Chapter 7

CHAPTERSEVEN

The rest of the week went by smoothly and before Henley knew it, it was Saturday. She and Jasna had packed a bag and were excited to spend the night at The Refuge. Jasna had been bouncing off the walls, more hyper than Henley had seen her in a long time, so after a quick stop at her office in town, they’d headed out to The Refuge earlier than planned.

Henley’d had a brief chat with Mike about a few of their clients. He frequently spent a few hours in his office on Saturday mornings, so it was a good time to bounce ideas off of him and get his advice on how best to help those who were struggling most. She was grateful for how supportive her boss was of her work out at The Refuge, as well. She was truly blessed to have a job she loved so much.

Mike had brought up Christian Dekker again, once more warning Henley to be aware of her surroundings at all times. He admitted that he had no idea how viable the threat against them was, but it would be careless to dismiss the concerns of the boy’s mom.

Henley couldn’t imagine how awful Mrs. Dekker must feel. How horrible it would be to have a child you were truly scared of. Christian was sixteen, outweighed most kids his age and was almost six feet tall. He apparently came and went from his home as he wanted, and ignored all the rules his parents had tried to put in place in an attempt to control him. He’d also dropped out of school mid-year, and basically hung around town all day, making everyone he came into contact with nervous. His mom had mentioned he had some sort of fort in the woods behind their house, where he spent a lot of his time, but she had no idea what he did out there.

Henley had tried to help the boy, but she simply hadn’t made any kind of connection that allowed her to find out why he was so angry with the world. He stopped letting her in fairly early in their sessions, spending most of his time attempting to mess with her head.

According to Mike, Mrs. Dekker had also taken her concerns to the local police, so they were aware that Christian could be a threat, but as of now, he hadn’t displayed any sort of aggressive moves toward anyone or made any verbal threats…that they knew of. For now, they were just watching and waiting.

“Hey,” Finn said, as he sidled up next to her near the as-yet-unlit firepit and wrapped an arm around her waist. He leaned down and kissed her lightly.

Henley was thrilled with how quickly they’d gone from friends, to dating, to being able to touch each other so casually. She leaned into him and said, “Hey.”

“You looked like you were lost in thought. Everything all right?”

“Yeah. Just thinking.”

Finn nodded. That was another thing. He never pressed her to talk. If she said she was good, he took her at her word.

“Jasna’s down at the barn tucking everyone in,” he told her with a small chuckle.

“So we might be able to light the fire in two hours or so?” Henley joked. Her daughter had taken to life at The Refuge like a duck to water. She never complained about the hard work to keep all the critters fed and their stalls clean. She wasn’t grossed out by all the poo she had to shovel out of the barn, or the smell. She seemed to love every second she got to spend with Finn and the animals, and in regard to the former…Henley had to admit, she was a little jealous of her own daughter.

Finn chuckled. “She won’t be too long. She’s too excited about s’mores. And hanging out with the adults.”

Henley nodded. That sounded like her daughter. She enjoyed being around people older than her. It was something she’d worried about more than once in the past. The last thing she wanted was Jasna getting in with an older, more mature crowd, and possibly being pressured into doing things she wasn’t ready for.

“Holy crap, is Tonka really hanging out with us around the fire tonight?” Spike teased.

“Right?” Pipe joined in the ribbing. “I think the last time he blessed us with his presence was…oh, that’s right, never!”

“Shut up,” Finn said with a shake of his head. “I hang out with you guys all the time.”

“No, not really,” Stone countered. “When we have meetings about The Refuge, sure. When you want our input on something going on with the animals, yes. But simply chillin’? Nope.”

Henley glanced at Finn and saw he looked extremely uncomfortable. She hated that. “Well, he’s here now,” she pronounced in a no-nonsense tone. “Who’s gonna get that fire going? Jasna’s been talking about making s’mores all day, and if there’s no fire by the time she gets back up here, I think she might just try to build one herself.”

Her declaration turned everyone’s attention from Finn to getting the fire started, and making sure the ingredients for the s’mores were ready on a nearby table.

“Thanks,” Finn said softly, leaning in to whisper the word directly in her ear.

She turned in his hold and looked up at him. “Of course.”

“They’re right, you know,” he told her with a shrug. “This hasn’t really been my thing in the past.”

“If you don’t want to stay, you don’t have to,” she felt obligated to say.

