Page 22 of Shadows of You

Her expression softened, sadness slipping in. “Okay. Sorry.”

And I hated myself even more.

7

ASPEN

I glanced over at Grae.She kept staring at me as the girls holed up in the family room while Kerry had the boys helping her prep dinner. We’d gotten caught up in watching Charlie and Cady put on some cross between a ballet and a battle. I finally turned to face my friend. “Do I have something on my face?”

Grae winced. “Sorry.”

A hint of worry trickled through me. “What is it?”

“Roan was asking about you.”

I stiffened. What were the chances that my gruff savior was Grae’s big brother? I’d heard her speak about him with affection and frustration more times than I could count. Had been curious what the only Hartley I hadn’t met was like. But the fact that he was asking questions about me put me on edge.

This was why I hadn’t made friends or connections of any kind since I’d left Jackson. Because it was a risk. When you let people into your life, they wanted to know about you. Your past. Who you really were.

Until Maddie started working at The Brew, I’d been content with casual acquaintances—mainly my regulars at the café. But Maddie had worked past my defenses.

Maybe it was because she reminded me so much of Autumn. Her kind gentleness and her situation at the time. I couldn’t seem to keep her at arm’s length. Then, Wren and Grae stormed in right behind her.

Grae hurried to fill the silence. “He never asks about people. He doesn’t care to know anything about anyone.”

Wren shifted in her seat, her light brown hair swishing around her shoulders. “She’s right. He’s always been one to stick to himself. But after what happened, it got more extreme.”

That stiffness in my muscles intensified. “After what happened?”

Grae, Wren, and Maddie shared a look.

My stomach roiled. “What?” I pressed.

Wren linked her fingers, squeezing them. “When I was attacked in high school? Roan was initially a suspect.”

I sucked in a sharp breath. Wren had become the focus of three twisted classmates when she was younger. They had gone on a spree one night, killing a few people and injuring others. Wren had been shot and almost died. Initially, the police hadn’t been sure there was a third assailant. It had taken years to find him, and lives had been turned upside down.

The thought that Roan had been a person of interest made my stomach twist. I couldn’t imagine how painful that must’ve been for him and his family. He might have a gruff exterior, but I’d seen kind tenderness in Roan.

“I never thought he was involved,” Wren hurried to say. “I told the police he would never hurt me. But someone said they saw him near one of the crime scenes. They were mistaken, but it was a few days before he was cleared.”

Sympathy washed over Maddie’s face, her blue eyes shining. “People just didn’t get him. Roan was quiet, reserved. Liked being out in nature more than with people.”

Grae picked at an invisible piece of lint on her jeans. “He’s still that way. I worry about him being in that cabin all alone. It’s a battle just to get him to come to these weekly dinners. And now that Caden and I live together, he doesn’t come see me as much.”

I reached over and squeezed her hand. “I’m sorry you’ve been worried about him.”

She swallowed hard, her white-blond hair slipping in front of her face. “I just want him to be happy.” She looked up at me. “He’s curious about you.”

My hand tightened around hers. “Not like that.” My words were gentle. I could see it now, a sister so badly wanting someone to take care of her wounded brother. But I knew interest when I saw it, and that hadn’t been in Roan’s gaze.

“You don’t know—”

“I do,” I said, cutting her off. “He’s not interested in me, and I’m not in a place to date.”

“Why not?” Maddie argued. “I’m not saying Roan is interested or not. I couldn’t read that man if my life depended on it. But you deserve some happiness. I’ve seen the customers who come in and flirt with you. Ask you out. You reject every single one.”

My face flamed. “I’ve got Cady and The Brew to worry about. The animals.”

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