Page 5

“ W ell, what do you think?” Johnny gestured through the windshield at the cabin he was assigning to Ashley. “Is it up to your city girl standards?” Until this very moment, he’d been exorbitantly proud that the dairy farm he’d purchased had come with three pre-furnished cabins. They’d been recently updated, too, with freshly chinked logs, metal roofs, and brand new covered front and back porches. He tensed as he waited for a reaction from his newest tenant.

She drove her Camaro into the carport, eyes widening as she drank in the sight of her new crash pad. “I think it’s perfect!” Then her smile faded.

He watched her pull her buzzing cell phone from her pocket, scan the screen, and re-pocket it. Since the buzzing sounds were coming through so erratically, he could only presume she was receiving a flood of text messages, not a phone call. Text messages she was choosing to ignore.

“The cabin is seriously gorgeous.” The excitement in her voice sounded a little forced this time, telling him that whoever was pestering her via texts had unnerved her.

It didn’t seem prudent to draw attention to her obvious discomfort, so he stayed on point. “Hope you like the inside as well as the outside.” He pushed open the passenger door, giving himself a mental pat on the back for wrangling a ride from such a smoking hot woman in such a smoking hot car. Normally, he would’ve hurried to her side of the car to open her door for her, but he tamped down on the temptation, instinctively knowing she wouldn’t welcome being waited on hand and foot. It would probably be best to treat her the same way he treated the other farm hands.

She reached into the backseat to yank out a pair of suitcases. “I’ve spent hundreds of hours in my car on stakeouts. Trust me. Your cabin is going to be a major upgrade.”

He was surprised to see her suitcases. “You came prepared.” Had she been that certain he would hire her?

“I’m always prepared.” Her voice was bland as she lugged them up the porch steps and set them down. Her cell phone buzzed again.

He glanced pointedly at her coat pocket. “Do you need to get that?”

“No.” Her voice was flat.

Alright then. Unsure what to make of that, he unlocked the front door for her and held out the key, dropping it into her palm. “I meant what I said about rearranging or tossing whatever you find inside. I’m assuming you have your own stuff in storage?”

“No, this is it.” She angled her head at her suitcases. “I donated everything else to charity.”

He whistled in amazement as he swung the door open for her. “A woman who can fit all her earthly possessions into two suitcases? Now that’s a first.” What about her police uniforms? Awards and photographs? Souvenirs from the places she’d visited? The lifetime of junk most people accumulated? Something wasn’t adding up about her.

She shook her head as she rolled her suitcases across the threshold. “What can I say? I’m one of a kind.”

“Yes, you are.” As a former police officer trying her hand at dairy farming, that alone would’ve set her apart. The fact that she traveled light was a fascinating additional piece of the puzzle that comprised Ashley Perkins.

He watched her face light up as she surveyed the interior of the cabin. Following her gaze, he tried to see the brown suede sofa and simple rocker in the living room through her eyes. A cream area rug lightened the place up a bit and added a hint of coziness. The stacked stone fireplace had a modest-sized flat-screen TV mounted over the mantle. A kitchenette graced one side of the room, and a sliding barn door was propped open, revealing a small bedroom on the other side.

“You like?” he prodded, wishing he’d had enough advance notice of her arrival to purchase a plant or a bouquet of flowers —anything to add a feminine touch to the otherwise masculine feel of the place.

“I do.” There was a sigh in her voice as she rolled her suitcases farther into the room. “About that washer and dryer you mentioned…”

He pointed at a set of louvered doors leading off from the kitchenette. “There. The last guy even left a half-full container of laundry detergent. No guarantee it’s a brand or a scent you like, but?—”

“I’m not too picky. Thank you,” she cut in breathlessly. “Just let me know what I owe you for all of this.” She circled a finger in the air to encompass her new living quarters.

Though both Clint and Tucker paid rent, Johnny found himself oddly reluctant to name a price with her. He tried to tell himself it was because she was a wounded cop, but it was more than that. He honestly didn’t relish the idea of being her landlord any more than he relished the idea of being her employer. It couldn’t be helped, though, since he filled both of those roles.

“First month is on the house,” he drawled. “After you make up your mind about this job, then we’ll hash out the details about your rent.”

She gave him an incredulous look. “I’ve already made up my mind.”

