LITMIR.BIZ

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How did she keep managing to say the wrong thing? The man was going to think she was a complete flake—if he didn’t already. Although maybe that would be best.

      But he was a guest, so she couldn’t be rude.

      Will was quiet for a minute, then he said, “If my being here makes you uncomfortable, I can move to a different table.”

      “No! I’m not uncomfortable,” she lied because she didn’t want to hurt his feelings. And as badly as she did want him to get up and leave, she wanted him to stay just as much. The warning bell clanged louder. She didn’t want to want that. It was too dangerous. She’d done a pretty darned good job of numbing her emotions when it came to the opposite sex. What had once been like an addiction was now just an unpleasant memory. If she were ever to revert back to her old ways, would she have the strength to change back? And if she didn’t, what would become of her son?

      “As long as you’re sure.”

      “I’m sure,” she said, forcing a smile.

      Two chatty guests—teenage sisters from her morning session named Cindy and Leanne—joined them a minute later, relieving them of the need to make small talk. Yet, as hard as she tried to concentrate on her food, her eyes kept straying up to Will. She wasn’t sure what it was about him that she found so fascinating. He was just so in-your-face bold. Maybe it reminded her a little bit of herself—the way she used to be. It could also be the deep hurt she saw in his eyes, a feeling she could identify with. It was second nature for her to want to heal him, to take away the pain.

      Speaking of pain, she suddenly remembered Eric and looked up only to find he’d finished his dinner and was walking toward the door.

      “He’s a rich snob,” Cindy was saying to her sister. “I don’t like him.”

      Leanne, the younger and more reserved sister, got a dreamy look on her face. “I think he’s cute.”

      Now this was a conversation Abi could sink her teeth into. “Who’s cute?” she asked.

      Leanne’s cheeks turned an adorable shade of pink. She was the delicate, petite type, with long, straight brown hair she kept tucked behind her ears and she had a sweet, tranquil disposition.

      “That Eric kid,” Cindy said with disdain. While both girls were pretty, she was more exotic-looking, with long, shiny black hair, sparkling violet eyes and a personality to match. She also had a chip large enough to fill the Grand Canyon resting on her shoulder and, according to her file, had been getting herself into quite a bit of trouble. The normal stuff teenage girls did to get attention from their estranged parents—ditching school, experimentation with drugs and alcohol, getting involved with the wrong crowd.

      Abi had already instructed the staff to keep a close eye on her. Though they were fifteen miles from the nearest town, kids like her had a knack for finding trouble where adults didn’t think it existed.

      “He is cute,” Abi agreed and asked Leanne, “He’s got that young Brad Pitt look, doesn’t he?”

      Leanne bit her lip and nodded, her cheeks blushing even brighter.

      “He thinks he’s better than everyone else,” Cindy snapped.

      “Why do you say that?” Abi asked.

      “He won’t talk to anyone! He’s a total snob.”

      “Have you tried to talk to him?”

      Cindy shrugged and said, “Why would I?”

      If only she knew what Eric had been through, she might not be so quick to judge. Or maybe it wouldn’t have made a difference. Either way, it would be unprofessional for Abi to divulge his private information. If he wanted to talk to them, he would in his own good time. All she could do was guide the girls and encourage them to be open-minded. Especially Cindy.

      “Maybe you should try to talk to him before you go jumping to conclusions,” Abi told them. “Things are not always what they seem.”

      “I think he’s sad,” Leanne said softly. “He just doesn’t want anyone to know.”

      Cindy shook her head and rolled her eyes. “God, you are so naive.”

      She was definitely angry and appeared to take a lot of her frustration out on her sister. Leanne in turn only crawled deeper inside herself.

      Abi glanced over at Will and saw that he was trying not to smile. In the eyes of a childless bachelor, the feminine banter must have been fairly amusing.

      Abi finished her chicken, set her napkin alongside her plate and rose to her feet. “I’ll see you ladies tomorrow, bright and early.”

      “I’ll walk with you,” Will said, rising to join her.

      “Oh, th-that’s not necessary,” she said, suddenly flustered. “I’m just going to my cabin.”

      Will shrugged. “I don’t mind. I’m in the mood for a little fresh air.”

      It was another sticky situation. If she said no, she could hurt his feelings. Besides, what would be the harm? It was just a casual stroll, right? Maybe he was just looking for a friendly face among strangers, and hers appealed to him somehow.

      But as she nodded and they headed out of the dining room together, she had to fight back an eerie feeling of apprehension. Because she knew from experience things were not always what they seemed.

      Hands tucked in his pockets, Will followed Abi out of the dining room and fell in step beside her as they walked in the direction of the employee cabins. Already the sun had begun to set and there was a nip in the air that made her shiver under her T-shirt. It would be a chilly night. A good night for sleeping.

      Having been the foreman’s quarters when the retreat was still a ranch, her cabin was the largest and set off by itself, tucked back several hundred feet into the woods, where enormous pines towered like sentries. It made her feel safe, and she treasured her privacy. It was the perfect home for her and Adam. She would be forever indebted to Maureen for giving them a place to stay when she’d had no place else to go, for helping her turn her life around when she’d run out of options.

      “That boy they were talking about,” Will said. “Eric, was it? He’s had it pretty rough, huh?”

      At the mere mention of his name she felt a jab to her heart. “I can’t go into specifics, but yes. His life hasn’t been a picnic.”

      “You’re good with them—the kids, I mean.”

      “That’s my job.”

      “No, you really care about them. That makes it more than a job.”

      For some reason his words made her feel all warm and soft. She did care. Sometimes too much. To the degree that it was hard to let go when their stay there ended. But it was worth it if those children walked away a little less angry or a little less hurt and confused than when they’d arrived. And there were always new kids to focus on, new activities to plan. Her son to take care of.

      “What do you do for a living, Will?”

      “I’m an analyst for the federal government. Homeland Security.” It was about as close to the truth as Will could get without coming right out and saying he was FBI. He’d worked undercover long enough to know you stuck with the truth as often as possible. The fewer lies he had to remember, the less likely he was to make a mistake.

      “Sounds exciting,” she said.

      “It’s not. The truth is, it’s a lot of paperwork and red tape.”

      “Where are you from?”

      Small talk, he thought with a grin. He could do that. It was the first step to friendship, which was exactly what he needed from her. “I’ve lived in New York for the past fifteen years, but I was raised all over. I’m an Army brat.” He plucked a leaf from a cluster of scrubby-looking shrubs as they walked past and slowly picked it apart. “How

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