Toe throbbing, he hobbled after her, scooping up the coffee and lurching into the break room, where he tried not to collapse on the card chair like a demolished building.
She turned on a lantern. “Did you sleep?”
He held up a finger, drank, and exhaled. The hot liquid teased his senses back to life. He took a second, life-affirminggulp. “Okay. I will now be able to entertain questions. Barely. I must have managed to snooze for a while since Archie had to wake me by grabbing me around the neck. You?”
Shadows clung to her face and darkened her eyes to midnight. “A little. I was busy trying to work my way through all the ‘what ifs,’ as you’d say.”
Was it his imagination or did she seem slightly less guarded with him? He was relieved his frustration and fear hadn’t led him to explode at her the night before. Some intuition, some unaccustomed urge had made him drop his authoritative schtick and offer comfort. Weirdly he’d felt comforted too. Could be he’d learned a thing or two from his horses. The finest ones, the most majestic and proud, were the tenderest inside. They needed to be understood, rather than managed.
Sapphire popped into his head and heart simultaneously, the black bay with the white starburst who chewed the wooden door of her stall, upended any box or bag she encountered, and got between him and any of her sister mares if she didn’t like what he was about. Sapphire was a hot mess.
And beautiful.
Ferocious.
Perfect, in her own way.
Would Kit approve of him comparing her to his finest horse? He had no clue.
I understand you better thanyou think,Kit Garrido.
The silence had lingered longer than it should so he drank more coffee and looked around at her neat bundles of materials. “Is that a camp stove?”
“Yes. Archie brought his equipment and some dehydrated pouches to add to the stores. I repacked Tot’s duffel with the essentials on top so we don’t have to hunt around for stuff.”
He was sure she’d repacked her bear too.
The adult clothing was rolled into neat packages and tied with string. Food was arranged in a see-through plastic bag with smaller parcels tucked inside. Organized, like he’d said.
“Some nifty packing.”
She shrugged, but he thought there was a smile there too.
“My dad could get an entire week’s groceries stowed in a single shopping cart and roll it to the register. It was like some massive game of Tetris. The checker was always delighted.”
“Your dad live close?” Not a safe question. He realized as soon as he’d said it and she pulled back in the chair, deeper into the shadows.More coffee,Cullen. You need more coffee.
“He died eight years ago. My mom lives in Washington, but we’re ... I don’t see her often.”
A world of understatement in her words. “I’m sorry for your loss.” And for the estrangement with her mother. Too many families with missing pieces, holes, and fractures that let in the water.
His family on the other hand was about as close as any five people could stand to be without losing their minds. The Landrys consisted of two patient, easygoing parents who’d learned that worrying about their three rowdy boys was counterproductive, and the sons who had a quarterlyconference call entitled “The State of the Parentals” to ensure their folks weren’t in need of something they were failing to disclose. Maybe his family was idyllic, or it could be he simply preferred to think of them that way.
“What about yours?” she said.
“Mine? Oh. Typical farm stock.” He told her about their property near his brother. “Took the horses there last week.”
“Why didn’t you stay?”
He paused midsip. Why hadn’t he? “To be sure my friends all got out, like I said. Had to help move a buddy’s sheep.”
She cocked her head in that way that made him feel like she was looking underneath his skin into places he’d rather she wouldn’t.
“The folks wanted me to bunk at their place as a matter of fact,” he admitted. Came near to begging, where his mom was concerned, but staying for any length made him uneasy. His mother’s constant smothering of the questions she desperately wanted to ask raked his nerves.
Why must you go on punishing yourself?
Whenwill you restart your life,Cullen David?
