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STONE

“How’s that railing coming, Stone? Think it will hold up under Anson’s ego?” Ezra calls to me as I drill the last screw into the post, attaching it to the rail.

“Fuck you,” Anson grumbles, though there’s no heat in his words. “Stone, make sure it will hold Ezra’s weight. He’s put on a few pounds since he shacked up with Madison.”

“You’re jealous because my wife is an amazing cook and you’re out here eating canned beans.”

My lips twitch as they start to bicker. We’ve been replacing the deck on the back of Anson’s house for the last four days and I think the heat is baking their brains.

I wipe a bead of sweat from my brow and line up the next post. It’s almost done.

Hell, it probably would have been finished already if these two worked half as much as they argued.

They’re good guys. Anson is one scary motherfucker at times.

He turns those cold, dark eyes on you and you feel like you’re looking into the eyes of death.

But then he’ll give a half smile and the illusion is gone.

Ezra said he was a sniper for a short time before being recruited into some secret program. I don’t doubt it.

He and Ezra have become good friends as they rebuild Anson’s cabin from little more than a shack to a house that doesn’t leak.

It’s therapeutic work in an odd way, and that’s what Solace Ridge is all about.

Taking military vets like myself who’ve struggled to re-acclimate to society and bringing them here. Rebuild a cabin. Rebuild a life.

“Eat shit, Blackwood,” Ezra grumbles. “Just wait until you find a woman.”

“Not happening,” Anson replies.

“No one’s brave enough to seal that deal,” I add.

Ezra laughs. Even Anson snorts when he flips me off.

I like being around them. But watching them banter and the easy rhythm they fall into hits something sharp behind my ribs.

I had that once. Someone to give me hell but have my back in any situation.

Ryan and I were tight all through high school and our first years of service.

It didn’t matter that his family had money and mine barely had food on the table.

All that changed when he unleashed a fury I hadn’t seen coming.

Spewing years of resentment at me until it spilled over into a fist fight.

I should have seen the signs sooner. Noticed that he wasn’t happy. That something was off. But it seems I’ve developed a habit of missing important clues. People have been hurt because of it, including me.

I’m ashamed to say it took five years to pull my head out of my ass and try to contact him. Not that the timing seems to matter. Ryan is stonewalling me. Emails, calls, even handwritten letters. He’s ignoring them all. The worst part? I don’t even blame him.

“If you’re done daydreaming, Stone, let’s wrap it up for the day,” Ezra says. “Want a beer?”

“Nah. Thanks man.” I dust off my hands and stand.

One more section of rail and a few boards and this is done.

“I need to head home before it gets dark.” Giving each a nod, I gather my tools and drive the short distance down the mountain to my own cabin.

It needs as much work as Anson’s, but there’s something about being in these mountains—the peace of nature maybe—that makes me take things slower.

I park and grab my tool bags, heading around the house to the workshop out back.

It’s barely more than a shed, but since I don’t have a garage yet, it keeps my tools dry.

I put things away and throw the drill batteries on the chargers, enjoying the cool air on my overheated skin.

It doesn’t get that hot in the mountains, but the beating sun still makes it warm.

I whip my shirt over my head and wipe the sweat from my brow, then toss it over my shoulder.

Stepping out of the workshop, I take a breath of clean air and let it settle in my chest. The sun is sinking below the horizon and soon it will be fully dark, with a million stars above.

Ryan would love it. He wanted to be an astronomer as a kid, but his parents squashed the idea because it wouldn’t earn enough money.

He joined the military instead as a “fuck you” to them.

I wonder if Kendall, his baby sister, ever got out from under their thumb. She was a cute kid, born fifteen years after him. Despite the age difference, Ryan was her hero. She was glued to his side whenever we had a chance to go home.

The last time I saw her was on her eighteenth birthday.

I happen to be on leave from the SEALs and dropped by to wish her a happy birthday.

She bounced up in a little red bikini, damp from her pool party, and threw her arms around me in a bear hug.

Jesus, I nearly lost my shit. My best friend’s kid sister was all womanly curves and silky, dark hair.

Her plump tits pressed to my chest and my hands fell on her warm skin.

.. my dick filled so fast, I grew light-headed.

I couldn’t get away from her fast enough.

No way was I going to lust after my best friend’s baby sister like a creep.

But damn. That was tough. And I will deny with my dying breath the number of times I’ve thought about her since.

Thank fuck she’s far away. Hopefully tucked happily into a good life with people who love her and treat her as she deserves, instead of the cold disinterest her parents offer.

I’m so caught up in my thoughts that I don’t recognize the sound I’m hearing until I round the corner of my cabin and spot the car in my driveway. Movement on my porch catches my eye.

My breath freezes and my blood heats before my brain catches up with what I’m seeing.

