Austin started picking up shards bare-handed. “Stop,” I said, catching his wrist. “You’re bleeding.”
He looked down. “Just scratches.”
“Let me.” I cleaned the blood with a towel. My own adrenaline drained fast, but my training took over. I’d had to think on the fly many times when an animal came out of anesthesia too early, when the cats at the shelter escaped because Pete, the volunteer, forgot to close and lock the cages. But as I held his hand in mine, I shook slightly.
“You should sit,” he said.
“If I sit, I’ll start thinking. Let me grab my kit.”
He gave a tired smile. “Then don’t think, just sit.” He pulled me down into a chair.
I thought anyway—about the noise, the note, the illusion of safety we’d built.
“I hate that they can still reach us,” I said.
“They won’t for long.”
His tone made me believe him.
Inspector padded back in and climbed into my lap, a solid, purring weight. My heartbeat slowed.
Austin knelt in front of me, arms resting on his knees. “You scared me.”
“You think I wasn’t scared?”
He shook his head. “You didn’t show it.”
“I was too mad to.”
That pulled a rough laugh from him. “Guess we’re even.”
We stayed there for a long minute. Outside, Levi’s truck engine faded away.
“What now?” I asked.
“Tonight, we patch with cardboard. Tomorrow, we replace the window. Add sensors. Maybe add cameras at the gate or redirect a few to compensate.”
“Of course,” I said.
“You sound thrilled.”
“I sound like someone who’d rather bake a pie than live in a fortress.”
He glanced up, exhaustion easing into humor. “We can have both. I hear security and pie are often involved in tense situations.”
I covered his hand with mine. “We already have pie.” I pointed to the pie on the counter, realizing it would have to be thrown away now that it was covered in glass.
He turned his palm, fingers finding mine. We were still so fragile and vulnerable.
From down the hall, Mrs. Winslow’s voice floated through the not-quite-shut door. “If you need a decoy, I still fit in a trench coat!”
I looked at Austin and whispered, “I forgot she was here.”
Austin groaned. I laughed until the tightness in my chest eased.
“Welcome to Everwood,” I said.
“Wouldn’t trade it,” he replied.
