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“Come on, Dan,” Harlan said with a grin. “Let the man live. Lucas finally being interested in a woman after all of that? That’s something to celebrate.”

I forced a smile at Harlan, holding any reaction in check. Even when he grinned at me so wide I wanted to smack it off his face. “I got it,” I said, looking back at Daniel.

And I did. I understood what he meant, and I didn’t disagree. But I also knew that it didn’t matter. The second I’d seen her startle over a teacup, I’d known I was going as deep as I needed to help her.

No matter what.

* * *

The drive from Resting Warrior Ranch into town had always been one of my favorites. It wasn’t far, but the stretch of fields spread against the background of the Mission Mountains never failed to impress me.

Before the ranch, I’d never imagined living in a small town like Garnet Bend, and I’d certainly never thought that I would live in Montana of all places. I was a city boy through and through. Or so I’d thought.

But the pace of life out here suited me more than I’d expected, and being surrounded by peace and quiet had eventually brought me peace. Or at least it did most of the time.

I’d spent last night staring at my bedroom ceiling and trying to untangle Evelyn’s threads. There was no way I could—I didn’t know enough. But that didn’t stop my brain from trying. What would bring her out here so far? This wasn’t a place that you ended up by accident. How bad was it, and what had she suffered?

The idea of someone hurting her brought on that same roaring pressure in my chest. The need to make sure that she was protected at all costs. And fuck, that was confusing. In the work we did, I’d seen plenty of women with trauma and horrible pasts. I’d felt sympathy for them and did what I could to help. Why was she so different?

I’d never experienced this kind of ache to make something right.

Pulling into town, I parked in front of Deja Brew—easily the most popular coffee shop in town. It was a place filled with soaring windows, comfortable chairs, and used books. A place you could spend a couple of hours and be at ease. Plus, Lena made sure that everyone felt welcome.

The scent of both coffee and freshly baked bread hit me as I walked through the door. It was warm in the way that reminded you of family holidays and good memories. No surprise to me that everyone loved this place.

The owner herself stood behind the counter and waved, a smile on her face. “Well, if it isn’t Lucas Everett. I thought you must have disappeared into the mountains to become a hermit for all I’ve seen you around here.”

I smiled. “Hey, Lena. Sorry about that. Been working with a horse that’s giving me trouble. Haven’t strayed far from home in a bit.”

“As long as you remember there’s life outside the ranch,” she said, laughing. “Coffee?”

“Please.”

Lena stepped away from the counter and grabbed a cardboard cup to fill with coffee. She’d been a huge supporter of the ranch when we first opened and remained a good friend to all of us. I’d been surprised that someone like her had stuck around in Garnet Bend.

Lena was quirky.

While most of this town was straitlaced and painfully normal, Lena dyed her hair with red streaks and wore outfits in colors that barely avoided clashing. But she was a force of nature, determined to a fault, and kind. She would make it wherever she chose to live.

“Here you go.” She placed the coffee down in front of me, and I handed her a few bills.

“So I have a confession.”

Lena gasped. “You’re in love with me? I knew it, Lucas. You’ve come to sweep me off my feet.” There was a sparkle in her eye, and I laughed.

“I’m sure you’d break my heart if I were here for that, Lena. But I did have something other than coffee I wanted to talk to you about.” It was an open secret that Lena liked Jude, one of the other members of Resting Warrior, and I didn’t miss the blush on her face when I’d said that she’d break my heart.

“What’s on your mind?”

I took a sip of my coffee. “I was wondering if you were looking for any extra help here in the shop?”

A flare of interest lit up her eyes. “Why?”

“A woman showed up at the ranch yesterday looking for work. She found an old paper with the job Mara has now. But she says she has barista experience.” Lena looked at me, and I sighed. “I offered to let her stay at the ranch until she gets on her feet.”

It looked like Lena had questions, but she didn’t ask them. As it was, she likely saw too much. “Hmm, I haven’t been actively looking, no. But we have been a lot busier lately. And I’ve been wanting to spend more time on the bakery side of things.”

In addition to a coffee shop, Deja Brew sold baked goods. They weren’t a full bakery, but they were easily the best baked goods in town. We got at least one loaf of bread from her every week when Jude came to pick it up. I chuckled. “No one at Resting Warrior will say no to more baked goods.”