"I thought..." She doesn't finish, but she doesn't need to.
"I know. But it's not him. Just team stuff."
She nods, wrapping her arms around herself. The moment between us is gone, broken by reality and fear and all the reasons this can't happen.
Probably for the best.
"Come with me," I say before I can think better of it.
"What?"
"To the meeting. It's at the main lodge, about two miles from here. You should meet the team anyway. They're good people."
She hesitates. I can see the war on her face between wanting to stay hidden and wanting to stop being so afraid.
"Will there be a lot of people?"
"Eight, maybe nine. Most of them are as bad at small talk as I am." I offer a small smile. "Plus Vivian will be there. She's been wanting to meet you since she sent those clothes over."
"She has?"
"She's been texting me daily updates asking how you're settling in. Pretty sure she's already planning to adopt you."
That gets a surprised laugh out of her. It's a good sound. A sound I want to hear more of.
"Okay." She squares her shoulders like she's preparing for battle. "Okay, I'll come."
"Good." I gesture toward the cabin. "Let me grab a few things and we'll head out."
Inside, I trade my dirty work shirt for a clean henley and splash water on my face. In the bathroom mirror, I see a man I barely recognize. There's color in my cheeks. Light in my eyes. Life in my expression that hasn't been there in years.
Four days. She's been here four days and she's already changing me.
I don't know if that terrifies me or thrills me.
Maybe both.
The driveto Guardian Peak's main lodge takes about fifteen minutes on the winding mountain road. Natalie is quiet beside me, watching the landscape pass with wide eyes.
"It's so beautiful up here," she murmurs. "I didn't really see it when I was walking. I was too focused on putting one foot in front of the other."
"That's survival mode. Your brain shuts down everything nonessential so you can keep moving."
"You sound like you know something about that."
"More than I'd like."
She doesn't push for details, and I appreciate it. We ride in comfortable silence until the lodge comes into view.
It's an impressive structure. Three stories of timber and stone, built to withstand mountain winters and whatever else nature throws at it. The original owners used it as a hunting lodge. Deck bought it five years ago and turned it into Guardian Peak's headquarters.
Several trucks are already parked outside. I pull in next to Wolfe's battered pickup and kill the engine.
"Ready?"
Natalie takes a deep breath. "As I'll ever be."
We walk in together, and I resist the urge to put my hand on the small of her back. To claim her in front of my brothers. To show them she's with me.
