Of course she had.
He pulled on his jacket without answering and reached for his Stetson hanging on the hook beside the door. The forge suddenly felt too hot, too small, the walls closing in as the reality of what he was about to do sank in.
Since coming to the ranch, he’d made exactly four trips to Solace, all of which had happened this past summer during that mess with Nessie’s ex— once to help catch Oliver’s feral cats, once to bail Jax out of jail after he ill-advisedly punched a sheriff’s deputy, once to find Oliver when he wandered off, and once to help rebuild Nessie’s bakery after the fire. He’d gone because his friends needed him, but each time had left himsweating and shaking, desperate to return to the safety of the ranch.
But the fear in Maggie’s eyes outweighed his own.
He stopped in front of her, close enough that she had to tilt her head back to meet his gaze. He cupped her face in his scarred hands, felt the slight tremor of fear running through her.
“You’re safe here,” he said, the words rough but deliberate. “I’ll make sure of it.”
She leaned into his touch for a moment, and her eyes closed briefly. Then they opened again, sharp with worry. “I don’t want you doing something that’ll send you back to prison.”
The corner of his mouth twitched. “Not gonna hurt the kid. Just talk.”
“Anson Sutter using his words,” Jo gasped and pressed a hand to her chest in mock shock. “Should I alert the press?”
He dropped his hands from Maggie’s face, suddenly aware of Jo watching them. “Need X and Bear with me. Can you?—”
“Stay with Maggie? Of course.” Jo settled on the bench near the kitten box. “Go wreak your particular brand of quiet havoc.”
He nodded, then turned back to Maggie. “Won’t be long.”
“Be careful.” She caught his sleeve as he passed, her fingers light against the worn fabric. “This isn’t worth?—”
“You are.” The words escaped before he could stop them, honest and unfiltered. He didn’t wait to see her reaction, just pulled his sleeve free and strode toward the door, whistling for Bramble to follow.
Outside, the air bit at his exposed skin, grounding him as he walked toward the bunkhouse. His breath puffed white in the cold, matching the rhythm of his heartbeat hammering against his ribs. Each step away from the safety of his forge sent waves of unease through his gut. His right palm tingled, an old burn scar pulling tight as it always did when anxiety crept up.
He’d been off ranch property exactly fourteen times in the five years since his release. Fourteen times in nearly two thousand days. Each time he’d done it because something or someone at the ranch needed him to. But never for just one person. Never like this.
The thought of town—of strangers watching him, judging him—made bile rise in his throat. But the image of Maggie’s pale face, the tremor in her hands, pushed him forward.
Bramble nudged his leg as they walked, the wolfhound sensing his distress.
He buried his fingers in the thick fur at the dog’s neck, anchoring himself. “I’m okay.”
He found them in the bunkhouse common room. X and Bear hunched over a poker game at the big oak table, River sprawled on the couch pretending to scroll on his phone while actually watching their cards.
X’s dark eyes flicked up at Anson’s entrance, and a smile spread across his face. “The forge master emerges. Want in on this hand? Bear’s about to lose his shirt.”
“Not even close.” Bear’s impassive expression didn’t change as he laid down his cards. “Full house.”
X swore colorfully in a mix of Spanish and English and threw his cards down. “Third time today. You counting or something?”
River snorted from the couch. “Bear doesn’t know how to count.”
Bear shot him a finger.
He ignored it and sat up. “You’re telegraphing, X. You start playing with chips when you have a good hand. When you have a shit hand, you?—”
Bear’s rumbling voice joined with his to finish, “—tap your pinky finger on the table.”
River smirked and added, “Like a damn metronome.”
X’s face darkened. “I do not.”
“Yeah, you do,” Anson said, shifting his weight. Normally, he’d enjoy watching X get taken down a peg, but there wasn’t time for it now. “Need you two.” He nodded at X and Bear. “Town. Now.”
