And she knew why.
Kayden’s father had been one of the most loved members of this town…and her father had betrayed him. Taken all his savings and run.
She pressed a hand to her chest, as if that could somehow alleviate the tightness. It wasn’t her betrayal, yet sometimes she suspected he blamed her. He’d defended her at the bar and checked on her shoulder at work, but that was probably just because he was a good person. He loved his family. Protected them at all costs. And her family had hurt his.
Did he need her to tell him that she hadn’t seen her father since he’d left this town? That a part of her was happy about that, because she wanted nothing to do with him, yet there was also this other part of her that wanted answers? Wanted to know if the money was worth everything it had cost him?
She sucked in a sharp breath as she rounded a bend, almost walking straight into a large chest. She gasped and grabbed onto his arms to stop herself from falling.
Jake grabbed her hips to steady her. “Whoa, Tilly! Sorry, I almost ran into you there.”
Air whipped through her lungs. “I guess we both had the same idea this morning—a walk through the mountains before work.”
Well, hers was a walk. Jake had clearly been running.
“On a beautiful morning like this, why wouldn’t we take advantage? I’ve got to tell you though, I’m not used to all the rain and cold.”
She set her hands on her hips as he stepped back. “Where are you from again?”
“Arizona.”
“What made you come over here?”
“Saw the job advertised and needed a change. I’m just lucky Kayden and Linda hired me.”
She smiled at him. “They must have seen something in you.”
“The desperation in my eyes?”
She laughed. She liked Jake. He was funny, easy to talk to, and she never felt like she was battling the ghost of her father with him.
“Hey, how’s your shoulder?” he asked.
Somehow, word had gotten around that she’d hurt herself. Well, not somehow…Pixie. The woman liked to gossip.
“It’s good, actually. A lot better than it was, which is lucky, because getting in to see a doctor proved harder than I’d thought.”
She tried to tell herself it was just because they were busy and had nothing to do with who she was or who her father was, but there was a small whisper in her head that questioned if that was true. In the end, she hadn’t seen anyone, because the lady who worked at the desk in the practice had rescheduled her appointment twice, so she’d just told them not to worry about it.
“I’m glad. I was a bit jealous when I heard Kayden got to be your knight in shining armor. If you ever need another, don’t hesitate to shout out.”
Was he flirting with her? It kind of felt like it, but then, she was pretty out of practice, so she couldn’t be certain.
Jake’s gaze rose above her head. “And be careful in these mountains by yourself… After what happened to Macy, we all need to be on alert.”
“Thanks, I will.” Although, she doubted anything would happen in the light of day, particularly when Macy seemed to have interrupted a robbery gone wrong.
He winked before jogging around her.
She moved forward again, but this time at a slower pace. She’d just reached the deck when the door opened, and Hendrix and Theo stepped out.
A tightness formed in her chest, but she ignored it, offering them both a smile. “Hey, guys.”
Hendrix dipped his head, while Theo just glanced at her and looked away. They didn’t even try to hide their dislike for her, especially Theo. Was it so hard to give a small hello to a colleague?
With a sigh, she stepped in to see Pixie behind the desk.
The woman rose to her feet. “Hey, I’m glad you’re here.”
