“Why do you care so much?”
My back molars ground together. “I told you. It’s my job.”
“You’re dedicated. I’ll give you that,” she muttered.
“Look. I don’t want it on my conscience that Allen came up here and killed you in a rage. All I’m asking is that you take reasonable precautions. File charges so it’s on the record.”
Everly stood from her crouch. “I absolve you of any guilt if I get dead. Now, you can go on with your life in peace. It was never my goal to mess that up for you.”
She strode up the steps and through the entrance, the screen door slamming in her wake. Koda turned accusing eyes on me. I let out a growl of frustration. “That didn’t come out right.”
I started back to my truck, motioning for Koda to follow. He paused for a moment, letting out a little whine. “Koda, come.” He trotted over to me and jumped into the cab, but he wouldn’t meet my gaze.
Great, everyone was pissed at me.
7
Everly
I held out my hand with a couple of almonds. Chip grabbed them and skittered across the floor in his odd gait, taking the bounty into his new home. I’d cut a small hole in the cabinet door so he could easily get in and out. My only friend in Wolf Gap was warming to my presence. Taking nuts straight from my hand and sometimes coming out to watch me work.
I turned back to the kitchen. All of the cabinets had been painted and new hardware affixed. The oven would likely need to go in the next few months, but it was functional for now. The refrigerator was in surprisingly good shape, and after my thorough cleaning, I was no longer scared to put food inside.
My gaze traveled around the space. My couch, armchair, and coffee table fit surprisingly well. But I desperately needed chairs and a table for the back deck. I had managed to find two rocking chairs for the front porch for a steal, though.
The sound of tires on gravel had my spine stiffening. If it was Hayes again, I was going to give him a restraining order, all right—against him. I moved to the window, slipping behind the curtains I’d just hung earlier that day. One hand went to my shotgun in the safe, and the other pulled back the linen fabric just enough that I could look through.
An unfamiliar truck crested the hill and came to a stop in front of my cabin. The glare of the sun meant I couldn’t see who was behind the wheel. I lifted my shotgun so the butt rested in the crook of my shoulder, but the barrel pointed down.
A woman climbed out of the cab, petite and middle-aged with just a hint of gray weaving through her blond hair. She reached into the cab for something, and I stiffened but relaxed a fraction when I saw the covered dish.
Placing my shotgun back in the corner, I crossed to the door. As I opened it, the memories hit me with a force that nearly knocked the air out of me. The grief and panic. The sobs of relief. Her pain had been the most visceral that night, all those years ago. It had clogged the air and nearly choked me.
She must’ve read the panic on my face because Mrs. Easton upped her smile. “Hello, Everly. It’s so nice to see you.” A small chuckle escaped her. “That sounded ridiculous. I’ll just say I’m really glad to see you.”
“Hi.” It was the only word I could seem to get out.
Mrs. Easton climbed the steps and handed me the casserole dish. “I hope you eat cheese. This is my famous spinach lasagna. Even my meat-loving family can’t get enough of this recipe.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Easton.” I paused for a moment. “Hayes didn’t tell you to poison me, did he?”
She barked out a laugh. “Even if he had, I wouldn’t have listened.” She sobered. “He hasn’t given you the warmest welcome, has he?”
“He’s not offering to hold a parade.”
Her lips pursed. “I’m sorry about that. He’s…well, we’ll talk. Get that in the fridge, and let’s have a seat in those pretty rockers you have out front.”
I nodded, moving into the cabin, but Mrs. Easton didn’t follow. I caught sight of her glancing past the cabin to the house and the shed that lay beyond, pain flashing through her eyes. God, maybe everything on this property did need to be burned down. It caused hurt to so many and healing to none. I closed my eyes for the briefest of moments. I was going to change that. To make this place a haven. Then, maybe it could have a whole different effect on the people of this community.
I slipped the lasagna into the fridge and pulled out a pitcher of lemonade. Grabbing two glasses, I filled them and headed back out to the porch. I handed one to the woman who was staring out at the land around us. “Here you go, Mrs. Easton.”
“Thank you, hun. It’s Julia to my friends. Mrs. Easton was my mother-in-law.”
I nodded, unsure if that was an invitation. I certainly wasn’t her friend.
She took a sip of the lemonade. “This is delicious. Fresh-squeezed?”
“I think it always turns out better that way.”