“If you say so.” He was in no mood to haggle over rent and utilities with her. “First month is still on the house.”

“I’m a woman of my word, Johnny.” Her chin came up. Her cell phone buzzed again, making her expression wobble, but she kept her chin stubbornly in the air.

Though he hadn’t meant to put her on the defense, he liked her show of spirit. “Good to know.” He waggled his eyebrows playfully at her. “Because I have a growing herd of cattle that aren’t gonna milk themselves.”

She shot a guilty look at the door. “I know I need to get back out there. I hope you don’t mind if I start a load of laundry first?”

“Not at all.” He gestured with both hands toward the closet containing the washer and dryer. “I’m gonna need you to take a detour to my office on the way back. There are a few forms needing your signature to make all of this official.”

“Of course.” She quickly dragged one of her suitcases toward the louvred doors.

He watched her pull them open, dive for the container of laundry detergent, and fiddle with the knobs on the washer. Then she unzipped her suitcase. To his amazement, it was stuffed to the gills with dirty laundry. The moment she popped open the lid, it came tumbling out.

She shot him a bemused look. “Don’t ask.”

He held up his hands. “Wasn’t planning on it.” However, his naturally inquisitive mind couldn’t help wondering how a woman could distill over twenty years of her life into two measly suitcases. Since one of them was filled with clothing, that meant she didn’t own much. Next to nothing. It was a real head scratcher.

He moved to the living room window to stare at the cattle pond on the other side, but he continued to watch her through his peripheral vision. The suitcase proved to be filled entirely with dirty laundry. Nothing else whatsoever.

He was momentarily distracted by a scratching sound on the back door. It grew louder. “You’ve gotta be kidding me!” He strode to the door and pulled it open.

Can Opener was prancing impatiently on the door mat. He gave a yowl of triumph at the sight of Johnny and dashed between his legs into the cabin.

“Hey! I didn’t say you could come in!”

The cat made a beeline for Ashley’s open suitcase. She was still pulling jeans and sweatshirts out to toss into the washer, but he plopped right down in the middle of what was left.

She snickered and engaged in a tugging match to get the leg of a pair of jeans out from under his furry legs.

He sank his teeth into the cuff and growled at her.

“Can Opener,” Johnny protested.

Ashley looked up at him and snickered. “It’s alright, boss. Sometimes, you have to just let the underlings work things out amongst themselves.”

Boss? Underlings? Though he shook his head at her, he was secretly thrilled that Can Opener had taken such a liking to her already.

Just like little Brie had.

And me.

Clint had been pretty friendly with Ashley, too, chatting with her like they were old friends by the time Johnny had walked back into the barn earlier. He’d experienced the claws of jealousy slicing through his gut for the first time in a long time.

It was probably something he was going to have to get used to, since everyone who met Ashley fell in love with her. Everyone except Caro. As nice as Caro was to him and Farmer Monty, she bristled up every time she was around Ashley.

He moved back into the kitchenette to lounge against the counter, watching with interest as his newest tenant finished wrestling her dirty laundry out from beneath Can Opener. She punctuated the end of their tussle with plenty of chin scratches and back rubs, making the enormous tomcat purr as loud as a car motor.

“I don’t have any snacks for you.” She sent a regretful look toward the fridge.

“I took the liberty of tossing some water bottles in there,” Johnny offered. He’d done it right after walking Caro to her car.

She looked surprised. “Thanks.”

“There are dishes in the cabinets and some pots and pans in the drawer beneath the stove,” he continued. “Like I said before, keep what you like and toss the rest.

“I can’t thank you enough.” Her smile was infused with gratitude as she gazed around them. “This is fantastic. All of it!”

“Welcome.” He smirked as she moved past him to rummage through the cabinets. She pulled out a bowl. It came as no surprise when she proceeded to uncap a bottle of water from the fridge, fill the bowl halfway, and set it down for Can Opener.

“There you go, big guy. It’s all I have until I make a proper grocery run.” Ashley pointed him toward the bowl.

The cat hurried forward to lap it up like it was frothy cream from a five-star restaurant.

Ashley sent a questioning look at Johnny. “What else does he like?”

“Anything and everything.” He snorted. “Mice, bugs, table scraps, you name it.”

She wrinkled her nose. “I was referring to cat food.”

“So was I.” Though he knew what she meant, he was enjoying teasing her.