“Are you staying?” he asked.

Henley nodded. “Yeah. Jasna’s been looking forward to this all day.”

“Then I’m staying,” he said firmly.

She smiled up at him.

“It’s not that I don’t like the other guys,” he continued, even though Henley hadn’t pushed him to explain why this was the first bonfire he’d been to. “It’s just…I’ve gotten comfortable with the animals. They don’t ask questions. They don’t mind when I’m in a bad mood. I don’t have to pretend to be…normal with them.”

“Finn, none of your friends want you to be anyone but who you are. And if you don’t think they feel the exact same way you do, you’re wrong. I don’t know their stories, but the reason you’re all here is because of whatever happened in your pasts. On the surface, they might all seem to be perfectly happy and well adjusted, but I can tell you that most of the time, people do whatever they can to hide their pain from the ones they love the most.”

Finn was silent for a moment before nodding. “Yeah.”

That was all he said, just that one word. But Henley could tell he was really thinking about her words.

“Come on,” she urged. “Let’s get a good seat before they’re all taken.” She pulled him toward one of the huge tree trunks placed around the firepit to be used as seats.

Looking around the fire, Henley saw there were half a dozen guests milling about, some sitting, some standing. She’d met with all of them at one point or another, and knew none of them would be triggered by fire, probably one of the reasons the guys decided this was a good time for a bonfire. Two of the men had been in the military, another was a survivor of a shooting at his workplace, one woman had been carjacked, the other had been raped, and the last guest at the fire had lost his arm in one of the machines on the assembly line where he used to work.

All six were currently talking and laughing as if they didn’t have a care in the world. Come to think of it, everyone was smiling. The gathering was a good reminder of how resilient the human spirit was.

She and Tonka were good examples of that as well. There had been times when she’d been a teenager that she didn’t think she would make it. She’d felt so vulnerable and she’d been scared all the time. But Henley had survived. She could only hope all the men and women she met at The Refuge would too.

“Incoming,” Finn said softly from next to her as Jasna exited the barn and jogged their way.

“Did I miss it?” she asked in an excited voice as she got close.

Henley laughed. “Miss what?” she asked. “The lighting of the fire? Yes. The s’mores, no.”

“Whew,” Jasna said, wiping her brow exaggeratedly.

A few people around them chuckled.

“Everyone all settled?” Finn asked the girl.

“Yep. The goats are starving to death, but I told them they weren’t allowed any more food today, that they’d be okay until the morning. Melba and Scarlet Pimpernickel are settled down and I changed out their water. The horses are good. The kittens nursed and are sleeping. The dogs are snoring so loud, I thought for sure you’d hear them all the way up here, and I even said goodnight to Chuck and gave him a couple extra nuts, just because.”

“Awesome, thank you,” Finn said.

“Jasna, you want to make the first s’more?” Alaska asked from across the way.

Quick as a flash, Jasna headed in her direction, obviously eager to partake in the sweet treat.

“She’s gonna be bouncing off the walls tonight,” Henley grumbled, but she had a smile on her face as she watched her daughter painstakingly put a huge marshmallow on a wire prong before stepping toward the fire.

“And you love it,” Finn said.

Henley smiled. “Yeah. She’s such a serious kid. I never have to get on her about doing her homework. She can entertain herself for hours by reading or making up stories in her head. Seeing her out here, enjoying herself, being social and carefree…it’s everything I never got to experience. I’ll do whatever I have to in order to give her experiences like this for as long as she wants them.”

“Like the camps you’ve got her signed up for this summer,” Finn added.

“Yeah. There are four of them. Two are day camps and the others are sleepover kinds. One of the day camps is an art thing, where she’ll get to try out over ten different mediums…painting, drawing, wire art…things like that. The other day one is a theater camp. She wasn’t so sure about that one, but I convinced her to give it a try. The overnight ones are typical summer camps…you know, with swimming, hiking, and campfires. She loves the swimming and boating parts, but not as much the bugs and hiking.”

Finn chuckled, and Henley loved hearing it. “Sounds like she’s gonna be busy this summer, between being here and all the camps.”

Henley nodded. “I worry about her,” she admitted.

“Why?”

“She doesn’t have a lot of friends, and her preference is to hang out by herself. I want her to learn how to be social, to relate to her peers. While I love being with her and doing mother-daughter things, I think she needs to spend more time with kids her own age.”

