Chapter 9

CHAPTERNINE

Tal was so proud of the woman at his side, he felt goose bumps rise up on his arms. He had no idea where she found the strength to continue to step outside her comfort zone, to overcome the shit her captors had forced into her head, but he couldn’t deny he was almost overwhelmed by her bravery.

He sobered as they approached Lilly and Ethan’s door. The reason he was here settled on his shoulders like a heavy blanket. He was devastated for his friends. Didn’t know what to say to make them feel better.

“I’m sure they’ll be happy to see you,” Sunset said softly from next to him.

She’d obviously picked up on his reticence.

Nodding, Tal lifted a hand and knocked.

“Come in!” he heard Ethan yell. He pushed open the door and stepped inside, still gripping Sunset’s hand.

“That you, Tal?”

“It’s me, mate!” Talon called back as he secured the door behind him.

Sunset squeezed his hand, then they made their way into the main part of the house, where Ethan was sitting in an oversized armchair with Lilly on his lap.

Seeing his friend holding his wife so close made his throat close up with emotion. Lilly had already been through so much, he hated that this happened to them.

Ethan inched out from under Lilly and stood. Without hesitation, Tal stepped forward and hugged him, hard. “I’m so sorry,” he said quietly.

“Thanks,” Ethan said, returning the tight hug.

Tal stepped back and turned to Lilly, who had stood by the chair. He wrapped his arms around her just as tightly. To his surprise, he felt tears well up. “This sucks,” he blurted into Lilly’s hair.

She sniffed and nodded against him. He held her for a long moment, wishing there was something he could do for his friends. But there was nothing he could say or do that would take this pain away.

It was Lilly who pulled away first. She gave him a sad smile, then reached up and gently wiped the tears away that had spilled onto Tal’s cheeks.

“I’m gutted for you both,” he told her.

“I know. But you being here means the world to us,” she said. Then she gave him a crooked smile and asked, “Would it have killed you to take a shower before you rushed out of the wilderness to come visit?”

Tal snort-chuckled. He stared down at Lilly for a long moment. Searching her eyes for…something. He wasn’t sure what. Maybe to reassure himself that she would be okay. She was hurting, there was no doubt, but as he studied her, he breathed a little easier for the first time since hearing the news. With Ethan by her side, she would make it through this. Losing their child was a blow, but she had so much love surrounding her.

“If you think I was going to take more time than absolutely necessary to get to you both, you’re bloody crazy,” he told her.

Lilly gave him a sweet smile, then her gaze went past him and she said, “Are you going to introduce us?”

Turning, Tal saw Sunset standing at the entrance to the large living room, looking uncertain. As soon as he backed away from Lilly, Ethan moved back in, curling his arm around his wife’s waist and pulling her against him.

Tal walked over to Sunset and said in a low tone, “You okay?”

She nodded.

He wasn’t sure if she was being honest, but he smiled at her anyway. “Good. Come on, I want to introduce you to two of the best mates I’ve got.”

She swallowed hard and nodded again. Once more, the thought that she was strong as hell struck him. She was clearly out of her element. Unsure what to do, how she’d be received, and yet she was trusting him to not steer her wrong. She humbled him.

“This is Sunset,” he said. “And this is Lilly and Ethan Watson.”

“It’s so great to finally get to meet you and not just talk to you on the phone,” Lilly said warmly.

“Hello,” Ethan said with a smile.

“It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance,” Sunset said, sounding formal and not at all like the woman Tal had gotten to know over the last week.

“Are either of you hungry or thirsty?” Lilly asked.

“Lil,” Ethan warned.

“I’m okay,” she said, turning to her husband. “I’ve been doing nothing but sleeping and sitting around. Nothing bad is going to happen if I go to the kitchen and make a couple mugs of tea.”

Tal got the feeling Ethan had been crazy overprotective since Lilly had gotten back from the hospital…not that he could blame him.

“All right. But if you aren’t back in five minutes and off your feet, I’m gonna come and get you.”

Lilly rolled her eyes, then went up on her tiptoes and kissed Ethan lightly. Turning toward Sunset, she asked, “Would you like to help me make some tea?”

Tal could see Sunset wasn’t enthusiastic about the idea, but she nodded anyway, probably too afraid to say no.

He wanted to warn Lilly to go easy, but he bit his lip. He didn’t need to caution her, Lilly wouldn’t do or say anything that would jeopardize her friendship with Sunset. She was a good judge of character and would know that she needed to tread carefully.

Tal gave Sunset a reassuring smile before she followed Lilly into the kitchen.

Knowing he didn’t have a lot of time to talk to Ethan before he went to check on his wife, Tal said, “How are you holding up?”

Ethan ran a hand through his hair and sighed. Tal could see the devastation come over his face that he hadn’t allowed to show around his wife.