“You know what?” She tossed her ponytail and turned her back on him. “Can Opener and I will figure things out for ourselves.”

She grabbed her keys off the counter. “I’m ready to get moving when you’re ready.”

“Lead the way.” He followed her back to the car and opened the driver’s door for her out of sheer habit. He braced himself for a reprimand, but none came.

“Thanks,” she muttered. To his amusement, she kept a hand on the door to keep him from shutting it until Can Opener hopped in.

“You’ve gotta be kidding me!” He shook his head as he shut the door firmly behind them.

Then she drove them to his farmhouse. Can Opener rode between them, perched like the prince of the realm on her console. Though it was hilarious, he worried the cat might damage her leather seats. “You sure it’s a good idea to have a cat with razor-sharp claws anywhere near these seats?”

She looked surprised. “He’s pretty smart.”

Johnny’s eyebrows rose. “That’s a lot of trust to put in a barn cat!”

She chuckled. “Actually, cats are exponentially less likely to mess with leather than fabric. Don’t worry, I won’t send you the bill if Can Opener messes something up.”

Johnny felt the usual burst of pride as she rolled up the driveway and parked in front of his three-car garage. A week ago, he and his friends had finished putting a fresh coat of white paint on the place and hung new black shutters.

Unfortunately, the inside was a very different story. He was in the process of repainting walls and updating the flooring, so it was kind of a wreck.

“Please excuse the dust.” He jogged up the stairs to open the front door for her. It was pretty obvious from the plastic containment walls around the living room that he had a construction project under way. “Hang a left into my office.”

“Your home is beautiful,” she murmured the moment she stepped inside the entry foyer. Can Opener followed her like a dutiful pup, remaining by her side as her head spun to absorb her new surroundings. “It has good bones.”

“What does that even mean?” He’d heard the phrase on a home improvement show, but he’d never understood what it meant.

Her eyes widened. “It means you have a very nice home. The stair railings alone are probably worth a fortune. The balusters look like they’re original construction, and they don’t make ornate hand railings like that anymore.”

“Balusters?” He gave her a puzzled look.

“The spindles,” she explained.

“Ah. The treads are pretty worn, though.” He pointed at the faded wooden stairs that had once been stained the shade of walnut. Now only the outer edges were brown. The center of each step had been worn down to the original wood. “I’m debating tearing down the stairwell and rebuilding it.”

Her gasp echoed off the two-story ceiling in the foyer. “Please tell me you’re joking!”

“Why? What else would you do with them?” Since she seemed to know what she was talking about, he welcomed her opinion.

“Sand them down and re-stain them, of course,” she snapped, “which I imagine is exactly what you were planning on doing all along. You’re just messing with me, right?”

“What color?” he countered, not wanting to admit he’d truly considered tearing down the antique stairwell.

“The exact same shade as the open beams on the ceiling.” There was no hesitation in her answer. “You don’t want a hodge-podge look to the place when you’re finished. It’s usually best to work with the footprint of the house.”

“I see.” He made a mental note to get her input on more of his home renovation projects. It would be an excuse to invite her over for dinner or coffee or something. “Thanks for weighing in.” He ushered her into his office.

Once again, Can Opener followed her. Before she took a seat, her cell phone started buzzing again.

“Feel free to step into the room across the hallway and take that.” He kept his back to her as he spoke, moving across the room to his desk to rummage for the necessary forms.

“I’m good,” she muttered. “It’s only my ex.”

“Oh?” He pivoted to rake her features with concern. “Everything okay?”

“Peachy.” She raised and lowered her shoulders. “How was I supposed to know that breaking up with the guy would inspire a whole new wave of interest from him?” She didn’t sound too thrilled about it.

Though Johnny was reluctant to pry any further, he wouldn’t be much of an employer if he didn’t ask one more thing. “As long as you don’t feel threatened in any way…”

She shook her head vehemently. “No, it’s nothing like that. I, um…” She looked embarrassed. “Just forget it, please? I shouldn’t have brought it up.”

“I asked,” he reminded.

She nodded but remained silent.

It didn’t take long for her to sign all the required paperwork to make his hiring decision official. He tasted disappointment as he watched her drive away. This time, Can Opener was sitting in the passenger seat that Johnny had vacated. Lucky cat! For no particular reason, he wished it was him in the passenger seat.

