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“Can you guys increase security at Pawsitive? You’re over there all the time anyway.”

“Already planned on it. If someone is nosing around, we’ll find them.”

“Keep me updated. And tell Lark to be careful.”

“Already did. She’s pissed, by the way. Something about not letting anyone threaten her horses.” He paused. “How’s Piper doing there? Lark mentioned she’s been a great help.”

“She’s…adjusting. But seems to like it there.”

We talked for a few more minutes about patrol schedules and coordination between the sheriff’s department and Warrior Security. By the time I hung up, my coffee had gone cold and my appetite had disappeared.

I grabbed my duty belt and headed for the door, then stopped short. Piper stood in the hallway with Caleb in her arms, andsomething about her expression made my chest tighten. She looked like she’d been caught doing something wrong, which made no sense since she lived here.

But what made me pause was her position—she stood at an angle where she could see into the kitchen but wouldn’t have been visible from where I’d been standing. The floorboard under her left foot was the one that creaked, which meant she’d been there a while, deliberately keeping her weight off it.

“Morning,” I said carefully, noting how she shifted Caleb higher on her hip like a shield.

“I was just…” Her tongue darted out to wet her lips, a nervous gesture I’d cataloged over the past couple weeks. “Sorry. I didn’t want to disturb you on the phone in case he started crying.”

“Are you okay?”

She nodded.

I studied her, the way her fingers tightened on Caleb’s clothing. She wasn’t okay.

“Piper, about last night?—”

“Don’t worry about it.”

“Hey.” I kept my voice gentle, the same tone I used with spooked horses and scared victims. “You don’t need to feel weird about what happened. I’m not upset that you wanted to stop. That’s always your choice, and I’ll always respect it.”

She finally looked at me then, and the guilt in her eyes was so heavy it took my breath away. “I know. I just… I shouldn’t have let it go that far.”

“Why not?” I moved closer still, close enough to see the way her pupils dilated despite her obvious anxiety. “We’re both adults. We both wanted it. Unless…” My stomach dropped. “Unless you didn’t want it. Did I pressure you? Did I misread?—”

“No.” The word came out fierce, almost angry. “No, you didn’t pressure me. I wanted it. I wanted you. That’s the problem.”

“I don’t understand why that’s a problem.”

She closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, that wall was back up. The one I’d been trying to chip away at since she’d been here. “We just can’t do this.”

Caleb chose that moment to start fussing, reaching for me with chubby hands. I took him automatically, settling him against my chest, where he immediately grabbed for my badge.

“No playing with Daddy’s shiny things,” I told him, redirecting his attention to my collar instead. When I looked back at Piper, she was watching us with an expression that looked like grief.

The morning sun slanted through the hallway window, highlighting the dark circles under her eyes and the tension in her shoulders. Whatever was eating at her, it was getting worse, not better.

“Listen,” I said, shifting Caleb to one arm. “I’ve been thinking about something.”

She went still, that hypervigilance kicking in. Waiting for the other shoe to drop.

“You’ve been here for weeks now, but you’re still living like you’re in a hotel. Your suitcase is still packed in the corner of your room. You’ve got three shirts that you wash over and over instead of getting more clothes. Caleb’s toys fit in one small bag.”

Her shoulders went rigid. “I don’t want to presume?—”

“You’re not presuming anything. This is your home now. Yours and Caleb’s.” I reached out with my free hand, not quite touching her but letting her know the option was there. “I want you to feel that. To believe it. You don’t have to commit to staying here permanently, but at least plan to stay until you’re more financially stable.”

“Lachlan—”