Chapter 5
Chapter five
Abigail
The sky is still streaked with the last bits of sunlight as Beau and I walk up the narrow sidewalk toward the guesthouse.
The building itself is quaint, but stunning nevertheless, with its black siding, clean lines, and the soft porch light glowing like a welcome beacon against the treeline behind it, painted in dusk.
It’s beautiful in an unexpected way. Visually, a stark contrast from the main house, the barn, and everything around it.
But despite its dark exterior, everything about it feels peaceful.
My brief interaction with Lawson lingers in my head.
He’s not what I expected at first glance.
I thought he’d be cold and dismissive. Instead, there’s something steady about him, something that feels both safe and dangerous all at once.
Like standing near a roaring fire. You find yourself craving the warmth of it but know it could burn you if you get too close.
Beau, however, his warmth feels effortless.
He fills the silence easily. Like it’s second nature.
Like he’s used to playing that part. As if to further prove my point he pulls me out of my thoughts by saying, “I think you’ll really like it here,” as we approach the front steps.
“We actually built it last spring in hopes that it would entice Joe to come visit more often.”
“No such luck?” I ask him.
He rubs at the back of his hand. “Nah. None of us really blames her, though. She’s not like Jasper.
After… well, after everything the two of them went through, she left and made a new life for herself.
One she’s clearly happy with. And we’re happy for her.
But we just wanted her to know there’s always a place for her here if she wants it. ”
I don’t know much about Josephine Jenkins, but I do know what’s important.
I know that less than forty-eight hours ago, two of her men, Dante and Enzo, saved me on that beach as I ran for my life.
And then they brought me to their home, where I met Luca, Sebastian, and Josephine.
The five of them kept me safe until they realized New York was a place I’d never be safe again.
Then, they sent me somewhere they knew I would be.
They sent me to Joe’s brother, Jasper. To Beau and Lincoln and Lawson.
None of them know me. But they don’t need to.
Because, while it was clear that Josephine lived in a dangerous world, she and her men are good people at their very core.
And they took one look at me and knew I needed help. So they helped.
That’s what I know about her. That’s what I know about her men. And that’s what I know about the men here. They help people.
And that, in and of itself, is such a stark contrast to the world I was living in, where people only did what they did to help themselves.
“Hey,” Beau says softly as he places his hand on my lower back. I immediately flinch, not because he makes me feel unsafe, but out of instinct, and his hand instantly pulls away.
“Sorry. I—”
Beau shakes his head and smiles. “No need to apologize. Just wanted to see if you were okay. Looked like I lost you for a second there.”
Before I can respond, a blur of red-and-white fur comes barreling down the walkway, tail wagging wildly at the sight of us. Beau’s soft laugh releases the tension in my shoulders I didn’t even realize I was holding as the dog runs straight toward me.
“Lucy girl,” he scolds, even though I can tell there’s not an ounce of heat behind it. “You mind your manners.”
The border collie doesn’t seem to care as she rubs her side against my legs, bright eyes full of joy at the prospect of someone new to give her attention.
“She’s friendly,” Beau assures me, though it’s clear that I don’t need the warning. Lucy’s already treating me like we’ve known one another our whole lives. Must be that woman-to-woman connection.
I crouch down slowly, scratching this pretty girl behind her ears, and she rewards me with a soft whine and a lick to the cheek.
My throat tightens unexpectedly. It’s been a long time since something, or someone, greeted me without hesitation, like they were genuinely happy to see me.
“She’s perfect,” I murmur, before a warm smile takes over my face.
“Yeah,” Beau says with that easy grin of his. “She really is. Lawson likes to act like he’s in charge, but Lucy girl here is really the boss of the ranch. And she knows it too.”
“A woman who knows the power she wields. Atta girl, Lucy.” When I straighten, Beau and I move up the front steps with Lucy in tow.
Beau pushes the door open with his free hand, revealing a cozy glow inside the guesthouse.
He sets my duffle and backpack down gently on the table to our right as I take in the warm wood floors, the small but cozy kitchen, and the pieces of furniture that look like they were made to live within these walls.
