The Baileys kept the place up, but how long had it sat empty? Was it ready for someone to seek refuge there during a storm?
Uneasiness settled in my gut. “You’re staying here?”
“Yeah. Tenor makes sure the power and water are still good. He said he was out last month after most of the snow melted and checked on everything.”
She had both vents aimed at her, but she continued to shiver. I slowed as I approached. The dirt path to the door was now mud. June was wearing strappy sandals.
I remembered when those long legs had disappeared into cowboy boots. Did she save those for the camera to keep her country persona alive?
The next strike of lightning showed me how thin her shirt was, as if I hadn’t been noticing already. Her satinyskin was covered in goose bumps, and worse, there was fear in her eyes. She wasn’t comfortable staying out here alone in a storm.
Of course she wasn’t. How much of her shivering was from being stranded in a car in a rainstorm? She’d been in the car with her sisters when her parents had crashed and died. She might be an adult, but that shit stayed with a person.
Fuck me. “Is there bedding and a TV or something?”
Her bark of laughter was full of scorn. “I’m staying away from TV and social media. I just want to crawl into bed and sleep for five days.”
“You’re only here for five days?” I could gut out that length of time.
“Uh, a little longer.” A low, growly noise filled the air. She pressed her hands to her stomach and her cheeks flushed pink. She gave me a forced smile that I hated. “Thanks for the ride.”
“Do you have food in there?”
“Um...” She studied the house. “There might be some canned food?”
Was she asking me or telling me?
“She can stay with us, Daddy,” Bethany offered.
My stomach bottomed out. No fucking way. June under my roof? The house was my safe place, the only location I could go that didn’t have memories of June.
June shot her a kind smile. “Thanks for the offer, but it’s late and I’ve intruded enough.”
She was cold and likely had no food. And she was alone when something was clearly wrong.
Stay out of it.I’d been strong for fifteen years, I couldn’t break now.
Fuck me.
Instead of pulling closer to the house and gouging the muddy land with my tire tracks, I swung around and backed up.
June whipped her head toward me. “What are you doing?”
“Like Bethany said, you can stay with us.”
“N-no. It’s fine.”
I didn’t glance over to see if she looked as alarmed as she sounded. “We have a guest room with a bed already made up and we have food.”
“Daddy stress bakes,” Hannah said proudly. “We have muffins and strudel and cookies.”
“You bake?” June asked.
I kept my gaze out the window. The brush of her astonishment licked over my damp skin. “I’ve learned a few things since you left town.”
If she heard the bitterness in my tone, she ignored it. “I bet you have.”
June
