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“Good to know.” I smiled and took a sip of the coffee that she’d given me.
“It is, and you know that I’m never wrong.”
“Is that so?”
Lena grinned. “Well, I am your boss, so you have to say yes.”
“Absolutely. You are always right. How could I forget?”
The door’s chime sounded, signaling a customer, and we went back to work. This part was all familiar, and I was grateful for it. I could slip into the ease of small talk and cheering people up when I united them with their beloved caffeine.
The noon rush came and went, and the afternoon sun turned golden. Light flooded through the windows, casting rainbows across the space. It was hard not to think that this place was magic when it looked like this.
“So how is it at Resting Warrior?” Lena asked. “I know it’s only been a couple of days. But are you liking it?”
I nodded. “Yeah, it’s been nice. I’m still not sure why they’re letting me stay there. But I signed up to help with the communal meals, so I feel like less of a burden.”
“You’re not a burden. That’s what they do.”
“What do you mean?”
Lena tilted her head. “They didn’t tell you what the mission of the ranch is? There aren’t exactly a lot of cattle on their property.”
No, there weren’t, from the parts that I’d seen. I shook my head. “Lucas mentioned something about them working with some therapists, but I—” I cut myself off, not wanting to say too much. “But we moved on quickly.”
She smiled warmly. “Well, I’ll let them tell you when they’re ready. Or you’re ready. But trust me, you’re not a burden.”
I hung my apron on its hook, comforted by the small reminder that I would be back. It was a nice thing for Lena to say, but I couldn’t believe it. Not until I had more proof.
“I’ll see you tomorrow?” I asked.
“You bet. Have a good night, Evie.”
I smiled at the nickname. She’d just started using it, and I didn’t mind. There was a warm pressure in my chest as I walked to my car. Roots were forming quickly, and that was dangerous. But I liked it. I was tired of being lonely, and so far, everyone here had been kind and friendly.
A healthy amount of cynicism still lived in me, but for once, I tried to push it aside. I wanted to believe that people could be kind without another motive. I wanted to believe that I could be safe and happy. For now, I was going to ignore the warnings in my gut to run before I got hurt. I needed rest, and if anywhere, the Resting Warrior Ranch seemed like the place to do it.
The sun was sinking into evening when I pulled up to the Bitterroot House. Though it was the middle of summer, there was a bite of chill in the air that woke up my lungs and made me want to explore. I couldn’t bear the idea of going inside yet.
I’d gone for a couple of short walks around the property but had been driven back by nerves and the ever-present feeling of eyes on my back. Today, I felt neither of those things.
I walked west toward the setting sun where the lake was. This property really was stunning, with open fields and patches of woods set against the backdrop of the mountains. But the thing I didn’t think I would get used to was the silence. I didn’t realize how much ambient noise there was in towns and cities until I’d felt the absence of it, and this was the first place I’d been where there was almost nothing.
Only the crunch of my footsteps on rocks and grass and the rush of wind. Maybe the occasional sounds from the animals here—horses, dogs, sheep, and even some alpacas. But those were natural sounds. And it was still so much quieter than the city.
I couldn’t remember a time when I’d been comfortable in silence. Silence meant punishment, that things were building to an explosion that would hurt. And after so long, that was a hard habit to let go of. But here, under an open sky blazing bright with orange and pink, the silence felt peaceful instead of foreboding.
For long minutes, I breathed as much of that peace into my lungs as I could. I was greedy. I wanted all of it in case this was all I could get.
A distant voice startled my eyes open. Lucas was across the field with a horse. One that I’d seen him with before. It wasn’t a well-behaved horse, and it was clear that it was fighting Lucas’s hold on his bridle, but Lucas didn’t react.
I stepped into a copse of trees, making sure not to announce myself. Every time I’d seen Lucas, he’d seen me too. There hadn’t been an opportunity to watch him alone. People were different alone. If I’d gotten a chance to observe Nathan in complete isolation, would I be here now?
Lucas stopped and turned to the horse. He was smiling and reached out to stroke a hand down the horse’s neck even though the animal was clearly skittish.
God, how long had it been since I’d ridden a horse? Over a decade, for sure. Though I’d been obsessed as a kid and teenager. I’d spent every weekend at the stables and as many nights as I could con my parents into. I missed it. There’d been a time when I’d thought animals would be my life.
I stopped the thoughts before they dragged me away from the present. The evening was too beautiful for that.