“Not good,” Ethan admitted. “When Lilly screamed for me from the bathroom and told me she was bleeding, bad, I’ve never been so scared in all my life. Not only for our baby, but for her. I almost lost her once, I couldn’t go through that again.”

Tal stepped closer to his friend and put a hand on his shoulder, squeezing hard.

“The look in her eyes when the doctor told us…it was pure devastation. She already knew, really, but to hear the doctor confirm that our baby was gone…”

His voice trailed off. Tal couldn’t imagine the pain his friend was going through.

Ethan cleared his throat and did his best to get control over his emotions. “We’ll get through this though,” he said. “Lilly needs to rest for at least two weeks, then she can go back to work. The doctors said it wasn’t anything she necessarily did or didn’t do. That sometimes the fetus just isn’t developing normally. But I know Lilly’s at least partially blaming herself. And that sucks, because there’s nothing I can do or say that will change her mind.”

“What about future pregnancies?” Tal asked. He didn’t know anything about this kind of stuff, but now his mind was spinning, wanting to know all the details.

“Doc Snow came over yesterday, and we had a long talk with him about everything. We were kind of in shock at the hospital in Christiansburg, too much so to ask many questions. He said most women go on to have other children without issue. I think that was Lilly’s biggest fear. That somehow her body wasn’t built to carry a child or something. So we’ll wait until we’re both emotionally and physically ready before trying again.”

Tal was relieved neither Lilly nor Ethan was going to give up on their dream of kids. They’d both been so excited to have children, it would be a shame if something biological kept that from happening in the future. He knew adoption was always an option, and although he hadn’t talked about it with either of his friends, he had a feeling they’d be on board with that. Still, it was obvious they first wanted to see if they could have a biological baby. “That’s a good thing,” he finally said.

“Yeah. You know, there are times when loving Lilly as much as I do scares the shit out of me. I am literally not the same person I was before I met her. It’s a good thing I’m no longer a SEAL, because I’m not sure I’d be able to do my job as effectively as I did when I was single. When we’re apart, I think about her constantly. Wonder if she’s okay, if the job she’s on is going all right, if she’s happy. And when I get a text from her, or she calls, it literally makes my entire day. I’d be embarrassed at how much she means to me if I didn’t know she felt the same way. Being helpless to do anything when she’s hurting is just awful, Tal. I can’t explain it any better than that.”

“You don’t have to. And if anyone gives you a hard time about loving your wife…tell them to fuck off.”

Ethan chuckled. “I will and I have.”

The two men shared a smile.

“Enough about that…what’s the deal with Sunset? You think she’s Heather Brown?”

“I’m ninety-nine percent sure she is. She hasn’t talked about her life outside of that bloody cult she lived in.”

“Was it bad?” Ethan asked.

“Worse than bad,” Tal growled. “From what I gathered, it was a total shitshow. The men were in charge, the women were abused physically, mentally, and sexually. The men had several wives each, and the women had to do whatever they said, whenever they said. Sunset talked about something called a punishment tent, and although she hasn’t gone into detail with me about what happened in there, I can well imagine. She was even whipped for cutting her hair.”

“Fucking hell, man!” Ethan said with wide eyes.

“That’s not the worst of it.”

“There’s more?”

“Yeah,” Tal said grimly. “Sunset said there weren’t many kids born inside the cult. She admitted that the women used Queen Anne’s lace seeds to prevent pregnancy, but in order to keep their numbers up, and probably to keep their harems, the men would randomly show up at the camp with children.”

“What? What do you mean, show up with them?”

“That’s what Sunset said, they’d just show up with infants and toddlers that they claimed to have adopted. The boys were groomed to be in charge, and the girls were claimed by different men or assigned to the boys as future wives.”

“Holy fuck!” Ethan exclaimed. “They’ve been kidnapping kids for decades?”

“Apparently.”

“You need to talk to Simon.”

Tal inhaled deeply. “I know. But I have a feeling Sunset is going to be reluctant…she’s scared to death of men, Ethan.”

“She seems okay with you.”

“Yeah, but only because she didn’t really have a choice. That storm moved in fast, and if she hadn’t invited me into the cave she’s been living in for a bloody year, I would’ve been in trouble.”

“She trusts you,” Ethan said.

“I don’t think she does.”

“She does,” his friend insisted. “You didn’t see her because you were talking with Lilly, but she didn’t take her eyes off you. And when Lilly wiped your face, she took a step forward, as if wanting to comfort you herself. She caught herself and moved back to where she’d been standing…but you’re in there, brother.”

Ethan’s words made Tal feel good. Really good. “Still, I’m not sure how to bring up the fact that she, herself, might’ve been kidnapped when she was eight.”

“You’ll figure it out,” Ethan said confidently.

Tal didn’t have the same confidence his friend had.

“Did she say how old the kids were? The ones the men brought into the cult?”

“Young. She used the word ‘babies.’”

