Oh, hell.I didn’t know what it was that made Owen think he needed to play the protective brother role when I had four of them already. Maybe it was because we’d been classmates since I moved to Sparrow Falls, and he’d worked for Shep since getting out of high school.
Only it was hardly necessary when it came to Silas’s antics. We’d been running this back-and-forth forever. But it seemed to get on Owen’s nerves more and more lately.
It wasn’t like any of this was new. Silas had been a player since puberty, moving from one girl to the next in rapid-fire succession. He wasn’t the type that promised more, but still somehow managed to leave a trail of broken hearts in his wake.
Owen had his share of romantic partners, but not nearly as many. He struggled to commit toanything. He came and went from Shep’s crew with a frequency that made me dizzy. And his temper was one of legend.
Carlos was the only one of the three of them to settle down. He had a wife and an adorable baby girl named Gabby now. Maybe he’d rub off on the other two someday. And from the look he flashed them both right now, he’d be giving them an earful later.
“Chill, dude,” Silas said, frowning at Owen.
Owen laughed, but the sound didn’t quite ring true. “Just givin’ you shit.”
Silas didn’t join him in laughing.
Carlos broke the awkward silence by moving toward my truck and tapping the open window. “Good day in the plant biz?” Before I could answer, Biscuit let out a low growl, and Carlos stepped back. “You sure that one’s safe to have at your place?”
I scratched under Biscuit’s chin, easing his snarls. “Just not partial to people of the male variety.”
Carlos snorted. “My wife would say he’s smart.”
“You said it, not me. Have a good night, guys,” I said with a wave as I eased off the brake. I kept the window down as I headed for the guest cottage. Shep’s truck was gone, and the only other one by the Victorian was a familiar black one. I couldn’t help but stare at it a little too long.
Anson had felt like a ghost this week. I rarely saw him, but I felt his presence. It was as if the air moved differently when he was around.
I tore my gaze away from the truck and focused on the drive that curved around the main house and toward the cottage. Pulling to a stop in front of my temporary home, I cut the engine. Biscuit let out a deep woof.
I reached back and scratched under his chin. “You happy to be home? You had to do a lot of peopling today.”
And Biscuit had done remarkably well until just now. He’d let out a low growl or two at men who’d come to check out, but having the counter between him and them had allowed Biscuit to feel safe while getting used to the gender.
Hopping out of my SUV, I moved to the back door. I opened it and quickly hooked on Biscuit’s leash. When he jumped down, I shut the door behind him and led him toward the cottage.
My muscles ached as I walked. Maybe I needed a bath before food. My stomach rumbled in protest. Apparently, that was a no.
I trudged up the steps to the front porch, slowing as I spotted something lying on my welcome mat. I squinted as I crouched down.
The moment I caught sight of the image, it was as if all the air had been knocked out of me. The photograph was charred around the edges, the image itself a bit warped from the heat. But I could still make out what it was.
My family. Happy. Carefree as we sat having a picnic at the creek not far from here. My eyes were shining in the photo, my mouth open in a half laugh, half yell as my dad tickled my side. Mom’s arms were around Emilia, squeezing her tightly and making her grin.
I hadn’t wanted to take the photo. It was why Dad was tickling me, trying to get me to smile. Why had I been such a brat that day? Why hadn’t I appreciated what was right in front of me? Why hadn’t I soaked up every minute I had with them?
My breaths came faster and faster, each one tripping over the previous in an effort to get out. My lungs burned like they had that night as I breathed pure smoke. The sensation, so embedded in my brain, only spurred the panic on.
Biscuit let out a whine as I struggled to get even a shred of oxygen into my system. Black dots danced in front of my vision, and I knew I was going down.
11
ANSON
I watchedher from the moment her vehicle hit the drive. It was like I had some damn radar for Rhodes. One I couldn’t turn off, no matter how hard I tried.
So, I watched through the soot-stained window like some sort of creeper as she stopped to talk to Owen, Silas, and Carlos. I watched as Silas tried his most charming smiles on her, but none of it worked. Rhodes brushed him off in a way that told me she’d done it countless times before. And while Silas took it in stride, Owen looked pissed the hell off as they all headed for their trucks.
But I didn’t stop watching her.
My gaze tracked Rhodes as she parked in front of her guest cottage. As she climbed out of her SUV and helped the dog out of the back seat. Even the damn dog looked up at her adoringly.
