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CHAPTER ONE

U SING A FOREARM , Tanner Patrick swiped the sweat and dirt away from his eyes. The sun had already set low in the sky, leaving everything in shadows, but the unseasonable spring heat wave remained. Starting at 6:00 a.m. and working through dinner had left him ready for a shower, something more substantial than a sandwich, and then an ice-cold beer.

With Blu at his side, his tools in a wagon, Tanner headed past the trees toward the house.

“It’s a freaking horror movie,” was whispered somewhere to his right, in his woods. After all the recent rains the honeysuckle, black locust, and ash trees made the trails nearly impenetrable.

Giving mixed signals, his German shepherd, Blu, went alert with a low growl, but at the same time swished his tail through the air.

Tanner quickly put a hand to his collar. “Shh.”

Obediently, the dog quieted, sat at attention, and perked his ears.

“It’s not that bad.”

“No, it’s worse. The house is probably rat infested. I heard rodents in the yard.”

“I think those might have been chickens.”

Tanner cocked an eyebrow. Who the hell confused chickens with rats?

“C’mon, Callie. You can’t mean to actually live here.”

“Actually, I can, because I do.”

Live here? On his property? Like hell.

“You’re always so damned stubborn.”

“And you’re being a nag. God, Glory, I didn’t even ask you to come along.”

So, Callie and… Glory? The women clearly didn’t understand how voices carried on the evening air.

“Oh, I like that. You know you wanted me here, and you know you’re being outrageous.”

The intruding voices were most definitely female, and they were getting closer.

“Ow, damn it. My shirt just caught on something.”

“Thorns, probably. Did you see the size of those things on that tree?” And then with a grumble, “I have little sticky things all over me, now.”

Probably the thorns of a honey locust tree, Tanner thought. They were so long and needle-sharp they could be weapons. As a kid he’d been wounded by them more than once. Thankfully, they weren’t as plentiful as the black locust or ash trees—though the ash trees brought problems of their own.

The little sticky things had to be burrs. Whoever had gotten into them was going to have a hell of a time getting them out of their clothes.

“It’s getting dark and we’re in the boondocks. They probably have alligators.”

“In Kentucky?”

“I expect to see some crazed person wielding a chain saw at any moment.”

Tanner glanced at the large chain saw in his wagon. An evil grin tipped the corners of his mouth and he decided, why not? He had no idea who the intruders were, but the roar of a saw ought to send them running.

“You have a wild imagination, Glory.”

“And you don’t? Come on, Callie, let’s go home.”

“No. I want to see the property, all of it. I need to know what I’m dealing with.”

“You’re dealing with a mess.”

“Agreed. Although the mess is Sutter, a wedding I don’t want, and everyone trying to tell me what I should do.”

There was a moment of silence . “Don’t you think that whole thing with Sutter could be a simple misunderstanding?”

“No.” In the driest tone he’d heard from Callie so far, she said, “I didn’t imagine seeing his dick in her hand.”

Tanner choked.

“Shh. Did you hear that?”

“I hear you trying to talk me out of moving on.”

Distracted, the one named Glory huffed. “He said it didn’t mean anything.”

“That actually makes it worse!”

That last impassioned statement gave Tanner pause. Whoever she was, apparently she’d dealt with a creep. He hoped she didn’t relent but he also hoped she moseyed off his property so he could wrap up his day.

“If you’d just talk to him—”

“I did—to tell him it was over.”

“Callie…”

“No! I’ve made up my mind—whether anyone else accepts it or not.”

Tanner had a pretty low opinion of cheaters. Far as he was concerned, people didn’t change their basic natures. So good for her—but she still had no business skulking around on his property.

“Callie,” the other woman complained. “You know what hinges on this.”

“I don’t care.”

“You’re being selfish!” Another heavy silence descended and a charge filled the air before the speaker said, more quietly, “I’m sorry, Callie, I really am, but a lot of people will be hurt by this.”

“If you’re so keen on uniting the families, why don’t you marry him?”

“Eew. No, thank you. I have no desire to pick up your leftovers, and in case I need to remind you, there are many.”

“No,” the more determined voice of Callie said, while loudly thrashing through the woods. “There are three.”

“Three?” The sound of charging feet followed a disbelieving snort. “Get real. I know you too well to buy that.”

