She tilted the rearview mirror, hating the ghost-white of her skin and the red that rimmed her eyes. Over the years, her father had become a monster in her head. A man who could destroy lives without a backward glance.
And today…today she’d seen that monster with her own eyes.
Screw it. She wasn’t going to look any better from a few deep breaths in the car. She took out her phone and called Kayden.
On the fifth ring, she realized he wasn’t going to answer.
When Pixie glanced up as she entered the visitors center, her eyes widened. “Tilly…are you okay?”
“Do you know where Kayden is? I really need to speak to him.”
“He’s out on the trail.”
There were miles of trails. “Do you know where, exactly?”
“No, I don’t, sorry. But there was a tree that fell across the north walking path. He might still be there.”
She nodded. Good. Surely, that’s where he’d be.
She’d just stepped off the deck when Jake’s gaze collided with hers. His brows slashed together as he took her in, clearly seeing what Tilly had seen in the mirror…a mess.
He moved over to her. “Tilly, are you okay?”
“Not really. I need Kayden. Do you know where he is?”
“Uh, yeah, he’s just down that path, moving wood. The rest of the guys and I are taking a break. Do you want me to come with you?”
“No. I’m okay to find him. Thank you.” Her words came out in a rush.
She felt Jake’s eyes on her as she moved down the path, but she didn’t look back.
Her father was back. Had been in her home. Touched her. Demanded her help. Wanted herhouse! It was all she could think about.
The panic was just rising in her chest again, tightening, when she saw him. Kayden’s head was down as he lifted pieces of wood from the ground.
She quickened her steps, almost jogging toward him. “Kayden.”
His back was to her, and for a moment, he froze. Went so still, his back didn’t even move with a breath.
“What do you want, Tilly?”
She frowned. Why didn’t he turn to look at her while he spoke? And why was his voice so hard? “I need to talk to you about something.”
He dumped the pile of wood in his arms into a wheelbarrow. When he turned back around, he still didn’t look at her.
What the hell was going on?
She stepped in front of him, blocking his way to the woodpile. “Kayden?”
“What is it?”
The panic that had set in at the first sight of her father rippled and expanded in her chest, making it hard for her to breathe. “Will you look at me?”
It took three beats, then, finally, his gaze rose. But his eyes…they were a mix of anger and…something else. Something she couldn’t name, but she knew she didn’t like. “What’s wrong?”
“Are you here to tell me about your father?”
She flinched. How did he—
