The front door opens, and I spin around as Reed walks in, kicking off his boots by the front door and taking his tool bag to the dining room table.
“Everything’s installed.” He sets down the equipment, eyes scanning me. “You okay?”
“Fine. Just—” I gesture vaguely. “Waiting for you to come back. I got a bit antsy on my own.”
His expression softens. “Come here. Let me show you what we’ve got.”
I cross to the dining table where he’s setting up his laptop. Pulling out a chair for me, he settles beside me. He does something on his laptop, and the screen suddenly divides into quadrants, each showing a different angle of the property. The main entrance. The equipment shed. The dock. The model home’s front door.
“Four cameras,” Reed explains, typing commands. “Motion-activated, night vision, weatherproof. They’re recording to cloud storage, so even if someone destroys the physical cameras, we can retrieve the footage.”
I look at the screen, surprised at the clarity of the images. “This is great,” I say, knowing that’s an understatement.
“See here?” He zooms in on the dock camera. “This catches anyone approaching from the lake. And this one,” he switches to another view, “covers the access road. We’ll know if anyone comes on site.”
“What about blind spots?”
“Minimal. I positioned them to overlap coverage.” He pulls up a site map and shows me the camera feeds. “The cameras areequipped with motion alerts and designed not to be triggered by animals. If anything else triggers them, I get a text immediately.”
“Even at night?”
“Especially at night. That’s when people think they’re safe.” He turns to look at me. “But you’re safe, Maya. I promise.”
The certainty in his voice makes me relax a little. “I know.”
Something flickers in his eyes. “You do?”
“Yes.” Simple. Honest. “I trust you.”
The words hang between us, weighted with more than just security. Reed’s hand finds mine on the table, fingers threading through mine.
“Good,” he says quietly. “Because keeping you safe is all that matters right now.”
“Show me how to check the feeds. In case you’re...not here. Or do you have to keep the laptop locked down?”
“I’m not going anywhere. I can give you access to this laptop. Any files are stored in the cloud, and I don’t work with files anyway.” But he pulls the laptop closer and walks me through accessing the cameras, checking alerts, and reviewing footage. His patience is infinite, his explanations clear.
When he’s satisfied I understand the system, he sits back. “Feel better?”
“Definitely.” And I do. The vulnerability from earlier has transformed into something that feels like strength.
If only I were brave enough to tell my mother that this is what I need. Not a husband she picks. Not a predetermined life. Butsomeone who sees me as capable while still prioritizing me and my choices.
“What?” Reed asks, watching my face.
“Just thinking about earlier. My best friend is pregnant again. She’s also my sister-in-law, but I know it’s just going to give my mom more fuel for askingmefor grandchildren.”
Reed’s thumb strokes across my knuckles. “You deserve better than that pressure.”
“Thanks. I wish I could be honest with her,” I say, stopping before I say anything further. A desire to tell Reed everything fills me, and it’s confusing. Why do I want to tell my secrets to a man I’ve only known for a few days, who already feels essential to my life?
“What would you say?”
I pause, considering whether to tell him everything, but decide against it. “I don’t want the life she’s planned for me. I want something different—but I know she won’t like it.”
Reed leans closer, and my breath catches. But instead of kissing me, he rests his forehead against mine.
“Whatever you choose will be okay, Maya,” he says, pulling me into a hug.