He returned to his desk and dropped into his chair, feeling restless. He hadn’t taken the time to do much in the way of furnishing or decorating the farmhouse yet. It was one of those tasks that a lot of men left up to their wives. Once upon a time, his dearly departed Cassandra would’ve handled all of that stuff for him. Instead, he’d just finished asking for decorating advice from a new farm hand. Boy, did life deal a person some strange curve balls!

There was built-in cabinetry on the far wall of his office, plus floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. He currently had a double set of monitors and a keyboard perched on a folding table in the center of the room, with one folding chair behind it and a semi-circle of folding chairs facing it. He and the guys had been using them for staff meetings. He’d eventually invest in some office furniture, but he didn’t know where to even start. Decorating had never been his forte.

He pressed a hand to his heart. It still ached to recall how much time his late wife had spent planning their nursery — the wall color, the blankets, and the little die-cut wooden giraffes. She’d painstakingly painted each one by hand and had him mount them on the walls, directly beneath the crown molding. After she’d finished furnishing it, the nursery had been fit for a prince. Unfortunately, neither his queen nor their son had survived the birthing.

Why, God? He’d asked the same question a thousand times. His precious little family hadn’t deserved to have their lives cut short like that. He leaped to his feet to stomp around the near-empty office, knowing he would receive the same answer he always did. Silence. Apparently, God wasn’t a big fan of having His will questioned.

For the first time since the tragedies, however, he didn’t feel the same raw edge of pain. The pain was still there, but it had mellowed down to a more bearable ache. A moment later, he experienced a stab of remorse. Was he starting to forget them? He didn’t want to forget them. In a moment of panic, he hurried back to the built-in cabinet to yank open the center drawer.

There you are. Relief flooded him to see Cassandra’s face smiling up at him from the picture frame he’d tucked there. The only reason it wasn’t on display was because of all the construction dust in the house right now, but he would always love her. Always!

Unfortunately, his bittersweet thoughts about Cassandra didn’t keep another face from drifting across his mind. He tried to push away the image, but she remained there.

Ashley Perkins had taken up way too much real estate inside his head lately. He wasn’t sure why. Did that make him a bad person? A horrible husband? Was he being disloyal to the memory of his late wife and stillborn son?

There was just something about Ashley that drew him to her like a moth to a porch light. Maybe it was curiosity. Or sympathy. Or some combination of the two. He was leaning more toward curiosity at the moment. There was definitely more going on with her presence in Heart Lake than she was admitting.

He sank back into his chair to surf the internet for information about her. What are you hiding, Ashley Perkins? It wasn’t hard to find her professional biography online. She was a decorated police detective, according to the first article he pulled up. Interesting. So was her partner, a guy with several more years of experience in the field. A guy who also happened to be…dead?

Johnny straightened in his chair as another piece of the puzzle fell into place for him. No wonder Ashley had a fragile edge to her. She’d done more than gotten shot in the line of duty. She’d nearly died alongside her partner, a man who’d additionally turned out to be a dirty cop.

Man, that’s rough! He slowly sat back in his chair at the realization that he and Ashley had more in common than he’d originally surmised. Tragedy had driven him from Wyoming, just like it had driven her from Dallas. With nothing more than two suitcases and the clothes on her back. She probably wasn’t half as okay as she pretended to be.

He was gladder than ever that he’d covered her first month of rent. It was anyone’s guess what shape her finances were in. He vowed on the spot to keep an eye out for her well-being now that she was living on his turf. He made it his business to look after all of his employees, and she would be no exception, but this felt different.

Though he doubted Ashley would appreciate the gesture, he shot off a quick text to the other guys on staff. Clint, Tucker, and Hawk deserved to know they were dealing with a wounded cop, one with scars on the inside and outside. Deep ones. They’d help him look after her, no questions asked. It was just the kind of men they were.

Tucker was the first to text him back: Sure thing, chief. Might not keep as close an eye on her as you will, but I’ll do my part.

Johnny’s face reddened, a little irritated that the guy was taking this as a joke.

Hawk responded next: I’ll keep a Hawk eye on her. Johnny shook his head. Yeah, they were totally messing with him. To his dismay, Clint didn’t chime in at all. He hoped it didn’t mean his brother-in-law was angry with him. Clint was a level-headed cowboy and didn’t normally jump to conclusions, but that didn’t make this any less awkward for the two of them. My fault. He’d speak to Clint alone at the next available opportunity to clear the air between them. He wished he’d thought of speaking to him before sending out the group text.

