Page 24 of No Going Back

Troy set Oreo on the snow but kept his hands on him. “See, you’re going to be good friends. Just remember, friends don’t sit on each other.”

When Troy let the dog go, Oreo bounced on his feet and raced to lick Jabba’s face again. Then he ran around him and sniffed at every section of the dog he could reach.

When he finally got back to face Jabba, he yipped again and then dropped into a heap. Jabba shot Branna a look and then checked over the smaller dog. Finally, he let out a sigh and sniffed at the bulldog.

After a few moments, the humans smiled at each other. Piper laughed. “Oreo’s other buddy, Moose, is almost as big as Jabba, but he’s never shown any fear. Makes me wonder how he handled the wildlife in the bush before we found him.”

Troy looped his arm around her. “He probably made friends with the bears.”

Marcus opened the back of the truck and grabbed Sean’s duffel bag. Branna didn’t have a bag because she owned nothing except her mom’s ring. “Okay, let’s show you the farmhouse and figure out our next steps. I’ve got some news.”

Branna would bet her last dollar, if she had one, that the news wouldn’t be good.

CHAPTER 8

Through Hell and Back

Sean hated watching as the real world crashed into Branna again. Their time in the truck had been a bit of an interlude. Even though they’d spoken a bit with Troy during the ride, for the most part, they’d spent time learning more about the adults they’d become.

For his part, he’d become increasingly attracted to her with every minute they spent together. She’d always been smart and strong. They’d always had a solid connection. When he’d left for the Army, he’d been attracted. When he’d come home for Charlie’s funeral, even through his grief, he’d realized that their connection had remained.

Now, the grief and the fear were back and there wasn’t much he could do about them. Except to make the fear go away as quickly as possible. Then, when she was safe, find out how far the attraction between them went. He felt like it could go pretty damn far.

They trooped into the farmhouse, and everyone kicked off their footwear.

Marcus looked down at the sneakers he and Branna had worn. “You’re going to need some winter stuff.” Then Arrow’s serious eyes locked on Sean’s. “You are going to be here for a while.”

It wasn’t a question, but Sean answered it anyway. “We are.”

Arrow nodded and put the duffel at the bottom of the stairs that led to the second floor.

The dogs moved inside, and Jabba loped off to check the surroundings with his little friend on his heels.

Troy gestured at the space. “I’ve got plans for this house.”

A quick glance told Sean the farmhouse’s bones were pretty good. No rot or obvious weaknesses so far. “I take it this is one of the projects you want me to help you with.”

Troy grinned. “Sure is. The other one’s in town and might interest Branna, but we’ll get to that later. For now, this farmhouse is a good place for you guys to hide out. It’s not in town proper, and while a few people know I’ve bought it, it’s not common knowledge. If you stay here, no one’s going to see you.”

Which meant no one would accidentally let Prince Hawley know their location.

“I bought it with a plan. There’s a barn out back and lots of fields. I’m thinking Oz can learn to grow hops, and the barn would make a great brewery. This farmhouse could be a home base for all of you.”

Sean’s eyebrows rose. “All of us?”

Troy’s grin reminded him of a kid with a secret treasure map. “Yep. I’m going to get Oz, Slick, and Scooby here as well. Haven’t told them any of this yet. I’ve also bought an old saloon in town that would make a perfect bar.” He turned his grin on Branna. “Or pub.”

Branna’s mouth dropped open, but she didn’t speak, which didn’t bother Troy at all.

“That’s the long-term goal. Obviously, I needed your help first to get it all started. But for now, this is the perfect place for you to rest and recover while we sort through the mess that asshole created for Branna.”

Marcus nodded. “You two will be the only ones here unless Epic has more plans up his sleeve that I don’t know about. For now, let’s have a seat in the kitchen and get caught up. Then you guys can crash for a few hours, and we’ll reconvene later.”

Piper nodded. “Troy’s cousin Ginny is the owner of the No Fail Diner. I’ve asked her to make dinner for us, so you won’t need to worry about food. We’ll bring that. We’ve stocked the kitchen with some basics as well. I’m not much of a cook, but Troy tells me Sean knows his way around a kitchen.”

“Thanks. That’s very helpful. We’re going to owe you guys a lot.”

The kitchen was a good one. Large and open, with a worn table that had probably served thousands of meals over the years. The appliances were likely from the seventies but appeared functional. They’d be fine.

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