“So maybe they learned their lesson with her,” Ethan said. “She was older. Probably retained a lot of memories from her old life, and maybe too much of her independence. It was probably difficult to train her to accept her role with the group.”

It was the same thing Tal had thought. “I agree. And there have been times I think she remembers some of her life before she was taken, but I’ve been reluctant to push her. As it is, I suspect she’s blocked all her memories for self-preservation.”

“Maybe being back here in Fallport will make those memories start to come back.”

“I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or not.”

“It is,” Ethan said. “She needs to know that how she’d been living wasn’t normal, or even legal.”

“I think she does know that. I’ve told her as much. And when the cult up and moved a year ago, she hid in the forest so she didn’t have to go with them.”

“Good for her,” Ethan said fervently.

“She’s strong,” Tal said. “So damn strong it amazes me.”

“She’ll fit in perfectly with our women then.”

Ethan wasn’t wrong. She already fit in with them, even without having met most of the group in person. Tal just hoped she’d eventually be able to put aside the bad experiences she’d had and embrace any new friendships.

* * *

“How are you doing?” Lilly asked.

Sunset blinked in surprise. Why she was asking how she was, when Lilly was the one who’d just been through something awful, was bewildering. “I’m fine.”

“It couldn’t have been easy, living out in the woods. I mean, I like to camp now and then, but from what I understand, you were out there a long time.”

Sunset shrugged. “It wasn’t so bad.” And it wasn’t. She was used to living in a tent. The cave was actually more comfortable in a lot of ways.

“Would you like some tea?”

Sunset did her best to hide her reaction. She hated tea. Hated it. The leaves the other women in The Community used for tea tasted horrible. She’d never gotten used to the nasty taste, but there’d been no alternative. Women were expected to drink tea, while the men drank beer. “Um…thank you.”

Lilly laughed a little. “I take it you aren’t a fan of tea.”

Sunset wasn’t sure what to say. Was this a test? Would she be looked down on if she said she didn’t like it? Would she be kicked out of the house?

“It’s okay if you don’t like it…honestly. But I’m thinking you might like the kind I have. I don’t like regular tea. I don’t even like iced tea. It tastes like I’m drinking dirt, frankly.”

Sunset’s eyes widened. That was always how she felt too.

“But I found this stuff recently. It’s cinnamon apple. I swear it tastes like you’re drinking Christmas. Okay, that sounds weird, but it’s fruity, and the cinnamon makes my taste buds tingle a bit. Shoot, that sounds awful too. But I swear it’s good. How about if you try it, and if you hate it, you don’t have to drink it? I’ll get you some water, or juice, or anything else you can use to wash away the taste if you hate it.”

A memory niggled at Sunset. A smell she remembered. Cinnamon and other spices. Filling the air, mixed with pine. She wasn’t sure where the memory was from, as she couldn’t recall ever having any spices while in The Community. The men were allowed to use salt and other spices on their food, but not the women. Arrow claimed spices were bad for the female body.

“Will you try it? I promise I won’t be mad or upset if you hate it.”

Sunset nodded reluctantly.

Lilly smiled at her again. “The others are going to love you. It’s hard to get a word in edgewise when we all get together, and you not being a chatterbox will both endear you to them and frustrate them. Because they’re gonna want to know all about you, and when they can’t pry any answers out of you, that’ll only make them want to know more.”

Sunset furrowed her brow. That didn’t sound good at all. She was used to being quiet. Though, once upon a time, her penchant for talking too much had to be beaten out of her.

“Oh, shoot, I’m sorry! It’s not a bad thing. Not at all. We’re all just natural talkers. Well…except for Khloe. But it’s perfectly okay if you want to sit back and listen. No one is going to care. Darn it, now I’ve upset you when I didn’t mean to.”

“It’s okay,” Sunset said, not wanting Lilly to feel bad. “I just…it was frowned upon for women to talk, even to each other.”

A sad look crossed Lilly’s face before she offered another small smile. “Well, now that you’re here, you don’t have to worry about that. Talking’s good. It’s the best.” She chuckled. “Now I sound like Buddy the Elf when he says ‘smiling’s my favorite.’”

Sunset smiled politely, but she had no idea what Lilly was talking about.

“Right. I’m confusing you again. Sorry. I just watched Elf the other day. It’s a Christmas movie. We’ll have to watch it together sometime. Anyway, will you fill the kettle with water for me? It’s over there.”

Sunset glanced to where Lilly pointed and saw a pretty ceramic jug on the counter. She picked it up off the base it was sitting on and brought it to the sink. It had been a long time since she’d had the luxury of running water, and she couldn’t help but smile as she filled the kettle.

“That looks like a good thought,” Lilly said.

“I was just thinking how nice it is not to have to walk half a mile to the creek to get water,” Sunset told her.

