Anna gave me a subtle shake of her head before quietly pulling the chair out across from Jordan and sitting. Her movements were calm and deliberate.
“You sleep okay last night?” she asked casually.
Jordan slowly pushed the eggs around on his plate, raising my concern. “Yeah,” he mumbled.
Anna tilted her head slightly. “You look a little sore, sweetheart. Everything all right?”
Jordan didn’t respond, which was enough for me. I was going to call Reid as soon as Jordan was out of earshot. I wanted answers, especially if the bruise was what I thought it was—a handprint where someone had grabbed him hard.
Anna slid the saltshaker a few inches away from Jordan’s plate, not close enough that she touched him, but enough to show she was there, ready to reach him if he wanted.
“We’re not trying to pry,” she said, her voice low but with strength behind it. “But if there’s anything you ever want to tell us, anything at all, you can. We’re not angry. You’re safe here. I promise.”
I recognized her words. I’d said similar ones to her not so long ago. Now, she offered that same promise to him.
Her gaze didn’t waver. “We all have things that make us feel overwhelmed sometimes. Remember last weekend? When we were making the potpie?”
His fork paused. He didn’t look up, but she’d caught his attention.
“Chase made a joke. It was harmless. Funny, even. But it hit a nerve, based on…on something that happened to me before. You saw me break down.” She glanced across the table at me and gave me a wry smile. “You were both so good about it. Chase comforted me, and you didn’t make a big deal of it.”
Jordan finally glanced up.
“I said nothing then,” Anna continued, “because I was embarrassed. I felt stupid for my reaction.” She folded herhands on the table. “So I get it. If something is going on and you don’t want to talk about it, that’s okay. But if you do, this is a safe space.”
Jordan’s jaw twitched, a tiny crack in his armor.
His eyes blinked a little more rapidly. He still didn’t say anything, but he gave a quick nod of his head, and finally, he took a bite to eat.
He wasn’t ready to share. But at least he knew where we stood.
Before he left, Jordan gave Jack a big hug, burying his face in his soft fur. “I’ll play with you later, buddy,” he promised.
Jack wagged his tail like he understood every word and nuzzled his head into Jack’s neck as if he understood the boy’s need for an affectionate touch.
I could tell Anna had to fight not to hug the boy herself—her arms had tensed like she might reach out to him—but she must have understood he needed the time to himself.
Anna had pushed a jug of iced water and told him to be sure to hydrate. I knew I’d be joining him where I could keep an eye on him. A big landscaping site wanted several mature trees fast. It was a last-minute order, more than we had ready. It meant extra work, but I didn’t mind. It was worth the extra trouble, literally, and I thought Jordan might enjoy seeing the process we used to dig up large trees.
It never grew old to watch the tree spade in action. Four sharp blades surrounded the trunk, dug deep into the ground, and lifted the root ball out cleanly. Jordan could help wrap the roots in burlap and get them ready for transport. Honest work, but nothing overly taxing.
Behind me, Anna closed the dishwasher and wiped her hands on a towel. “Are you going to call Reid?”
“You bet your ass I am,” I answered, sharper than I meant to. I raked my hand through my hair and softened my tone. “You don’t get that kind of bruise from sports or roughhousing. Someone grabbed him and grabbed him hard. God only knows what else is under that shirt.”
She nodded, but her eyes dimmed.
A thought hit me with the force of a speeding car. “Did Mason ever hurt you that way?” I asked, dreading the answer.
She looked out the window, staring at something, or nothing, except maybe a memory. “He didn’t usually touch me, but sometimes, he…he’d grab my arm and twist if he didn’t think I was paying attention.”
My fists clenched at my sides.
“Sonofabitch,” I muttered, dropping my head. “I wish I’d decked him when I had the chance. Give him a taste of his own medicine. Hell, I wish I’d?—”
“No,” she interrupted, placing her hand on my arm. Her voice wasn’t loud, but it cut through everything. “No, you don’t,” she scolded softly, but with authority. “Because you’renotlike him, Chase Allen.
“But he hurt you.”
