CHAPTER THREE #2
Mateo rubbed the back of his neck, looking anywhere but at me. Great, now I’d made him uncomfortable. As if the toilet paper weren’t bad enough.
“Did you, uh, get everything moved out of Lyla’s farmhouse?” he asked.
“Yeah. I didn’t have much.” Thank God the loft had come furnished.
“We all know you’re going through a lot of change. We’re here to help.” His gaze met mine and my tummy fluttered. Gah, those eyes. “Whatever you need.”
It wasn’t the first time a member of the Eden family had said as much. Though unlike the rest, there was no pity on Mateo’s handsome face. He was just stating the truth. Making a sincere offer.
“Thank you.”
He dipped his chin. “Welcome.”
All of the Edens, Mateo included, knew that I’d spent the past four years living in the wilderness with Dad. They knew he was guilty of murder and hiding from the authorities. They knew that for years, the world had assumed I’d been dead. That I’d been one of Dad’s victims.
They knew the story.
Not the truth.
It was better that way. Secrets only stayed secrets through silence.
My dad might not be with me, but I’d do anything in my power to keep him safe.
“Did you know I used to live here?” Mateo took a step deeper into the loft, surveying the space.
“Lyla told me.”
Whenever anyone mentioned Mateo’s name, whatever tidbit they shared, was instantly committed to memory. I would have liked this loft had he not lived here, but knowing this had been his home too made me love it that much more.
When I’d declared last month that it was time to find a place of my own to live, Lyla and Vance had balked, insisting I stay in the guest bedroom for a while longer. Except I’d refused to budge.
Maybe I needed driving and cooking lessons, but I could take them while I was living on my own. My idea had been to find a place in Quincy, but apparently rentals weren’t exactly easy to find.
The loft had been empty since Lyla’s uncle Briggs had moved into an assisted living facility in town for help with his dementia, and since the place was empty, Anne and Harrison had offered it to me.
Vance was happy that I had the Edens nearby, and being out here on the ranch meant the mountains were just beyond my door.
It had been impossible to do much hiking with the winter weather, but soon, the season would change. Out here, I’d have a better chance at some freedom. Once this snow stopped and melted a bit, I’d head out to the mountains and see what I could find.
Who I could find.
Mateo’s boots thudded on the wooden floor as he walked past the sectional to the windows. Beyond Anne and Harrison’s house, the world was white. Snow blanketed the meadows and dusted every tree.
As he stared at the landscape, I stared at him. Faded jeans molded to strong thighs. Scuffed boots and his heavy Carhartt coat. A beanie with the Eden Ranch brand embroidered on the rim. Dark hair that escaped that hat, curling at his nape.
He fit perfectly in this loft, rugged but beautiful.
“This is a great place to find your footing,” Mateo said.
I cocked my head to the side. “That’s exactly what Lyla said. Word for word.”
“Hazard of hanging out with your siblings too often. We start to sound alike.” He turned, the corner of his mouth turning up. Wow, he was cute. His gaze shifted to the coffee table, taking in the books and laptop strewn over its surface. “Did you finish your tests?”
“Yeah.” If I wasn’t working at Eden Coffee, I’d been studying for my GED.
“And?”
A smile spread across my mouth. “Passed all five.”
“Nice.” He grinned. “Not at all surprised.”
“Thanks.” I dropped my gaze to my boots as my smile widened under his praise.
“What’s next?”
“I don’t know. Keep working at the coffee shop. Maybe enroll in some college courses? I like school.”
I’d always liked school. Even before.
Studying for my GED had been refreshing. It was the mental challenge I hadn’t even known I’d needed. I wasn’t ready to enroll full-time at a university, but a couple of classes would be nice to keep my mind occupied. And with spring coming, two or three classes wouldn’t be all-consuming.
I’d need a flexible schedule. I’d need free days to head into the mountains.
“I’ll get out of your hair.” Mateo crossed the loft for the door. As he passed, his spicy scent caught my nose. Leather and spice. Wind and earth.
It was perfectly male and delicious and . . . Mateo.
“Thanks for helping with the groceries.”
“Anytime.” He winked.
A wink, and my heart did a handspring.
That wink didn’t mean anything. He didn’t—couldn’t—like me. Not like that. Right?
I squashed that budding hope before it could bloom. “See ya.”
He disappeared, closing up behind him, and marched down the stairs.
I waited until the door downstairs closed with a thud, then I rushed to the loft’s front windows.
Mateo’s long legs made short work of the distance to his truck. It was parked around the side of the house where I hadn’t noticed it earlier, probably because I’d been too busy death-gripping the steering wheel.
The snow around him stopped blowing. A sunbeam tore through the clouds to touch his shoulders.
He was the light. My light. The shining star that chased away the dark.
Please don’t move to Alaska. I pressed my palm to the glass.
“Happy Valentine’s Day, Mateo.”