Even though it was Saturday, he shot off a text to one of the partners at Lonestar Security next.

Got a minute to talk?

Josh Hawling’s response came in seconds.

Yep. Can you meet me at the office in thirty minutes?

Johnny stared at the message. He’d been hoping for a phone call with Josh, since he happened to be one of his oldest friends. Meeting at Lonestar’s headquarters, instead, was unexpected. On the weekend, no less! However, he reported to Josh and not the other way around. If he preferred to meet face-to-face, then that’s what they’d do.

He glanced at his watch, noting it was roughly an hour shy of lunch time. He had the time to spare, so he texted back a thumbs up and headed to the garage. His new black Jeep was parked there alongside his much older, rustier work truck. One was primarily for his PI work. The other was reserved for chores around the dairy farm.

He was soon bumping down the gravel driveway in his Jeep toward the highway. As he drove, he wondered if the reason they were meeting at the office was because something was brewing with Josh.

He pulled into the parking garage and waved at the gate guard. Less than a minute later, he lightly tapped on the open door of Josh’s office. He found his friend hunkered down behind his desk, looking engrossed in whatever was pulled up on his computer screen.

Josh glanced up at the sound, and a lopsided smile stretched across his rugged features. “Come in!” The light in his eyes dimmed a little as he read the misery on Johnny’s face. He silently pointed at the pair of chairs in front of his desk. Then he stood and moved across the room to shut the door.

He returned and took the seat beside Johnny. “Start talking.”

So Johnny did. He told him about the wounded cop he’d unexpectedly hired this morning and what he’d found online about her former partner.

“That’s unfortunate.” Josh’s dark eyes had taken on a shrewd gleam that made little sense. “Sounds like you did the right thing in hiring her.”

“Did I?” Johnny spread his hands. “I think about her too much, Josh, and that bothers me.”

Josh grew still. “Define too much.”

“Nearly all the time,” Johnny confessed, feeling guilty. “Go ahead.” He waved shamefacedly at his friend. “Tell me I’m an awful human being.”

“No can do.” Josh’s dark eyebrows rose. “I don’t hire awful people.”

“You know what I mean.” Johnny gritted his teeth, hating himself for being disloyal to the memory of his dead wife and son.

“I do, but falling in love again still doesn’t make you an awful person,” Josh returned mildly.

Johnny nearly shot out of his chair. “Who said anything about love? I barely know the woman!” He was aghast that his friend had so badly misunderstood the situation.

“You may have just met, but you’d like to get to know her better,” Josh retorted. “I’ve known you forever, remember? I can read you like a book, the same way you can read me.”

“She and I just met,” Johnny spluttered again, feeling his neck and face grow hot.

“Sometimes it happens that quickly.” Josh snapped his fingers.

Johnny couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “I’m not?—”

“You are.” Josh waved away his protest. “And it’s okay. That’s what you really came here to ask, isn’t it?”

“I guess, but?—”

“It’s okay,” Josh said again. “I mean it, bro. I don’t understand why God allows things to happen the way they do sometimes. I truly don’t, but I’ve learned a thing or two about His timing along the way. And this feels like His timing, so quit fighting it.”

“That’s all you’ve got?” Johnny shook his head in confusion. Quit fighting it? He’d just finished admitting that he was attracted to another woman, for pity’s sake!

“Yep.” Josh’s expression was serious. “It’s okay to move on, Johnny.”

Johnny glared at him. “What if I’m not ready?”

Josh spread his hands. “If you weren’t ready, I don’t think we would be having this conversation. You’re just gonna have to take my word for that.”

“Okay.” The heavy feeling in Johnny’s chest eased a little. “I’ll never stop loving Cassandra, though.” His voice grew fierce.

“Nope. You won’t.” Josh shook his head matter-of-factly. “But there’s room in your heart for someone else to draw alongside that big lump of pain you’ve been hanging onto. If things are meant to be between you and Ashley, she’ll help carry your load and you’ll help carry hers. It’ll make both of your loads lighter in the long run. That’s how this works.”

