7. RAE

7

RAE

T he past couple of weeks, it had become a tradition to meet Laken at Millie’s Diner for breakfast on our days off. The smell of freshly brewed coffee and frying bacon filled the air, mingling with the soft chatter of the early customers.

I waved at a few locals I’d gotten to know, and we found a corner booth, sliding in and ordering our usuals.

Laken was easy to talk to, her bubbly personality making me feel more at ease than I had in a long time. I hadn’t really had friends in Chicago. She was the kind of person who could make friends with anyone, her warmth and openness a stark contrast to the guarded walls I had built around myself over the years.

“So, tell me about this boyfriend of yours,” I said, taking a sip of my coffee. “You mentioned him before, but I don’t know much about him.”

Laken’s eyes lit up, a smile spreading across her face. “His name’s Thomas. Tommy, to everyone here. He’s a lumberjack, he’ll come home soon. They can’t work too late into the season, you know? The weather is a threat.”

I nodded. The weather here was a lot different from anything I’d known before. I’d always lived in cities, sheltered and safe.

Lately, I’d started to redefine the word safe.

“ We’ve been together for about two years now,” Laken continued, sipping her coffee after the server brought it. “Wait.” She took out her wallet and pulled out a photo of a blond guy with broad shoulders and a goofy smile. He looked young and innocent.

“Handsome, right?” Laken’s eyes sparkled.

“Very.”

I flashed on Tanner. That was my definition of handsome. Tall, dark, dangerous .

“He’s so great. Strong, steady, and the kind of guy who always has your back.” Laken blushed happily. “I can’t wait to see him again.”

I nodded, smiling at her enthusiasm. “Sounds like a good man.”

“He is,” Laken said, her voice softening. “We met when I first moved here. I was a mess, trying to escape my past, and he was… well, he was everything I needed. Someone to lean on, someone who didn’t judge me for my mistakes.”

I could see the love in her eyes, the way she talked about him with such affection. It made me wonder what it would be like to have that kind of relationship, to trust someone so completely. But trust was something I struggled with. I’d trusted Tanner.

“What about you?” Her tone was curious. “You’ve mentioned an ex, but you haven’t told me much about him. What happened?”

I hesitated, the familiar tightness in my chest making it hard to breathe. I shouldn’t have said anything about him, but saying I was running away from an ex was a legitimate reason and made people protective of me. It wasn’t even a lie. It just wasn’t the complete truth.

“His name was Jethro. We were together for a while, and we worked in the same office, but…” I twisted my fingers together, not looking at Laken, trying to find the right words. “He wasn’t good for me. You think you know someone, but then… I had to get out.” I glanced up at Laken, feeling bad for not being truthful with her. I didn’t tell her the reason I’d had to get out was my own fault, that I’d found out shit I shouldn’t have known, and I’d stolen the evidence rather than leaving well enough alone.

Laken nodded, her expression understanding; I hadn’t expected that. I’d thought she would be more curious about my past. Ask questions. Or get worked up over my ex that I’d made to sound abusive.

Instead, Laken leaned back in her seat and looked out of the window toward the view of the mountains.

“Silver Ridge has a way of attracting people who need a fresh start. It’s a safe place to hide, to rebuild.”

“Yeah,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “That’s what I needed. A place to start a new life.” I flashed on Tanner again.

We fell into a comfortable silence, the sound of clinking dishes and murmured conversations filling the space between us. It was nice to have someone who didn’t press too hard, who seemed to understand the need for privacy. I’d kept to myself so much after leaving Seattle, and I’d forgotten how good it felt to have someone in my corner.

“What about Tanner?” Laken asked suddenly, breaking the silence. “You two seem to have some history.”

I looked at Laken, suspicious. “What makes you say that?”

Laken rolled her eyes. “Hello? We work in the same store. Whenever he comes in, you can cut the tension with a knife. Anyone with eyes can see that you’re not strangers to each other.”

I didn’t know if I would put it that way. Tanner felt like a stranger in so many ways. But in a lot of ways, he didn’t .

I glanced around. No one was listening in on our conversation. I was the only one feeling like I was having a meltdown.

“We do have a history,” I finally admitted. “We were together a long time ago, back in Seattle…” Was I saying too much?

“What happened?”

I shrugged like it didn’t matter. “He left without a word, and I never saw him again until I came here.”

“Oh, wow,” Laken said, and nodded slowly, her eyes thoughtful. She looked around the diner, but not like she was seeing anything. More like she was thinking.

“He’s been through a lot, you know. He doesn’t really spend much time in town, but I’ve heard bits and pieces. People around here know things.”

“So I’ve heard,” I said with a sigh. “No secrets in Silver Ridge.”

Laken smiled. “It’s not a bad thing to have some people on your side.”

That was Laken’s motto. I didn’t know what to say to that, so I just nodded.

“He left behind a tough life, just like you,” Laken added.

I looked at her, surprised. “How do you know all this?”

Laken smiled, a little sadly. “Silver Ridge is a smaller town than it looks. People talk, and I’ve been here long enough to hear a few stories. I’ve been hiding here, too, Rae. We all have our reasons.”