Kendall Knowles is on my porch. Her arms are wrapped around her waist, and her dark hair is in a messy bun with strands falling from it.

She’s older now, obviously, but so goddamn beautiful that I can’t think.

Her hips, thighs, and tits are fuller. Perfect for my hands.

Her lower lip is between her teeth and small worry lines frame her pretty blue eyes.

The longer I look, I notice smaller details.

There’s a smudge of dirt on the cuff of her light sweater and a duffle bag at her feet.

Her shoulders are hunched, as if the weight of life is pushing them down.

She swipes a hand over her cheek, seeming to deflate where she stands, and turns away from the door.

Our eyes meet.

“Stone,” she whispers, the light of hope dawning on her face. She says my name like it’s a lifeline.

Ryan’s little sister is standing on my porch, looking like a fallen goddess in desperate need of help.

I don’t know what brought her here, but there’s one thing I know with bone-deep certainty—whatever it is, I’m not letting her go through it alone.

I stride across the distance separating us. “Kendall. You okay, baby girl?” The endearment slips out, but I need the reminder. I’m forty years old, and there’s more than fifteen years between us. She’s way too young for me. And Ryan’s sister.

On the night of our rift, he made me swear I’d leave him and his family alone. Acting on this insane attraction I’m feeling would ruin any chance I have of restoring our friendship.

But there’s no way in hell I’ll turn her away if she needs me.

Kendall throws herself into my arms and holds me tight.

“Oh my God, Stone. I’m so happy you’re home.

I know you barely know me and I’m the last person you expected to see here, but I didn’t know where else to turn.

My parents won’t help, and Ryan isn’t answering his phone, and I don’t know what to do, but I couldn’t stay there.

” Her words rush out in a long stream against my chest.

Fuck, I’m achingly aware of how close her mouth is to my bare skin. Every breath is laced with the sweet scent of peach. She smells good enough to eat, which sends my thoughts down a dirty path and floods my brain with images of her writhing on my tongue. This is not the time, asshole.

She tilts her chin up, slaying me with the worry etched in her features. “I hope it’s okay that I’m here.”

“Yeah, of course it’s okay. Come inside. Tell me what’s going on.” I reach past her to open the door and guide her in with my palm on her lower back, then grab her bag and set it inside.

As soon as I close the door, I yank my shirt back on. It’s dirty and smells like sweat, but until I can grab a shower, it’ll have to do. I need every bit of separation I can get from her touch.

I’ve never reacted this way around any other woman. It makes zero sense. Shoving this wayward attraction down, I gently guide her to my small dining table to sit. “Want some tea?”

“Uh, sure. Thank you.”

I fill the kettle and set it on the stove, then grab a couple mugs and the tea Ezra’s wife, Madison, gave me as part of a welcome basket. I never thought I’d use it, but here we are.

I glance over my shoulder and see Kendall hunched in on herself again, her hands held tight in her lap.

Like she’s making herself as small as she can.

I recognize fear better than most from my time in the service, and my first instinct is to offer her comfort.

Okay, second instinct. I’m ignoring my first.

I pour up the tea, then set some milk and honey out, cataloging how she makes it.

Kendall wraps her hands around her cup as if seeking warmth and offers a tiny smile. “Thank you. You must think I’m crazy.”

“I think you’re scared. Start at the beginning. Tell me what’s wrong and how I can help.”

“It’s Ryan. He’s... spiraled in the last few years since his discharge from the Navy.

Drinking, gambling, and who knows what else.

He’s pushed everyone away.” Kendall frowns at her tea and takes a long sip.

“Now, he’s in trouble, and he dragged me into it.

” Her hands shake as she removes something from her pocket and lays it on the table.

It’s a crumpled envelope. The last letter I mailed Ryan. At the time, I thought if he didn’t respond, maybe I would quit. Some wounds aren’t meant to heal. I never expected it to bring Kendall to my door.

“That’s how I found you.”

I nod. “How did you get involved?”

Her breath hitches. “Two men came to my house on Friday looking for him. I think they’re from the mob. He owes them a lot of money, and they wanted payment. If he didn’t pay, they threatened...”

My gut clenches tight. “What did they threaten?”

“To take me as payment. It sounds crazy, right? But I believed him. He was so scary. Ryan swore he’d get the money, but he didn’t come back, and he’s not answering his phone. When the time was up, I saw the men and ran. I didn’t know where else to go.”

Her misery and fear pull at something deep in my chest. I drop to my knees and take her hands in mine. They’re soft and delicate, like her. “You did the right thing, Kendall. You’re safe. No one will hurt you here.”

A tear slips from her eye.

I cup her cheek and wipe it away with my thumb. I tamp down the rage in my gut at Ryan for putting her in danger and focus on making her feel safe.

Kendall can never be mine, but that doesn’t change anything. Right now, she’s mine to protect. And I’ll keep her safe with my dying breath.