15. Wren
WREN
The cabin walls are solid, and the men I’m staying with notice things before they become problems. I feel safe here, but I’m also bored.
I’m tired of staring at the cabin walls, and tired of trying not to stare at the three Wilder men.
When I find out the men are planning to lead the one corporate day trip Rhett refused to cancel, I tell them I’ll be going into town while they’re out.
Rhett doesn’t say anything right away, but his body language tells me plenty. His jaw is set, and there’s tension in his shoulders.
“Boone has an errand he needs to run in town,” he says finally. “He’ll drive you.”
Boone’s eyebrows lift. He looks almost as surprised by this announcement as I am.
“Isn’t Boone going with you? I’ll be fine.”
Rhett’s eyes are hard. “Fine isn’t a plan.”
“No, but staying inside until I lose my mind isn’t a plan, either.”
Rhett turns his full focus to me, and the kitchen seems to shrink by half. Cade is by the door, silent as usual, watching with an expression that gives nothing away. Boone looks down into his coffee as if it’s suddenly become fascinating.
Rhett steps close enough that I feel the heat of him. “Town is probably safe,” he says in an impossibly deep voice, “but probably doesn’t mean you go alone.”
I should argue, and I want to argue, partly because he’s overbearing and partly because the way he’s overbearing affects my body in inconvenient ways.
I fold my arms across my chest, and three pairs of eyes zero in on the spot for a quick second. “So Boone has an errand.”
Boone lifts his mug in a salute. “An important one.”
“What errand?”
“I’ll know it when I find it.”
Cade’s mouth twitches, but Rhett doesn’t smile.
“What are you planning to do in town?” Rhett’s demanding tone irritates me, but the care beneath it is clear.
“I don’t know. Shop, have lunch, enjoy the change of scenery. I don’t need a bodyguard.”
“You can do all of that, but Boone will be nearby. Make sure your phone is fully charged and keep it handy. Call him if anyone so much as looks at you funny.”
“Yes, sir,” I say, because I can’t help myself.
Something dark flickers in Rhett’s eyes, and Boone clears his throat. Cade opens the door before I can think too deeply about the moment.
“We need to head out.” Rhett gives me a long look. It’s heavy, filled with concern and what looks an awful lot like possession.
Then he and Cade are gone, leaving me alone with Boone, who turns his smile on me. It’s meant to be a harmless smile, but it feels anything but.
Later, during the ride into town, Boone entertains me with tales about trips they’ve guided, and his stories are so engaging I almost forget about the illegal activity happening in the mountains at night.
When we roll down the main street, I scan the businesses’ signs and think about where I want to go first. “Where’s your errand?” I ask Boone.
“Near wherever you’re going to be.”
“How convenient.”
“Very.”
I narrow my eyes at him. “You’re not even going to try to pretend well?”
Boone flattens a hand on his chest as if he’s offended. “Darlin’, you wound me. I always pretend well.”
He makes everything sound like flirtation, but now I notice what’s underneath. He’s charm layered over solid steel.
“I want to go to the general store, but first, I’m going to get a cup of coffee.”
“I’ll walk you to the restaurant.”
I frown. “I’m not used to being escorted everywhere.”
“I know.” His voice is softer and more serious than I expect, and his expression has lost its flirtation. “I’m not handling you. I’m just your backup.”
Even though he’s not trying to charm me at the moment, he still has that effect on me.
Moon Ridge is busy for a small town, with vehicles pulling in and out of parking spaces, a man loading feed sacks into his truck, and another man in a cowboy hat carrying a box out of the bakery.
Boone parks near the restaurant and hurries around to open my door before I can get it.
Walking up the street, we pass an older man in a plaid shirt kneeling in front of a bench, working with a wrench.
There’s an attractive woman with silver hair standing over him like she’s his supervisor. “No, Ed, I’m telling you, it needs to angle toward the corner. People don’t want to sit facing a plain wall.”
The man stops what he’s doing and looks up at her. “Mae, for the love of all that’s holy, it’s a bench, not a surveillance post.”
The woman, who looks quite stylish in a belted teal jacket, sniffs. “It can be both.”
“It’s not going to be both.”
“You say that now, but when it’s angled and becomes people’s favorite place to sit, you’ll thank me.”
The man shakes his head like he’s frustrated, but the expression on his face says otherwise. “I’ve known you for forty years. I have never once thanked you for supervising.”
“That’s because you’re stubborn.”
“That’s because you’re bossy.”
Boone, who’s been watching all this with an amused expression, steps up to the pair. “Good morning, Ms. Whitaker. Good morning, Ed.”
He introduces me to them with polite manners and a big dose of his usual charm. Boone only tells them my name, but the woman, Mae, immediately says, “You’re the wildlife biologist.”
Boone leans closer to me like he’s telling me a secret, but he speaks loudly enough for the older couple to hear. “While you’re taking elk inventory, people in town are busy doing their own surveys, but they’re tracking new Moon Ridge arrivals.”
Mae arches a brow. “The town is safer that way, Boone Wilder.”
Her mention of safety sends a chill through me. Townspeople might be gossiping about strangers, but I doubt they have any idea what’s going on in the mountains while they sleep.
“You installing a new bench for the town, Ed?” Boone asks the man. “I thought you were retired.”
Ed shrugs. “So did I.”
“I’m going to get coffee while you run your errand,” I tell Boone. I tell Mae and Ed it was nice to meet them, and I hurry on toward the restaurant before they can ask me questions about my work that may require me to lie.
“I’ll be close,” Boone says.
“I assumed.”
When I look back right before I reach the door, Boone is watching me. Standing with his hands in his pockets, he’s the picture of casual masculine ease, and his easy grin almost hides the fact that he’s scanning the street with well-trained instincts.