Page 83 of The Edge of Never

“Aye.”

It hadn’t crossed my mind. Kit wouldn’t have offered to drive if they were uninsured.

“You’ll have to direct me, though we probably need to stop at the shop to get some food in.”

“What did Roman say?”

They started the engine and put the heating on.

“He gave me a week and will sort out my bookings. He’s just glad I’m okay.”

I have you for a week.

It wasn’t much in the grand scheme of things, but it was more than I could have hoped for. It was a good thing I had that amount of time off work too.

“I turned my phone off when we hung up. There’s a bunch of messages from Sienna I have no interest in looking at. Callan kept it charged for me.”

“Ye dinnae need tae think aboot her. She’s no worth it.”

Kit nodded slowly and set off. I directed them to the shops. They disappeared inside with instructions about which painkillers to get. When they got back, we drove to my place. Kit didn’t go fast as the back roads were a wee bit ropey in places, especially the track up to my place.

We pulled up outside. Kit stared at the place with wide eyes.

“This is where you live?”

“Aye,” I replied before I got out.

It wasn’t mine. I merely rented it, but it was away from people and that suited me. It was good to be home, even if I was worried about sharing it with Kit for a week. Not because I would hate it. I was worried I would like them being here a wee bit too much.

Twenty Seven

Kit

Thane’s house sat on the edge of a wood. We had to drive up a dirt track to reach it.

I sat in his car, staring at the place as Thane got out. It had light wood cladding and a metal roof. There were two huge floor-to-ceiling windows on the front. One to the left-hand side and one in the middle. Through the windows, I could see an open plan living/dining area. There was a deck surrounding three sides and a little wooden staircase leading up to it.

This isn’t how I envisioned his place, but somehow, it’s so fitting.

Shaking myself, I stepped out of the car and met Thane, who was waiting for me on the other side. Immediately cursing myself for dawdling, I tucked a shoulder under his arm and helped him up the stairs onto the deck. He unlocked the front door, sliding it to the side and stepped in.

The floor was oak and there was a wood-burning stove sitting between the two large windows. The living room area had a corner sofa with a rug and a coffee table in front of it. The dining table sat in front of the kitchen area near the front sliding door. To the right was a small corridor with two doors leading off it. I assumed they would be the bathroom and bedroom.

One bedroom… wait… ONE bedroom. Is he intending to let me sleep with him? I mean, I don’t want to assume anything about the state of our relationship. He might not want to sleep with me again.

“This is nice,” I said to distract myself from those thoughts.

Thane sat down on the small bench by the door that had hooks above it for coats.

“Aye. It’s no mine. I rent it from one of the local farmers. Wasnae in the right headspace tae buy anywhere after… well, ye know.”

After his wife died, he sold their house. I didn’t blame him for not being ready to settle down anywhere again after that. At least he wasn’t still there, surrounded by their things. That couldn’t have made things easy for him.

Thane took his boots off and rubbed his face. He looked as exhausted as I felt. The time we’d been stuck in the tent had worn us both down. Not to mention it brought up a lot of emotions. It had been a very draining experience all around.

“I’ll just bring the stuff in.”

I practically ran out of the house before he could reply. It took several trips for me to get everything inside. I locked the car and left the keys on the dining table before closing the front door. Thane hadn’t moved from his spot.

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