You got it. Everything okay?
Yeah. Just being cautious.
Roger that. Stay safe, brother.
Caleb pocketed his phone and leaned against the workbench, rubbing a hand over his face.
So Garrick was in DC. His calendar hadn’t been a decoy.
That should have made Caleb feel better.
It did, mostly.
But it also meant the threat to Millie—whatever it was—might not be as immediate as he’d feared. And that left him with a different problem.
The memory of her sitting in front of the fire. The way she’d looked at him. The warmth of her hand on his cheek.
He’d wanted to kiss her so badly it hurt.
And she’d wanted it too. He’d seen it in her eyes.
But then Sissy had come downstairs, and the moment shattered like glass.
Maybe it was better that way.
Millie was here as a guest. She was a woman in need of protection. A woman who’d been through unimaginable trauma.
The last thing she needed was Caleb complicating her life.
Even if part of him—some deep, stubborn part—had never stopped loving her.
He pushed off the workbench and grabbed a broom, sweeping the barn floor with more force than necessary.
Boundaries.
That was what Millie needed.
And that was what Caleb would give her.
Even if it killed him.
“I really appreciate you doing this.” Naomi leaned against the doorframe of the small office and peered at Millie. “We’ve been trying to secure funding for months, but none of us have experience with grant writing.”
Millie had offered to help with finding some grants for the shelter. There was no better time than now.
“I’m glad I can try to help,” Millie said as she settled into the desk chair, Biscuit at her feet. “As long as my name stays off everything, of course.”
“Of course.” Naomi’s expression softened with understanding. “We’ll list it as written by Refuge Cove staff. No one will know you were involved.”
Millie nodded, relief easing some of the tension in her shoulders. “Then let’s see what we can do.”
After Naomi left, Millie turned to the computer and began her research.
She started with foundations that supported women’s shelters and domestic violence prevention programs. Then moved to state and federal grants. Corporate giving programs. Community fundraising opportunities.
It felt good to have something productive to focus on. Something that wasn’t fear or uncertainty or?—
Caleb.