“No wonder you’re in shape,” Lilly said. “I’d die for legs like yours. And hair. And lips. You’re really pretty, Sunset.”

Sunset’s eyes widened as she stared at her new friend.

“And your eyes! Jeez, you’re just gorgeous.”

The compliments warmed Sunset from the inside out. Yes, Talon had told her she was pretty, but she’d kind of thought he was lying just to try to get her to trust him, so he could have sex with her. She couldn’t figure out the motive behind the nice things Lilly was saying. Women didn’t compliment other women. At least not in her experience. But she still found herself enjoying the words.

And hadn’t she hidden from Cypress in the woods because she was more and more sure that The Community wasn’t…right?

“Thank you,” she managed to squeak out.

“You’re welcome. If you put the kettle back on its base and push that small lever down…yes, just like that. Now it’ll heat the water. I could just put the mugs in the microwave, but Tal is always bitching about us Yanks not making tea right. And when he brought over the kettle one day, I figured I might as well try it his way. And you know what? He was right. The tea tastes better when I make it this way.”

Once again, Sunset was lost, but she nodded and smiled.

While they waited for the water to heat up, Lilly leaned against the counter, momentarily lost in thought. Sunset frowned. She was being super friendly and doing her best to make Sunset feel at ease, but flashes of sorrow still showed through her happy demeanor.

“I’m sorry about your baby,” Sunset offered softly.

“Thanks. I just…it was such a surprise. I hadn’t even thought that I might lose my baby.”

“A few years ago,” Sunset started slowly, “I found a pregnant deer in the woods. I was supposed to be hunting, finding food for The Community. She would’ve been an easy kill, but I couldn’t bring myself to hurt her. She’d gotten her leg tangled in some fishing line from the stream. I knew I’d be punished if I told anyone about her, for not bringing the meat back, so I didn’t tell anyone. Every time I went back to that area of the woods, I’d bring some extra carrots from our garden, and the deer was always there. I named her Chloe.

“Anyway, one day I went to our spot, and she wasn’t there…but she’d had her baby. It didn’t survive. I named her baby Little Chloe and buried her. I never saw Chloe again. I don’t know what happened to her. Maybe she was so sad she couldn’t go on living, or maybe another hunter got her. But I’d like to think that she ran far away from the sad memories of her baby that didn’t get a chance to live and started over somewhere else. I want to believe she found another male deer and got pregnant again. This time giving birth to a happy and healthy Little Chloe, and they’re both wandering around the forest, eating leaves and living a beautiful life.”

The second she stopped talking, Sunset felt ridiculous. Talking about a silly deer losing her baby wasn’t anything like a human losing her child.

But Lilly pushed off the counter and came toward her with tears in her eyes. “Can I hug you?” she asked.

Sunset froze, barely managing a nod.

It felt uncomfortable and weird to have someone so close. She stood stiffly in Lilly’s arms, but that didn’t seem to faze the other woman.

“Thank you,” she said softly, her breath warm against Sunset’s neck. “And I agree, I think your Chloe is alive and well with her new little baby doe, and she still remembers fondly the woman who saved her from that fishing line and who brought her carrots to eat.”

Slowly, Sunset brought her arms up and wrapped them loosely around Lilly’s back.

As she stood there in Lilly’s embrace, a memory flashed through her mind. She was a young child, and a woman was hugging her. The scent of flowers on her hair was comforting.

Blinking hard, Sunset jerked in Lilly’s arms.

The other woman immediately let go and backed away. “I’m sorry if I overstepped. I’m a hugger,” she said with a small shrug.

“It’s okay…I just…it’s been a very long time since I’ve been hugged.”

Lilly smiled at her. “I think the water’s ready.” She moved the mugs she’d gotten from a cupboard closer to the kettle and ripped open two little packets.

Sunset was immediately intrigued. The way she’d always seen tea made was with leaves being mashed into a pulp and the hot water poured over the whole mess. The leaves always got in her teeth as she drank and the whole experience was like chewing water. Completely gross.

But the smell coming from the mug as Lilly poured the water over the little packets was delicious. Sweet.

Sunset watched closely as Lilly dipped the bags up and down in the water, turning it brown.

“The longer you leave the bag in the water, the stronger the tea. I don’t know if you would like it better weak or strong.”

Sunset didn’t know either.

“So…how about I make mine strong, because that’s how I like it, and we’ll do yours a little weaker? You can try them both, and if you like mine better, we’ll put your tea bag back in and fix it. Okay?”

Sunset nodded. She was so out of her depth here, she’d leave the decisions about the tea to Lilly. It was pathetic that she had no idea how to even make a cup of tea like this, but she was determined to learn as much as she could. She’d obviously missed out on so much while living with The Community. It was exciting to be learning new things.

