Page 34 of The Darkest Knight

Seth drew a heated line down her body with his gaze and her stomach did a flip-flop. How could he melt her into a bag of bones with one look? Whatever it was, he was a master at the skill.

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“Stay.”

She drew in a breath. That was a loaded offer. “You go on along. You’ve tended to me long enough.” And being in here, in your bedroom with you, the heat is getting too hot.

Once he left, she stepped into the bathroom and splashed her face with cool water, feeling much better. A knock came at the door. Quickly wiping her face on a towel that smelled strongly of spicy aftershave, triggering something deep inside, she pushed that aside as she hurried to see who was on the porch. It wasn’t who she’d expected. A pretty woman with a dark complexion, long dark hair, and amazing hazel eyes.

Reese opened the door. “Can I help you?”

“Hi. I’m looking for Seth. Is he here?”

Suddenly, she wondered who this woman was, what she wanted with Seth, and if she would be disappointed. “He’s taking care of an issue with one of the cabins.”

The other woman nervously pulled her large purse higher up on her shoulder, spinning on sandals to give the land a quick examination. When she faced Reese again, her frown spoke volumes. “I guess I should have called first.”

“Would you like for me to call him? He’s not far.”

She gave a small shrug and looked through a fringe of thick lashes. “I’m not sure. He might not want me to.”

“Oh…”

“I’m Rosita Hanson. I was married to Seth’s friend, but…” The brightness of her eyes faded some. “Anyway, I don’t want to disturb Seth if he’s working.”

“Would you like to come in? I can get you something to drink. I don’t know what he has in the fridge, but I can check,” Reese offered.

“Okay. I’ve been driving for a few hours, but I wanted to thank him in person.”

The story grew deeper. “Then come in.” She stepped back and gave the woman enough room to pass. Reese found the refrigerator stocked with bottled sweet tea, pop, water, and juice. Rosita chose juice and Reese grabbed a water. “You seem a little uneasy, Rosita. Is everything okay?” She asked once they were sitting at the table.

“Oh, I’m not uneasy, just a little, well, humbled by all that Seth has done for my family.” She placed her purse on the floor and clasped her hands together in her lap. “You see, my husband lost his life in Syria, leaving me alone with young children and no family to turn to for help. Then one day a package arrived in the mail. I almost passed out when I opened the envelope and found cash tucked inside as if my prayers were answered. There was no return address so I had no clue how this bundle of money landed at my doorstep. For the first time in weeks though, I was able to buy groceries for my babies. Even put gas in my car.” She shifted and tucked a tendril of hair behind her ear. “Every month after, right on time, the package arrived. Same amount of cash.”

Reese absorbed what the woman was telling her. It was an amazing story. “Did you ever find out who was sending you the money?”

“After I did a little research, it was obvious who had been so generous. Who has so much money that they can send a stranger cash every month?”

“Seth Knight?” Reese’s breath caught in her lungs. Yes, she could see him doing exactly that.

Rosita smiled. “My husband told me that Seth was an angel when it comes to helping others.” She reached inside and brought out a fat, manila envelope and laid it on the table. “Last month I was offered a job and I accepted. I will be able to take care of my family again. I received the money from Seth, and I can’t accept it. There’s two months’ worth here. He’s already done so much and I’ll never be able to repay him. There are others who need this now that my situation has changed.” She gently pushed the envelope toward Reese who stared for the longest time. “You have a very wonderful, kind husband.”

Reese jerked her chin up. “Oh no…Seth isn’t my husband. I’m actually just an employee.”

The other woman giggled at her mistake. “I’m sorry. I just assumed.”

“It’s okay. I can agree that he has a kind heart. I also know he will want to see you before you leave. Do you mind walking? I can take you to him.”

“I love to walk, and I could use the movement. I’ve been stuck in my car a while.”

“So then let’s go.” Reese called for Abby.

Together, the two women walked up the lane toward the cabins. They shared stories of Rosita’s husband and Seth, especially their shenanigans from the past. Again, Reese was finding another layer to him. He was a wonderful friend.

Long after she left Rosita with Seth, Reese still pondered how sweet he was to help Rosita and her family. This spoke volumes about his intentions and, most importantly, his heart.

She’d realized that he wasn’t the gruff, angry man she thought he was when she first met him. Sure, his rough edges weren’t polished and he preferred being alone as opposed to spending time with people, but he had a compassionate side that she’d thought he had been lacking. Just like he’d taken care of her after her seizure. It wasn’t emotionally healthy for her to become dependable on anyone’s care, but as independent as she was, she did appreciate someone looking out for her—his kindness. In the military, the soldiers had been all about watching each other’s backs, taking care of each other, but when one came home, they were sometimes faced with fighting battles alone.

With more determination than ever, Reese went back to the cabin she’d been working on and finished up the last bit of painting. Seth had stopped by twice to check on her, but it was more of a fly-through because he’d been taking care of unexpected issues all afternoon. She’d wanted to mention Rosita, but knew she’d need more than a three-minute window to talk about the subject. He’d offered to drive her back down to the cabin later and she thanked him. The sun was setting, her muscles ached, and she was ready for downtime. Half expecting Seth to show up to follow through on his promised ride, he didn’t, and she grew impatient and hungry. Lex stopped and offered to drive her down to her cabin, and she didn’t pass up the opportunity. She didn’t mind walking, but the sooner she got into a shower and washed away the day’s sweat and paint splatters all over her hair and body, the happier she’d be.

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