“I can start next Sunday, when the bakery is closed again.”
“Thank you both for doing this.” Hollis extended her hand again, shaking each of their hands. “It means more than you know.”
As they said their goodbyes, Angel appeared at Maggie’s elbow. “Can I build a nightstand? For my room? I’ve never had furniture that was just mine before.”
Something tightened in Maggie’s chest. She recognized that hunger for ownership, for something permanent, when yourwhole life had been temporary. “Absolutely. We’ll build you the best nightstand in Montana.”
Angel’s smile was small but genuine. “Cool. See you next week, then.”
The sun was sinking toward the snow-dusted mountaintops as Maggie walked back to Boone’s truck, casting long shadows across the neat lawn of Haven House. It was getting dark earlier and earlier every day/ When would that snow make it down the slopes to the valley? Soon, she hoped. As a born and raised Florida girl, she’d only seen it during brief business trips north, and it was never very pretty.
But she really needed to go shopping for winter clothes before it hit.
Boone opened the passenger door as she approached. “Good meeting?”
“Better than good.” She buckled herself in, energy still humming through her veins. “These women are amazing. Survivors, all of them. And they want to learn.”
He nodded and slid behind the wheel, shifting the truck into gear. They drove in comfortable silence for several minutes, the last light of day painting the mountains gold against the darkening sky.
“My mom would’ve benefited from a place like that,” he said suddenly, his voice so quiet she almost missed it. “If she’d had somewhere to go after my dad died, maybe things would’ve been different.”
She glanced over at him, sensing there was more to his story than he’d ever shared with most people. “What happened to your mom?”
“She broke.” His hands tightened on the steering wheel. “Just... shattered after he died. Started seeing things that weren’t there. Talking to him like he was still around. At first, people thought it was grief, you know? Normal. But it got worse.She’d forget to feed me sometimes. Leave the stove on. One night I woke up and she was standing over my bed with scissors, saying she needed to cut the demons out of my hair.”
“Jesus,” Maggie breathed. “How old were you?”
“Thirteen. I spent a lot of time avoiding home after that. More time getting into trouble.”
“Sounds like neither of you had a place to go.”
“Yeah, suppose not. So what Haven House is doing is a good thing. And you teaching those women usable skills is even better.”
They lapsed back into silence for the remainder of the drive. When they pulled up to her cabin, Boone killed the engine but didn’t immediately get out.
“Anson’s waiting for you,” he said, nodding toward the forge where a light glowed in the window. “Been pacing since we left.”
Maggie’s heart did something complicated in her chest. “How do you know?”
“Texted me three times asking if you were okay.” The corner of Boone’s mouth twitched. “And the man hates to text.”
“Then I’d better go. Thank you for today,” she said, sliding out of the truck. “For the ride, and...everything else.”
Boone tipped his hat. “Anytime.” He hesitated, then called, “Hey, Maggie?”
She turned back. “Yeah?”
“He don’t do casual, so try not to hurt him, okay?”
No, Anson didn’t do casual. He did deep, abiding, built-to-last. Like the things he forged. Like the home he’d made for orphaned kittens. Like the letters he’d written for years.
“I’m not going to hurt him.”
“I know, but it had to be said.” Then Boone smiled. A real smile that crinkled his eyes, and, wow, he was handsome when he did that. She suddenly understood Lila’s crush much better.He touched the brim of his hat, then started his truck and turned it back toward the barn.
As she walked toward the forge, she felt lighter than she had in months. In front of her, Anson waited, his silhouette moving behind the forge window as he worked. And all around her, Montana spread out wild and vast, offering possibilities she’d never dared to imagine.
For the first time since Landry had begun stalking her, she wasn’t running away from something.
