Chapter 27
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
NOAH
Noah’s knuckles turned white against the dark leather of the steering wheel. His eyes were on the sideview mirror, watching Teagan walk out of his life.
Every cell in his body screamed for him to go after her, to keep her close. But a promise was a promise, even if it did make his chest hurt like hell.
That didn’t mean it was over. Far from it.
He sat there in the parking lot for a long time, hoping against hope that she would change her mind.
She didn’t.
He hated this. Hated that she’d managed to burrow so damn deep under his skin in a few short days. Hated even more that she could walk away without so much as a backward glance.
Cursing, he shifted the truck into gear and forced himself to head back up the mountain. When he couldn’t stand it anymore, he reached over and tapped the screen on the dash. As soon as the connection was made, he said, “Tell me you’ve got eyes on her.”
Alex’s snort was audible. “Yeah, I’ve got her. She’s good; she knows how to move. You sure she’s not an asset?”
She was—just not the kind Alex meant.
“Where did she go?” Noah asked, curious about Teagan’s priorities.
“Stopped at a flower shop, then to her mother’s grave,” Alex answered, which made sense. It was where Noah would go if he were in a similar situation.
“There was a guy there,” Alex continued. “Pretty sure it was the stepdad.”
Noah tensed, gripping the wheel in preparation to hang a U-ey and head right back into town.
As if sensing his twin’s reaction, Alex said, “Relax. She’s fine. Walked around for a bit, then went into the diner a few minutes ago.”
“No sign of Graner?”
“No, but it won’t take long for word to get around once people realize she’s back. Hang tight. I’m on it.”
Easier said than done, Noah thought as Alex ended the call. Noah wanted to be the one watching out for Teagan. But if he couldn’t do it, there was no one he’d rather have looking out for her than Alex.
Even before his special ops training, Alex had always been the shadow twin, more comfortable in the darkness than the light. He knew how to be a ghost.
Noah didn’t like deceiving her. But there was no way in hell he was going to leave her vulnerable—not once he’d figured out what she’d come home to do. He’d kept his promise to take her into town and let her go. The topic of involving someone else never came up.
Was he toeing a line of trust? Perhaps. Did he care? Not if it meant keeping Teagan safe.
Noah parked the truck behind the barn, killed the engine, and sat for a long moment, staring out across the fields.
Snow shimmered on the ground, catching the weak morning light.
He pictured her smile. The way her hair had captured the sunlight.
Felt the inexplicable connection they’d formed, a bond neither of them had wanted.
He closed his eyes. Watching her walk away had been harder than expected.
This time, instead of calling, he thumbed a message to Alex, then hovered over the Send button before deleting the whole thing. If something happened, Alex would let him know.
Noah stepped out of the truck, boots crunching against the packed snow. He didn’t go straight into the house. Instead, his feet carried him toward the cabin. The one that, just that morning, he’d woken up in, his back and neck stiff from falling asleep on the floor at Teagan’s feet.
He unlocked the door and stepped inside.
The fire had burned down to embers. The blanket Teagan had wrapped around herself last night was folded neatly on the back of the couch. The coffee she hadn’t touched sat beside the armchair.
Noah stopped, unwilling to go farther. The place that had seemed so cozy that morning now seemed cold.
With a frustrated exhale, he turned and walked out, letting the door swing shut behind him.
He headed along the well-worn path to the stables. The wind was crisp, tinged with wood smoke and pine. Halfway there, he spotted his father emerging from the side barn, wiping his hands on a faded red rag. Martin Ziegler, gray-bearded and sharp-eyed, lifted a brow at the sight of him.
“Didn’t expect you back so soon,” Martin said, voice low and even. “Everything okay?”
Noah nodded, but it wasn’t convincing. “Dropped her off in town.”
Martin studied him for a beat, then fell in step beside him. “Why?”
Noah let out a dry breath. “Because that’s what she wanted.”
They reached the fence line, and Martin leaned his forearms across the top rail, watching the horses as they roamed the paddock. A moment passed in silence.
“Wanted? No, I don’t think so. Needed maybe. She had that look,” Martin said quietly. “Like someone who’s seen a lot of evil in this world.”
