“Was that a long time ago?” Why the fuck did he ask that? It wasn’t his business, and he shouldn’t care. Hedidn’tcare.
“Thirteen years.” She looked at the window again, even though the women were gone.
“That’s a long time to be gone, considering you have family here.”
“It took me longer than I thought it would to come back. Guess we’re not all built with courage.”
She thought she didn’t have courage?
She continued to frown at the window. “It feels different…the town. I mean, I knew it would but—” She suddenly stopped and shook her head. “Sorry, you don’t care about this.”
That was the thing—even though he’d just told himself he didn’t care, for some goddamn reason, he did.
The door suddenly opened. “Yo, boss, the door’s unlocked. Did you—” The twenty-one-year-old stopped at the desk at the end of the hall. “Oh. Sorry, I—” He frowned at Bonnie. “Hey. You look familiar. Do I know you?”
Her eyes widened.
“Yeah.” Stetson moved closer. “You dated my cousin.”
She swallowed like she was suddenly nervous. Why would she be nervous of Stetson? He was like a puppy dog.
“I’m Stetson. Dean’s little cousin. Although, I’m not eight anymore.” He laughed. “I didn’t know you were back.”
“I got here a couple weeks ago.” Anxiety. It wove through her words.
What the fuck had happened between her and this Dean guy?
Stetson shook his head. “Sad what happened to my cousin. But just so you know, I never bought intoanythingmy aunt and uncle said about you. Even at eight, I was too smart for that.”
“Thanks. I, um, should go.” She looked up at Zane. “Thanks for letting me hide in here.”
He dipped his head.
She smiled, and fuck, that hesitant curve of her lips did something that it absolutely shouldn’t. It felt like a kick to his gut.
She disappeared into the hall, and there was a quiet click of the door closing.
“I can’t believe she’s back,” Stetson said, almost to himself. “I wonder if Jane and Carlos know.”
“Jane and Carlos?”
“My aunt and uncle. Awful people.” Stetson looked at Zane’s raised brow. “You think I’m joking? I’m not. They made a lot of money on some good investments and it went straight to their heads. Think they’re right all the time when they’re not. But their son died, so Mom and Dad think I should cut them some slack.”
“So this Dean guy’s dead?”
“Yep. Died thirteen years ago.”
Thirteen years ago…when Bonnie had left.
“Do you want—”
“No.” Zane cut the kid off. He knew exactly what Stetson was going to ask. If he wanted the story. He didn’t. Or at least, he shouldn’t. Because he should mind his own damn business. He checked the window one last time, but she wasn’t there. “I’m going to shower.”
“You got it, boss.”
His lips twitched. This is why he’d hired the kid. Stetson wasn’t great at the bag or in the ring, but he was likable and worked hard, two things Zane valued.
In the changing room, before getting into the shower, he lifted his cell and texted Ethan. The man wasn’t just a childhood friend from their hometown of Deep River, he was also a former Navy SEAL who’d made a business out of finding information that most couldn’t.
