I hopped in the shower, eager to clean off the smoke that clung to my skin, then pulled on a pair of clean jeans and a T-shirt and headed to the living room. Jonah was waiting for me and directed me to the bedroom. “Ethan said you need to rest.”
I studied Jonah’s stubborn little face. “Did you have fun with Ethan this morning?”
“Yeah! I got to pet a horse named Tank. And I fed him an apple.” His expression lit. “Ethan said I could help take care of Tank and learn to ride on him.”
“Sounds like a blast.”
Jonah screwed up his nose. “Cleaning stalls wasn’t, but Ethan said it’s important to do the not fun stuff too.” He straightened his shoulders and pointed to my bedroom. “Like resting.”
I hid a smile. “I’m going.”
He stood on guard as I opened my door and went inside. Ethan obviously had Jonah’s approval. He hadn’t been around many men growing up and never had a male role model. Ethan was fast taking that place. Maybe it was what Jonah needed right now.
I lay on the bed but couldn’t settle. I was tired but also restless. The excitement of the day still had me on edge. I slipped out of bed, trying to be quiet so Jonah didn’t hear, and kneeled by a box I had yet to unpack. I opened the flaps and recognized Cassie’s things.
On top of the box was her laptop bag. I put it to the side to look at later. Next were some files from the little desk she had squeezed into her bedroom. She loved her job and would work late into the night after putting Jonah in bed. I remembered how before her accident she’d told me she was working on something big, her eyes filled with excitement.
Underneath the folders was a picture of Cassie and Jonah in a frame he made her in school. They both beamed from the photo, their identical green eyes lit with joy. Cassie had kept that photo on her bedside table. Now it could sit on Jonah’s.
My finger caught on a sharp edge, and I sucked in my breath as the frame tumbled from my hands. It crashed onto the floor and the frame split at the bottom corner. “Shoot.”
I scooped it up, and something tumbled from inside the frame: a USB drive.
My brow furrowed. Why did Cassie have a thumb drive hidden in the photo frame? What could possibly be on it?
My bedroom door flew open, and I shoved the drive in my pocket as I turned to face Jonah, who stood in the doorway with his hands on his hips. “You’re supposed to be resting.”
“Sorry, Jonah. I’ll go back to bed.” I waited for him to leave, but he just watched me. With a sigh, I climbed back under the covers.
He lay next to me and leaned his head on my shoulder. “Are you sure you’re okay, Aunt Hannah?”
The worry in his voice had me settling into the mattress. If he needed me to rest, I would rest. “I’m fine. I promise.”
FIVE
Ethan
“Do you want the good news or the bad news?” Mason crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair.
“Let’s start with the bad.” I lowered myself onto the other chair in the workshop and stretched. I’d scrubbed the kitchen from top to bottom while Mason checked out the oven, and now everything ached. How Mae kept the place as spotless as she did eluded me.
I reached for my phone, intending to check for an email from my contact, but Mason’s words had me freezing.
“Someone tampered with the stove.”
My gut twisted. It had been months since we’d seen signs of sabotage. And now that Hannah was here, it had started up again? I wanted to get to my mate. Protect her. The urge to keep her in sight was overwhelming. As I battled with my bear, I asked. “Are you sure?”
“Positive. The electrical components were a mess, and the wiring was exposed.”
I shoved my chair back and paced, ignoring the ache of my muscles and the desire to shift. “Why now? There’s been nothing for months.”
“I don’t know. Could be because we’re getting close to opening the dude ranch.” Mason’s gaze remained steady on me, as if watching to make sure I stayed in control. “I doubt they were targeting your mate specifically.”
I growled. “Doesn’t make me feel any better. You’d know that if you’d found your mate.”
His lips tightened, and something flashed across his eyes, but it was gone before I could decipher it. “The real question is how someone broke into the house without being seen?”
“Did Mae use the oven this morning?” I thought back to breakfast but couldn’t remember.