“You’re an awesome mom,” Finn told her.

Henley couldn’t help but grin.

“What?” he asked.

“Like you’re the best judge of that?”

But he didn’t return her smile. “What I know is that Jasna is a kind kid. She’s got compassion, she’s polite, and she isn’t afraid to show her feelings. She feels safe with you, and you’ve obviously talked to her about some of the dangers of the world because she’s not reckless. She’s not glued to her phone, doesn’t whine about not being able to watch TV or scroll social media for hours watching thirty-second videos that’ll rot her brain. I’m not a parent, but I know it’s not easy to raise a kid in today’s world. And it’s even harder as a single mother. You’ve done an amazing job. You should be proud. Of yourself and Jasna.”

Henley felt tears well up and turned to stare at the flickering light of the fire. She wasn’t generally an emotional person…except when it came to her daughter. Finn wasn’t wrong. Raising Jasna had been one of the hardest things she’d ever done, second only to overcoming what had happened to her mom. Having Finn praise her daughter felt like the best compliment she could ever receive.

Next to her, Finn stood, and Henley turned to see where he was going. But he simply stepped behind the large tree trunk and stationed himself behind her. He pulled her shoulders back until she was resting against him, essentially using him as a backrest.

She loved the feel of him, so sturdy and supportive, and she relaxed, giving him her weight.

Alaska came over and sat next to her, while Tiny joined Finn and started a conversation about the surprising number of donations The Refuge had been receiving lately.

“She’s having a great time,” Alaska said with a smile, motioning to Jasna. Spike and Pipe were standing near the fire with her, arguing over the best way to roast marshmallows. If it was better to light them on fire and blow the flames out so there was a black crust around the entire treat, or if they should only be lightly browned before putting it on the chocolate.

The other owners were standing and sitting around the fire with the guests, chatting quietly.

“She is,” Henley agreed.

“I haven’t had a lot of chance to talk to you lately,” Alaska said.

“We’ve both been busy,” Henley agreed. “I know the guys are all thrilled since you’ve taken over the administrative stuff.”

The other woman chuckled, then leaned in and whispered, “Between you and me, it was a disaster.”

They shared a smile. And for some reason, emotion almost overcame Henley and she blurted, “I’m so glad you’re okay.”

Alaska’s expression softened. She obviously knew Henley was referring to the guy who’d come to The Refuge to hunt her down and kidnap her for his own nefarious purposes. “Honestly, I think you guys back at the lodge had it worse than I did,” she told her.

Henley snorted. “I’m not so sure about that. You were hunkered down in the woods, scared to death, while Brick went off and looked for your kidnapper. I’m not sure I would’ve wanted to be in the woods by myself, wondering if I’d be found.”

A look Henley couldn’t read flitted across Alaska’s face before she shrugged. “Yeah, but you guys were dealing with the fire, all the fireworks going off, and trying to keep the guests calm. And I heard Tonka had his hands full with the animals too. I’m thinking it wasn’t fun for any of us.”

She wasn’t wrong, and Henley wasn’t surprised the other woman was downplaying her own fears. From what she’d seen, Alaska was very even-keeled. And why wouldn’t she be? She had a man she loved at her side.

“So, changing the subject…I don’t know a lot about you. I know through the grapevine that you grew up on a reservation, but I don’t know which one or where. Sorry,” Alaska said, looking chagrined.

“I’m Zuni. I grew up in western New Mexico on a reservation out there. We were poor, but honestly, I didn’t really notice. I don’t have any brothers or sisters, it was just me and my parents. We were happy. But after my mom was killed, my dad wasn’t the same. He’d lost the love of his life in a horribly traumatic way, and while he did his best to care for me…he never really recovered.”

“I’m so sorry,” Alaska said, putting her hand on Henley’s knee. “I didn’t mean to bring up such bad memories.”

“It’s okay. I mean, it’s a part of who I am. Anyway, I didn’t talk at all for many years afterward as I tried to deal with everything. My dad moved us to Albuquerque because he felt I could get better medical care there. And he was right. I eventually started speaking again, and because of a particularly amazing therapist, got interested in helping others the way she helped me.”

“And your dad?” Alaska asked softly.

Henley gave her a sad smile. “He got to see me graduate from high school, but succumbed to his demons not too long after.”

