29
Liv held backthe myriad of lethal responses that came to mind. They would be wasted on Zeke. In his mind, he’d communicated all he needed to in order to put her mind at ease.
She glanced up at him, noticing how he never took his eyes off the kids while Brodie emptied his quiver.
Maybe he was right. Maybe knowing Brodie was with him was all the info she needed.
One day, maybe. Not today. Today, she had needed specifics.
“How did you get him to shoot? He hasn’t been interested in any outdoor sport since—”
“Since his dad died?”
She nodded, crossing her arms. Even now, she still found it difficult to talk about Tyler’s death.
“You mentioned a foul ball before. Brodie was there?”
A piercing pain climbed up her throat, and her vision blurred. “Yes.”
Zeke’s large, warm hand slid against her lower back and his big body angled in front of her. “Liv, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have pried.”
“Zeke,” Sadie called. “Can we get Brodie’s arrows?”
He gave the girl a sharp nod and motioned them to proceed downrange.
A year or two older than her son, Sadie seemed at home on the archery field, especially with its safety rules. Impressive for one so young.
“Does she come here with you often?” Liv asked.
“With me, with Cruz, with Phin—anyone. She seems to have a sixth sense about when one of us is here.”
“I think you’re right. Thankfully, I ran into her during my search for the range.”
He gave her a sidelong glance. “I promise to be more specific next time.”
“She’s the daughter of one of your employees? Besides Clara, I mean.”
“My maintenance manager Alejandro Rios. They came with the property.”
“What do you mean ‘came with’?”
“Employing Alejandro was part of the purchase agreement for the Friary.” He looked around the property. “It wasn’t a hardship. Alejandro knows every inch of this place. If not for him and his small crew, the Friary and chapel would have fallen into disrepair years ago.”
“They live on property?”
“In one of the refurbished camp cabins.”
“This is an unusual place for a business such as yours.”
“Why’s that?”
“Charlotte or Raleigh or Wilmington seems like more profitable places to set up shop.”
“Ours is a fairly mobile business. Once we understand the job’s scope, we can plan here and execute anywhere.”
He cast her a knowing look. “If you don’t want to talk about him, just say so. No need to pull the redirect game on me.”
Liv’s gaze shifted quickly to Brodie. “I have a lot of . . . unresolved anger surrounding my husband’s death. I try not to subject people to such unpleasantness. When people ask about the incident, they typically want the gory details, not out-of-control feelings.”