It was easier to be silent. But this time he didn’t speak because there was nothing to say.
He picked up the doll and smoothed its wild hair.
“Should we be worried about Willow?”
His lips compressed. “Yeah,” was all he could manage.
Rhae let out another breath similar to the first. “Okay.”
When he stole a look at her, her brows were creased in a frown.
Gently, he set the doll in the basket along with a few other scattered toys. Then he patted Navy on the head as he made his way out of the office.
Made his escape.
Hell.He never meant to reveal that. His secret was safe with Rhae—she was bound by medical laws not to share what he told her. But he could kick himself for letting his shield slip, for even a brief second of silly playtime.
His temples throbbed with every step he took toward the exit. He craved the cold wind on his face and a view of the mountain. On the way out, he grabbed his coat.
He didn’t make it three steps before he spotted Willow striding across the parking area toward her truck.
A fist of pain struck his chest, almost stopping him dead in his tracks. But his legs had other plans and sped up, crossing to intercept her in no time.
“Hey, Willow.” His voice was tight as he called out to her.
She turned with a ready smile on her face. But when she saw it was him, the smile lit up her gray eyes as well.
His heart fucking stuttered from the force of that stare.
“Hey, Decker. I’m just heading to town.”
“Mind if I join you?”
She jangled her keys in her hand. “Get in.”
No hesitation at all, just pure Willow. Warm and as inviting as a blanket tossed around a person.
He took the passenger seat and she twisted to reverse onto the wide gravel driveway leading to the gates.
“Need to restock some feed?” he asked.
A beat of silence passed. Then she sighed. “No. Carson ordered some manuals from the bookstore.”
“Sounds like a nice errand to run. Felicity will be happy to see you.”
The fields rolled past the truck windows, dusted in a thin veil of snow that had started falling while he’d been on the floor with Navy, enjoying every minute with her but revealing far too much to his therapist.
Willow nodded, her hands steady on the wheel. “Felicity will be glad for the company. I just wish I knew how to bring her more business. Ever since the construction on the interstate closed the exit to Willowbrook, she hasn’t had much traffic in her shop.”
That was quintessential Willow, worrying over everybody else. Shouldering their worries alongside them.
“She’s got a good selection.” He’d lost whole afternoons inside that shop, wandering among the shelves until the smell of ink and paper wrapped around him. The bookstore had been more than a refuge—it was a place where his mind quieted.
She parked in front of the store, and he fell into step behind her. His instincts never shut off, not even for something as harmless as picking up a book. His gaze skimmed the sidewalk, the shadows between buildings, before it circled back—always—to Willow.
She carried her own spark, like her own damn sun, and he couldn’t stop glancing at her even when he tried.
A bell tinkled as they opened the door, the scent of paper and wood polish drifting out.