“Apparently not as well as you think, because the number is exactly three,” Callie insisted. “Buell in high school, and that was nothing grand, believe me.”

Wait a minute. Suspicion loomed hot, bringing a scowl to Tanner’s face. There’d been a Buell in his high school, too, a major prick with more money than brains. And in fact, Buell had dated…

Sweet little Callie McCallahan, the princess of Hoker High School. Tanner could still see her in his mind, with her silky brown hair and innocent blue eyes. Given how he’d crushed on her back then, he’d probably always remember her. She’d represented everything he wasn’t. And of course, she’d never acknowledged him.

“Then there was Warren in college,” Callie continued. “But he went on that testosterone rager that scared me off guys for quite a while.”

“I remember,” Glory said quietly. “That was awful.”

Awful how? An insidious tension invaded Tanner’s muscles, making him clench all over. Had she been hurt by some dude named Warren?

Glory pressed her. “And then Sutter?”

“Yup. Sutter—who can’t keep it in his pants.”

“Seriously, that’s it? Literally, only three?”

“You say it like I’m unnatural or something.”

“Well, no, but…only three?”

“Stop carrying on, Glory. So I don’t get around nearly as often as people want to think. It’s not a big deal.”

“It is when you’re canceling all our plans.”

Blu looked at Tanner, then back at where the voices loomed ever closer. Despite his arms feeling leaden, Tanner hefted the chain saw from the wagon. It pulled at his already tired shoulders.

“I’m done with Sutter. The rest of you can do whatever you want with him.” On the heels of that statement, the woman shoved out of the thick foliage. Her long brown hair sported a few twigs, and her fancy white blouse was ripped at the shoulder over a welt. Clearly disgruntled and oblivious of her surroundings— of him —she lifted one foot, eyeing a heeled shoe totally unsuitable for where she’d been.

Ah, hell. It really was her. None other than the Callie McCallahan. The one woman who epitomized his tormented past.

A woman who, in the dark of night, still occasionally invaded his thoughts.

Physically, the past ten years had been kind to her. But based on what he’d heard, her relationships hadn’t been kind at all. Funny how he’d just caught up on her life without having to ask a single question.

Sucked that she was still so sexy, even more so with the added maturity that now curved her once-willowy figure in all the right ways. A little weight made her hips rounder, her breasts heavier, but those crazy long legs were the same. A man couldn’t help imagining them tight around his waist as he rode her hard and deep, or locked over his shoulders while he brought her to a climax with his mouth.

Damn it, she was already stirring him.

A sick sort of dread gripped his guts. He couldn’t blink. Couldn’t look away.

A second woman appeared, picking her way out of the woods more delicately.

With the devil riding him hard, and desperate to get the upper hand with her for once, Tanner gave the rip cord on the chain saw a hard tug.

The thunderous roar filled the evening air, and quickly snagged the attention of both women.

* * *

B EFORE THE UNFOLDING scene could register, Glory flattened herself to Callie’s back and let out a bloodcurdling scream that nearly froze Callie’s blood. It didn’t help that she kept on screaming.

Honestly, Callie couldn’t tell which was louder, her cousin or the tool.

It took her a startled second before she spotted the man a few yards away from them, standing in a grove of saplings. Moments ago, a sense of danger had closed in around her, as if someone or something lurked in these woods, but it was nothing compared to the suffocating future she’d left behind.

She’d escaped—that was the only way to describe how she felt.

Catching her fiancé cheating, along with the timely inheritance of a house, had been all the impetus she’d needed to grab for a different path.

This place—spooky woods and all—would be her haven for now.

The chain saw, however, was a little over-the-top. The man wielding it?

Mmm. She knew a really heinous villain could look like a nice everyday guy. But hey, she’d already decided that she would face a den of hungry lions for a week rather than a lifetime of the mediocre existence her family had laid out for her.

So what was one guy with a chain saw?

Hot, that’s what he was. Like her most forbidden fantasy…in the flesh.

Real-life men didn’t look like him, at least no man that she’d ever met. Did that make him more dangerous, or less so?

Glory gasped, “Oh my God, do you see him?”

Six feet of honed body and piercing brown eyes, staring right at her? Yup, she saw him. Her heart, already in her throat, kicked into a racing beat.

His hair, damp with sweat, curled around his ears and on his neck, somewhat showcasing those broad naked shoulders. Denim-covered legs were braced apart, with sturdy, well-worn brown work boots planted on the ground.