Alaska looked alarmed. “Man, I’m the worst in social situations! Here we are, trying to enjoy ourselves and have fun, and I’m making you dredge up all sorts of bad memories.”

“Thinking about my dad makes me happy,” Henley reassured her. “I mean, I’m not thrilled that he’s not around, he would’ve absolutely loved Jasna, but he’s not in pain anymore. And I know he’s watching over me. I’ll see him again, and that helps.”

“I never knew my dad,” Alaska said. “And my mom’s never going to win parent of the year. I’m in awe of you, Henley.”

She tilted her head in question at the other woman. “Why?”

“Because you’re like the Energizer bunny. You just keep on going, no matter what. You have a successful career, an awesome daughter, and you’re just so darn…nice.”

Henley couldn’t help but laugh. “Believe me, there are days when I’m definitely not nice. You should’ve seen me the other morning when someone cut me off when I was on my way to work. I have to say, I’m not proud of the names I called him, but it sure felt good.”

Alaska chuckled.

“Is it weird to live out here and be the only woman?” Henley asked.

“Honestly? No. I would live anywhere as long as Drake was there with me.”

“Awwww,” Henley gushed.

“I’ve loved him my entire life. I wouldn’t care if he told me he wanted to live in a tiny house in Timbuktu. I mean, I would love female company. The housekeeping ladies are great, but they’re too busy working to socialize much. But being here isn’t a hardship. Not at all. I mean, look around us. It’s beautiful. But more than that, if I don’t feel like cooking, there’s a professional chef. I don’t have to drive to work and deal with people cutting me off. And this is literally the safest place to live…I’m surrounded by seven former military badasses. Not to mention Mutt, who guards me wherever I go. And while many people might think the guests are broken and would be zero use in any kind of dangerous scenario, I think my situation proved that isn’t the case.”

“All very good points,” Henley said with a nod.

“Why?” Alaska asked, leaning in so Finn couldn’t hear her. “Are you moving up here too? Please please please say yes!”

Henley laughed. “You sound so much like Jasna when you beg like that. And no, I was just curious.”

“Darn,” Alaska said, straightening. “But there’s still lots of time,” she said in a cheerier tone. “And if Tonka is anything like Drake, he won’t mess around. Once he figures out how awesome you really are, he’s not going to let too much time pass before he puts a ring on your finger and moves you guys into his cabin.”

Henley blushed, praying Finn hadn’t overheard.

“Mom!” Jasna called from across the way. “Check this out!”

Looking over at her daughter, Henley’s eyes widened at seeing the humongous s’more Jasna had put together. She gave her a thumbs up, even as she groaned.

She felt Finn shift behind her before he leaned down. “That thing is bigger than her head,” he joked.

Tilting her own head back, Henley looked up at the man. He looked especially good tonight. He had on the jean shirt he seemed to always wear, but the shirt underneath was a dark purple today, giving a splash of color to the otherwise usually neutral clothes he wore. His beard was neatly trimmed, as usual, and his brown eyes were focused solely on her.

“My kid can definitely eat her fair share of food.”

“She’s fairly tall, but skinny,” Alaska observed from next to her.

Henley tore her gaze from Finn’s and turned to the other woman. “She eats,” she returned, a little defensively.

“I didn’t mean anything by that. Not at all,” Alaska said quickly.

“Sorry. I tend to be a little protective of her. Her metabolism is off the charts. She’s kind of like a bottomless pit. But I’m watching it, now that she’s almost a teenager and puberty is going to hit soon. I don’t want her to get too heavy.”

“Can we not talk about teenage girls and puberty,” Tiny begged from behind them.

Both Henley and Alaska grinned.

“What’s so funny over here?” Brick asked as he approached and sat next to Alaska. He immediately put his arm around her and pulled her into his side. Mutt raised his head from where he’d plopped himself in front of Alaska earlier, and after seeing the newcomer was his master, immediately lost interest and closed his eyes once more.

“Girls hitting puberty,” Alaska informed him with a grin.

Brick’s eyes widened. “Nope. No. We’re changing the subject.”

“You can’t come over here and butt into our conversation and demand we talk about something else,” she informed him.

“I can and will,” he said. “Things are going well tonight, yeah? Everyone’s having a good time.”

Alaska shrugged and gave Henley a look that screamed “what can you do?” before agreeing with Brick.

