Free When It's Right by Jennifer Ryan

everything about her told him not to touch her, when a flicker of something in her heart begged for him to hold her and make all the bad go away.
    Blake was bigger than her father, but nothing about him scared her. In fact, everything about him pulled at her, like he had his own gravity and she couldn’t help but get sucked in.
    Unable to look at him, she stared at her reflection in the black windows. He’d spoken so softly and with so much truth. It did go against everything in her to accept help. She’d done for herself or done without for so long that she didn’t know how to ask for or accept help.
    Justin. His name came to mind, and she knew that she had to do it for him. She had to try. It’s what she’d been trying to teach him. She needed to do it herself.
    â€œI can’t take a bath with the stitches, but a quick shower would be nice. If you don’t mind doing my hair in the morning, I’d appreciate the help. I just don’t have it in me to bend over the sink while you do it tonight.”
    She couldn’t sit still in her chair because she was in so much pain that she needed to keep moving to get comfortable. If Blake hadn’t thrown the jacket with her medication into the fire, she’d have had her meds. She didn’t blame him. He’d done it to make Justin, and her, feel better. A sweet gesture, she admitted, but one that cost her dearly. The frown and the apology in his eyes every time he caught her squirming made it easy to forgive him. He cared. That thought made her uncomfortable. She didn’t know what to do with a man who actually cared about her feelings, so she ignored it.
    She put her head down and held her throbbing temples between her two hands.
    Justin put his hand on her shoulder. “You can cry if you want. I won’t tell anyone.”
    Pull it together, Gillian. Don’t lose it now. You’re just tired. Don’t let Justin see you break down.
    She turned, took his face in her hands, and kissed him smack on the mouth. “I love you, baby. I’m not crying. I’m just really tired. Let’s go get your bath done. I’ll give you some medicine to make you feel better, and it’s off to bed. We could both use some sleep.” She stood and almost lost her balance again.
    Blake didn’t touch her, but grabbed her cast to hold her up straight. “Easy now. Come on, Gillian. I’ll walk behind you up the stairs. That way, if you fall, I can catch you.”
    â€œNobody needs to catch me. I’m fine.”
    â€œYeah, you look it.” His irritation came out in his voice. “Stubborn,” he said under his breath, but she heard him.
    â€œYep.” This time, she met his gaze, and they shared an intense stare-­down. He wanted her to give in. Not her style, but wouldn’t it be nice to let someone rescue her? Especially if that someone turned out to be a handsome cowboy. The idea appealed, a lot. Okay, so she wasn’t exactly immune to his charms. He didn’t have to know that. Besides, she had no experience with men, especially one as old and experienced as Blake. Better to stick to the real reason she was here—­Justin.
    Bud and Dee showed Justin up to his room. Gillian took the stairs at a much slower pace. “Maybe we can get you some fire truck sheets to match your backpack,” she heard Dee suggest to Justin.
    Then Gillian heard Justin jumping on the bed upstairs and chattering about it being the biggest one he’d ever seen. “I can’t believe it’s all mine.”
    Over her shoulder, she told Blake, “Justin shared my twin bed with me in the apartment once he outgrew his playpen.”
    â€œI don’t know how you did it. You were just a kid.”
    â€œHe was just a baby. It wasn’t his fault his parents were useless drunks.”
    So matter-­of-­fact. So sad that’s how she felt about her parents. “So you managed to go to