“It’s going to be alright, Lainey,” he told her with a confidence he didn’t quite feel.
The truth was, he didn’t know exactly what they were in for. The last thing he wanted was to bring trouble back to the lodge again. They’d only just finished rebuilding from their last couple of dangerous events—the fire and Jed’s destruction.
But when someone came to him looking for help, he was never going to turn them down. That was why he and Xavier had started Warrior Peak Sanctuary in the first place—because there were so many people out there who needed some form of help.They wanted the lodge to be that place, a safe haven where those in trouble could turn to for assistance, or stay.
“You’ll get back to your family in no time,” he promised her. “We’ll bring this Granger asshole and his sons down, and he’s not going to have a chance to hurt anyone else. You hear me?”
“I hear you,” she replied, and she grinned at him. “Maybe I can introduce you to my kids when all of this is over, huh?”
“Maybe you can,” he replied, smiling back at her. He liked that thought. Just because they had both moved on with their lives didn’t mean that their friendship couldn’t be rekindled. They had been through so much together back in the day. And he’d love for her to meet the others and see the lodge, too.
But right now, he couldn’t focus too much on the future. No, he had to think about what was right in front of him, and that was making sure that they did whatever they could to protect her and shut down this crime ring.
Because he would be damned if he let someone else get hurt. He’d seen enough of that the last year or so, and if it was in his power to do something about it, then he definitely would.
Even if going after someone like Victor Granger, someone with the power to scare off the biggest agencies, was probably going to put one hell of a target on his back.
Chapter Six
Sarah closed her office door and turned to walk the short distance to her cabin, inhaling the fragrance of Hannah’s peonies on the pathway. Today had been a good day.
A much better day than the one before, anyway. She’d had another session with Toby this afternoon, and though she had initially been a little worried about how it was going to go, it had been far easier than she had imagined. He had been willing to work with her, willing to hear her out, and the two of them actually seemed to get along better than they had before. Like he could see her vulnerabilities now, and had connected to them in some ways, especially after everything he had been through.
Yesterday had been nothing more than an off day, and she was more than happy to leave it behind her for good. On a day like today, it was hard to be in anything but a good mood, with the way the sun was shining down above her. Summer was always the best time of year—the bright days, the long evenings, where you could sit around and talk late into the night without getting too chilly. And, after the year they’d had, they deserved a chance to really kick back and unwind.
She looked up and caught sight of Lawson standing outside the front of the lodge, frowning down at his phone. She could tell even from where she stood that he looked tired. She hoped he hadn’t been worrying about her, given how much better she was already doing. She hadn’t had a chance to talk to him again since the morning before, when Toby had stormed out of her office upset.
She changed direction and headed over to speak to him, and he tucked away his phone when she approached and met her gaze. She could see dark rings under his eyes, and wondered if he had gotten any sleep last night. She hoped there was nothing going on with the lodge, nothing dangerous…
“Everything okay?” she asked him.
He nodded. “Fine,” he replied, his voice a little more curt than she was used to.
She blinked at him in surprise. “I just wanted to tell you I’m feeling so much better,” she said, gushing to him. “I had another session with Toby today, and it went really well—”
“I think it’d be good for you to take a break.”
She stopped dead in her tracks.
“Wh-what?” she stuttered. “What are you talking about? I just told you I’m fine.”
“I still think you could do with some time away from the lodge,” he replied. “Let me get you an apartment in town. And a therapist. Somewhere you can really unwind after everything that happened.”
She parted her lips in surprise. What was he talking about? First, he had just been suggesting a break, not moving out of the lodge, but now…
“It would do you good, having a quiet place where you could work through your trauma,” he continued.
“Trauma?” she asked. “Who said anything about trauma? I’ve just been having a hard time lately, that’s all—”
“Sarah, you know I only want what’s best for you. You may not see—or want to see—it as trauma, but that’s exactly what Jed did. He terrorized you in your own safe space. It’s normal for you to feel uneasy after that. Anyone would. You’re a therapist, you know this,” he told her firmly, his eyes locking on to hers with a serious expression.
She had no idea what to say. She was completely caught off-guard, and didn’t know how to navigate this conversation he’d sprung on her. She’d been so happy with her progress earlier today and wanted to share it with Lawson. Now, he was trying to get rid of her. But why?
“You’re just trying to get rid of me,” she retorted, practically daring him to argue with her.
He sighed. “That’s not what I’m trying to do. I just want you to be safe.”
“And I’m safe here!” she protested. “Unless—unless there’s something you’re not telling me about?”