“She’ll work off the calories tomorrow,” Finn told Henley for her ears only.

“I know,” she agreed.

“You want one?” Finn asked.

“One what?”

“A s’more.”

“I was going to get up in a bit and make one,” Henley told him.

“I’ll get it for you. Burnt marshmallow or lightly browned?”

Henley still wasn’t used to anyone doing so much for her. When the toilet broke in her apartment, she fixed it herself instead of waiting on maintenance. When her car had a flat tire, she took care of it. Her dad had taught her to be self-sufficient, and living on the reservation had also drummed that into her. Living there, they didn’t have a big box store within ten minutes they could run to in order to get what they’d need to fix a window, buy a new broom, or anything else. They made do with what they had and improvised when they needed to.

“Hen?” Finn asked.

“Sorry. Thank you, I’d love a s’more. And lightly browned, please.”

“You got it.”

Henley shivered as Finn trailed his fingers across her shoulder and down her arm before headed for Jasna, who was standing at the folding table preparing to make another s’more.

As the evening went on, Henley managed to visit with everyone. They either came over to where she was sitting, with Finn hovering behind her, or she spent a bit of time with them while stretching her legs and walking around the fire.

Jasna finally seemed to run out of steam and was sitting on the grass in front of another tree trunk, seemingly lost in thought.

Eventually, Henley stood and turned to face Finn. “It’s getting late, and Jasna looks like she’s beat. We should head in.”

“I’ll walk you,” Finn said immediately.

“You aren’t going to try to convince us to stay longer?” Henley teased.

Finn shrugged. “I’ve about reached my limit of socializing for tonight myself,” he said.

“You lasted longer than I thought you would,” Stone said, clapping his hand on Finn’s shoulder. The other men had also come over to say good night when Henley stood.

“I’m thinking we need to do this way more often,” Alaska said. “Maybe invite all the employees. I bet they’d all love to hang out and chill too.”

“I second that,” Tiny said.

“I’ll check the calendar and see when we can do it again,” Pipe said from nearby.

“Thanks for inviting me and Jasna,” Henley told the group.

“Should’ve done it before now,” Owl told her. “You’re an integral part of The Refuge, Henley, and I’m not sure we’d be nearly as successful as we are today without you.”

She blushed, smiling at everyone. “Thanks. You all make this a perfect place to work.”

“I don’t know about perfect,” Spike said with a chuckle. “But we’ve definitely got our moments.”

Finn stepped over the log and gently took her elbow in his hand. He gave his friends a chin lift and steered her toward Jasna.

“Are you in a hurry?” Henley asked him quietly as she let herself be led away.

“I know them. They would’ve sucked you into some random conversation and it would’ve been another thirty minutes before you would’ve been able to figure out a way to extricate yourself politely. I don’t have to be polite, since they’re my friends and they know my standoffish ways.”

Henley chuckled. “Comes in handy, huh?”

“Yup,” Finn agreed, and his lips quirked upward briefly.

“Aw…is it time to go?” Jasna asked as they approached.

“Yup. Morning’s gonna come quickly,” Finn told her. “And I’m hoping you’ll want to help me with the paddock.”

“What about it?” Jasna asked, her eyes sparkling with interest.

“I need to check the fence, make sure there aren’t any weak spots or places where Scarlet could possibly escape. It’ll be hard work though, so you might not be interested.”

“I’m interested!” Jasna exclaimed. “What time?”

“Seven-thirty.”

“I’ll be there!” And with that, Jasna hugged Finn hard before turning and running toward the cabin where they were staying for the evening.

Henley turned to Finn as they walked more sedately behind her. “Do you really need help? Or did you make that job up?”

Finn shrugged. “It could be put off for a while, but I figured since she’s here and willing, I might as well do it now.”

They’d arrived at the cabin, and Henley could hear her daughter moving around inside as she turned to face Finn.

“Thank you for tonight. I loved getting to know Alaska a little better and hanging out with you and your friends.”

“I had a good time too.”

“You sound surprised,” Henley noted.

“I am a little,” Finn said honestly. “It’s become sort of a habit to hide out in my cabin every night. It’s just easier. But you and Jasna have made me want to try to break out of the self-imposed funk I’ve been in for so long.”

Henley’s heart swelled. “I’m glad,” she whispered.

“Not only that…but I think it’s time I called an old friend of mine. See what he’s been up to.”