“Some people add milk or sugar to their tea, but I think the flavored kinds don’t really need either of those things. Again, we can experiment to see what you like.” Lilly handed her a mug. The tea inside was lighter than the water in Lilly’s cup. “Try that and see what you think.”

Tentatively, Sunset lowered her head to the mug and inhaled. The sweet smell was stronger now, and surprisingly, her mouth watered. She sipped the hot drink—and her eyes widened as she swallowed. “It’s good!” Sunset said in surprise.

Lilly smiled happily. “Right? Here, now try mine. See if it’s better or worse.”

Sunset accepted Lilly’s mug and took a sip. The cinnamon apple flavor was much stronger…and sweeter.

Lilly smiled. “You like mine better. Keep it. I’ll put the tea bag back in yours for a minute or two, then I’ll take that one.”

Sunset took another sip of the tea as Lilly doctored the other mug. Soon she was sighing in contentment as she drank her own.

She hadn’t been in town an hour, and already Sunset was seeing for herself that the people who lived in town weren’t the enemies The Community had made them out to be. Lilly and Ethan couldn’t have been nicer. And she’d learned that there was pleasure to be had in something as simple as tea. She couldn’t help but wonder what other delights awaited her.

For so long, The Community had been her only family. All that she’d known. She’d taken Arrow and the other men’s words for what was going on outside her small circle as fact. It had taken Arrow’s death and Cypress’s meanness to make her want something different.

Drinking this delicious tea in Lilly’s kitchen was the first step to her new life, and Sunset couldn’t help but feel happy. She was sorry for the reason she was there, for Lilly and Ethan’s loss, but she couldn’t be sorry Talon had found her. Had shaken her out of the complacency she’d become comfortable with.

“You look like you’re thinking really hard,” Lilly observed.

“I am,” Sunset said simply.

“Well, thinking can be good. But don’t get too lost in your head. Believe me, it’s not always a good thing,” Lilly said with a wince. “You can trust Tal. He’s a good man, just as all the men on the Eagle Point Search and Rescue team are. You might hear stories about how he’s a killer, how he did whatever his government asked without thinking twice, but that’s not true at all. Ethan was a Navy SEAL, and yes, he killed people, but he never did it indiscriminately. If it wasn’t for the things he did while in the Navy, a lot of innocent people would’ve died. I feel the same way about all the guys.”

Once again, Sunset was lost. She didn’t think of Talon as a killer. He’d told her that story about the women and children he’d tried to save, who’d died because of the men in their own community. That didn’t sound like something a killer would do.

“I’m just saying that being here in Fallport might seem scary, but you can trust Tal to do right by you. You’re in a different world than the one you’ve been living in, but that’s a good thing. And no matter where you live, bad things happen to good people all the time. Look at me and my friends. But with support, you can get past it.”

It felt as if Lilly was trying to tell her something without saying it directly, but Sunset had no idea what it was. She simply nodded yet again.

“Right. So you can trust Tal and all the other guys. Simon too.”

“Simon?” Sunset asked.

“The police chief. He’s great. Really wants what’s best for Fallport. Oh, and Doc Snow is awesome too. When we called him in a panic, he was calm and met us at his clinic. He arranged for the ambulance to take me to Christiansburg, and he sat with me and Ethan and answered all of our questions. I don’t think he left here until like midnight the other night. And if you need some girl talk, you can call me, or Elsie, Bristol, Caryn, Finley, or Khloe.”

“Um…okay,” Sunset said, because it seemed Lilly was waiting for her to agree.

“I’m sure the others are going to want to meet you as soon as possible. Maybe we can meet at The Sweet Tooth. You have to try one of Finley’s cinnamon rolls. They’re so delicious. Oh! And you’ll have to check out Bristol’s stained glass at Sunny Side Up! It’s totally awesome. Do you like to read?”

Sunset nodded. She liked to read even if she wasn’t very good at it, but she didn’t say that.

“Good. Khloe works at the library, I’m sure she’d help you pick out some books. Elsie’s son, Tony, hangs out there after school, and he’s funny and sweet. He’ll probably talk your ear off about living in the woods too. He loves camping and hiking and all things ‘boy.’ And when you meet Caryn, don’t be intimidated. She’s tough, but a total marshmallow inside.”

Sunset’s head was spinning. But the more she talked, the more Sunset found herself wanting to meet the other women. She wasn’t sure what she might say to them, or how she should act, but if they were half as friendly as Lilly, Sunset didn’t think she needed to worry too much.

“You ready to sit back down?” Ethan asked as he entered the kitchen.

Sunset jerked in surprise—and immediately took a step away from the large man coming toward them.

His eyes flicked to her, but he didn’t say or do anything alarming. He merely wrapped an arm around Lilly, pulling her against his side.

“Yeah,” she said, looking up at him with love in her eyes.

