Page 67 of Victorious

The man was coming toward her.

“Hellooo?” he said again, but this time, there was amusement in his voice. A cat calling to a mouse. He knew she was there.

Dol’s barking grew louder.

She could hear him, banging against the door, trying to get to her.

The knife in her boot felt pitifully small, but she drew it anyway, keeping the blade out of sight as she blew out a breath, and got to her feet.

The stranger stopped, ten feet away, holding up a hand to shield his eyes as if he wasn’t already wearing shades.

“There you are.” He spoke with a slight Southern drawl. “I thought I heard something.” He smiled in a way that was probably supposed to be disarming.

But her fingers only tightened on the knife. “What do you want?” In her head, she calculated the distance from the bike to the woodpile, wondered if she could get back before—

As if reading her mind, the stranger took another casual step, closing the gap a little more. “You out here all alone?”

Before Syd could answer, there was a crashing sound as the cabin’s back door gave way, and the massive black dog came barreling toward them, moving faster than he had in years. In a handful of loping strides, Dol was there, his body in front of Syd’s, his teeth bared white in warning. She curled her fingers in his coat and thought, Good dog.

The stranger took a step back, hands raised. “Whoa now,” he said.

Just then, the pickup came whipping around the corner, and down the drive, throwing up gravel and dirt.

Syd’s whole body loosened a fraction as the truck stopped, and Mitch hopped out. But Syd kept her attention on the stranger, who stayed where he was, looking unbothered by Mitch’s arrival. Mitch, to his own credit, didn’t escalate the situation.

His gaze raked over Syd, a single, protective sweep, before he turned the full force of his attention on the man. “Can I help you?” His tone wasn’t friendly, but it wasn’t hostile, either.

The stranger smiled. “Sorry to bother you all,” he said, holding out a hand. “Name’s Noah.”

“Jack,” Mitch answered automatically, his hand eclipsing the other man’s. When he let go, Noah gave a nervous laugh, shaking out his fingers. “Quite a grip you’ve got there. And who’s that?” he added, nodding toward Syd.

“My niece,” said Mitch. “She’s shy.”

The man—Noah—bobbed his head. “Not a bad thing, to be cautious. That’s what I tell my daughter.” His smile softened at the mention, and Syd began to wonder if she’d imagined the menace. Dol tugged her sleeve back toward the cabin. Mitch glanced over, and nodded for her to head inside, before turning his attention back to the stranger.

“How can I help you, Noah?”

Syd let Dol pull her across the yard. They made it as far as Mitch before she stopped, unwilling to leave his side. He shot her a look, but she didn’t care. She wasn’t going anywhere, not without him.

“Right,” said the man. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have just shown up. This cabin”—he nodded toward the cabin—“it belonged to my uncle. He died two summers back. Would have bought the place myself, but I was deployed.”

She thought of Dominic Rusher, who’d also been a soldier, albeit one broken by his time at war. But once Victor had taken away his pain, he’d carried himself the way this guy did now, straight-backed and strong. Maybe that’s what made him seem familiar.

“When I found out they’d sold the place, I was heartbroken. I guess I just wanted to see who it went to. Make sure it was being looked after.”

Syd wished she could see his eyes, to be sure, but he sounded earnest. Apparently, Mitch thought so, too, because he said, “Do you want to come in?”

She stiffened, surprised, but to her relief, the man shook his head. “Oh, no. Appreciate the offer though. I’m just glad it’s in good hands.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I hope you love it half as much as the old man did. You have a good day.” With that, Noah turned and started toward the black sedan.

“What’s her name?” called Syd. Noah looked back over his shoulder. “Your daughter.”

His mouth tipped into a grin. “Haley.”

“Like the comet?”

His smile split, showing teeth. “Like the comet,” he confirmed, before tipping an invisible cap to her and Mitch. “You two take care.”

“We will,” said Mitch, resting his hand on Syd’s narrow shoulder as Noah climbed into the car, and pulled away.