As if he understood, he nudged my thigh with his snout, the affectionate gesture making me smile.
A movement behind the kitchen window caught my attention.
Anna.
My steps slowed. The urge to march inside and demand answers to the questions swirling in my head battled with the need to approach her with caution. I wanted to know, but I wasn’t sure I was prepared to hear her answers.
Jack, however, had no such reservations. He barked andbolted ahead, prancing at the door until it opened. I heard her laugh as the enormous dog flung himself at her. She staggered slightly under his weight, but somehow kept her balance. Then she met my gaze, and her expression shifted, growing more guarded.
I hated seeing it, but I understood it. In the ten years since she’d left Sterling Mill, we had barely spoken.
She’d made her choices.
And I’d had to live with them.
Chapter 5
Anna
It took allof my restraint not to flinch under Chase’s gaze.
Ingrained habits die hard.
For years, I had trained myself to measure my words and to only ask questions that were tailored to what Mason wanted to hear. If it didn’t serve his purpose, it wasn’t worth speaking.
He never hit me. No bruises as proof of the narcissism that defined my husband. But I’d learned the hard way that some wounds ran deeper than the skin. Mason’s condescension was designed to make me doubt myself. To make me feel small.
Eventually, it had worked.
I knew Chase must be curious about why I was back in Sterling Mill after all this time. It had been months since Mason died. And never in the time that he was alive had I visited without him. And despite what my father believed, that wasn’t my choice.
It’s only Chase, I reminded myself.
But that was a problem in and of itself. Because Chasewas the one person who, at least in the past, had known me better than anyone. If he looked too closely, he might see how damaged I was.
I swallowed and forced a smile on my lips.
“I hope you don’t mind. I made some more coffee. Would you like some?”
“I’ve already had some.”
“Oh. Of course. You’ve probably been up for hours. I didn’t mean to sleep so late. I guess I was more tired than I realized. Usually, I’m up at the crack of dawn. I’m used to being busy, and it was always easier if I got up before…”
I snapped my mouth shut, my heart lurching.Damn it!Years of carefully chosen words, andnowI decided to find my voice?
Chase’s eyes narrowed, and I held my breath.Please don’t read between the lines.
“Before what?”
“Oh, you know,” I waved my hand, forcing a lightness I didn’t feel. “Before the day got carried away with meetings, luncheons, or volunteer work. You’d be surprised at how busy I stayed as a Representative’s wife.”
He nodded and didn’t push further, but I could tell by the way he pressed his lips together that he didn’t believe my answer.
I needed something to do with my hands, so I crossed to the sink and washed my mug, then picked up another that had been left. The silence stretched between us, and I soon emptied the sink of dishes. With nothing else to distract me from Chase’s nearly overwhelming presence, I stared out the large window above the sink.
“I always loved this kitchen,” I murmured. “I missed having a farm sink and a big window to look out of. But Iguess it didn’t matter since I didn’t have to do any dishes anymore.”
“Oh?”
