"Trailing you? No, absolutely not. I wouldn't get any bloody sleep if I trailed you. I'd have to quit my job because that would take up all of my time," Jake said, glaring at her for that. He knew the children's home had a curfew and he knew she'd probably broken that a time or two before. He could only guess as to what she'd been up to late at night when she couldn't sleep or when she wanted to assert her independence away from the home.

"No. Volunteering to be your guardian," Jake told her, anger draining away from him quickly. It was replaced by nerves, though, worry that he'd overstepped and she'd think the offer was creepy more than anything else. "If you want."