Page 21 of Anything for You (Veterans of Silver Ridge #7)

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Dorian

B ear and I spent yesterday wandering around the farm taking care of small tasks to keep busy.

Mostly, we dealt with peculiar issues Pedro and Connor had mentioned, and I suspected maybe they were thanks to our pesky neighbors.

Another fence post knocked down where it’d been sturdy for years.

A few apple trees on one side of the small orchard picked clean and a few branches broken, almost like kids had hung on them and broken them off.

They needed repairing, pruning properly, and cleaned up.

No reportable offenses, but a hassle, for sure. And it kept me busy.

At least, my body spent the day doing that. My mind passed the hours by reliving every second of my time with Dove the day before, playing those last few minutes on repeat .

Her wry smile, the embarrassed flush to her cheeks, and the way she literally ran out of my house laughing… what was she doing to me? Someone had pumped pure adrenaline into my bloodstream based on the way my pulse raced whenever she came to mind.

Also, why had she gotten so intense after washing the dishes? I had a long way to go to fully understand her, but I didn’t mind the mystery.

I’d also found a letter this morning when I stepped out on the porch.

Dear Dorian,

Thank you for tea and the delicious food.

You are truly a gifted baker and cook. In your last letter you asked if I have any allergies—all clear here.

As for aversions, the only thing I don’t enjoy is eggplant, and by that I mean the actual vegetable eggplant, not the insinuation an eggplant emoji implies.

I’m off to work or I would start this over, but I’ll trust, as you have so generously in the past, that you can pretend I said nothing about eggplant emojis and focus on the food.

Eggplant is slimy, tastes gross, and makes my throat feel scratchy.

Other than that I love it and would eat it all the time.

I don’t expect you to feed me, just to be clear. But I’d also be a fool not to make sure you know I’ve loved every bite of food you’ve made that I’ve had a chance to try, and I have no doubt that’ll continue.

Happy Sunday,

Dov e

Stapling my thoughts to the food-centric matters and not her side quest into suggestive emojis, I brainstormed a number of dishes I could make that would be easily shareable and reheatable in case she got home late or at an odd hour, as she often seemed to.

This morning, I’d arrived at Saint Security for the weekly all-hands. I didn’t always attend these meetings, but I’d been feeling the itch to show my face and put in some time. Technically, I was on the books with Saint as a part-time employee, but I rarely worked twenty hours a week for them.

This afternoon, I’d need to repair a fence that’d been knocked down on the eastern border of the property so Pedro and Connor wouldn’t have to spend any more of their time on it this week. If I pitched in, it’d be done in a few hours.

As Wilder and Bruce wrapped up the meeting and the overseas Saint employees signed off of their virtual teleconference screens, everyone greeted me with enough enthusiasm to make me feel welcome, but not so much I felt the urge to run.

Granted, it’d been a long time since I’d felt the desire to truly turn and leave after arriving somewhere, but I appreciated how no one tiptoed around me.

They said hi, good to see you, whatever, and then they moved on with their lives.

Except Kenny, of course, who always had an extra little twinkle in his eye. But this morning, Elizabeth had slipped her hand into his and they’d snuggled into chairs side by side and he’d only glanced over at me with a big goofy grin on his face twice.

“Glad to see you’ve emerged from the castle,” Kenny said, patting my back.

“Happy to see you, too. ”

And I was. They’d been over for tea a few days ago, but Kenny and Liz would be heading out on a honeymoon soon, Luc had a busy assignment coming up, and Beast had largely been tucked away with his family lately.

Adam stopped by here and there, but now that I wasn’t in dire straits, he tended to text or call.

“Stone, good to have you. Can I pass you an assignments list?” Bruce asked, casual and friendly as always.

Still, my gut clenched. “Of course. First, I have an issue I wanted to bring to your attention.”

His brows rose. “An issue?”

Tristan, Wilder, and Doc sidled up right as Kenny, Elizabeth, and Luc joined the growing huddle.

“Possible issue. The commune that shares a property line with my farm is potentially escalating. They’ve been making overtures, for lack of a better term, and I thought it might be wise to have them on the radar.

They weren’t involved in the events with Elise, but I’m getting a sense that wouldn’t be far off for them anymore. ”

Some of this had to do with the dumping and other small things we’d noticed around the property. And some of it had to do with a gut feeling.

