LITMIR.BIZ

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safe here. And you’re welcome to stay as long as you like.”

      “I appreciate that.”

      Bud glanced over at Nate. “Come here, boy.”

      Nate dutifully stepped up to the man who was noticeably shorter than him and bent down to give his uncle a hug. Bud wrapped his arms around his nephew’s waist, and squeezed hard. “I worry about you every day, boy.” Bud’s face was pressed into Nate’s shoulder and his voice was muffled, but Lily heard him. “I know better, but I can’t help it.”

      He finally let go and took a step back. “All right, let’s get in the house. Ellen’s waiting for the both of you.”

      Lily stepped through the front door to a tiled foyer and the wide expanse of a great room with a fire burning low in a stone fireplace. To the right the room opened onto a dining area that curved around, presumably toward a kitchen.

      A woman walked out from the kitchen area. Tall and slender, dressed in jeans and a raw silk blouse, she wore her long silver hair clipped back at the sides with turquoise barrettes. Ellen Wells. Responsible landowner. Astute businesswoman and, according to everything Lily had heard and read, the heartbeat of the sprawling Blue Spruce Ranch.

      “Oh, honey, are you all right?” she asked Lily. Without waiting for an answer she walked up to Lily and hugged her as if she was a cherished friend and not a complete stranger. For a few seconds Lily let herself soak up the warmth of the embrace. Tears began to form in her eyes and she rapidly blinked them away. There were still good people in the world. Now more than ever she needed a reminder of that.

      “I’m fine, thank you,” Lily muttered as she stepped back.

      “I’m sure the sheriff’s department will find those men who came after you. In the meantime, we’re always happy to have company.”

      Ellen smiled at her and Lily tried to smile back, but couldn’t.

      “You’ll be all right,” Ellen said softly. Then she turned to Nate, fisted her hands on her hips and looked him over from head to toe. “Well, you went downhill in a hurry.”

      Nate raked his fingers through his scruffy hair and scraggly beard. “What, you don’t like the look?”

      In an instant, Ellen had her arms around him in a hug. When she finally let go, she ran her hands up and down his arms a couple of times. “How about you? Are you all right?”

      “Yes, ma’am.”

      A dark-haired man walked out from the kitchen and glanced at Nate.

      “You look even uglier than usual,” he said. He appeared to be about Nate’s age, but he was a little shorter and slenderer with brown eyes and jet-black hair.

      “I’ve intentionally been trying to look like a lowlife for the last six weeks,” Nate shot back. “What’s your excuse?”

      The dark-haired man grinned. “Welcome home. I’m glad you didn’t get yourself killed.”

      Ellen threw up her hands. “Don’t talk like that!”

      The man walked over to give Nate a one-armed embrace and clapped him on the shoulder.

      Lily caught Bud giving both men a cautioning look. Then he turned to her. “Lily, this is Gaston Juneau. He moved up here about the time Nate did when they were kids. Works as a foreman here when he isn’t out in the wilderness trying to make Ellen grayer and me balder by fighting wildfires.”

      Gaston nodded. “Good to meet you. Nobody’s going to bother you while you’re up here. We’ll make sure of that.”

      A thump and a squeak made Lily turn around. An empty upholstered chair rocked back and forth in front of the fireplace. A few seconds later an enormous orange-and-white cat sauntered around the chair.

      “Hank!” Nate picked up the cat and hefted him into the crook of his arm. The cat put his paws on Nate’s shoulder and head-butted him.

      Ellen chuckled. “We’ve all been missing you. Hank included.” She turned to Lily. “What can I get you to eat?”

      “Thank you, but I’m not hungry. I’d really just like to get some rest.”

      Ellen looked at her thoughtfully. “I know you’re exhausted. Did you bring a suitcase?”

      Lily nodded.

      Ellen turned to her husband. “Honey, would you get Lily’s bag out of Nate’s truck?”

      “Sure.” Bud headed for the front door.

      “Your room is this way,” Ellen said, heading down a hallway.

      Behind her, Lily heard Gaston say to Nate, “Get some sleep. I’ll keep watch until morning.”

      Ellen led her to a beautiful room with an attached bath. Bud delivered her bag and both he and Ellen wished her a good night.

      After they left, Lily kicked off her shoes, pulled down the top blanket and let herself fall face-first onto the bed. Eventually she pulled up the blanket, but left the bedside lamp on. A Bible lay on the nightstand. It had been a while since she’d picked one up, but looking at it made her feel a little calmer. If she couldn’t sleep, maybe she’d read a few verses.

      It was good to know Nate was nearby. But as cozy and secure as this house felt, she was still in danger. And because of her, everyone else at the Blue Spruce was in danger, too.

      * * *

      “Now you don’t look like a deadbeat anymore.” Bud grabbed a towel and slapped at Nate’s shoulders and the back of his neck while Nate sat in an old straight-backed chair. They were outside, at the far end of the rambling front porch.

      Nate rubbed his hand over his head to feel the familiar short bristle cut, then over his smooth chin and cheeks. He’d shaved off his whiskers right after he’d rolled out of bed this morning. “That feels a lot better.”

      “Nothing wrong with looking sharp for your lady friend.”

      Nate turned to glare at his uncle and Bud winked at him.

      “I just wanted to get the grime from working undercover off of me,” Nate said. “I had to be around some nasty people in some filthy places.” That was the truth. Maybe it was also true he wanted to look a little cleaner for Lily Doyle, too. Let her see that he’d made something of his life and hadn’t hit the skids like his mom had. Like so many people assumed he would.

      “Well, you’re home and away from those terrible places now, boy.” Bud shook the towel over the railing and Nate stood up.

      When Nate had first woken up, the trees and the rooftops of the ranch buildings had all been covered in a hard freeze. Things had warmed up a little since then, but the air still carried a cold edge to it.

      It was beautiful here no matter the weather. There were plenty of mornings when he woke up in his apartment in Painted Rock and missed being able to spend a few minutes sipping coffee and looking at this view of pine trees, mountain meadows and rocky peaks. But he’d done what he thought was right. Somebody had to make sure the people who’d been responsible for his mother’s death faced justice. And if getting exiled to Painted Rock was the price he had to pay, so be it.

      It hadn’t been revenge, despite loud accusations to the contrary. He knew vengeance didn’t belong to him.

      He’d had the opportunity to take down a trio of drug dealers and he’d jumped at it. They’d hired a sharp defense lawyer out of Phoenix who decided his best tactic was to ignore his clients’ blatant drug trafficking and smear the Oso County sheriff’s department, instead. Fortunately, the lawyer hadn’t been successful in keeping his clients out of prison. But during the trial he had managed to turn the trustworthiness of the sheriff’s department into the hotly debated topic of the day. Sheriff Wolfsinger could have buckled under the political pressure and fired Nate. He transferred him to Painted Rock instead.

      “So,

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