She forgot all about her cousin, and barely noticed the massive dog beside the man. If she was about to be murdered, well, she’d take that vision with her…

What? No, she wouldn’t die .

She hadn’t come here just to be frightened to death by some backwoods cretin, no matter how gorgeous he might be.

Irritably, she shrugged Glory off, or tried to, but her clingy cousin wasn’t going anywhere. Callie frowned at the man, then took one decisive step closer.

The dog shot to his feet, a bushy tail wagging and a look of expectation in his intelligent brown eyes. Nice dog. Much nicer than the man who continued to stare daggers at her and did nothing to silence that obnoxiously loud chain saw.

Shouting to be heard, she asked, “Would you mind?”

He merely smiled, not a pleasant smile, either. More like one that taunted.

Again, she tried to shake off Glory.

The dog’s loping approach did the trick. With one final screech, Glory raced off into the thickets, thrashing and crashing behind her.

Abandoned. Oh, well. Glory wasn’t being much help anyway. With nothing else to do, Callie knelt to greet the dog. He, at least, seemed happy to meet her. She’d always loved animals, even though she’d grown up in a pet-free home. Whenever she’d visited her friends, she’d spent time with their dogs and cats.

Animals fascinated her, entertained her and didn’t leave her blank-brained as the hot lumberjack-looking dude did.

Abruptly, the chain saw went silent.

Thank God for small favors. Her ears continued to buzz while she stroked the dog’s thick, soft fur. Show no fear, she told herself as she sensed the man’s approach. He’s probably just a neighbor. Don’t let him intimidate you.

Right. Easier said than done, especially when those big booted feet stepped directly into her line of vision. He stopped right behind the dog.

When he still said nothing, Callie slowly tracked her gaze up his body—as far as his flat, firm stomach, where she stalled. And stared, and… She might have licked her lips.

Not my fault.

She was used to precisely groomed, nearly hairless men, but there was definitely something to be said for body hair on a sturdy male form. Unlike the hair on his head, his chest hair was darker and tapered down to a silky, tantalizing line that bisected his muscular torso, framed his navel and then disappeared into low--hanging, faded jeans.

“This is awkward as shit, with you down there ogling me.”

Embarrassed and possibly a little turned on, Callie cringed at that dark, husky voice. Clearly, that was the wrong reaction, but according to her family and friends, she hadn’t had a correct reaction since cutting Sutter loose.

“Sorry.” Coming to her feet, she racked her brain for an excuse and settled on saying, “Your chain saw startled me.”

“It’s not behind my zipper.”

Her jaw dropped at the risqué comment, but then she couldn’t stop herself from laughing. “No, I’m sure it’s not.” Peering around him, she saw the tool in his large garden wagon. He was close enough now that she detected the scents of hot skin and clean male sweat. Oddly, it hit her like an aphrodisiac. All the recent changes in her life must’ve really stirred up her system. Breaking free of lifelong bonds could do that. Maybe. Seemed like a viable excuse for now.

Deciding to change the topic, she said, “I’m afraid you scared off my cousin.” She had no idea where Glory had gone, and for the moment she couldn’t worry about it. Glory was twenty-five, three years younger than Callie. Surely, she could find her way back to the house.

“I didn’t know you had a cousin.”

That odd answer took her by surprise. “No, I’m sure you didn’t.” Since they were strangers, how could he have known anything about her? After brushing her hand on her jeans to remove the dog hair, she offered it to him. “I’m Callie McCallahan. I grew up around here.”

Some emotion, maybe irritation, narrowed his eyes, making them even darker. He didn’t take her hand. “I know who you are, princess.”

Her jaw locked. That was the awful nickname given to her back when her family lived in the area. She’d always hated it, even though it hadn’t necessarily been meant as an insult. It made her sound aloof, untouchable. Unfeeling, when she’d often felt too much.

It insinuated that her mother and father were royalty, and to small-town Hoker, Kentucky, maybe they were. Her parents had either owned, or had interests in, nearly every business in town. They had the biggest house, sponsored everything from Little League to prom, and kept company with state politicians.

Until recently, they’d dictated every aspect of Callie’s life…and she’d let them.

But no more.

She’d taken a good hard look at her life, at what she wanted, and decided to use the inheritance as the start of a new beginning.

