Page 41 of One Last Promise

“I remember.”

“And Flynn is hunting down Rigger too. We’ll lay low here and let them do their job.”

She drew in a long, pine-scented breath. “I don’t want any of your family to get hurt.”

Moose gave her a grim smile. “Me either.”

“Mom, watch! He can fetch!” Hazel threw a stick, and Kip went bounding after it, bringing it back. She tried to wrestle it from his mouth, and a tug-of-war started.

“He’s a sweet dog.”

Moose rolled his eyes.

“What? You don’t like dogs?”

“I like dogs. I just like well-behaved dogs.”

“They don’t get there without a lot of loveand supervision.”

“Like children, I guess.”

She raised a shoulder.

Silence fell between them. She finally looked over. “You aren’t going to ask?”

“Not if you don’t want to tell me.”

Oh.

“I know I came in with both barrels last night, but I did a lot of thinking during the drive up.”

“While I was sleeping.”

“You were tired. You both were. I was still pretty lit up.”

“You have questions.”

“Thousands. But I’ve decided that I can live without answers.” He turned to her. “You need my help. That’s enough for me. No reasons why. Just . . . because.”

Her throat tightened. “Shoot, Moose. It’s not supposed to be like this.”

“What?”

“I’m supposed to be the one who listens. Gives you milkshakes in your dark hours.”

He laughed, and the sound of it was a balm to her clearly still-frayed nerves.

“What?”

“Nothing. Just . . . you do know that I only ordered the milkshakes because you made them. And pie.”

“You love pie.”

“I do. But not at midnight.”

She smiled. “So you just came in to see me?”

“Seriously, for a whole year I only came into the diner during your shift.”

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