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He needed to find out why.
18
Snow-gilded mountains and hunter-green trees slipped past as Caleb drove Grace back to his home. The pain in her wrist had subsided to a faint ache and her mind roamed free with the sweep of landscape outside her window.
He drove with his sleeves rolled up, revealing muscled forearms that made her stomach feel flip-floppy whenever she looked at them. What would it be like for this to be her life? To sit here with this man at her side? An inviolable unit, the two of them against the world.
He had hustled her into his truck after they left the vets. She’d sensed something was wrong, but he’d remained tight-lipped the entire drive, his foot heavy on the gas pedal once they hit the open road, his gaze frequently flicking to the rearview mirror.
She pulled the sleeves of her coat down over her bandaged wrist. Bringing him into her life had already exposed him to danger. She couldn’t increase that risk by letting him in any further, by sharing her burden. It was hers to carry, her way of atoning for the mistakes she’d made. Besides, if he knew what she had been party to, she wouldn’t blame him if he walked away, if he offered her up to Richard.
Her resolve strengthened. She would not pay attention to how being close to him made her heart race and her skin tingle. Instead, she would protect him. It was the least she could do—not drag him down with her.
Finally, he pulled up the steep track to his cabin, the afternoon sunlight slanting through the windscreen as he brought the truck to a halt.
Grace reached for the door handle, but his hand landed on her knee, stilling her. “Let’s take a walk.”
“A walk?”
“Hmm.” He contemplated the forest surrounding them, his gaze alert and assessing. “We need to talk.”
“That sounds ominous.”
He shook his head and smiled. “I don’t bite. C’mon.”
He let Dolly out of the house and she bounded ahead, her paws leaving delicate imprints in the soft snow. They followed her up a narrow path flanked by towering evergreens and scraggy bushes dotted with clusters of berries. Caleb took hold of her hand, the warmth of his fingers locking around hers triggering heated shivers down her spine.
As they walked the trail, his steady presence beside her was a reassuring anchor. The only sound was the soft compaction of snow beneath their boots. It was a soothing silence that didn’t demand conversation, a quiet comfort where words were unnecessary. She’d heard her girlfriends talk about moments like this, but experiencing it firsthand was a revelation. A sense of peace settled over her. It was enough to be here with him and share the moment.
Sleety rain began to fall, forcing her to pull up her hood.
“Just a passing squall. We can take shelter up here.” Caleb took her hand and guided her off the path through knees deep bilberry bushes and brambles.
At the top of the incline, a majestic pine reached out with wide branches. Caleb ducked low and pulled her under the tree’s protection, cocooning them from the rest of the world. A carpet of soft needles cushioned her steps. Grace breathed deep the fresh scent of pine mingled with the earthy aroma of damp soil, intensified by the rain that pattered against the needled branches. “This is beautiful.”
“My brothers and I used to come up here when we were kids.” He tilted his head back to admire the spread of branches above their heads. “We used to just hang out here.” He pressed a hand to the bark, as if the touch would reconnect him with his memories.
“The world held so much promise then. Not like real life.” The words fell from her lips. A truth that she hadn’t wanted to speak, especially when she registered the worry in his eyes.
He lowered his head, and when he looked at her again, there was fire in his gaze. “There were men in Brad’s clinic looking for you. Claimed to be FBI.”
“What?” Her heart skittered.
“They were lying.” He scrubbed one hand over his mouth. “But this ex of yours. He’s extremely determined. I need to know why.”
They had been in the surgery. So close. Despite the moisture in the air, her mouth felt parched, making it hard to swallow. “Richard is a man who likes to control everything. Including the people in his life.”
“That’s it. Control? He’s pissed that you left, that you’re no longer under his control? This is so much more than that.” His gaze searched her face, looking for answers she could not give.
Fury lit inside her. It was so unfair she should meet Caleb now when she could not have him, when to do so would only put him at risk.
She leaned against the tree, her knees weak. “I don’t want to put you in the path of danger.”
“That’s not your choice, Grace.”
She sighed, the ache of exhaustion deep in her bones. “Richard Hudson is a businessman. Not a good one. He…”
The gentle drum of rain surrounded them, an auditory shield between them and the world. She fisted her hands. It would feel so good to share this weight she carried. Just a little, because soon she would be gone, right?