I felt a sudden surge of gratefulness for her. She understood more than I had given her credit for. I’d just thought she would be a lighthearted friend, someone fun to take my mind off things. Instead, she was offering support in a way I hadn’t expected. “Thank you, Laken,” I said quietly. “For not pushing too hard. For getting it.”

She reached across the table, squeezed my hand. “We all need someone to lean on, Rae. And sometimes, it helps to know you’re not alone.”

The sky had darkened considerably by the time I left Millie’s Diner. Laken had gone home, but I wasn’t ready for the small confines of the cabin again. Sometimes, when my thoughts tugged at me like this, the walls closed in and I couldn’t breathe.

Thick clouds rolled in, obscuring the sun and casting a shadow over Silver Ridge as I headed toward the trees. I hoped the fresh air would clear my mind. The conversation with Laken had made me wonder, made me feel strangely unstable, and like I was in the company of someone I could trust at the same time. I didn’t know what to make of her.

I just knew I could trust her.

Trust was a strange thing. So fragile, so easily broken. But so powerful, too.

As I walked through the forest, the wind began to pick up, rustling the leaves and sending a chill through the air. I tucked my hands into my pockets and weaved my way through the trees, not really watching where I was going. I let my feet pick out a path as my mind wandered.

Back to the past, toward the uncertainty of my future.

To Jethro and the fear that came with him.

And Laken and the warmth and safety that came with having a friend.

When the first drops of rain splattered against my face, they were cold and insistent and snapped me out of my thoughts.

I’d worked my way up the mountain, walking without considering my direction and when I looked toward town, it wasn’t anywhere to be seen. I was too far up the mountain. I quickened my pace, realizing too late that the weather had turned.

The storm hit suddenly, the sky opening up in a torrential downpour. The wind howled through the trees, bending them to its will so that they tugged and strained against their roots.

I shivered and pulled my jacket tighter around me, the cold seeping into my bones. The path ahead was quickly becoming a muddy mess, the rain making it almost impossible to see.

I needed to find shelter, and fast. The storm was getting worse, and I wouldn’t make it back to town in this weather. My mind raced, trying to remember the layout of the forest. I wasn’t sure where I was, but if I was where I thought I was… Tanner’s cabin wasn’t far from here.

Shit.

It was my best chance.

I turned in the direction of his cabin, my feet slipping in the mud. The wind lashed at me, the rain stinging my skin. The storm was relentless, a reminder of how quickly things could turn dangerous in the Montana mountains.

I slipped. Twice. I hit the ground hard, once so hard that my teeth clattered and my bones ached. My hands were raw, the skin chafed from the pine needles and rocks and my ankle hurt. I’d twisted it, but I couldn’t stop and worry about that now.

I had to keep going until I was safe from the storm that had turned into a beast all around me, howling, gnashing its teeth.

By the time I reached Tanner’s cabin, I was soaked to the skin, shivering uncontrollably. My ankle throbbed, and my palms burned. The cabin looked almost abandoned, with moss against the walls and leaves and pine needles covering the roof, but the windows were clean.

That had to mean something. I pounded on the door, my fists numb from the cold.

“Tanner! Tanner, are you there?”

The door flew open, and Tanner stood there, his eyes wide with surprise. “Rae? What the hell are you doing out here?” His eyes flitted to the storm behind me.

“I got caught in the storm,” I said, my teeth chattering. “I didn’t know where else to go.”

He grabbed my arm, pulled me inside, and shut the door. The storm was suddenly further away, the howling of the wind cocooning us in the cabin. I relished in the warmth inside after the freezing rain outside.

Tanner turned and faced me. His expression was difficult to read. His eyes were dark, his lips parted, and he had a wild look about him. But his eyes also held concern.

“You’re soaked,” he said. “Here, let me get you a towel.”

When I took a step forward, I winced.

“Are you hurt?”

“It’s just a sprain,” I said. “It’s nothing.”

“You’re bleeding.” He took my wrist and lifted my hand. My palms were raw and bloody.

“I fell.”

“I can see that,” Tanner said. His voice was dry. “Don’t move.”

I nodded, too cold to argue. He disappeared into another room and returned with a thick, fluffy towel. I took it gratefully, wrapping it around myself and trying to stop shivering. Tanner took me by the shoulders and helped me in front of a hearth where a small fire crackled, and I groaned when the heat wrapped around me, welcome.

“Thank you,” I said, my voice small.

He nodded, his eyes never leaving mine. “You’re welcome.”

We stood there for a moment, the tension between us almost tangible. The storm raged outside, but in here, it was quiet, almost peaceful. I could feel the heat of the fire, the warmth starting to seep into my bones.

“I’m sorry,” I said finally, breaking the silence. “I didn’t mean to intrude.”

“You’re not intruding.” Tanner’s voice was gentle. “You’re always welcome here.”

I looked at him, searching his eyes for the truth. But I didn’t want to ask, just in case I couldn’t handle it.