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She studied him for a long moment and he waited her out.
Finally she gave a small nod and lifted her arms. He lifted her up and set her on her feet. She stepped back immediately with another nod. Even though he didn’t want to let her go, he did.
Every second he spent with her reminded him of the growing feelings he’d felt as a teen. A teen wondering if what he was feeling was simply friendship mixed with lust or whether it was the bigger L word.
He couldn’t lose her again. Couldn’t let her go without exploring that. If she had to disappear for her safety, he could go with her. It would be a temporary solution. A way to keep her safe until they figured out the future. Hopefully, it wouldn’t come to that.
Jetson woofed softly and Flynn looked up to spot the cat staring at them from the window. There’d always been barn cats on the ranch, and this one looked as pissed off as any he’d seen. Maybe bringing along the dog hadn’t been such a great idea.
Tessa reached into the bag she’d packed with enough food for a dozen cats and chose a jar filled with rice and cooked veggies.
From his experience, cats preferred meat, but there wasn’t a lot of that at the lodge. As a Texan, Flynn wasn’t sure how he felt about that. There was really nothing as good as a thick grilled steak.
Tessa turned to Jetson and pointed at the cat. “This is Ginger. You make sure Ginger stays inside when we open the door, okay? We don’t want to scare her away. We want to keep Ginger safe.”
The dog looked from Tessa to the cat and back, panting happily.
The name she’d chosen for her cat slammed into him and he nearly missed his cue to step through the door before Tessa closed it behind them.
She was already speaking to the cat and holding out the food. “Hi, Ginger. I’ve got food for you. And a couple of new friends. Well, you met Flynn last night, I guess. This is Jetson. He won’t hurt you.”
As she continued to talk softly, she moved to sit on the chair and put the jar of food on the floor by her feet.
Flynn struggled with his emotions. Tessa hadn’t forgotten him or his family. She’d chosen her name because of them. And she’d named this stray cat after the horse she’d ridden that day on his ranch.
He’d been so pissed when he’d first realized she was alive and hadn’t let him know. Now he was humbled by the tributes she’d paid to him and his family. He would keep her safe. No matter the cost.
The orange whirlwind bounced off every surface of the room even as she moved in closer to the food and skittered back. Jetson sat beside the door and followed every move with his gaze. Ears up and alert, he seemed to be enjoying the cat’s antics.
Finally, Ginger snagged a bite of the food and then bounced back with a hiss.
She looked from Tessa to the food to Jetson and to him. Then back to the food. No one moved, Tessa kept talking softly, and eventually the cat came back again and again.
When the jar was empty, she knocked it over with her paw and scooted under the bed that stood against the side wall. Jetson tilted his head then laid his head on his paws with a yawn.
“All the cat’s activity wear you out, buddy?” Flynn scratched the dog’s head, then he moved to fire up the pellet stove. It was freezing in the cabin.
Tessa closed up the jar and returned it to her bag. “Do you know anything about cats? How long should I wait before I feed her again?”
Flynn shrugged. “Most of the cats who lived in the barn fed themselves on mice and whatever else they could catch. I imagine her belly’s full right now. Probably stay that way for a few hours at least.”
Which meant they had a few hours to talk. Flynn knew it was going to be a difficult conversation for both of them. He put the kettle on the stove and then sat in the chair opposite Tessa at the table.
While she’d been worried about getting food for the cat back at the lodge, Flynn had raided the fridge for the two of them. Apparently Jetson would be fine until the evening, but he’d brought some of his food just in case. Sam had been in the kitchen and mentioned that Tess probably hadn’t eaten the night before because she’d planned to be back at the lodge for his welcome meal.
Flynn pulled out a container of homemade blueberry muffins. He didn’t have a clue who the baker in the group was, but they smelled delicious. He also had some cheese and fruit. Not bacon and eggs, but not a bad breakfast. With good company. “So, do you want me to start, or would you rather go first?”
Tessa frowned slightly at him. “I’d rather avoid the entire discussion, but I guess that’s not an option.”
“Not if we want you to stay at Midnight Lake. And we do.”
If she was right about the Pavics monitoring him, he’d brought danger to her door. He needed to fix it.
Chapter7
Spilling The Beans
Tessa gripped her hands in her lap and nodded, but she couldn’t make eye contact with Flynn. “I’ll go first. If I’m going to tell you, I’d rather just blurt it out.”
