Page 29 of Unexpected Danger (Mountain Justice #2)

They sat and watched the boys splash around in the water, and Yukon's continual standing in the pool and shaking out his fur before Mila spoke again.

“I understand about not having parents who are positive role models. My mom was a drug addict, and I never knew who my dad was. My grandma raised me.”

“I’m sorry. That’s tough.”

“It was. But my Grandma Nan was such a godly influence in my life. Had my mom raised me, I would not be the woman I am today.”

Londyn had never known her grandparents. She had spoken to her maternal grandmother once, but had never met her.

Mila crossed her legs at the ankles and reclined further in the chair. “So, you and Brodie have just always been good friends and had just recently dated?”

“Right. We’d recently begun dating before he proposed.” She’d fallen for him so easily, but fear, trepidation, and concerns allowed Londyn to be content with the role of being girlfriend and boyfriend, even though marriage was the next natural progression.

For a moment, Londyn was back at the park that night.

It was the same park they’d gone to for the prom all those years ago.

Perhaps that’s why Brodie had chosen it to pop the question.

A man who savored tradition, he was also predictable, which was why it still shocked her that she didn’t realize what he was planning to do.

“Brodie popped the question ten years after our prom date. I broke his heart that day.”

There was no judgment in Mila’s gaze as she asked her next question. “You left after he asked you to marry him?”

“I did. Much to my regret. I broke up with him and left town.” Should she share more with Mila? Confide in her? It did feel good to get some of it off her chest. “Just between us…”

“Of course.”

Londyn had no reason to doubt Mila’s sincerity. Unless she was like Jasmine. Which, Londyn doubted. Mila was different, and they’d connected immediately. “I think a big part of it was fear. Fear that I would be like my mom and someday break his heart. The ironic thing is, I did break his heart.”

“Like your mom?”

“She can’t stay married for anything. As a matter of fact, it’s probably only a matter of time before she tires of her current husband.”

That day was cemented in Londyn’s mind, not only with what happened with Brodie, but also what happened earlier that day.

Mom had called her to say she was divorcing her fourth husband, Lance, after seven years, the longest she’d been married to any man.

While most of Mom’s husbands entered and exited through a revolving door without much notice of Londyn, Lance had been different.

She was already an adult by the time Mom married him, yet she was the closest to him and second only to Mr. Brenneman, considering him somewhat of a father figure.

He had grown children of his own, but he always included her in any of their family activities.

That was until Mom decided she’d found someone else. Then Lance walked out of Londyn’s life as well.

“But you’re not your mom.” Mila’s words interrupted Londyn’s recollections.

“Thank you. I know, but it’s just…” How could she explain it?

That she was wary of deep emotional attachment, although she and Brodie had always shared that through their friendship and later their relationship?

Londyn had freaked out that day, to the detriment of losing Brodie’s friendship, his respect, and his family’s respect.

But Londyn knew—she just knew—that someday she’d probably be just like Mom.

Tiring of the men she’d welcomed into her life.

Casting them aside as if discarded clothes.

Initiating divorce and moving on. Never caring how it impacted her kids.

If Londyn had agreed to marry Brodie, she wouldn’t have been the wife he needed.

“Do you think there’s a chance you two would maybe someday be more than friends?”

“I don’t know. I don’t think so.” If Londyn were honest, she longed for that. She wanted to be close to Brodie again. And she prayed that if it was God's will to be more than a friend to him, that it would happen.

Xander and Kit hopped out of the pool and ate another cookie that Aileen had made before they continued running around playing cops and robbers to get dry. Yukon ran along behind them, barking.

“And then you pretend like you can’t see me,” suggested Xander. Kit did as he requested and looked from left to right and all around, even though Xander was right in front of him.

“And then I go and stand by the fence, which is the police station,” said Kit, a little blond boy with numerous freckles sprinkling over his nose and cheeks.

“And then you catch me and put me in jail.”

Kit did as Xander suggested, and Xander pretended to be arrested with his hands behind his back. “But I didn’t do it,” he said.

Londyn and Mila laughed at the excuse so often heard by law enforcement.

Kit placed Xander against the cedar fence. Xander leaned forward and peered through one of the knots that had become a hole. “Mom, who’s that guy?”

“What guy?” asked Mila. “Maybe one of our ranch hands?”

“No. It’s not a ranch hand. I don’t know who it is.”

Would Xander joke about something like this? “Xander, are you sure you see someone?” Londyn asked.

“Yes. He’s out in the field, and he’s not a ranch hand. I don’t know who he is. Why is he there, Mommy? Why does he have a glove thing on his hand? And why is he carrying a black backpack?”

Londyn’s heart raced. Surely it was just Xander's vivid imagination.

“That guy out there walking in the yard outside the fence is coming this way, Mommy.”

“That guy out there walking…” Mila’s gaze connected with Londyn’s.

Lord, please don’t let it be Dustin.

She couldn’t forgive herself if she placed Mila and the boys in danger because of her association with the man who’d made it a game to stalk her.

Yukon growled.

“We’ve got to get the boys inside.” Londyn sprang from the chair, but her feet remained planted as the fear shimmied through her. Finally, she took one step and then the other before launching into a full-out run toward the boys.

Mila opened the sliding glass door and motioned at the boys. “We need to go inside.”

“Aww, do we hafta?” Xander turned and peeked a third time through the knot. “That guy is fast. He’s almost to the fence.”

Londyn grabbed each of the boys’ hands and nearly dragged them across the yard and onto the patio just as the latch to the gate clicked.