“You don’t remember me, do you?”

The question, along with the growled way he asked it, had Callie looking at him more closely. “Should I?” Surely she’d never met him. If she had, no way would she have forgotten.

His short laugh wasn’t nice. “No, no reason at all.” Abruptly shifting topics, he asked, “Why are you on my land?”

“Your land?” She glanced around at the well--maintained property. Okay, so maybe she’d wandered farther through the woods than she’d realized. “I thought this was my uncle’s property.”

“He owns exactly ten acres, some of it wooded.”

By the second, he grew less friendly, not that he’d actually been friendly at any point. Looking for an ally, she again knelt to pet the dog. “I didn’t trespass on purpose. I’m unfamiliar with the setting. I just know Uncle Reggie had some property.” Trying to ease the tension, Callie glanced up at him. His sharp gaze was so watchful, she wondered if she should have run off with Glory. “I inherited from him.”

“Good for you. So why are you here?”

Definitely antagonistic and she’d about had enough. Standing once more, she smiled at him. “Mr…?”

“Tanner.”

“Mr. Tanner—”

“Just Tanner.”

She was annoyed enough to quip, “Your name is Just?”

With a roll of his eyes, he said, “Tanner Patrick. No one calls me mister.”

“ Mr. Patrick,” she replied with scrupulously polite emphasis. “Please forgive me for daring to step onto your land. I just moved in today, but henceforth, I’ll refrain from exploring until I have property lines marked.” Giving one last pat to the dog, she turned away, all hyped up for a grand exit. “I’ll return to my own property immediately.” Now if she could figure out how to do that without venturing into the dark, spooky woods again…

In a tone only slightly moderated, he asked, “What do you mean, you moved in?”

Since he sounded more reasonable she glanced over her shoulder. Beneath the edge of her ripped blouse, she saw a deep scratch—and now that she saw it, it burned. Later, she’d worry about injuries. For now, she had to reply to Mr. Nasty. “I’ll be staying here.”

In one long stride, he brought all that bristling animosity and animal magnetism closer. “For how long?”

“I haven’t yet decided.” In truth, she thought to rehab the place and then sell it. It was the project she needed to occupy her time while she came up with a more suitable plan. But that was her secret, and she wasn’t sharing with anyone—especially not a neighbor who kept glaring at her.

“No.”

Both of her eyebrows shot up as she gave a short, incredulous laugh. “I’m sorry, Mr. Tanner, but it’s not your decision.”

“I’ve been feeding the chickens. The goats. And the horse is in my pasture.”

Chickens? Ha. At least they hadn’t been rats, as Glory had assumed. But goats? A horse? “Are you saying Uncle Reggie had…livestock?” She was not a farmer. She would never be a farmer.

“How did you get in the house without seeing the chickens?”

She hadn’t been in the house yet. With nests and webs around the porch and far too many dead bugs lying around, it had looked intimidating. She’d opted for exploring the yard first, which had led her…here. “I heard them. Clucking, I guess? I couldn’t tell where they were.”

“They’re everywhere, and if I hadn’t just fed them a few hours ago they’d have been all over you.”

“Really?” What an appalling thought. “All over me as in…attacking?”

One big, sweaty shoulder hitched. “They’re chickens.”

Whatever that meant. They couldn’t be attack chickens because she’d never heard of such a thing. “You also mentioned goats and a horse?”

“Four goats, one horse. Reggie died, no one came to tend them so I’ve been doing it.”

Finally, a redeeming quality. Two, if she counted the ultra-hot bod, though the surly attitude would detract a few points off that. Then again… Her gaze skimmed over him and damned if she didn’t feel a bit woozy.

A bead of sweat went down his temple. His brows were flat, his jaw hard, but his lips appeared soft. Really kissable.

“Whew.” She fanned her face. “Sure is hot out here. Like a damp blanket thrown over everything.” Given her over-the-top reaction to his appeal, she decided she could tolerate him if she tried really hard. “Thank you for taking care of them. No one mentioned animals, at least not that I noticed.”

“They’d have starved then, wouldn’t they, waiting on you?”

An abhorrent thought. “I’ll happily compensate you until the animals can be handled.”

Muscles flexed in his jaw, leading her to think he was grinding his teeth.

She tried again. “Tanner.” There, that was her sweetest voice. She gave an encouraging smile. “We’re neighbors now. Shouldn’t we attempt to get along?”

