“Are you done?” I ask and wait for her to indicate she is listening. I step into her space, and she takes one step back, which pisses me off to no avail. Suddenly, I want to sit her down, and I want her to tell me everything. I want to know everything about her, but something says to tread lightly. “I’m not doing it for charity, and I don’t expect you to pay me back. Not this week, not next week, not even next year. I don’t know your story, Caroline, and I’m not even sure you would tell me, but I want you to listen and to pay attention to the words I’m about to say. I’m doing this because I want to and because I can. I’m doing this because sometimes people come into your life for certain reasons. I don’t always know what that reason is, but I know that I want to be your friend, Caroline. And as your friend, this is what people do.”

“I don’t have many friends,” she says, and I smile. “I mean, if you think about it, I probably have maybe one friend. But she’s more of an acquaintance.”

“Well, I’m happy I’m your first.” I try to make a joke but see that her eyes are filling with tears, and it kills me to see her cry. “Don’t,” I say softly, and my hand flies out to touch her face and catch the tear that falls out of her eye. “Don’t cry.” Her skin is soft like silk, and I want nothing more than to pull her to me.

“I’m not crying,” she says and steps out of my grasp. “It’s just I usually do things on my own.”

“Yeah, I can see that,” I say, then look in and see that the waitress is there with the food. “It doesn’t make you less of a person to accept help. Now, I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty sure that kid can eat everything I ordered, so I think we should go in and make sure he doesn’t.” I walk away, and when my hand touches the door handle, she speaks.

“Thank you,” she says softly, and I turn back to see her standing there with her hands in front of her. “I don’t know what your reason is, but I want to just say thank you.”

“You’re welcome, Caroline,” I say to her softly, and my heart speeds up. This tiny woman who comes at me with guns blazing and ready to go to war doesn’t even know how much she is worth.

Chapter Six

Caroline