Sunset watched them closely. Lilly obviously wasn’t afraid of her husband. Not in the least. All the relationships she’d seen in The Community, at least from the women’s points of view, were driven by fear. Everyone was scared of saying or doing the wrong thing and earning a punishment. When they were ordered to their husbands’ tents, an air of resignation surrounded them as they acquiesced. At no time did any husband touch his wife the way Ethan was holding Lilly. There were no questions, like the one he’d just asked. Everything was an order. Go here. Do this. Faster. Stop doing that.

“You okay?”

Sunset startled at the question. Ethan and Lilly had left the kitchen and Talon had entered. She hadn’t even noticed, she’d been so lost in the past. “Yeah.”

“Did Lilly say anything to upset you?”

Sunset quickly shook her head. “No, not at all. I love this tea. It’s nothing like I thought it would be.”

Talon didn’t lecture her on the inappropriateness of her abrupt change in topic. “It smells good.”

“You want some?” Sunset asked, holding out her mug. She didn’t expect him to say yes, but he reached for the cup and turned it so he took a sip from the same side she’d been drinking out of. For some reason, she blushed, but she couldn’t take her gaze from his.

“It’s a little sweet for me, but it’s not bad,” he said, handing the mug back to her.

Shyly, Sunset took it. “There are different kinds?”

“Oh yeah, there’re hundreds of flavors of tea.”

She frowned. “Really?”

“Yup.”

“Wow.” She loved how Talon didn’t belittle her for her lack of knowledge about things she was sure everyone else on the planet, who didn’t live in The Community, already knew. Trying to act nonchalant, she turned the mug in her hands and took another swallow of the tea, drinking from the same place he had.

Talon smiled, but he didn’t comment on her actions. Sunset didn’t know why she’d done that. It wasn’t as if he was interested in her like that…she didn’t think. He hadn’t touched her except to hold her hand. He’d been very careful to keep his distance, to avoid intimacy…until that sip from her mug.

“You ready to head out? I don’t know about you, but I need a shower in the worst way. Lilly was too polite to say more than that one little snarky comment, but I’m sure I don’t smell all that great.”

Immediately, Sunset thought about how her new friend had hugged her. She had to have been repulsed because she couldn’t even remember a time when she’d last bathed. It was simply too cold in the winter to do more than a quick rubdown under her clothes. It was easier to do that when she’d been wearing the brown dress, but she hadn’t done it often even then, because of how long it took her to warm up afterward.

She dropped her head in embarrassment.

“Sunset? What’s wrong?”

She shrugged and kept her gaze on the floor.

“Will you please look at me?”

Darn it. She couldn’t resist when Talon asked her to do something nicely, instead of ordering her. She looked up.

“Lilly’s not thinking about anything other than wanting to make you feel welcome and comfortable. You being here is a good distraction for her. Ethan said she looks happier today than she has since she realized she lost the baby. Don’t be embarrassed. If anything, I should be the one embarrassed that I didn’t give either of us time to get cleaned up before we arrived.”

Hearing a man take responsibility for something he’d done wrong was still a new experience for Sunset. Not that wanting to get to his friends and make sure they were all right was wrong, but still. “She’s really okay?” she asked quietly.

“She will be,” Talon said firmly. “You really do like that tea?”

She nodded.

He grinned, then reached over and took several packets out of the box.

“What are you doing?” she asked in horror.

“You like the tea, I don’t have any of it at my place, so I’m making sure you have something you enjoy drinking until we can get to the store and stock up.”

“That’s stealing!” she whispered.

“Naw, I’m just borrowing. I’ll buy her a new box when we’re at the store.”

Sunset couldn’t believe how nonchalant he was being. Taking anything from someone else meant a week in the punishment tent.

She took a deep breath. No. She wasn’t in The Community anymore. Cypress wasn’t here. The women who loved to tattle on everyone else weren’t here.

“Will she mind?” she asked softly.

“Not at all. In fact, I bet once we let them know we’re headed out, she’ll offer to give you the entire box. Trust me, Sunset, I’m not going to do anything that would get you in trouble with anyone.”

“And you won’t hurt me either.”

He looked pleased at her words. “Never,” he breathed. He put the tea bags in his pocket and said, “Finish up your drink, and we’ll go and say goodbye.”

Again, his words could’ve been an order but they didn’t sound like one. At least not like an order she’d ever been given by Arrow or Cypress. The tea had cooled enough by now that Sunset was able to drink it down fairly quickly. Talon took the mug from her hands and placed it in the sink.

“I should clean that,” she said, but Talon held out his hand.

“Ethan’ll take care of it later.”

It still surprised her that a man would clean dishes. But she’d seen Talon do it often enough back at the cave that she didn’t give his comment too much thought. She stared at his hand for a beat before reaching for it. She realized that Talon hadn’t ever touched her without asking for permission first, other than in Rory’s truck. But even then, he’d done so very slowly, allowing her to pull away if she wished.

He was so incredibly different from the men she’d known, it might always make her head spin.

