us seemed to have taken a turn, and I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. It was easier. More casual. I found myself forgetting, for chunks at a time, that he was the enemy. “Seriously though, why here?”
He poked his head around the corner of the building and pointed across the lot to the row of sheds. “Free room and board.”
A line of twelve large wooden sheds—some made to look like miniature houses and others the definition of simple—sat a few hundred yards away. “Huh,” I said. This time I didn’t fight the smile. “That’s actually kind of brilliant.”
He winked. “Of course it is.”
We waited, hunkered down around the side of the building for what felt like hours. Finally the last people filtered out to their cars, followed several minutes later by the storefront lights shutting down. After the last car pulled from the lot, Shaun took my hand and started for the sheds.
With a sweeping gesture, he said, “Your castle awaits. Which one will it be?”
I skimmed the long row. A green one at the end caught my eye. It was perfect. There were pristine white shutters that surrounded the two large windows, and intricate latticework around the door. And just below the roof, there was a mock balcony with a host of colorful flowers and leafy greens. I imagined that life here, had it been a real house, would have been perfect.
Mom and I would enjoy relaxed evenings on the balcony, the fragrant scent from the gardens wafting past as we sipped iced tea and gossiped about boys. Then, after it got dark, we’d head into the kitchen and dish some more over pints of ice cream, staying up ’til all hours until we couldn’t keep our eyes open anymore.
“That one,” I said, swallowing the lump in my throat, my imaginary future crumbling.
We took one last look to be sure we were alone, then slipped inside. Shaun closed the door behind us and let out a sharp whistle. “Well, shit. I guess the movers didn’t get here yet.”
“No tip for them,” I said, sliding down the wall in the corner. The moon was nearly full, so there was just enough light shining through the window to keep us from being completely in the dark.
Shaun slid down beside me. He was shivering, but I knew better than to try to give his jacket back. I’d tried twice already, saying we should share it at the very least, but he insisted he was fine.
I tilted my head back and closed my eyes. I assumed Shaun would do the same, since we’d both had one hell of a day, but he didn’t. “I slept in a ton of these things when I was younger,” he said after a few minutes.
I opened my eyes. His head was tilted back, aimed at the ceiling, and his eyes were closed. He looked so much younger in that moment. Not a smart-ass bounty hunter in training. Just a guy. Someone lost.
Like me.
When he told me Patrick took him in, he specifically left out why he’d left home to begin with. I knew how it felt to have secrets so I wouldn’t push, but I didn’t mind filling the silence. If I found out more about him as a result, then all the better. Knowledge was power. “Before Patrick found you, you mean?”
“Yeah. It was January during a snowstorm. Spent an entire week in one. Not the best planning on my part, but I was a kid.”
“Planning is overrated,” I lied—said it with a smile, too. I was proud.
He opened his eyes and turned toward me. The grin on his face was actually worth the lie. “Right. Says the girl who’s mapped out our route in painful detail.”
“Busted.” I laughed.
He shifted until he was leaning sideways against the wall, facing me. “Do you ever just wing it? Wake up in the morning and face the day without a plan?”
I shook my head. “No way.”
“Why?” he said, voice low. He hovered dangerously close, and added, “There’s a lot to be said for spontaneity.”
I swallowed hard and forced myself not to back away—or push forward. There was no denying the attraction, but I wouldn’t allow myself to act on
He poked his head around the corner of the building and pointed across the lot to the row of sheds. “Free room and board.”
A line of twelve large wooden sheds—some made to look like miniature houses and others the definition of simple—sat a few hundred yards away. “Huh,” I said. This time I didn’t fight the smile. “That’s actually kind of brilliant.”
He winked. “Of course it is.”
We waited, hunkered down around the side of the building for what felt like hours. Finally the last people filtered out to their cars, followed several minutes later by the storefront lights shutting down. After the last car pulled from the lot, Shaun took my hand and started for the sheds.
With a sweeping gesture, he said, “Your castle awaits. Which one will it be?”
I skimmed the long row. A green one at the end caught my eye. It was perfect. There were pristine white shutters that surrounded the two large windows, and intricate latticework around the door. And just below the roof, there was a mock balcony with a host of colorful flowers and leafy greens. I imagined that life here, had it been a real house, would have been perfect.
Mom and I would enjoy relaxed evenings on the balcony, the fragrant scent from the gardens wafting past as we sipped iced tea and gossiped about boys. Then, after it got dark, we’d head into the kitchen and dish some more over pints of ice cream, staying up ’til all hours until we couldn’t keep our eyes open anymore.
“That one,” I said, swallowing the lump in my throat, my imaginary future crumbling.
We took one last look to be sure we were alone, then slipped inside. Shaun closed the door behind us and let out a sharp whistle. “Well, shit. I guess the movers didn’t get here yet.”
“No tip for them,” I said, sliding down the wall in the corner. The moon was nearly full, so there was just enough light shining through the window to keep us from being completely in the dark.
Shaun slid down beside me. He was shivering, but I knew better than to try to give his jacket back. I’d tried twice already, saying we should share it at the very least, but he insisted he was fine.
I tilted my head back and closed my eyes. I assumed Shaun would do the same, since we’d both had one hell of a day, but he didn’t. “I slept in a ton of these things when I was younger,” he said after a few minutes.
I opened my eyes. His head was tilted back, aimed at the ceiling, and his eyes were closed. He looked so much younger in that moment. Not a smart-ass bounty hunter in training. Just a guy. Someone lost.
Like me.
When he told me Patrick took him in, he specifically left out why he’d left home to begin with. I knew how it felt to have secrets so I wouldn’t push, but I didn’t mind filling the silence. If I found out more about him as a result, then all the better. Knowledge was power. “Before Patrick found you, you mean?”
“Yeah. It was January during a snowstorm. Spent an entire week in one. Not the best planning on my part, but I was a kid.”
“Planning is overrated,” I lied—said it with a smile, too. I was proud.
He opened his eyes and turned toward me. The grin on his face was actually worth the lie. “Right. Says the girl who’s mapped out our route in painful detail.”
“Busted.” I laughed.
He shifted until he was leaning sideways against the wall, facing me. “Do you ever just wing it? Wake up in the morning and face the day without a plan?”
I shook my head. “No way.”
“Why?” he said, voice low. He hovered dangerously close, and added, “There’s a lot to be said for spontaneity.”
I swallowed hard and forced myself not to back away—or push forward. There was no denying the attraction, but I wouldn’t allow myself to act on
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