“She’s had a rough time of it,” Noah agreed.
“Understatement of the decade, that.”
Noah turned, surprised. “You know?”
Martin gave him a look. “Not everything, no. But I don’t need the whole story to see when someone’s in pain, son.”
Noah dropped his gaze, aware that they weren’t just talking about Teagan anymore.
“She’s strong.”
“Not the kind to ask for help.”
“No,” Noah agreed.
“Didn’t stop you before though, did it?”
He suddenly felt weary. “We had a deal. She came home with me for Christmas, and then I’d take her into town and drop her off, no questions asked.”
“You used her as your shield.”
Noah’s chest ached. His dad was right. He had used Teagan, and she’d let him.
“Dad—”
“It’s okay, Noah. I get it. You’ve got ghosts of your own, and at some point, you realized she kept them at bay, didn’t you?”
Noah gaped at his father, who gave him a knowing smile.
“You’re not the first man who’s made errors in judgment, and you won’t be the last. We can’t change the past, no matter how much we might want to. It’s what we do right now that matters. It sets the tone for everything that comes next.”
“Alex is keeping an eye on her,” Noah admitted. “Just in case.”
His father gave a quiet grunt of approval, then said, “Sometimes, letting someone go is the only way they’ll figure out they want to come back. But don’t be a fool, son. If she’s worth fighting for…”
“She is,” Noah said firmly.
“Then don’t wait too long.”
Noah swallowed hard, the truth heavy in his chest. “It’s not just about me. She’s got something she needs to finish.”
Martin nodded. “Then be the man who makes sure she can finish it.”
Noah nodded. “That’s the plan.”
“I knew you were a smart boy. And for what it’s worth, we’ve got your back. All of us.”
Emotion welled up inside Noah. He should have known his family would be there for him. They’d never left. His head had been shoved too far up his own ass for him to see that.
They stood in silence again, watching as a few flakes of snow began to fall.
“It’s so quiet,” Noah said. “I thought the kids would be out here, playing, building snowmen, having snowball fights.”
Martin nodded toward the house, then pinned Noah with a knowing look. “Your sisters and a few of the wives left a little while ago. Something about post-Christmas sales.”
Noah didn’t answer. He just turned and started walking back to the truck. He’d just drive down, check things out, be on hand, just in case.
He made it halfway down the mountain before changing his mind.
Alex had eyes and ears on Teagan. She’d be safe. And he needed to give her the space she needed to figure things out.
Instead of heading straight into town, he turned off, winding through back roads bordered by sunlit pines and snowbanks. The crisp air and empty roads suited his mood. He wasn’t ready to go back to the cabin, and he sure as hell wasn’t ready to face his family again.
He passed the farmers market—a Ziegler family fixture for generations. It was closed, of course, only open on Friday nights and Saturdays to accommodate the high number of Amish stall owners. Still, he spotted Eli and Daniel with the plows, clearing the lot.
He kept going.
He drove without thinking, letting the road choose his path until he found himself on the other side of the mountain. A small wooden sign caught his eye—Happy Trails Ranch.
His mother had spoken highly of the place. He might as well check it out.
No time like the present.
The drive was plowed, flanked with evergreens and lampposts decked with wreaths. A quiet peace settled over him as he followed it to a small parking area. A white farmhouse sat to the left. To the right, a set of pristine stables. Straight ahead, a fenced paddock, dusted in snow.
A man stepped out of the barn and headed his way. Noah climbed out of the truck.
“Nice place you’ve got here,” he said.
“Thanks. We think so.” The man extended a gloved hand. “Brian McCain.”
“Noah Ziegler.”
They shook.
Brian’s brows lifted. “Ziegler? As in the farmers market?”
Noah nodded. “That’s the one.”
“My wife loves that place,” Brian said with a grin. “What brings you by?”
“Home for the holidays,” Noah explained. “I work at a therapy ranch in Kentucky—Hopewell. My mom mentioned the good things you’re doing here and suggested I check it out.”
“Ah.” Brian laughed. “Professional curiosity. Want a tour?”
Noah hesitated. He could go home and sit with the silence—or he could learn something useful.
“Yeah,” he said. “That’d be great.”