He took far too long thinking about it, before finally giving a tip of his head. “I offered to buy the property, several times in fact, but never heard back.”

“My bad.” She’d barely paid attention to the Realtor when he’d contacted her. “I’ve been so busy”— living a life I didn’t want —“that I’m afraid I didn’t make any final decisions until just recently.” Before that, she’d been existing in a daze. Once she realized the life that awaited her, she’d been near panicked with the need to get in her car and just start driving.

Thank heavens Sutter was unfaithful.

“You’ve decided to live here?”

She smiled, not about to admit that she was still undecided on that part. “Will that really be so difficult for you?”

“You’re going to tend chickens, goats, and a horse?”

Wrinkling her nose, she said, “I thought I was going to pay you to do that?”

The dog tipped his head in this adorably cute way that made him look super curious, then he glanced at Tanner and sort of murmur-barked-growled.

Tanner nodded and said, “Same, buddy. Same.”

The dog looked back at her.

Callie gasped. Had they—man and dog—seriously just had a conversation about her, in front of her? Sure felt that way. “Well, that was rude.” Crossing her arms and cocking out a hip, she struggled to keep her smile.

“Come again?”

She nodded at the dog, then hitched her chin at him. “What was that? That little exchange you two had?”

Amusement—at her expense—curled his mouth, turning his already-gorgeous looks downright devastating. “Blu doesn’t know what to make of you, that’s all.”

Her eyes flared. “And I suppose you don’t either? That’s what you said, right? You agreed with him. Well, at least I’ve been up-front with you.” She spread her arms wide. “You’re the one being all mean and snotty with no good reason at all.”

He gave a noncommittal snort, but he was still grinning. “You’re offended by what my dog supposedly said. You realize that, right?”

Good Lord, he was right.

She glanced at the dog. He gave her another adorable head tilt. “It’s been a long day.” She laughed at her own ridiculousness. “Clearly, I’m losing my edge.”

His humor eased away, and instead he gave her a look of commiseration.

Oh, hell no. The last thing she wanted from a man, any man, was sympathy. “Again, I apologize for my intrusion. I’ll be on my way now.” Before I make an even bigger fool of myself. She’d just turned away when he spoke again.

“It’s getting dark fast. You shouldn’t go back through the woods, especially if you’re not familiar with them.”

“Concerned I won’t find my way off your property?” Okay, that had sounded almost like a sneer. She cleared her throat. Her nature leaned toward being nice whenever possible—and she saw to it that it was almost always possible. Certainly, more often than not. “There aren’t wild boars or wolves running around, right?” And yet, she did hear a lot of rustling in the woods behind her, which reminded her of how eerie they had felt earlier. Also, yes, it had gotten rather dark.

“No wolves or boars,” he agreed. “But there are snakes, an occasional black bear, and often a pissed-off raccoon or two. The bigger problem is that the Garmet brothers are on the other side of you, and they’re assholes who are better avoided.”

As compared to you? No, she wouldn’t say that out loud. “Thank you for letting me know.” She’d make a point of finding out more about the Garmet brothers as soon as she could. For now, though… “I’m not quite sure how to get home without going back the way I came, and even then, with it now so dark, I really might get lost. In fact…” She looked around again, seeing heavy shadows everywhere. “I wonder if Glory found her way.”

“I’ll walk you to the house and we’ll see if she’s there.”

Gallantry, she decided, was another nice quality. Maybe her new neighbor would be tolerable after all.

He went back for the wagon loaded with tools. “Follow me.” And with that, he stepped ahead of her.

His dog, however, kept pace with her, continually gazing at her in a friendly way. “Your dog seems nice.”

“Blu is smart, but he’s not as astute as I am.”

Meaning what exactly? “He doesn’t bother the chickens?”

Tanner shook his head. “He understands that the chickens are here for a reason. Same with Kam’s cat.”

“Kam?”

“My brother.”

“And he has a cat?”

“Isn’t that what I just said?”

“Yes, you did.” Her feet were starting to hurt, and that spot on her shoulder stung. “Where does Kam live?”

“Here.”

“With you?” She huffed as she tried to catch up to him. Seriously, the man had very long, athletic legs and her shoes weren’t cut out for jogging.

“We both live with Addie.” He looked over his shoulder at her, and thankfully slowed down.

