“No. Xavier, too,” Hannah admitted. “He’s been having these…nightmares. I think what happened to us out on the road is really getting to him. I just wish there was more that I could do to help.”
River and Bailey exchanged a glance, and Bailey cocked an eyebrow. “Nightmares?”
“Yeah, there’s just been a lot going on lately. Between the recent fire, the generators and then the crash…” Hannah trailed off, trying to answer without divulging details. She knew that the others there at the sanctuary knew Xavier had troubles in his past, but it wasn’t her story to share. If he wanted everyone to know the particulars, that was his choice. She wasn’t going to break his trust in her. “He just feels responsible for everyone here, you know?”
“Understandable. So, that’s why he’s been seeing Sarah?” River asked.
“River!” Bailey protested her nosiness. “That’s not our business.”
“No, that’s okay,” Hannah tried to ease the rising tension. “It’s just not for me to discuss. I’ve been trying to help, but I can only do so much.”
“That explains the nightly visits, then.” Bailey waggled her eyebrows at Hannah.
“Bailey!” River scolded her in return. “That’s not the issue here.”
Hannah snort-laughed at them both under her breath. She reminded herself that they wouldn’t be so nosy if they didn’t care about her and Xavier.
“Hey, I’m just saying, I’ve seen Xavier come out of your cabin every day this week,” Bailey replied, holding her hands up. “I wondered if that meant the two of you had finally done something about…well, the obvious.”
“What’s obvious?” Hannah asked, but she couldn’t help but crack a smile.
“How much the two of you like each other,” Bailey explained. “I mean, it’s written all over your faces whenever the two of you are together.”
“Is it?” Hannah replied, laughing.
“Yeah, come on, even Lawson can tell,” River pointed out.
Hannah glanced back toward the lodge building. Yeah, she had to assume that her brother had figured out what was going on between Xavier and her.
After the crash, Lawson had tried to talk to her, but she’d shut him down and then left with Xavier. So, even if he didn’t know specifics, he had to suspect. But, surprisingly, he hadn’t confronted her yet. She hoped to keep it that way for a bit longer, they all had enough to worry about right now.
“I think we’re giving it a real shot this time,” Hannah confessed.
River reached out to give her arm an excited squeeze. “Oh, I’m so happy for you guys,” she gushed.
Bailey chuckled. “Plus, I think that means I’ve won the betting pool,” she added.
Hannah’s eyebrows shot up. “The betting pool? On when we were going to get together? Don’t tell me that was a real thing!”
“It isn’t,” River assured her. “We’re just happy for you, that’s all. The two of you deserve it.”
“Thanks,” Hannah replied. She felt her cheeks get warm from all this attention, but honestly, it felt good to share how thrilled she was about what they had going on. It had been crazy, these last few months, but if there was one thing she was sure of among all of the madness, it was him.
It had always been him.
“Anyway, we need to get these lights set up,” Bailey announced, crouching down on her haunches and grabbing a screwdriver. “River, can you hold this in place while I screw it in?”
“Oh, why don’t you get Hannah to do that?” River joked. “She’s the expert after all.”
“Huh—hey!” Hannah’s cheeks warmed as she protested, and all three women burst out laughing.
Hannah could already feel herself starting to relax, starting to believe that everything was actually going to be okay. No matter what the outside world threw at them, Warrior Peak had a solid base of people who pulled together when they needed each other most, and she was beyond grateful that she was a part of it. They set to work putting together the lights. It was a pleasant day, one of the first of the year, with the sun attempting to peep out from behind some clouds.
It took a few attempts to get the lights right. Hannah managed to put the first one in back to front, and they had to take it apart and start all over again, but soon, they got into a pace and had almost filled one side of the path with new lighting. As Hannah straightened up to catch her breath, she noticed someone wandering out of the main entrance. And as soon as she saw who it was, she felt herself tense.
Jed. She’d almost forgotten about him in the midst of everything else. She wasn’t sure what it was about him, but there was a part of her that really didn’t like the way he strolled about this place. She had tried to brush it off as best she could, not wanting to assume anything about a man she hardly knew, but it was getting harder and harder to ignore. Most of the people here kept their heads down and focused on themselves when they first arrived, but he seemed intent on garnering the attention of anyone he was able to.
He made his way over to the women and greeted Hannah with a nod. “How’s your head?” he asked, smirking as he gestured toward the bandage still covering the wound from the accident.