Everything smells faintly of cedar and soap.
The thought of them going out of their way to clean not one but two places, unsure of where I would feel most comfortable, pulls at something inside my chest.
Running my hand over the smooth granite counter, I say softly, “It’s beautiful.”
“Glad you think so,” Beau says. “The fridge and pantry are stocked. So is the bathroom, and there’s some laundry detergent on the shelf above the washing machine in case you need it before we get you some more clothes.
There’s also fresh sheets on the bed and clean towels in the linen closet.
Lawson got everything stocked as soon as we found out you were coming. ”
“That… that was thoughtful of him.”
“Yeah, he pretends he’s all rough around the edges, but the man’s got more heart than he knows what to do with.”
Lucy’s nails click softly across the wood floor as she wanders deeper inside, sniffing everything she can before returning and settling at my feet. I glance down at her, and she lifts her head, tail sweeping the floor as she looks up at me.
“Guess she’s decided where she’s sleepin’ tonight,” Beau says, leaning against the doorframe. That easy warmth radiating off of him in waves.
I crouch to run my fingers through Lucy’s fur, her red-and-white coat soft beneath my touch. “You sure that’s okay?”
“‘Course it is,” he answers. “She’s good company, and she’ll let us know if somethin’ ain’t right.
” He gives Lucy an affectionate pat on the head before looking back at me.
“You get some rest and come over to the main house tomorrow whenever you’re ready.
If you can’t find us there, one of us will be in the barn. ”
“Okay,” I answer softly.
“You’re safe here, alright? We promise.”
The promise lands heavier than he probably means it to. Because that word, safe, well, it’s been a long time since anyone or anywhere has made that true.
“Thank you, Beau.”
He offers me one last soft smile before slipping out into the night, closing and locking the door behind him.
For a moment, I just stand there, in the middle of my new home.
The silence feels different here. Almost…
alive. The crickets outside, the distant sound of horses whinnying in the barn, the soft breath of the dog now stretched out on the rug in the living room like she owns the place. It feels right.
I exhale slowly, my shoulders sagging under the weight of the last forty-eight hours.
When I finally wander into the bedroom, I stop in the doorway.
The space is small but inviting, the white linens covering the bed practically calling my name.
There’s a window that looks out toward the main house, its porch light still shining through the dark. Constant. Never wavering.
The memory of Lawson’s voice drifts back to the forefront of my consciousness. The way he’d talked about his cattle like they were more than just animals. Like they were a responsibility. A promise.
Everything about him was unnerving. There was no question about it.
Something about the way he was looking at me, like he could see through my carefully crafted facade and straight to the very core of who I was.
But there was a comfort in him, too, buried deep beneath all of that quiet command.
There was a steadiness to him. An ease that was drawing me in.
Shaking the thoughts away, I change into one of the oversized T-shirts Joe packed for me and place my clothes from today into the laundry hamper. I know I should shower, but I suddenly feel like I have barely enough energy to keep my head up for one more moment.
Not showering before bed is one thing, but I draw the line at not brushing my teeth. So, I quickly run to the bathroom, not even bothering to look around, brush my teeth, throw my hair in a braid, and make my way back into the bedroom.
Lucy hops up beside me without hesitation, curling against my side like she’s done this a hundred times. “Guess it’s just you and me tonight, pretty girl,” I whisper, running my hand down her back. She releases a contented sigh that fills the small space with warmth.
I shoot one last text to Joe, letting her and the guys know I made it and set my new phone on the nightstand. Lying back, I stare at the faint light still glowing from the porch until my eyes grow heavy. Beau’s promise ringing in my ears.
I’m safe here.
But even as sleep pulls at me, the image that lingers behind my eyelids isn’t the visions of what tomorrow brings. It’s them. Beau and Lawson. The men I met today and the weight behind everything they’ve already done for me. Everything they’ve said.
We owe them freedom. Right up until their very last breath.
Freedom.
It’s the last word that rolls around my head before I finally drift off to sleep.