“I want to believe you.” Johnny scrubbed a hand over his jaw, feeling the scruff of an evening shadow forming.

“While you digest that,” Josh’s voice changed, “I have something I need to run past you.” His words grew clipped the way they always did when he was talking business.

Johnny forced himself to focus. It wasn’t easy with the muddle happening inside his head, but he’d long since learned how to compartmentalize that stuff. It was part of the job.

“The police received an anonymous tip about some danger Farmer Monty might be in,” Josh sighed. “Again.”

Wait. What? Johnny suddenly no longer had trouble focusing. “What’s going on?” Though he was still relatively new in town, he’d been in Heart Lake long enough to know that Monty Chester was one of the town’s most beloved citizens. The events he hosted on his farm were a huge hit, especially for families and children.

“According to an anonymous tipster, he may have hired a new events manager with dubious intentions toward him and his business.” Josh’s mouth twisted wryly. “Naturally, the sheriff is relying on our team to follow up on the tip to determine if there’s a reason to be concerned. Unfortunately, a lot of garbage gets called in to these tip lines.”

Johnny cleared his throat, digesting the information. “Caro Madison?” The woman was a self-absorbed flirt. He’d admit that all day long, but she didn’t strike him as dangerous.

Josh’s eyebrows rose. “Are there any other events managers at Chester Farm that I’m not aware of?”

“Nope. Just her.” Johnny shook his head. “I’ve met her multiple times. My initial assessment is that she doesn’t pose a threat to anyone.”

“Based on what?” Josh probed.

Johnny shrugged. “Gut instinct.”

“I believe you.”

“But,” Johnny said dryly.

“You know me well.” Josh’s lips twitched. “Just check out this tip for us, will you? For our firm. For Farmer Monty. For the safety of the entire town.”

“How?” Johnny wanted to make sure he understood the directive before agreeing to anything.

“Oh, come on!” Josh gave a bark of laughter. “There’s no way you don’t know why you’ve been selected for the task, and I’m not referring to the fact that Gage is on vacation. I did reach out to him, though, and he agreed you were the best person for the job during his absence.”

Gage Hefner was Johnny’s immediate supervisor, the guy who ran the PI side of their security business.

Johnny grunted in disgust. “Caro and I have never been an item if that’s the direction you thought the wind was blowing.”

Josh nodded, eyes twinkling merrily. “I believe you. As for the rest of the town…” He spread his hands, looking sly. “I think we both know there’s an entirely different rumor floating around. A rumor I think we could use to our advantage here.”

Johnny couldn’t believe his friend was asking this of him after everything they’d just finished discussing.

Josh’s expression grew resigned. “Are you gonna make me call in a favor?”

“That’s a low blow. But, yes.” Josh and the lone business partner he’d started off with, Decker Kingston, had essentially saved Johnny’s life after the twin tragedy. Their job offer had given him a much-needed reason to keep living.

“Then I’m calling in a favor.” Josh’s expression didn’t change. “After this, we’ll call us even.”

“We’ll never be even, and you know it,” Johnny grumbled. “Forget what I said about calling in a favor.” He stood, angry at his friend for asking this of him and angry at himself for agreeing to it.

“Is that a yes?” Josh stood and faced him.

Johnny nodded irritably. “Caro drove out to the farm earlier to invite me to some Valentine shindig at Chester Farm next Saturday.” He had zero interest in attending. Not that he had anything against Caro. She just wasn’t Ashley.

Josh’s grin returned. “And you said?”

“I said I’d think about it, which I have. Instead of letting her down nicely, it looks like I’ll be going after all.”

“Now we’re talking!” His employer rubbed his callused hands together in anticipation.

Johnny scowled at his movements. “Don’t expect me to act happy about toying with a woman’s feelings.”

Josh’s grin didn’t waver. “I’m one hundred percent confident in your ability to pull this off without any collateral damage.”

“Pretty sure you just insulted me.” Johnny wanted to stay mad, but he found himself trying to hold in a chuckle.

“I did not!” Josh’s expression relaxed into one of sublime innocence.

“Just for the record, I’m not half the things people around here seem to think I am.” Johnny stomped toward the door.

“Such as Heart Lake’s biggest heartthrob?” Josh called after him.

Johnny left the room, slamming the door harder than necessary.

The echo of his friend’s laughter followed him down the hallway.