They walked back into the living area hand in hand, and Sunset saw Lilly was once more sitting on her husband’s lap. It didn’t look as if he was forcing her to be there. When she was young, Arrow would hold her on his lap and stroke her hair. It felt uncomfortable, especially when he’d touch her between her legs and tell her she was a good girl.

In contrast, Lilly had her head on Ethan’s shoulder and she was holding one of his hands, while the other stroked his chest. He was holding her tightly against him with an arm around her back. Her legs were off to the side, and they both looked comfortable and content.

“We’re going to get out of your hair,” Talon told them.

“Oh, do you have to go so soon?” Lilly asked, raising her head.

“Yes,” Talon said firmly. “I need to get Sunset home, showered, fed, and figure out what to do about clothes and other stuff.”

“She can borrow things from me if she needs to,” Lilly offered without hesitation.

“I appreciate that. I’m sure I’ve got something to tide her over until we can get to a store,” Talon said.

“All right, but if you change your mind, just say so. We can bring something over. I mean, it’s not like she can borrow something from Bristol.”

Sunset was confused as the other three chuckled.

“She’s only four-eleven,” Talon explained when he saw her confusion.

“And we’re around the same height,” Lilly said with a smile.

“Feel free to grab food from the fridge to tide you over,” Ethan offered.

“Oh! Let me up, Ethan, I want to get that box of tea and give it to Sunset to take with her.”

Talon squeezed her hand as if to say “told you so” and replied, “I already pilfered some tea bags to tide her over. We’re good.”

Lilly settled against Ethan once more. “Oh, okay. Great.”

Her response reinforced what Talon had said about taking the tea. Lilly honestly didn’t care. And neither did Ethan. Every minute that went by, Sunset was learning something new and amazing. Her mind was opening up to an entirely different way to live.

“You’ll stay in touch though?” Lilly asked. “I’m guessing she doesn’t have a phone yet, so I can’t talk to her. And the others are going to want to meet her as soon as possible.”

“I will. And I’m thinking we’ll need to ease her into society. No phone yet, I don’t want her to get overwhelmed. I need to talk to Simon, but I’ll be in touch and will set something up so all the women can meet her when she’s ready,” Talon said.

Sunset wasn’t sure why he would need to talk to Simon, who she now knew was the police chief. That made her extremely nervous. Was she going to be in trouble for living in the woods for so long? Was she going to go to jail?

“Trust me,” Talon said, squeezing her fingers. “It’s fine.”

She relaxed. His request for trust immediately made her more comfortable, maybe because the words were so familiar now. Or perhaps it was because he hadn’t once given her a reason not to trust him.

“It was so good to meet you, Sunset,” Lilly told her.

“Same,” she responded.

“Thanks for coming by,” Ethan said.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t here when it happened,” Talon told them.

“You’re here now. Means the world to us,” Ethan said.

The deep friendship between Talon and his friends was easy to see.

“Oh, wait. I’m assuming you don’t want to walk home?” Ethan asked.

Tal let out a huff. “Bloody hell, I forgot I don’t have my vehicle.”

“Take my Outback,” Ethan said. “I’ll call the guys so we can get yours back to you tomorrow.”

“Appreciate it. Rory, the plow driver, said he was going to dig it out.”

“Perfect. My keys are in a bowl in the kitchen,” Ethan said.

“Want me to lock up behind us?” Talon asked.

“Please.”

“I’ll hopefully see you soon. If you need anything, just ask Tal to let me know. Okay?” Lilly told Sunset softly.

She had no idea what she could want, but she nodded anyway.

Talon steered them back into the kitchen to grab the keys, then to the front door. He locked the dead bolt after closing the door behind them. He picked up his pack he’d left by the door and walked them to the vehicle sitting in the driveway.

It was hard for her to wrap her mind around how easily Ethan had offered his car to Talon. In her experience, men were overly protective about who got to drive their vehicles. Cypress never let anyone drive his van. Ever.

Talon held open the passenger-side door and waited until she was seated before closing it and walking around to the driver’s side. He put on his seat belt, then turned to her. “Belt?” he asked.

For a second, she wasn’t sure what he meant, then it dawned on her. She reached behind her and pulled the seat belt over her shoulder. In the vans The Community members owned, none of the seat belts worked.

When it clicked into place, he smiled at her and started the engine. As they drove away, he said, “You have a choice to make, Sunset.”

The thought of having to make a decision about anything made her tense up immediately. She didn’t like choices. Usually, no matter what she picked, it ended badly for her. Especially when Cypress presented her options.

“I’m taking you back to my apartment so we can both get clean, get something to eat, and maybe even wash our clothes. After that, you can either stay at my apartment by yourself and I’ll head to the Mangree Motel, or I can take you to the motel. I’m sure Edna would be more than happy to take you under her wing. Or, if you trust me enough, you can stay at my apartment, and I’ll stay with you. You can have my room and I’ll sleep on the couch.”