“Sego Lily Commune? Is law enforcement tracking?” Wilder asked, stern face engaged. He’d grown up in Silverton and would be the last person to jump to a conclusion about the place.

I nodded. “Yes. But I noticed just the other day they have a new sign. It’s no longer Sego Lily. It’s Patriot Ridge.”

Several groans went up around the circle, but Kenny spoke first.

“Why do idiots have to couch their idiocy in patriotism? Like, what does that even mean?” His expression turned so grumpy, it was laughable .

“Easy there. We don’t know they’re idiots. But it’s notable, for sure,” Bruce soothed.

“We know they dumped hundreds of pounds of garbage on Stone’s land. We also know they’ve been more aggressive in their interactions, and Cordy and Maybell or whoever the old couple in charge used to be got forced out,” Kenny countered.

Doc settled a hand on Kenny’s shoulder. “They’re definitely worth being aware of. You need anything right now?” he asked me.

“No. Just figured I should mention it. Chief Whitacker and Sheriff Ryan are both tracking as well, so if something heats up, they’re aware.”

Fortunately, both the Chief of Silverton PD and the Sheriff for Juniper View were decent men who cared about their communities and didn’t jump to conclusions.

They wouldn’t be about to raid a commune, or camp, or whatever it’d become without plausible cause, and right now there was no cause. Just a… feeling.

Once again, my thoughts bounced to Dove and her childhood.

Did she know I lived directly next to what might rapidly be developing into a cult?

The sweet old folks who’d run Sego Lily Commune had been hippies of the highest order.

But their way of life had been dying out, or so Maybell had told me the one time we’d talked before I’d gotten wind a few months ago that they’d “moved on” and someone new had taken over.

They’d been communicative when Elise, Luc’s girlfriend, had been abducted and we wanted to confirm they hadn’t seen any activity.

In the end, the kidnapping had had nothing to do with the people of Patriot Ridge, but all the little nudges into my property, the attitude of the handful of men dirt biking around like it was a threat, the stepping into my orchard… it set me on edge.

The conversation continued for a few minutes, everyone agreeing it would be good to keep an eye out. I promised I’d keep them aware of any issues I had, too, though it wasn’t necessary. Whitacker and Ryan were doing their jobs as well as they could and hopefully, it’d simmer down.

“No pressure with the schedule. I know it can be a busy time with the farm,” Bruce said, nodding to the schedule still projected on screen and the list of vacancies they needed people to opt in for.

“I’ll be here.” I’d sign into the scheduling portal after I spoke with Pedro to deconflict a few things. It’d be fine.

Luc and Kenny followed me out as most everyone else dispersed to their offices.

“You know you don’t have to sign up for anything. We’ll get it covered one way or another.” Kenny’s tone held a hint of concern.

“I know. I’ll find some days. I owe it to Saint to show up from time to time.” I jogged down the stairs, oddly anxious to get back to the farm.

Actually, not all that odd since I often felt an itch to be home, even after a nice long stint without a panic attack or major issues plaguing me. Old habits and mental health pathways died hard.

Realizing they weren’t behind me, I turned to find Luc with his arms crossed at the bottom of the stairs and Kenny frowning.

“You don’t owe Saint,” he said, almost like a question.

We weren’t getting into this now. We’d been over it before and it would come around again.

For now, I wanted to get back home and help with that fence and let Bear run around a bit before we got cleaned up and I could make something good for dinner.

I waved a hand and moved toward my truck, not needing to look to know Kenny was rolling his eyes or huffing dramatically, and Luc’s face likely hadn’t changed.

“’kay, love ya, see ya, bye! Give my best to His Majesty!” Kenny hollered as I loaded into my truck.

I backed out of the parking spot and eased up alongside the stairs, rolling down the driver’s side window to pin him in his belligerent face.

“Bye, Kenny and Luc. See you soon. I’ll say hi to Bear for you—send my regards to Kit.”

Kenny grinned, and Luc sent me a mock salute. They both turned toward the door as I left.

Anyone who’d gotten a hint of my sense of obligation to Saint Security had said it was misplaced—that I didn’t owe them anything. They claimed I should do what I wanted, even if it meant not working at Saint at all.

But how could I do that? How could I abandon the people who’d literally carried me through the worst times in my life? How could I live here, where they’d all moved for the purpose of being part of Saint, and just… not show up?

It wasn’t the kind of man I was, and Kenny could continue to get riled up about it—it wouldn’t change my mind.