“Yeah?” Henley asked.

“Yeah. We were partners in the Coast Guard, and when we got out, I came here, and he went to some small town in Virginia. Believe it or not, he became a librarian.”

Henley’s eyes widened. “Really?”

“Uh-huh. I don’t know how the call will go. It’s probably a stupid idea. I don’t even know what I’ll say to him.”

“How about starting off with ‘Hi’?” Henley quipped.

“Smartass,” Finn said with a shake of his head. Then got serious. “I don’t know that I can be the man you deserve, Henley. But I want to be.”

“You don’t have to be anyone but yourself,” she told him. “Because I like you, Finn. More with every day that passes.”

“Same,” he said.

The attraction sparked between them, and Henley pressed her thighs together, trying to control her desire. Her daughter was waiting for her to come inside the cabin, and everyone around the fire could see them if they bothered to look in their direction. But there was no doubt that Henley wanted Finn. Their attraction had been simmering under the surface for quite a while, and now that they’d started getting closer, it was harder and harder to keep her hands off him.

“I want to kiss you,” he murmured.

“Then do it,” she told him eagerly.

“I can’t kiss you the way I want to here,” Finn said, sounding so disgruntled it was all Henley could do not to laugh.

But she sobered quickly as she looked up at him. “It’s been a while since I’ve been in a relationship,” she blurted. “I don’t know what the dating rules are these days.”

“Dating rules?”

“How long a woman should wait before rounding the bases.” Unbelievably, she found herself blushing. Henley hoped Finn couldn’t see her reddening cheeks.

He smiled down at her. “The only thing I’ve been interested in for years is taking care of the animals here at The Refuge…until a certain therapist caught my attention. I’m thinking we can make our own rules,” Finn told her. “We’ll do what feels right.”

“This feels right,” Henley said as she stepped closer, plastering herself against him.

“Yeah,” Finn agreed as he backed them into the shadows to the left of the cabin door. Then he lowered his head and kissed her. All the nerve endings in her body sat up and took notice, and she literally tingled all over.

As she and Finn made out, Henley forgot where they were. That her daughter was steps away. That guests were still at the fire. She couldn’t think about anything other than the taste and feel of Finn. They were both breathing hard when he lifted his head minutes later.

One of his hands came up and he brushed his fingers against her cheek. “You have no idea what I want to do with you right now,” he practically growled.

“If it involves getting naked and licking me from head to toe, I do know,” Henley blurted.

She felt a moment of embarrassment before he made a quiet choking sound and said, “You aren’t far off.”

They smiled at each other.

“We’re doing this,” he whispered.

“Yes. Hopefully soon,” Henley returned.

“When’s Jasna’s first overnight camp?” Finn asked.

Was this crazy? It hadn’t been all that long since they’d both admitted to liking each other and had started texting and talking more. And kissing. She couldn’t forget that. But the rush of emotions between them didn’t feel crazy. They felt right. Henley sighed. “Four weeks.”

“A month,” Finn said with a nod. “Right. This is probably good. Gives us more time to get to know each other.”

He was talking more to himself than to her, and Henley thought it was adorable. And he wasn’t wrong. It was probably a good thing to put on the brakes a little bit.

“You want to come hang out with us at my apartment sometime?” she asked a little shyly. “I mean, it’s not the fanciest place, but we—”

“Yes,” Finn said, interrupting her.

Henley smiled. “Cool.”

“And we can watch a movie or something here at The Refuge in my cabin too.”

Henley nodded. “Four weeks,” she whispered after taking a deep breath. Although that didn’t exactly calm her libido. All she could smell was Finn. His earthy, woodsy scent. It was a mixture of hay, smoke from the fire, and something deeper that was all him.

“Four weeks,” Finn repeated. Then he moved his hand to the back of her neck and tilted her head up to him. “This isn’t a fling,” he said sternly. “I haven’t wanted to get close to anyone, ever, the way I want to get close to you.”

“Same,” she agreed.

“I said it before and I’ll say it again—I don’t deserve you. But I’m gonna try my damnedest not to fuck this up.”

“You won’t.”

He gave her a look that clearly said he thought she was wrong, but Henley didn’t push. She’d show him through her actions that he was worthy of love.

“It doesn’t matter what time Jasna comes to the barn tomorrow. There’s no need for her to get up at the crack of dawn.”

