tied it to my mailbox and why.” She topped off her coffee and then rejoined him at the table. “It was just natural curiosity.”
Tom smiled at her knowingly. “Most people’s voices don’t quiver when expressing their feelings of natural curiosity.”
“I’m sorry I even mentioned it,” she retorted ruefully.
“You know you could always stay with us if you aren’t ready to be out on your own. Peyton wouldn’t mind having you with us.”
Love for her brother surged up inside Brittany. He and his wife were newlyweds, as well, and had Peyton’s little daughter, Lilly, to dote on. Besides, Brittany didn’t want to live with any of her brothers anymore. She wanted … needed to be out on her own.
“Thanks, but I’m fine here. In fact I’m having a new deck built.”
“Chad doing it?” he asked.
Brittany shook her head. “He was busy so he recommended a friend of his, Alex Crawford.”
Tom frowned. “I don’t think I’ve met him.”
“He’s only been in town about six weeks. He moved into the Walker house.”
He nodded. “Have you given any thought to coming back to work?” he asked.
Before her kidnapping Brittany had also been a member of the Black Rock law-enforcement team. She’d worked beneath Tom as a deputy along with her other brothers Benjamin and Caleb. Her brother Jacob had worked for the FBI in Kansas City, but during the time Brittany had been kidnapped he had returned to Black Rock and was now also a deputy for the town.
“I’m not ready yet,” she replied. “I hate to leave you shorthanded but to be perfectly honest, I’m not sure I want to return.” The words formed a lump in the back of her throat.
Tom lifted an eyebrow in surprise. He leaned back in his chair, his eyes studying her. “You don’t have to come back if it doesn’t feel right, and don’t worry about leaving me shorthanded.”
“But isn’t Benjamin leaving in a week or so?”
“Two weeks.”
Brittany’s brother Benjamin had for years divided his energies between the jobs of working as a deputy and ranching on the family homestead. He’d finally decided to ranch full-time and was quitting his duties as deputy.
“Have you given any thought to what you’d rather do if you don’t come back?” Tom asked.
“Not really. I thought I’d take some online college classes and keep my options open.”
“What about money? Are you okay?”
Brittany smiled. “I’m fine. I had some savings and I’m using some of my inheritance for the deck.”
“I figured you’d already spent all that money on shoes and purses,” Tom said teasingly and then checked his watch. “I’ve got to get out of here. If I don’t check in soon, Caleb will be sitting in my chair with his feet up on my desk.” He downed the last of his coffee and then got up from the table and carried his cup to the sink.
Brittany walked him to her front door where he turned and touched her lightly on the tip of her nose. “You’ll be okay. Go shopping, buy yourself something completely frivolous. That’s always made you feel better in the past.”
She watched him as he walked toward the path to his patrol car parked at the curb. She knew he meant well. All of her brothers did, but they all interacted with her as if she were the same person she’d been before the kidnapping, and she wasn’t.
She closed the door and locked it, then returned to the kitchen and grabbed her coffee cup. She walked to the back window and stared out at the patio.
A little over eight months ago, before she’d been taken captive, she’d been a spoiled, indulged princess. She’d loved hanging out with her friends at Harley’s Bar, a rough-and-tumble tavern that boasted live music on the weekends. She’d loved shopping and lunch out and dating men that weren’t necessarily husband material.
She’d often been late to work, knowing that her brothers would cover for her, and living each moment without thought for the next had been her specialty.
She wasn’t that woman anymore, but her brothers had failed to see that although her life had been spared, the immature, irresponsible girl she’d been had been killed, leaving her floundering to discover exactly who she was now.
She rubbed her eyes, feeling the grit of exhaustion. The balloon had been gone when she’d gotten up that morning, but the sight of it had kept her awake far too long the night before. She hadn’t been able to shake a sense of foreboding that in the light of day seemed rather silly.
She jumped as her phone rang. She didn’t recognize the number, but picked it up and answered.
“Brittany, it’s Alex.”
His deep voice washed over her with a welcome heat and she reminded herself that he was a married man. “Hi, what’s up?”
“I thought I’d let you know that the supplies should be delivered around noon today and if you don’t mind I’d like to be there when they drop them off.”
“No problem. I just can’t wait for the project to be done.”
“Then I’ll see you just before noon.”
She hung up and smiled ruefully. It was just her luck that after everything she’d been through the first man who sparked any kind of interest in her was totally off-limits.
Reminding herself that the last thing she needed at this moment in her life was a man, she set about making herself breakfast.
It was about midday when she looked out her back window and saw Alex seated in one of the chairs on her patio. She opened the back door and stepped outside.
“You should have told me you were here,” she said as he smiled at her and stood.
“I didn’t want to bother you. They told me the delivery would be around noon, but that usually means anywhere between noon and four.”
She waved him back down and sank into the chair opposite his and tried not to notice that he looked just as handsome today as he had the day before. “Would you like something to drink?” she asked.
“No, thanks. I’m good.”
He was better than good, she thought. “It’s a gorgeous day to start the project,” she said.
He smiled. “Nothing better than a perfect spring day for a little work outside.”
“Have you had a chance to explore Black Rock?” She just wanted to make conversation, to have a reason to remain sitting across from him and enjoy the view.
“We’ve definitely discovered Izzy’s Ice Cream Parlor. I think it’s going to be our favorite hangout until winter comes.”
“When winter does arrive then you’ll have to go out
