘what to do with Grace’ club?”
    “Grace, come on. We’re trying to figure out what to do, to keep you safe.”
    “I’m not your problem to solve. Not the crazy wife in the attic you worry over what to do with or who to ship me off to. I’m a person, and I can take care of myself and keep myself safe. Coming here was not about having a bodyguard, it was about getting Mom and Dad to ease up on the worry and because you have a security alarm. I can absolutely take care of myself.” Couldn’t she? She wasn’t even sure, but letting them know that was even worse than being unsure.
    “You’re not a problem, Gracie. I just—”
    She held up a hand. “Enough. You go do whatever business you have to do. And don’t you dare ask anyone to watch over me like I’m some kind of incapacitated loser. I’ll handle it.”
    “You’re overreacting.” Kyle said, his calm, detached way of talking irritating the crap out of her. “This isn’t about you being ‘incapacitated.’ I want...” He stopped himself, cleared his throat. “ We want you to be safe.”
    She blinked at him, but he looked away. He hadn’t said we. He’d said I. Jacob was giving Kyle a weird look, too, so Grace knew it hadn’t been her imagination. He’d said he wanted her to be safe.
    And what did that mean?
    Jacob shook his head. “Kyle’s right. We want you to be safe.”
    “My safety isn’t dependent on you being here or not being here.” It was dependent on the guy who’d beaten her into a coma and who was recently released from prison.
    She turned away from them. “I’ll be fine here. You go on your trip. Kyle will go to his meetings. When no one’s here to watch out for the