Page 34 of Forged in Peril

She remembered the way that he’d pressed her against his chest as she cried, his firm muscles tightening around her body like he never wanted to let go.

Being alone with him didn’t scare her.

If anything, he made her feel safer than she had in years. When it came to her physical safety, she trusted him completely.

But the safety of her heart?

That was different.

Even if they wanted the same things, which they most certainly didn’t, they came from two completely different worlds.

When she pushed her emotions aside, she knew that the truth was obvious.

It was too late to go back to the way things had been all those years ago. There was too much separating them.

The warmth of his embrace was hardly enough to change that.

CHAPTER

TWELVE

BRISTOL

Monday morning came far too fast, but at least her alarms worked.

After hitting snooze twice, Bristol dragged herself from bed and headed over to peer out the window. The truck was gone already–as usual, the boys had probably cleared out around sunrise–and she hoped that they were heading home for some well-deserved rest rather than straight to the office.

She showered and dressed in a knee-length gray dress, pulling her hair up into a twist and clipping it into place. As she made for the fridge, she noticed a note resting on the countertop, and a flicker of anxiety rose within her.

As she read the messy handwriting, however, her worry was replaced with amusement.

Cam told us to tell you not to eat breakfast. Didn’t want to wake you, but we’ll see you at the office later.

Asher

P.S. I (Asher) have volunteered Cameron to take the next watch. I need sleep, and he needs to do something other than bossing us around.

P.P.S. Mean raccoon near compost bin. Can recommend a decent shotgun.

P.P.P.S. Reilly has volunteered to use said shotgun.

She shook her head, smiling as she tugged on a pair of boots and grabbed her jacket, skipping her usual energy bar and thermos of tea.

She knew exactly which raccoon they were referring to. He used to hide under Boris’s rear end, scaring her as she climbed in. Other times, he would walk around on the front windshield, leaving tiny footprints of dirt all over the car.

Fortunately, he had so far lacked any interest in doing the same to the car’s replacement.

Still, before she ducked into the driver’s seat and tossed her work bag beside her, she did her customary check around the back wheels.

The skies were clear today, and despite her lingering exhaustion, the day ahead held promise.

The traffic was calm, and she turned on the country station, getting lost in the hits of the early aughts that they usually played at this time of morning. They reminded her of her mother, who was probably listening to the same thing as she made her way in the opposite direction from her job at the nursing home.

She wished that she didn’t have to work so much. By now, her mother should have been slowing down and nearing retirement, but instead, she did almost as much overtime as Bristol herself, with no end in sight.

When she reached the FBS building and headed into the legal department, she couldn’t help but to smile in triumph. The student clerk was at her desk already, but she’d beaten Jaclyn to the office.

After greeting Melanie, she headed into her own office, shutting the door behind her.

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