Once she was at his side he continued on, this time at a more sedate pace. “This was Addie’s place when we came here, but we’ve expanded a lot since then.”

When they came there? What did that mean? Sorting it all out would take her some time so for now she concentrated on the basics. “How many acres do you have?”

“Thirty.” He glanced at her. “If you sell, we’ll have forty.”

“And if I’m staying?”

“We’ll see.” He went back to walking at a clip until they reached a large barn. He slid open a huge door, flipped a few switches, and illuminated it all.

Wow. It was actually nicer than any barn she could imagine. As she followed him inside she craned her neck, looking way up at rafters sporting skylights and then all around at tidy shelves filled with pots, bags of soil and buckets, hoses… She didn’t know what half of it was.

The air smelled rich, like fresh soil, but green too, if green had a smell. Combined, it was nice. Earthy.

Sort of sexy…only because he was there, looking so hot.

She couldn’t see the very back of the barn but wondered if there might be plants there. Humid air filled her lungs. It was nice, but a little too warm.

Distracted, she asked, “Why would you even need my ten acres?”

“I don’t, but that doesn’t mean I want anyone living that close either.”

Offensive. “You think I’ll bother you?”

One brow cocked up as he eyed her standing there, in his barn, while he put the tools from the wagon on specific hooks.

“Okay, so I interrupted your day.” Whoop-de-doo. She pinned on her placating smile. “It’s my first night here. Going forward, I’ll do my best to avoid you.”

After shooting her an unreadable look, he went to a utility sink with shelving on both sides, filled his palm with liquid soap and scrubbed dirt from his hands up to his elbows.

Callie waited, but instead of drying his hands, he splashed his face, chest, and the back of his neck until his upper body glistened and rivulets of water ran down his long spine to the waistband of his low-riding jeans.

Lucky water. She wouldn’t mind tracing her fingers along that same path. Or maybe her lips. Her tongue…

“You’re a complication.”

Drawn from her sensual thoughts, she startled. Never in her life had anyone insulted her, much less repeatedly done so. “What does that mean?”

When he finished drying off, he braced his hands on the sink. Shoulders rigid and arms straight, he hung his head.

Callie looked at the dog, who tilted his head and looked back without any answers. For the first time, she saw the exhaustion in Tanner’s strong body. He’d washed off the sweat and dirt, but his muscles were still pumped as if they’d recently been strained in hard labor. It was late, and she wondered how long he’d been working and on what. After ten or more seconds had ticked by in silence, she said, “So, Tanner. Everything okay?”

“Fine.” Straightening again, he gave her a long look, and then strode past her, leaving the wagon behind. “Come on.”

They set out again, this time on a dirt path lined by beautiful trees. In the distance ahead, Callie could see a light shining off the back of a big farmhouse.

“Is that where you live?”

“Nah, I figured we’d visit the Pope.”

Okay, that did it. If he wanted to be a smart-ass, then she’d just ignore him. Sooner or later they’d near the road and she could cut over to her own property. Would Glory still be around? She’d have to be, since Callie had driven and she had her key fob hooked to a belt loop.

Unless Glory had gotten lost. Uneasily, Callie glanced behind her. It was dark enough now that it felt like she walked through a tunnel. She dug her cell phone from her back pocket and called Glory.

Her cousin answered on the first ring with a screechy, “Oh-my-freaking God, where are you?”

“I’m on my way,” Callie soothed. “Just following my neighbor, Tanner Patrick—the dude with the chain saw—to his house, then I’ll cut over.”

In a horrified whisper, Glory breathed, “You’re going with chain saw dude to his house? Are you out of your freaking mind? ”

Probably. “He’s fine,” she said airily, knowing Tanner listened. She saw his naked shoulders stiffen and basked in her satisfaction. “He’s in a mood, you know? Pouty and stuff.”

Now his neck stiffened, too.

“His dog is nice, though.” At the word dog , Blu glanced at her, then scooted closer and tipped up his face for a pet.

“I thought you were dead, Callie, but I wasn’t sure, so I didn’t know if I should call the police or not.”

Callie missed a step. “I’m very much alive, thank you, so I’m glad you did not call anyone.” Please, please, please…

“Well… I sort of did.”

Damn.

“Call someone, I mean,” Glory said unnecessarily.

Callie barely held off her huff. “Who?”

