Page 32 of Beneath Still Waters

“Well, then when I go back into the pharmacy to get more of those vitamins the chef is always telling me I should take, I’ll tell Evan you’ll be heading back to Cody soon and he won’t have to worry about prescriptions you need to pick up. Then he’ll stop worrying and you won’t have to do that along with everything else.”

Ferd turned around in her seat and reached for Anna’s hand. “Don’t lie for me. I’d never ask you to do that. I’ll be here for a while after that boat cut my leg up. It was really close tothe bullet wound and all the strength I’d gained back literally vanished overnight. The nightmares started back up too.”

Anna tightened her grip for a second. “Are you sure it’s a good idea to be helping with this case if you should be resting? And maybe you should see Brendon here at Wayside instead of that counselor in town? She doesn’t seem to be helping you.” With her hand, Anna covered the tattoo she’d been forced to get as a trafficking victim. “I’m just saying. Couldn’t hurt.”

Anna cared. No question about it. “I’m being careful,Mom.”

Anna laughed and fell backward onto the bed. “I get it. I’ll quit nagging.”

“No, you won’t. Don’t ever stop being you.”

An hour later, after Anna had gone to her own cabin all the way back at Wayside, someone knocked on her door. She looked through the peephole. Connor stood outside, his cowboy hat in his hand, the porch light shining against his dark hair.

She opened the door a foot. “Connor? It’s late. Is something wrong?”

He glanced away. “Can I come inside?”

“Sure.” She opened her door wide enough to let him in.

Connor headed for her living room and sat down, tossing his hat next to him on the sofa. “How are you doing? I haven’t seen you in a few days.”

She sat in her recliner and tucked her feet under her. “Fine. Tired. Why?”

“You’ve been really closed off to me since you came back here. I can feel it. So can Lacy. She wanted me to make sure I hadn’t done anything. She’s been under a lot of stress lately.”

“You still trying to have a baby?” She grabbed a water bottle from earlier and took a sip. The water slipped down her parched throat.

“Nice evade. No, we’re actually not. Lacy tried for the last few years but about six months ago, we decided it was too stressful.We might not ever be able to. Sad. Because she’d make a good mom. Now, can you answer what I actually asked you?”

I don’t want him to be angry with me.“I just had a lot going on when I left here and back in Cody. Maybe I’m not handling it well. Sorry.”

He stiffened. “You don’t even sound like yourself anymore. You act like I didn’t know you for three years before you went off for training. I’m your brother, will you please let me back in? I don’t know what I did to hurt you, but I’m sorry.”

She shrugged. Now was not the time to bring up all the pain. Connor needed it even less than she did. “It’s not you. People change in their twenties. It’s not strange.”

“I need you to say I didn’t do anything wrong. If you can’t, then I’ll know I did.” He stared directly at her.

Why did that look make her want to squirm in her seat? Having a brother who would protect her from anything the world could throw at her was great until she’d gone through a situation where she’d needed him and couldn’t call. She should’ve known better than to fall for a guy who seemed perfect. No one was perfect.

“Ferd . . . What happened?” His tone softened. His eyes pled with her to trust him. “Please. Talk to me.”

Tears burned. The scent of lake water filled her nose, and she set down the water bottle a little too hard, splashing it on her table. “I can’t talk about it. You didn’t do anything other than insinuate that I needed to work here if I was going to stay. Maybe I read you wrong, but that’s the impression I got.” Not what was really wrong, but something she could say that wasn’t a lie.

He dropped his head slightly. “I thought I was someone you could come to. You lost that when you left the dude ranch up north. I know the guy who owned it was like an uncle to you. It’s probably too late for you to just believe me, but I never meant to make you feel that way. Your being here is enough. You don’thave to have a job at Wayside to live here. You’re a Kincade and you always will be, even if you get married. We aren’t half anything. I’m your brother. Period. You will always belong here.”

Her chest tightened. For the second time in a few hours, tears spilled down her cheeks, wetting her t-shirt. She bit the inside of her cheeks to stop.

“Thank you. I don’t honestly know what I’ll do. I have to go back to Cody next week for a meeting. I got the email twenty minutes ago. I’m not sure what I’ll do. At least I don’t have to worry about Wayside.”

“I know how you feel about what we do here. I also know it can take a lot out of everyone who works here. The offer stands. If you need to talk to Brendon, we’ll get you on his schedule.”

Two people suggesting him so close together? Was this a God thing? Especially when she was so emotional. “Sure. It can’t hurt.”

TWENTY-SEVEN

The following morning, Ferd answered her door in her running shorts and tank top, ready to go for an early morning jog. Her sore muscles needed a stretch after so much time in the car the day before.

Duke handed her a mug of coffee. “Caramel latte, extra whip.”