Page 54 of Montana Memory

“Yeah,” he said. “Sometimes it is.”

I hesitated, then admitted something I hadn’t even told myself out loud yet. “I’m still thinking about turning myself in to the cops.”

Hunter stilled.

The words felt sharp in my throat, but I kept going. “I don’t know everything I did, but I know it was bad. And maybe I should?—”

“You’re not a criminal,” he interrupted, his tone firm.

I let out a short laugh. “That’s debatable.”

His jaw tightened. “I talked to Lachlan Callaway this morning, one of the Garnet Bend deputies. He isn’t looking for you. There’s no warrant.”

I stared at him. “You asked him?”

He nodded. “Yes. I know Jace told us there was no warrant before, but I thought maybe that had just been a glitch in the system working in our favor. But evidently, Kenzie is firm about not pressing charges.”

I should feel thankful, and I did in a way, but also, I was torn.

“Speaking of Kenzie. I just want to—” Before he could say more, a low rumble filled the air.

I glanced up. The sky, which had been getting cloudier and cloudier, had darkened, thick gray clouds rolling in fast over the mountains. The air shifted, the breeze turning cool, heavy with the scent of rain.

Hunter’s gaze flicked to the sky, and just like that, he was back in motion. “Shit. That storm is coming in fast. We need to go.”

Lightning streaked in the distance, followed by another deep growl of thunder. I scrambled to my feet, grabbing the empty plates, the wine bottle, stuffing everything into the cooler while Hunter tucked the kittens back in the basket, blanket and all.

We were barely halfway to his truck when the first fat drops of rain hit, cool against my skin. Then the sky opened up.

We ran.

Laughing, soaked within seconds, my hair sticking to my face as we dodged puddles, feet slipping slightly in the mud. Hunter was just ahead of me, his grip firm on the cooler, moving like a man who had too much practice running through the rain.

By the time we reached the truck, we were drenched. I yanked the door open and climbed inside, cradling the basket of kittens against my chest, making sure they were safe.

Hunter slid into the driver’s seat, shaking his head, rain dripping from his hair. For the first time in a long time, he looked completely at ease, despite the fact that we were freezing and three tiny kittens were mewling in protest at being jostled around.

Something warm curled in my chest. Yeah, my life was a mess. My past was a disaster waiting to be uncovered.

But right now, in this moment?

I was exactly where I wanted to be.

Chapter 18

Jada

The next day, the bell above the door jingled as I stepped inside Deja Brew, the scent of fresh coffee and warm pastries wrapping around me like a familiar embrace. I was coming home from the grocery store and had decided to pick up some more of those cinnamon rolls.

Hunter had said he wanted to talk about some stuff tonight. Figure out a plan for moving forward—that there were some details I needed to know. I figured cinnamon rolls could only help.

For a second, everything in the coffee house felt normal. Conversations, laughter, milk steaming. But as I stepped forward, a sort of hush fell over the room.

It wasn’t dramatic. No one gasped or pointed. But I felt it. A shift. A pause in conversation. A whisper too soft to catch.

I kept my head high and made my way to the counter, my boots tapping against the worn wooden floor. Lena stood behind the espresso machine, her hands steady as she poured steamedmilk into a ceramic mug. Her purple-streaked hair caught the light, a flash of color against the braid over her shoulder.

She glanced up, her expression unreadable. “What can I get you?”

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