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“We’ve got plenty of empty beds in the big house,” Hunt tacked on.
Max swore under his breath.
Hunt didn’t look at him at all, the asshole.
“I can’t stay there.” Kenna said it like it scared her.
He didn’t like that. He understood if she simply didn’t want to be anywhere near him, but to be afraid...
Hunt pushed. “Your family isn’t here to help. You need someplace to sleep. Plus, I’ll put an officer outside.”
Max caught on, that Hunt wasn’t only setting him up, but also that he didn’t want to bring Kenna to his place, where Cyn and the baby were, and put them at risk. If this guy came after Kenna, Max, his dad, a cop outside were better equipped to keep her safe without worrying about Cyn and the baby.
“I’ll be by in the morning to update you about the case.”
“But...”
Hunt shook his head. “It’s okay, Kenna. Max won’t mind helping out an old friend.”
She frowned, tears gathered in her eyes. “He hates me.”
Max couldn’t let that stand and pushed open the curtain. “No, I don’t.”
Kenna stopped breathing for a second, then sighedand turned her head just enough to face him. “What are you doing here?”
He didn’t know. More accurately, he didn’t want to admit why he’d come. To her. To himself. It hurt just looking at her. And at the same time, he yearned for something that used to be, but would never be again. “Hunt called to tell me what happened. I was worried.”
“You don’t have to do this. I can go to a motel, or something.”
“He’s here. He can drive you home,” Hunt announced like it was a done deal.
Max didn’t acknowledge the flutter of whatever the hell it was inside him at the notion that the ranch was Kenna’s home.
It should have been.
But it never was.
It wouldn’t be.
But yes, he could help out an old friend, even if they weren’t even that anymore.
“I’m ready whenever you are.” He never lied to Kenna, but that felt awful close to one, given that he was so not ready to be this close to her again.
It took an hour for the IV to finish and the doctor to finally discharge her. Hunt had left her clothes. A nurse helped Kenna change and rolled her out to the parking lot in a wheelchair. He pulled the truck up front and got out to help her in, but she did that all on her own, avoiding him touching her, even though he could see she was sore and tired.
He wondered how badly that guy roughed her up, butdidn’t ask. He didn’t want to bring what happened to the forefront of her mind again.
He drove her home with the music turned low, letting it be a distraction and something that filled the quiet between them.
Truthfully, he didn’t know what to say to her.
It had been too long and not long enough, it seemed, for both of them.
She had enough to deal with tonight, so he left the past in the past and focused on getting her home.
By the time he pulled into the driveway and shut off the engine, she seemed wound tight and ready to unravel all at once.
“I’ll put you up in the guest room.”
