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He was there, and he was pulling me to him. Not a gentle hug. This was a fierce embrace. Noah’s arms crushed me against his body, and it was exactly what I needed. I was out. Nothing had happened. That was good.

“I’m sorry,” I said into his coat. “We didn’t get what we needed.”

“I don’t care.”

I laughed once. “We both know that’s not true.”

“It is,” he said. “I don’t care about that right now. I’m just glad that you’re out of there and that, for now, it’s over.”

I closed my eyes and let my heart slow to normal, enjoying the rare feeling of being held and cared for. Yet I couldn’t help but notice the undercurrent of failure to my thoughts—as good as this felt, it didn’t solve anything.

Chapter 12

Kate

The couch in the Resting Warrior lodge was arguably the most comfortable that I’d ever slept on. But it was still a couch, and I couldn’t sleep on it forever. At some point, I needed to go home, and it seemed like today was as good as any.

I’d shown up just like Max had wanted me to. They knew where to find me. There was no reason to think they were following me now. Why do that when they could just call me?

The coffee I made was still steaming in my mug as I stared into the morning fire. I didn’t want to go home. There was a peace at the ranch I didn’t get in Missoula. But my apartment wasn’t going to clean itself, and the longer I put it off, the longer I would dread it.

The door opened and Noah came in. My stomach fluttered with brand-new butterflies. Last night when we’d come back here, he’d kissed me good night before going home.

I didn’t regret those kisses. Not at all. But seeing someone for the first time after kissing them in the dark always felt strange. Those moments last night had felt intimate and different because of where we’d been and what we’d been doing. Was that all it had been?

“Good morning,” he said with a smile.

“Morning. There’s more coffee, if you want it.”

“I’d love some.”

I forced myself not to look back and drink in every part of him in the daylight.

He groaned when he took the first sip. “You make good coffee.”

“As well as anyone who can put grounds in a maker,” I said with a laugh.

“You’re right.” He sat in the chair near me. “There’s no logical reason why it should be better, but trust me. I drink that coffee every day, and this is the best coffee I’ve had in months.”

My cheeks suddenly felt hot with the compliment. “Thank you.”

Noah looked at the fire before he looked back at me. “How are you?”

“Good. As much as I don’t want to, I thought I’d go back to Missoula today. Start cleaning up the apartment so it’s actually livable when Brandon gets out of the hospital. Plus, work.”

His eyes sharpened. That was the only way to describe it. Like he was suddenly looking at all of me—inside and out. “I don’t like it, but I also can’t think of a reason you shouldn’t.” He let one side of his mouth tip up into a smile.

“Can’t stay on the couch forever.”

“I’d be willing to test that theory.”

I laughed. “It is a very comfortable couch.”

“Do you have to leave now?” He took a sip of coffee. “Or can you stay a bit?”

“What did you have in mind?”

There was his real smile. “Well, I thought you might help me with the animals, if it’s something that interests you at all. You said you’d never really been around them. This would be a good chance.”