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“You said you’re with Jaren’s brother?”
Amusement blossomed on Ari’s face. “That’s right. I wasn’t going to bring up this”—she waved a hand between them—“but it’s too obvious to ignore, isn’t it? The brothers must have the same ‘type’ they’re attracted to.”
It was true—she and Ari shared similarities, from their coloring to their height.
After examining each other for a moment, Trinny gave a nervous laugh. “Jaren is my bodyguard, though.”
Ari dropped her a wink. “I said the same.”
Shocked, she reached for the lip balm just to busy her hands and dashed the honey and cream potion across her lips.
Ari pushed to her feet. “I’ll leave you to finish getting ready. I’m going to help the guys with the food.” She hurried to the door.
“Ari,” she called before the woman stepped out.
She swung back.
“Thank you.”
Her smile bloomed, as warm and genuine as before. “Of course. It’s what we do.”
With that, Trinny was alone, standing there still gripping the lip balm. She looked down at the object, reading the familiar label. So much kindness. She couldn’t wrap her head around it. Ari didn’t have to bring her clothes and lip balm. So why did she?
Ari’s compassion put her more at ease, but she still didn’t know how to behave or what was expected of her.
Damn her mother. This was all her fault. She’d pushed Trinny from a young age to be everything but what she was. Because of that, she found conversations difficult and social activities impossible.
Now she was roped into a gathering with strangers who knew all about her while she knew nothing about them.
With her nerves bouncing, she finished getting ready and walked out into the front room. A warm, pine-scented breezed stirred her hair. When she spun around, she spotted the open doors inviting people to the deck. Voices projected to her, low tones that grew louder with every step she took.
She paused for a beat, listening for her name on the speakers’ lips. Back before she cut ties with her so-called friends, she caught them talking about her several times.
A deep chuckle reached her ears.
Jaren.
Her pulse hitched then resumed at a faster pace. She didn’t even need to step outside to know he wore that crooked smile and his eyes were creased at the corners.
“Sounds like our little brother’s finding enough trouble for all five of us,” he drawled.
Relief swept over her along with a trickle of guilt at thinking he would be talking about her behind her back. She hated struggling with this paranoia—it was making her crazy.
Drawing in a deep breath, she stepped around the open wall partition and onto the deck. Everyone looked up at her—Jaren, his brother Judd and Ari too. The trio gave her welcoming smiles, and Jaren came toward her.
“Join us. What can I get you to drink?” He gave a little twitch of his chin toward a cooler positioned in the shade.
But her attention was directed away from even that sexy alpha gesture in favor of the scenery. With a gasp, she drifted to the railing, her stare roaming from the trees to the mountain.
So wild. So rugged.
So free.
Maybe shehadmade the right choice to stay in Stone Pass. She was safe. No one was harassing her for money she didn’t want to give them.
She had a lot to be thankful for, such as this beautiful view and a few creature comforts and human kindnesses she wasn’t expecting.
A big hand came down on the rail beside hers. Jaren’s pinky finger brushed her own, and she looked up into the depths of his eyes.