“Now Callie, don’t sound like that. I was worried.”

Her jaw locked. “Who. Did you. Call?”

Talking fast, Glory said, “I knew you wouldn’t want your parents to know if you were being murdered, and I wasn’t sure it warranted the police, so I called Sutter.”

That did it. She stopped walking. Stopped breathing. Steam built inside her, until she blasted, “You are no longer my cousin.”

“I’m sorry! If it helps, he didn’t answer, so I only left him a message.”

“Call him back,” Callie demanded. “Tell him you were oh-so-wrong, and make it convincing.”

“I will. I promise.” There was a pause and then in a smaller voice, “Your house is locked and the car is locked and there aren’t any lights on over here. I’m starting to freak out.”

Yeah, she could imagine. God, if she didn’t love her cousin so much, if she didn’t understand everything Glory had been put through, Callie might just tell her to deal with it. Instead, she said, “Hang tight. I’ll be there as soon as I can.” After disconnecting, she shoved her phone back in her pocket and realized she’d forgotten all about Tanner.

He stood there, his gaze watchful. Blu studied her once again.

Lacing her fingers together, Callie said, “Glory made it. She’s at the house but everything is still locked up, so I need to get to her.”

“You haven’t been inside yet?”

Why did he say it like that, with an expectant glint in his eyes? “No. I wanted to explore the property first.” It was possible she’d need to scrape the house and build from the basement up before she could sell it. If property in this area was even selling. Ten acres was valuable where she used to live, but here? Seemed everyone had a spot of land, at least three acres or more.

He shook his head, then said, “Come on. I’ll grab a flashlight and walk you over.”

They reached his house quickly. It was surprisingly nice—surprising only because the house she’d inherited was so run-down. This house was not. In fact, it was beautiful. Lights glowed all around it, making the white board-and-batten siding look pristine, especially with the black roof.

“Charming.”

He grunted.

What kind of reply was a grunt?

Rather than allow Tanner to continue ignoring her, she started to whistle while attempting to orient herself. Her whistle echoed.

Well, that was creepy. Heavy shadows loomed everywhere, and the night felt far too still, as if even the insects were alarmed.

All she saw around the house was woods, and her sense of direction sucked big-time, but she was fairly certain she just had to go straight ahead to the road, and then to the right. The next house she ran into had to be her own.

With that decided, she made a decision to get on with it. “Tell you what, Grumpy. I’ll just bid you good-night here and figure out the rest on my own. Thanks for getting me this far. It’s been…interesting.” Using the flashlight on her phone to guide her, she started forward—into that stygian gloom.

“Hold up.”

Losing her patience, Callie spun around. “Not another warning, please. I’m over that. The entire day has gone to hell and I really want to find a bed.”

From somewhere behind Tanner, she heard, “I’ve got a bed.”

She jumped, Tanner huffed out a breath, and out of the darkness emerged another man, also gorgeous, grinning like the devil with keys dangling from his hand.

Tanner looked at the guy, then said in a too-even voice, “Go on in, Kam. I’ve got this.”

Kam, his brother? Apparently, given how Blu darted forward, his tail waving happily.

More lights came on, almost blinding Callie. She lifted a hand to shield her eyes as a side door opened near the garage. There stood an older woman, probably somewhere in her sixties. Shoulder-length blond hair streaked with gray was tucked behind her ears. Shrewd blue eyes assessed the scene and then snagged on Callie. With her hands in the pockets of a soft pink sweater worn over jeans and slippers, she stepped out. “I thought you boys were past the age of sneaking in girls.”

“Don’t blame me,” Kam said. “I just got home.”

“I found her in the woods,” Tanner explained. “She’s lost.”

“Doesn’t mean you can keep her.” Just as quickly, the woman dropped the attitude. Her grin lifted her rosy cheeks and softened her gaze. “Hello, pretty lady. I’m Addie. What were you doing in the woods?”

Callie took in the three of them standing there as a united front. Even the dog was on their side now.

She should have been disgruntled. Her feet hurt, the scratch on her shoulder burned, and she was starting to think her uncle’s house would be a very rude surprise once she got inside.

Luckily for her, the humor of the situation hit and she matched Addie’s grin.

Ignoring both men, she stepped forward, hand extended. “Hello, Addie. I’m Callie McCallahan. I’m going to be your new neighbor.”