Page 28 of Keel

“I will.” He had to be. He didn’t want to screw her over. She didn’t deserve his bullshit. Soon, he would tell her that he wasn’t good for her. By then, she would know more about her money situation and where she could afford to live. She would be okay and eventually be thankful they didn’t get deeply involved.

Frankie could tell that Ansley had taken off faster than she could walk, then slowed. She felt bad about making the woman slow down. “You don’t have to stay back here with me. I know I’m not going fast.”

Ansley chuckled. “It’s actually good for me to not go so fast. I had a leg injury, and it has been bugging me. It’s why I’m not running.”

“Oh.”

“I was in the Marines. It’s how I met Link.”

“Is he a Marine?”

She shook her head. “No, he’s in the Army. We just crossed paths. Actually, he saved my life.”

“Wow.”

“Yeah. He’s a good guy. Actually, all of them are.”

“All?” Frankie had no idea who Ansley was talking about.

“Link works with a group of guys. It’s more than just a typical military unit. His friends are people he can trust, like deep trust. There’s Keel, of course, then there’s Chase, Bean, Stanley, Mick, and Scott.”

She nodded, unsure what to do with the information. Forest’s friends had been abusive, so she didn’t trust guys in general.

“They are all good guys. Mainly because they’ve seen so much. I mean, they aren’t perfect. Last night Link didn’t want to grab his clothes for the washer and took an attitude, so I told him to get his shit together. He apologized, and then after he put his clothes in the laundry room, we talked. He was upset about something from work, and he made a mistake. We talked it out, and it was good. Just saying they make mistakes, but they own them.”

“That’s…odd. No, wild.”

“Yeah. I’ve never been with a guy who takes accountability for things he does wrong. I mean, I’m not perfect either. We argue like all couples, but we forgive each other.”

“I’ve never been in a relationship like that.”

Ansley chuckled. “Neither had I until Link.”

The guys shouted behind them that they were coming up to them. Then they raced around as they continued on their path.

“They’re fast.”

“They are. They’re fit. It goes with their job in the Army. They kind of have to be.”

Frankie looked around, checking the parking lot for any sign of Forest. He shouldn’t know where she was. There weren’t any real clues. She guessed that if he searched, he might tie Keel to Link and then trace him back here, but it would be difficult. Honestly, she was relieved Keel didn’t own the unit next to her grandmother’s place. It was one more layer of protection for her against Forest finding her.

“Friday, tomorrow, Garnet and I are getting together for a movie night. Garnet is dating Bean, one of the other guys. Want to come?”

Frankie wasn’t sure why this woman was being so nice, but it felt good to have a friend. Forest had made sure she had no friends. When he was in a mood, she would go months without talking to anyone other than him. Even if they were at a party, he made her stand next to him and wouldn’t allow her to speak. It was weird to think about joining regular people in regular activities.

She realized she hadn’t answered and spoke fast, her words spilling out. “Sorry, yes. I think that would be good.”

Ansley flashed her a big smile. “It will be. Garnet is really nice, and we’ll have fun.”

The guys passed again, and Frankie noticed she and Ansley hadn’t even made it around the loop once. “How long do you think they’ll want to go?”

Ansley shrugged. “Who knows? We can stop at any point you want.”

“I can keep going.”

“Cool. It’s nice having someone to talk to on these walks. Garnet comes sometimes, but her schedule is a little more demanding than mine.”

“Oh, what do you do for work?”