Page 12 of An Alien for Her Heart

“Yes,” he suddenly says.

I nod, glancing around the barn even as I wonder what specifically he was answering to. Probably all the above. “I’ll try to find everything you need. This was once a functional farm, I’m told, and most of the things around here still work in one way or another.” Or I hope, at least.

“What I need is…” He pauses again and when my gaze shifts to him, a slight furrow on my brow, I realize there’s a slight furrow on his brow, too.

“Yes?” I prompt gently.

“Catherine…” He says my name in such a disarming way, it doesn’t sound like my name at all. As if he’s calling someone else entirely. I have the urge to look behind me just to check if there’s anyone else in the room with a name pronounced so tenderly.

“Yes?” This time it’s softer. I suddenly feel like I’m walking on eggshells here. He hasn’t moved since I asked him what he needed from me. His attention has only heightened, the intensity of his gaze growing more potent with each passing second.

“I must go to the town for supplies. The beams for support. Bolts.” He pauses. “Would you like to accompany me?”

His question has my eyelids fluttering. “Accompany you?”

My heart does a little thud that feels like it lifts its head for the first time in a while. Going to the town feels like a tripaway from this farm that would do me good. The last time I saw the town was when I first arrived. There was no time to look around because Xarion, the New Horizons representative that accompanied me here, was already there waiting for me. He’d escorted me directly to the farm. But I can’t go to the town just to walk around. Not until things are settled here. There’s a lot to do and random trips will just eat away at the little time I have to get this farm in order.

“You’ll need to choose the right beams for the repairs,” Varek continues, his voice steady. “The type of material you want for the roof fiber and the trim. I’d prefer if you were there to make the final decisions.”

His reasoning is practical, but there’s something in his tone that makes me feel like there’s more to it. I turn his reasons over in my mind. They’re valid. The barn is my responsibility, and I should be involved in the choices that affect it.

“Well,” I breathe, blinking up at him. “I suppose that makes sense.”

Varek nods, and it seems like his eyes get brighter. “We’ll take my hover truck.”

It’s that same moment that I realize something else. Going to town with him will mean being stuck with him for a few long hours.

An uneasy feeling rises within me at the thought. Being alone with him for that long, confined within the small space of the truck… It’s not that I don’t trust him—I do. But the idea of being in such close proximity is unsettling. It would mean conversation. Relationship building. I might have to open up parts of myself that I’ve been keeping locked in a trunk without a key for years before I was even taken from Earth.

“The journey to town will also give us a chance to discuss the repairs in more detail.” Varek’s gaze shifts back to the roof ashe speaks. “I’d like to make sure we’re both in agreement about what needs to be done.”

It’s almost like he’s convincing himself too, and that helps. I’m not the only one wary about this impromptu trip.There isn’t more to this, Catherine. He simply wants to do the job well, which is admirable. We still haven’t discussed how much his rate will be for all this so I suppose we can discuss all that on the way, too.

“You’re right.” I give him what I hope is a convincing smile. “It’s important that we get this right. For the sake of the farm.”

He blinks at me before I’m sure I see the faint ghost of a smile.

“For the sake of the farm,” he agrees.

My throat is dry again, so I clear it and swallow. It doesn’t help. With my thumb, I gesture at the barn doors and toward the cottage. “I’ll go get my comm and meet you out front.”

Varek dips his head slightly in affirmation and I spin on my heels and hurry out of the barn.

For the sake of the farm. Yes. I’ll go with that because anything else is absolutely ludicrous.

4

CATHERINE

Turns out I don’t just go to the house for my comm. Once inside, I notice my tunic has dirt stains from when I’d been kneeling and clearing the grass. Thanks to a mirror Xarion supplied, I catch a glimpse of my reflection and realize just how disheveled I look.

I run a hand through the wisps of my hair that have fallen out of the French braid I’d done today. Grabbing the piece of linen I use as a hair tie, I let my hair down, staring at myself in the mirror. I can’t remember the last time I took a moment for self-care. Truth be told, it didn’t feel like there was much of a reason to anymore. And that’s saying something for a woman that’s always taken care of herself.

But there are no more charity dinners to attend. No more hosting events. Out here there are no manicures. My eyebrows have grown out. I haven’t even had the chance to figure out what sort of makeup exists in this world, though I’m sure there must be some that work on my human skin. I’m completely just…me. But now, with the prospect of spending the day with Varek in town, I find myself running my fingers through my hair. I tug at my clothes, wishing I had something nicer to wear. My hands flutter to my face, feeling the lines and imperfections that seemmore pronounced now than before. I can’t go to town looking likethis. I may have lost a lot, but I haven’t lost my self-respect.

I head to my room and quickly change into a different tunic. They all look the same, just boxy brown linen, but at least I’m clean now. Running a brush through my hair, I let the strands rest over my shoulder, not bothering to put the hair tie in. A glance in the mirror shows a face that’s still flushed from the morning’s exertion, so I splash some cool water on my cheeks, hoping to calm the redness.

It hardly makes a difference.

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