Safe.
The realization felt strange and fragile, like a bird she didn’t want to startle by naming it too loudly.
Her phone buzzed in her hand, jolting her from her thoughts. She skimmed the text from an unfamiliar number.
Hi. I got your number from Cathy. She told me you do landscaping. I wondered if you’d be willing to look at my job and give me an estimate.
A smile spread over her face. Thanks to Cathy, word was really getting out. Sure, her side gig would go dormant as soon as autumn faded to winter, but for now she was…what was that old saying?
I’ll make hay while the sun shines.
She typed a response, asking for the person’s name and address and to provide times they’d be available for her to see the property, and give more details about the job.
No reply followed.
She stared at the screen for a long beat.
They didn’t respond with their name or location. In the back of her mind, she could hear Crew and Theo, and even Willow, cautioning her about going forward.
But of course she wouldn’t meet someone without sharing that information with the Black Heart Security team. They were taking the time to make sure she was safe, and she had a responsibility to themandherself.
Dots appeared on screen, revealing that the person was texting her. She waited. And waited.
The dots disappeared.
Fern’s fingers chilled with that same feeling she got when she saw that truck.
She was safe now. It was only a text.
She tucked the phone into her purse, reminding herself that people sometimes sent texts when the thought was in their minds, but they got busy and didn’t always respond immediately.
Not everything meant something. She refused to let her mind spiral back there either.
Crew returned moments later, now empty-handed. She unlocked the doors for him, and he slid behind the wheel. “All set.”
“That was quick.”
“Oh, Cathy wanted to talk a lot longer, but I told her I have a date.”
She twisted in her seat to pierce him in her stare. “Did you tell her who that date was with?”
His eyes flashed teasingly. “Maybe.”
“She’s never going to stop asking me questions about our romantic relationship now.”
His brow arched upward, nearly disappearing beneath the brim of his Stetson. “Is this a romantic relationship, Fern?”
Flustered, she started to stutter out a response. He didn’t let her struggle, though. He settled a warm hand on her thigh. “I’m just joking, Fern. I only told her I’m going out to eat. I shouldn’t have teased you that way. I’m sorry.”
She covered his hand with her own and gave it a light squeeze. Their gazes connected again, sending that same tingle of awareness through her.
“Crew…I—”
“You don’t have to explain anything, honey. We’re here to enjoy each other’s company and have a good meal.”
She loved him for soothing her that way. But part of her wished that he had pressed her for more.
Because she wanted to tell him more.
