Page 87 of The Moment They Can Never Forgive
“Right. Like I had any say in the matter. I mentioned his name, and he heard it because he was lurking nearby and took that as an invitation to come down,” Dan said.
Leah listened as the men talked, but her mind was still on what Sheriff Dans had said. He’d spoken to her like shemattered. Not in the polite, passing way most people did, but with a steady, unflinching honesty. Like a father should have, but never had. His words were simple, yet they’d cracked something open inside her.
He told her she was worthy of happiness.
The truth of it lodged in her chest like a stone. She’d never believed that, not after she and Dan had shattered, and maybe not even before. Maybe that was the reason she’d run in the first place. Because believing in happiness meant risking losing it… and Leah had always been certain that, sooner or later, it would be ripped away.
“I wonder if Leah and Hudson should move out for a few days,” Sheriff Dans said.
“What? Why?” Leah got off the step.
“I’m not sure why, but none of this sits right with me,” he replied.
“Leah and Hudson can stay with us for a bit,” Sawyer said.
“Don’t be ridiculous.” The tears that had been choking her after Asher Dan’s words were gone. “It’s been seven years since anyone was down here. Why is it dangerous now?”
“I don’t know,” Asher Dans said. “But something doesn’t feel right.”
“And if he has a hunch, you need to listen to him because it’s always right,” Dan advised.
“I will find someone to stay with me, then,” Leah said quickly. “I’m not moving Hudson again.”
“Sorry, but it has to be someone who knows how to protect you, Leah,” Sheriff Dans said.
“You don’t even know if there is danger,” she said quickly.
“I could move in,” Dan offered.
“No!” She hadn’t meant to roar the word, but it had come out that way. “We don’t like each other,” she lied. In fact, she was fast realizing that she could like Dan Duke a lot.
“I like you just fine,” Dan said with a look on his face she couldn’t read.
“Dan.”
He turned as his brother spoke, and Leah could haul in a deep, steady breath.
“I’ll find someone else to move in,” Leah said before anyone else agreed with Dan moving in with her.
The tall, lanky form of Bradford, lab technician, house sitter, and plenty of other things, including safecracker, apparently, walked down the stairs. “Hey, Leah.”
“Hi, Bradford. I need someone to move into my house?—”
“Nope,” Dan said. “No offence, but he’s not doing that.”
“Why not?” Leah demanded.
“Because he won’t shoot someone if he needs to. Nor will he smash his fist into their face. Bradford’s too nice for all that.”
“Thanks, Dan,” Bradford said, not in the least insulted by the words. He then crouched to inspect the safe.
“This is silly. I don’t need anyone moving in with me. We’re completely safe,” Leah protested.
Everyone ignored her.
“It’s lucky you’re a good guy, Bradford, because if you ever took on a life of crime, you’d excel at it,” Sheriff Dans said.
“I like to spend a lot of time watching videos about weird things. Safecracking has always been an interest of mine.”