“She’ll be there,” Henley said.

“Make sure she gets something to eat before she does. If the fence needs mending, it’s gonna be hard work.”

“I will. You too.”

“Me too what?”

“Make sure you get a good breakfast in.”

He stared at her for a long moment with a look she couldn’t interpret.

“What?”

“It’s been a while since anyone’s cared about my well-being.”

“Well, get used to it. Because I do.”

Finn nodded. “Maybe, if it’d be all right, I could come and get Jasna around seven-fifteen or so? We could go up to the lodge and grab something to eat before heading to the barn for morning chores and checking the fence.”

“Why wouldn’t it be all right?” Henley asked in confusion.

Finn shrugged. “I don’t want to overstep.”

“You aren’t. And she’d love that.”

“All right. You want me to bring you a plate back here when we’re done? That way you can sleep in a bit.”

Henley’s heart melted a little more. “Yes, please.”

“Okay. I’ll see you in the morning then. Henley?”

“Yeah?”

“I had a good time tonight.”

“Me too.”

“And for the record…I’d be the luckiest son-of-a-bitch in the world if you were mine, and came to live up here with me.”

And with that unbelievable statement, he leaned down, kissed her once more, then turned and headed toward the barn.

She wasn’t surprised he was going to check on the animals once more before settling in for the night. But she was surprised by his parting words. He’d obviously overheard Alaska’s comment earlier. Henley supposed she should be embarrassed, but how could she be when she heard the wistfulness and seriousness in his tone?

Feeling as if she were on cloud nine, Henley headed into the cabin to let Jasna know the plans for the morning.

* * *

Christian Dekker lay very still in the trees not too far from the bonfire at The Refuge. He’d gotten good at sneaking around the woods. He’d learned to remain still for hours as he stalked his prey…exactly what he was doing now.

It was easy to go unnoticed by the men and women gathered around the fire, as the rods and cones in their eyes were fucked from the bright light. Even if they did turn to look into the trees, they’d never see him.

His target was the woman. It wasn’t time to make his move; first he needed to conduct a little more reconnaissance. Needed to learn everything there was to know about her. He’d been secretly watching her for a few weeks already.

And tonight, he’d decided the best way to fuck with her and make her suffer was to take away the most important thing in her life.

In the dark stillness of the woods, his mind went back to when he was thirteen, shortly before she’d dumped him on someone else. To the day he’d overheard the doctor talking to his parents about him, recommending intensive inpatient therapy. She’d wanted to strip him of all control, take him away from his family. Not that he liked his parents or sister. He didn’t. But no one got to make decisions about his life except him. Especially not some bitch therapist who thought she knew what was best for everyone.

Christian’s eyes followed the girl as she moved around the fire. Laughing. Clueless that a predator was watching. Excitement rose within him as he made plans in his head. The girl would be his first.

His first human kill.

He had to execute it perfectly. Had to make sure no one learned of or interrupted his plans. First, he’d gather the items needed to subdue her, to torture her.

She’d be begging him to kill her by the time he was done.

Christian watched his prey until she entered a cabin. He already knew the therapist and her daughter didn’t stay the night out here in the boonies often, which was a good thing. He had to nail down their schedule. Make sure he struck at the right moment.

When the bitch and her boyfriend made out on the porch, Christian felt nothing. The only urge he had was for blood. Not sex.

He slunk away as silently as he’d arrived, with no one the wiser, backtracking to his car—the car his parents didn’t want him to have, but he’d bullied them to the point they’d given in despite their reservations. Probably thinking if he had a vehicle, he’d be home less often. It took him a while to return to where he’d left it along a remote road, but it didn’t matter. No one was waiting up for him. He had no curfew. He did what he wanted, when he wanted.

His parents were petrified of him, exactly how Christian liked it. He was master of his own destiny, and after he’d tasted the joy of taking a human life for the first time, he’d put this fucking town in his rearview mirror. He’d easily find victims in the city. Throwaway people. Starting with the homeless and prostitutes. No one ever missed them. He’d perfect his techniques, then maybe head to Los Angeles. Possibly Chicago or New York. The world was his oyster. He could go wherever he wanted.

A short time later, Christian smiled as he drove back toward town. His entire life was ahead of him, and he was more than ready to get started. But first he’d take care of business here in Los Alamos. Show the bitch just how badly she’d underestimated him.