"It's muddy, hot, and boring."
"I've been in worse. Lead the way."
We spend the afternoon working, and Devlin proves good company. He's quiet when I'm focused, asks questions atappropriate times. Duke explores nearby, always within sight. The normality grounds me, reminds me why I do this.
By the time we finish, the sun is lowering and I'm due at the diner. Devlin follows me to my truck.
"I'll follow you to Pine Valley. Duke and I will grab dinner at the diner while you work."
"You don't have to."
"Yes, I do." But there's warmth in his expression that suggests it's not just duty.
Mom's eyes widen when she sees them walk in, but she recovers quickly and shows them to a corner booth.
My shift passes with familiar rhythm, except now I can feel Devlin's eyes on me. Not hovering, just there. Present.
When we finally head back to my cottage, exhaustion pulls at me. Devlin walks me to my door, Duke alert.
"Lock everything," he says. "I'll be in my truck keeping watch. If anything happens, call me immediately."
He hands me a card with his number, and our fingers brush. Heat flares where our skin touches, and from his eyes darkening, he felt it too.
"Thank you," I say, meaning it. "For today. For all of this."
"Get some rest, Andi."
The use of my first name feels intimate, personal, and I watch him walk back to his truck before heading inside. I lock the door behind me, check all the windows, and try to convince myself I'm safe.
But later that night, after I've finally started to drift off, I hear it. I hear the sound of subtle, soft footsteps moving through my cottage.
Someone is inside.
My hand fumbles for my phone on the nightstand, and I dial Devlin's number with shaking fingers, praying he picks up before whoever is in my cottage finds me.
4
DEVLIN
Later, when I’m in my truck, parked in a spot where I can easily see her place without being noticed, my phone rings. Andi's name flashes on the screen, and the fear in her voice when I answer makes my blood run cold.
"Someone's in my cottage."
"I'm coming. Lock yourself in the bathroom. Now." I'm already moving, Duke at my heels as we sprint toward her front door. "Stay on the line with me."
I hear her breathing, quick and shallow, hear the bathroom door lock click. "I'm in. Devlin, they're still here. I can hear them moving around."
"I'm at your front door." Her handle turns under my hand, unlocked despite her claiming she'd secured everything. Whoever is inside either picked the lock or has keys. "Duke, search."
He's through the door before I finish the command, nose working, body tense and alert. I follow with one hand on my weapon, the other still holding the phone. Her cottage is small enough that it takes seconds to clear the main rooms. Living area empty. Kitchen empty. No one visible, but Duke's focused on the bedroom, hackles raised.
Her bedroom window stands open, curtains moving in the night breeze. Fresh footprints in the flowerbed outside show where someone exited in a hurry. They heard me coming and ran rather than face confrontation. Smart, considering what I'd have done if I'd caught them inside while Andi was here.
"Clear," I call out, making my way to the bathroom. "They're gone. You can come out now."
Andi emerges, phone still clutched in her hand, eyes wide but focused. She's wearing sleep shorts and a tank top. Her feet are bare and her hair tangled. The vulnerability of it hits differently than her professional armor at the base. This is Andi in her private space, the place she should feel safest, and whoever broke in violated that.
"They were in my bedroom," she says, voice steady despite the fear underneath. "I heard them. I don't know what they were doing, but they were definitely in there."
