“I’m okay. Just tired.”
“Why don’t you pack a bag? You can’t stay here. I want to take you to the ranch.”
Those eyes lit up a little. “Really?”
“Is that okay?”
She nodded with more energy. “Let me get my stuff.”
A few minutes later, they were headed out to Tanner’s SUV. “I’ll just bring you in to work later. Is that okay? Then you can get your car. I know the drive will be a hassle, but I don’t want you staying in town on your own.”
“That’s fine.”
He opened the door for her, then went around and got in himself, starting the vehicle and pulling away.
He kept glancing over at her as he drove, waiting for some sort of outburst from her. But she actually looked a little happy.
“Why do you keep looking at me like that?” she asked when they were about ten minutes outside town.
“Occupational hazard, I guess. Just want to make sure you’re all right. I wouldn’t blame you if you were upset. Hell, I convinced you to move to Risk Peak because it was supposed to be asafe place. And now this happens.”
She actually smiled at him. “I was most concerned the dead person was someone we knew. When you told me it wasn’t, that was a huge relief. Plus, now I get to stay at the ranch. I’ll get to see Star every day rather than having to wait five more weeks.”
He couldn’t help but smile back at her. That was Bree, wasn’t it? She never quite reacted the way people would expect someone to.
It was one of the many reasons he was falling in love with her.
But then the smile fell off her face. “That’s wrong, isn’t it? How I’m feeling. I should be upset that someone is dead.”
“Believe me, you not being hysterical is helpful in this situation.”
She turned to look out the window and was silent for a long while. “But it’s not normal. Once I found out it wasn’t anyone we knew, I didn’t really care that there was a dead body in my backyard. It was more stressful that there were so many people at the house than anything else. And it can’t be normal that I care more about getting to the ranch and seeing a dog.”
He grabbed her hands she was twisting in her lap. “Bree—”
She turned to him, face distraught. “I don’t have correct emotions, Tanner. I’m broken.”
He flipped on his hazard lights and pulled the SUV over to the side of the road, then turned to her, cupping her cheeks with both hands.
“I don’t ever want to hear you say that again. Your emotions are just fine. Just because you’re not hysterical doesn’t mean you’re broken. Never feel bad for how your brilliant mind fortifies you so you can survive.”
“But—”
“No buts.” He reached between them and kissed her briefly. “You survived what would’ve broken most people. And you’re amazing just the way you are.”
He wasn’t sure if she believed him, but he meant every word. He waited until she finally nodded before releasing her and pulling back on the road again.
It wasn’t long before they were arriving at the ranch. He grabbed her overnight bag, and they walked inside.
“We both need to get a few hours’ sleep,” he said. “I’ll take the couch and you can have the bed.”
She walked toward the bedroom but turned at the door. “Come with me. Just to sleep together like before.” Those big green eyes studied him as she reached her hand out toward him.
There was nothing he wanted more than to curl up with her in his bed. But with his anger and frustration so close to the surface, he couldn’t discount the fact that he might wake up swinging. The thought of Bree being the recipient of his night terrors made him break out into a cold sweat.
“Never mind,” she said quickly, misreading his hesitation, hand falling back to her side. “You don’t have to.”
Damn it, he’d rather never sleep again than see that wounded look in her eyes from something he’d done.
