Page 50 of Montana Memory

I scrubbed a hand over my jaw. “Jada doesn’t know that Kenzie lives here part time,” I admitted. “Actually, she doesn’t know a lot of the details about the kidnapping at all. Since shecan’t remember them, filling her in on them seemed a little cruel.”

Lachlan set his coffee down. “How much does she actually know?”

“Not much.” My throat felt tight. “I didn’t know much myself, not at first. And in Denver, she had enough to deal with.”

I clenched my jaw, thinking about the way Jada had been these last few days here—lighter, freer, finally feeling like she belonged somewhere. She loved the outdoors, loved the animals.

I hadn’t wanted to take that away from her by mentioning that Kenzie lived around here too part time. I wasn’t sure how long we’d be staying. If Jada and I stayed around the cabin and Pawsitive Connections, she probably wouldn’t see Kenzie at all. But if she decided she wanted to stay more permanently…

Before I could voice my thoughts, Lucas’s wife Evelyn called from inside the lodge. “Babe, can you come here for a sec?”

He gave me a long look before pushing to his feet. “Don’t go anywhere.”

I didn’t respond, but I didn’t move either. Lachlan took a slow sip of his coffee, eyes steady on me. Waiting.

I exhaled hard and looked out toward the corral. “Kenzie would be within her rights to make life hell for Jada here.”

Lachlan didn’t argue. He just nodded, watching me.

“She could make sure Jada isn’t welcome,” I muttered, my thoughts racing. “Could turn this town against her.”

“She could,” Lachlan agreed easily. “But the fact that she didn’t mention Jada to the police when they took her statement about the kidnapping and didn’t press charges means she probably won’t.”

I leaned forward, forearms braced on my knees. “No warrants. No charges. It’s what’s allowing Jada to have any chance at a normal life. I’m thankful she dropped it.”

Lachlan shook his head. “She didn’t drop it. There was never a warrant. As I said, Kenzie’s report didn’t mention Jada’s name. Only Alan Ard.”

I narrowed my eyes. Those cops had definitely been after her like she was a criminal at that hospital in Denver. They’d been coming to arrest her. And yet, according to Lachlan, there was no record of that.

But honestly, in terms of the list of things I needed to worry about, a nonexistent warrant was at the bottom. I was going to stay, at least for the time being.

And hope I wasn’t making a big mistake.

Chapter 17

Jada

The note sat on the table like a physical wound, bleeding out all the warmth that had been here just hours ago.

I can’t stay. I’m sorry.

I traced the jagged edge where he’d torn the paper, my fingers brushing over the ink, as if I could smudge the words away, make them mean something else. Something temporary. But they weren’t.

Hunter was gone.

The cabin felt empty without him. Like something vital had been ripped out, leaving behind an aching, hollow space. The fire in the hearth had burned low, nothing but embers now. The kittens—Sir Pounce, Biscuits, and Moose—were curled together in a sleepy pile near the couch, completely unaware that the one person who made me feel safe had snuck out while I was sleeping.

Maybe he’d left because he felt like last night’s sex had been a mistake, even though it hadn’t felt like one at the time. Not when his hands were on me, his mouth against my skin, not when he whispered my name like it was something precious.

God.

I dropped my head into my hands, squeezing my eyes shut. He’d been right there beside me in bed, warm and solid, and now he was just…gone.

Or maybe it wasn’t about the sex at all. Maybe it was about what happened afterward. Maybe he was embarrassed about telling me about that mission in Afghanistan. He’d opened up to me, shared pieces of himself I wasn’t sure he let anyone else see. Had it felt like too much? Like he’d given me something he couldn’t take back?

Or, and I couldn’t help but think this was probably the case…maybe he’d thought it through and realized that I wasn’t worth the trouble.

My stomach twisted at the thought, but I couldn’t blame him if that was it. My life was a wreck. I had no past. No real future. I’d run, too, if I had a choice.

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