Stone stands in front of me, not trusting this man one bit, and I settle in close, keeping myself where Stone is comfortable, while also positioned well enough to see exactly what’s going on.
The old man must be well into his seventies, old enough to have seen enough shit in his lifetime, and he just stands there, judgment thick in his eyes as he tries to work out exactly what to do with us. He crosses his arms over his chest, deep in thought, before finally coming to some sort of decision.
“Stone Blackthorne and Aria Ashford, I take it?”
Stone doesn’t respond, clearly not enjoying this line of questioning.
“Hmmm. That’s what I thought,” the old man says. “You can stay on one condition.”
Stone waits just a moment, his silence filling me with a deep anxiety, making my hands twitch at my sides, but he’s not about to rush into this. He’s too cautious. Too careful. And he won’t be putting us in harm’s way anytime soon. “And what’s that?”
“You don’t bring your shit into my town, and in return, you’ll work my farm. I’m getting on in age, and my back’s not what it used to be.”
I suck in a breath, my hand bracing against Stone’s back as though he could somehow hear my thoughts through nothing but touch, and I find myself inching forward and raising my chin. “Why would you offer us that?” I ask, my heart pounding loudly in my ears.
“Because everybody deserves a chance,” he says, his gaze shifting back to Stone. “You’re not the first to come through this town searching for redemption, and you won’t be the last. I was in your position when I first came to Cedar Falls. It’s time to repay the favor.”
Stone nods. “Nobody can know we’re here.”
“It’s a small town. Nobody gives a shit that you’re here,” he says. “You play your part. You keep trouble away from our town, and you’ll be welcomed with open arms.”
Stone glances at me, unease in his eyes, not sure whether he should trust this man, or if he’s just another asshole trying to cash in on that bounty. “The town Sheriff?” Stone prompts.
The old man fixes Stone with a pointed stare, his chin raising just a fraction. “I am the town Sheriff, son.”
“We’ll stay,” I say, stepping out from behind Stone and offering the man a smile. “Thank you for your hospitality. I know it couldn’t have been an easy decision to trust a perfect stranger like that, and we appreciate you taking a chance on us. We won’t let you down.”
He watches me through a curious stare before finally nodding, deciding that I’m not full of shit. “I know. 7 a.m. Every morning. You’ll both put in a hard day’s work, and in return, we will feed you, and this cottage will be yours. You can fix it up to your liking.”
“Thank you,” I say, cutting in before Stone gets a chance. “I’ll take the first few shifts. Stone’s too hurt. He needs proper medical care and time to rest.”
“I’m fine,” Stone says, not daring to show a shred of weakness in front of this man. “I’ll be ready to go first thing in the morning.”
The old man nods. “See to it that you are.”
Fuck. So much for Stone getting better.
“The name’s Ray,” he says a moment later, reaching out to offer his hand to Stone. “Barbara’s my wife.”
Stone takes Ray’s hand and gives a firm shake. “Stone,” he responds before nodding toward me. “And Riley.”
“Riley?” he questions, his brow arching as he reconsiders if we’re as trustworthy as he originally declared, or if we’re harboring the kind of secrets that would burn his whole town to ash. “Not Aria?”
“It’s a long story.”
“Good,” he grunts, clearly a man of very few words. “Barbara loves a good story, and she has nothing but time. She’s expecting you both for dinner at seven. We’ll bring down some clean linen, a change of clothes, and something so you can start cleaning this mess up. Oh,” he adds. “Barbara can’t cook to save her life, but I expect you to be grateful either way. Show your gratitude, show kindness, and a willingness to put your best foot forward, and we will always remain in your corner. But step outside and bring pain to what I hold dear, and you will find yourselves out on your own faster than that bullet you caught in the chest.”
We nod, more than willing to do whatever it is we need to do to earn his trust, and with that, Ray turns on his heel and walks away, leaving me staring up at Stone, my jaw hanging open. “What the fuck just happened?”
30
STONE
Four weeks have passed in a blur, and to say this little farm in Cedar Falls has quickly become my home is an understatement. Riley and I have never truly had a place to call our own, but every single day, I come back to the cottage to find something new that only cements the fact that we’ve landed in the right place.
Floors repaired. Cobwebs gone. A new laminate stuck over the kitchen counter. And tomorrow’s job; fresh paint. To be honest, if it were up to me, I would have started with the fresh paint before doing the floors and counter, but this is Riley’s baby, and she’s handling it her own way. Even if it means I’m going to spend tomorrow night on my hands and knees, scrubbing splattered paint off the new floors.
The first week, she worked with me out in the field, learning the ropes, but she didn’t quite take to manual labor the way Ihave. I was born for this shit. Using my hands and putting my body to work is what I do. As for Riley, she quickly discovered that she wasn’t cut out for it, no matter how hard she tried to make it work. She’s far too accident-prone for this. Her hands were blistered after the first hour, and once Barbara saw the bruises across her ribs, she demanded that Riley earn her keep in other ways.
