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Behind us, Harlan chuckled. “He’s got his eye on something.”
“A woman showed up and asked for me. I was working with the horse, and she asked for me by name. Turns out she found a paper from last year—the listing that we hired Mara for.”
“That’s strange,” Daniel said.
Harlan made a sound of agreement. “Thought we took all those down. She must have been digging deep to find that.”
I nodded. “My thoughts too, and more, I think she’s running from something, though I don’t know what.”
“So why are you standing up here staring at the driveway like you’re about to snipe something?”
“I offered her the Bitterroot House until she gets on her feet. And I offered to talk to Lena for her to see if I can get her a job.”
I didn’t need to turn and look at them to feel their surprise.
“You sure?” Harlan asked.
The guest houses weren’t usually used for things like this. Normally, they were reserved for people visiting Resting Warrior for physical therapy or PTSD treatment. Right now, we had a couple of people in residence, but we still had plenty of room. And everything in me was screaming not to let Evelyn walk away. That she needed to be here.
“I’m sure. She needs it. Even if she doesn’t realize it yet.”
“Why do you—”
I cut Daniel off. “I can see it. Trust me. It’s something I’m... more than familiar with.”
Neither of them pushed me. Each of us had our own pain, and it was an unwritten rule among the men of Resting Warrior that you didn’t encroach on another man’s past. If he shared with you, that was fine. But each person’s journey was theirs to share or not. And both Daniel and Harlan knew enough about my past to put at least something together.
“It’s not just for me,” I said. “With what we do, we can’t let her walk away. She doesn’t know what we do yet.”
Below us, a dark head of hair appeared, and my breath stilled in my chest. Evelyn walked down the steps off the porch and toward the car that must be hers. It was an old, beige sedan that had seen better days. How far had she come? And where had she come from?
My mind wouldn’t slow down, whirling with questions for her and about her.
The floor creaked behind me, and Harlan let out a low whistle. “You sure you want her here for therapy, Lucas?”
I grit my teeth and kept my eyes on Evelyn.
“Maybe you’re right,” Daniel said. “He can’t take his eyes off her.”
I cut a glare at Daniel then turned back to the window. What would she choose? Would she stay or go? She stood next to the driver’s side of the car, and just... stopped. Thinking.
I would kill to be a fly on the wall of her thoughts.
Evelyn straightened her spine and opened the door and slid into the car.
Stay.
I thought the word at her, holding my breath.
Stay.
Every inch of my body was taut, resisting the urge to go make her stay. She needed to choose this on her own. But I was still holding my breath.
The car rumbled to life and pulled forward. She didn’t turn around. The breath fell from my lungs, and Daniel laughed, clapping me on the shoulder. “If she needs help, we’ll help her. You know that.”
I looked over at him. “But?”
“But be careful about getting in too deep. Especially with something that might hit close to home.”