Sunset stared at Talon as he drove. He looked relaxed, as if he didn’t care which option she chose. The thought of being taken to a motel and left alone didn’t appeal. She’d gotten used to Talon being around. It was ridiculous, really, as she’d been alone for most of the last year out in the forest. But she knew the woods like the back of her hand. She was in a world she didn’t completely understand now. Everything seemed new. Being alone seemed much more frightening than it should.

Being in Talon’s apartment by herself didn’t feel as scary, simply because it was his home. But she didn’t like the thought of being there when he wasn’t. What if something happened? What if she broke something? She didn’t want to take the chance of him getting mad if she ruined something of his and never talking to her again.

The thought of losing Talon almost sent her into a panic attack. It felt as if he was her lifeline in this strange new world she’d found herself in. “Your place with you there,” she finally said.

“Are you sure? You don’t sound sure,” Talon said.

Sunset took a deep breath. “I’m sure.”

“Okay. That’s what we’ll do. But be warned, I’m going to be asking you a lot if you’ve changed your mind. At any time, you can choose one of the other options and I won’t be mad, okay? I wouldn’t be surprised if any of the other women offered for you to stay with them as well. You are not a prisoner in my apartment. You can come and go whenever you want. Understand?”

Sunset nodded, even though she couldn’t think of a reason why she’d want to leave. She had no money. Had no way of making money. Couldn’t read or write very well. Talon was kind of stuck with her. She figured he’d want her to leave before she’d ever want to go.

“Don’t think so hard,” he said gently. “I know this is all new to you, but you’re doing wonderfully. Lilly seemed so much happier when we left than when we arrived. I attribute that to you, Sunset.”

“Me? I didn’t do anything.”

“Maybe, maybe not. But you being there, letting Lilly take care of you, helped her a lot. And I don’t know what you talked about in the kitchen, but whatever it was…it sank in.”

What they talked about? Sunset tried to remember. Tea. Her eyes. And the deer she’d named Chloe. Could Talon be right? Could her story have helped, even a little? It didn’t seem likely. It was just a stupid story about a deer. But deep down, she felt good. As if maybe she had helped her new friend at least a little bit.

“My apartment isn’t anything fancy. I’ve got two bedrooms, one of which is pretty much empty. I didn’t bring a lot with me from overseas when I moved here. And I don’t feel the need to buy things I don’t really need. But maybe now’s the time. I can get a bed and a dresser for you. Definitely a bookshelf, and we’ll go to Fall for Books, the used bookstore in town, and see if we can’t fill it up.”

Sunset stared at him with wide eyes. “You don’t have to buy me things.”

“You’re wrong about that. But we’ll play it by ear. You might want your own place sooner rather than later.”

Sunset was reeling. Talon had already been nicer to her than anyone else in her life. It was confusing…but so comforting at the same time.

“So, clothes…I’ve got lots of T-shirts and sweatshirts you can wear, but I obviously don’t have any pants that will fit. Sweatpants will probably work for tonight though, although they’ll be huge on you. We’ll get your leggings and cargo pants washed tonight, and you can wear them tomorrow. I probably should’ve taken Lilly up on her offer to borrow some things for you, but I didn’t want her to get up, and…you deserve your own things. New outfits you pick out yourself. I have a feeling you haven’t ever gotten to do so.”

He was right about that.

“Right, so tomorrow, we’ll go shopping. Then hit the grocery store. Then I need to talk to Simon.”

“Am…am I in trouble?”

“No!” Talon said so quickly, Sunset couldn’t help but believe him. “But there are things we need to discuss.”

“About The Community,” she said. It wasn’t a question.

“Yes. And how you got there.”

Sunset frowned. How had she gotten there? She’d always just assumed she’d been adopted like all the other kids.

“But you’ve been through enough upheaval for today. You had to walk for miles in the cold, then ride in a truck with a stranger to get to town. You saw Fallport for the first time, then met my friends, who’re grieving the loss of their first child. It’s been an eventful day and it’s not even over yet. You’ve yet to see my flat.”

“Your flat?”

“Sorry, that’s my British side coming out. My apartment.”

“I like your words,” she told him somewhat shyly.

“Thanks.” He pulled into a parking lot in front of a three-story brick building. “I think this is the tallest building in Fallport.” He grinned. “I’m on the third floor, by the stairs. You ready for this?”

Was she? Sunset’s first impulse was to say no and ask to be taken back to the forest. At least there, she knew what to expect. It wasn’t an especially comfortable life, but it was familiar. But she took a breath and nodded at Talon.

“Strong as bloody hell,” he said under his breath. Then he looked her in the eyes and said, “I won’t hurt you and you can trust me. This is going to work out. Promise.”

What else could she do but believe him?