Page 24 of Unexpected Danger (Mountain Justice #2)

Brodie unlocked the back door of the five-by-ten enclosed cargo trailer after he and Roarke unloaded Londyn’s suitcase from the SUV.

He expected to find some of the items damaged when the trailer rolled.

Sure enough, the microwave suffered dents and scratches and came to a rest on the floor of the trailer.

But beyond that, everything else seemed to be in acceptable condition.

“Did you find the guy who ran her off the road?” asked Roarke.

“Not yet. And not only did he try to run her off the road, but he also assaulted her in the hospital.” How many times, just in the last couple of hours, had Brodie thanked the Lord for keeping Londyn safe? What if Haack had been successful in strangling her? Or when he ran her off the road?

“Are you okay with her being back?”

Brodie hefted one of the boxes. “Yes.”

“I’m sure you still have feelings for her.” Only with Roarke could Brodie talk about such intimate topics.

“I do. When I saw her in the vehicle after the accident, I thought I’d lost her for sure.” He heard the emotion in his voice and cleared his throat. No sense in having Roarke think he was going soft.

Brodie peered in the direction of the house. He could hear Xander laughing and Yukon’s intermittent barks. “This guy is relentless. Londyn told me the entire story on the way home. He wanted to date her, and apparently, she refused to be anything beyond friends.

“Sounds like he’s manipulative.”

“To say the least.” Brodie pushed aside the thoughts that maybe she had rejected Haack’s advancements because she still cared for him.

Roarke gripped his shoulder. “We’ll catch him.”

That was one thing Brodie appreciated about his brother. While not in law enforcement, he knew no matter the stakes, Roarke had his back.

“She’s where she needs to be, even if I am irritated with her for what she did to you.”

Brodie appreciated Roarke’s loyalty. “I just hope I can keep her safe. Not sure if I could handle losing her again.”

“I understand,” said Roarke. And Brodie knew Roarke did understand because he’d nearly lost Mila to nefarious individuals set on punishing her for witnessing a crime.

Brodie and Mom sat at the table that evening. Brodie drained his decaf coffee and stood to put the mug in the sink when Londyn hobbled up the stairs. Her glossy brown hair stuck at odd angles, partly due to the bandage on her head. Deep bruising enhanced the exhaustion that lined her features.

The accident could have been so much worse. At least Londyn would be at the ranch where she would be under Mom’s care, and if necessary, Mila’s. It helped that Mila was a trained nurse.

Brodie pulled out a chair, and Londyn took a seat at the table. Mom reached over and squeezed Londyn’s hand. “I'm going to go ahead and go to bed now, but if you need anything, please let me know, and as always, help yourself to anything you need.”

Emotion stirred in Londyn's eyes. “Thank you Aileen, I will. And thank you for allowing me to stay here.”

“Stay as long as you need. We're glad you're back.”

Londyn whispered, “I'm sorry,” before the glint of tears shone on her lashes.

Mom slung an arm around Londyn's shoulder. “No worries at all. I'll see you in the morning.”

Brodie and Londyn sat at the table in silence for a few minutes. Did she feel the magnitude of the thickness of the unspoken words between them just as he did?

“Care to go out on the porch? It's a nice evening.”

“Sure.”

At some point, they would need to tackle the elephant in the room.

Brodie figured tonight wasn't that night.

They stepped outside in the cool, crisp evening air.

The wide covered porch had always been one of Brodie's favorite places at the ranch.

He offered his arm, and Londyn stuck her hand through it and hobbled outside with him, where they took a seat on the porch bench.

Stars glittered overhead in the clear night, such a change from the previous night's storm. The porch light cast a soft glow on Londyn's face. Even with the bandage and the bruising, she was beautiful. But the injuries broke his heart. Why would anyone want to hurt her?

During their dating days, she would rest her head on his shoulder, and he would tug her close, brushing a kiss across her forehead, her nose, and finally her full lips.

Brodie instinctively reached for her hand, then pulled away.

She'd made her feelings clear the day she left.

There was no sense in tormenting himself with another round of rejection.

So instead, he clasped his hands in his lap and stared out over the immediate driveway and front yard.

To the right was the bench that he, Roarke, and Grayson had constructed on a piece of concrete in honor of Danny's memory.

Mom had planted several pots of flowers to stick on either side.

“I think often about Danny,” said Londyn.

“Yeah, me too. There are days when I can't believe he's gone. It was always the four of us.”

Londyn nodded. She would know exactly what he was talking about because she'd been there for much of those growing-up days. He turned to face her, and the wind had blown some of her hair across her cheek. He instinctively reached over and gently tucked it behind her ear. Her nearness brought about a copious amount of thoughts and emotions. He wanted to lace his fingers through hers, tell her they could get through whatever it was that had come between them. That if she only wanted friendship for the rest of their lives, he’d be okay with that.

Only he wasn’t.

Pain squeezed his heart, even as it pounded heavily in his chest as he sat beside her, their upper arms touching.

He held her gaze for a moment, searching her face, searching her heart, searching her thoughts. Yeah, Roarke would tell him he was a romantic sap, but what he wouldn't give to know why she left the way she had.

But he may never know, and for now, he’d be content spending time with her, even in silence.