Page 71 of Shelter from the Storm

“Next steps?” Gretchen asked, confused.

“Last night, you were worried about going back to Edith’s.”

Gretchen really had lost her shit in spectacular fashion. Her reaction probably hadn’t been helped by the amount of beer she drank.

“I was, but now that I’m thinking with a clearer head, I know how to handle that.”

“What do you mean?” he asked.

“Briggs never hurt anyone but me. Whenever he came to drag me back, he never threatened anyone else. To others, he’s always cool, calm, collected. I need to make sure Edith isn’t around when I talk to him.”

“I agree, Edith shouldn’t be around, but I also don’t want you talking to him alone. I want to be there.”

Gretchen had expected the request, but she hadn’t managed to come up with a single reason to refuse that offer except the real one—which she hated saying aloud.

Regardless, she felt she owed him the truth after all the kindness and support he’d shown her.

“Briggs is a master when it comes to manipulating people. He’s very good at making me look bad, always finding a way to convince others I’m either overreacting, embellishing the truth, or straight-up crazy.”

Her reaction last night might have helped prove that case for him, considering how Theo had found her hunkered down behind her desk.

“Briggs is a world champion when it comes to gaslighting. I think it would be better if?—”

“If I was there with you,” Theo interjected. “He’s not going to gaslight me, Gretchen, because I know you, the real you.”

She liked the way Theo looked at her. Like she was smart and brave. The idea that Briggs might change Theo’s opinion, even a little bit, scared her. But, since she had no idea when or even if Briggs would show up, she would have to cross that bridge when she came to it.

“And to that end,” Theo continued. “I think you should stay with me until we sort all the Briggs shit out.”

Gretchen shook her head. “No. I could never impose on your brothers that way. They were sweet to let me stay last night, but I can’t let my fear of Briggs possibly showing up disrupt everyone’s life that way.”

“I wasn’t suggesting we stay here.”

“Where would we stay?”

“We recently finished fixing up one of the cabins for the new vineyard manager we hired to take Levi’s place. Boone isn’t set to move in until the first of next year, so the cabin is sitting empty for the next two months.”

“I…” She was at a complete loss for words, because the idea of living alone with Theo was tempting. Too tempting.

“It’s a two-bedroom cabin. Boone’s bringing his young daughter with him,” Theo quickly added. “We would each have our own room, but this way, Edith is completely out of the line of fire, and I’m always going to be around to keep you safe. I promised we would take this thing between us at your speed, and that still stands. If you hate the idea, then we’ll go with plan B.”

“You’ve already come up with a plan A and a plan B?” Gretchen had fallen asleep and slept the sleep of the dead. And she hadn’t had time this morning to do more than admire Theo’s sexy ass, yet here he was with a million answers to questions she hadn’t even thought to ask.

“I won’t be able to rest if I’m here on the mountain and you’re down in town on your own. If you want to stay there, then I’ll move into one of Edith’s other rooms and live there with the two of you.”

Gretchen blew out a long, slow breath. She had to admit, both options appealed to her. While she was much stronger now than she was when she’d escaped Harrisburg, her bravery hadn’t truly been tested. She wanted to believe Briggs would show up and she’d manage to say all the things she’d practiced in her head a million times.

But…what if she couldn’t?

She obviously wasn’t going back with him regardless, but the idea of having backup sounded pretty damn nice. Given the anger she’d seen on Theo’s face last night when she talked about Briggs, she didn’t doubt for a second he would have no trouble standing up to her abusive ex.

“What do you think?” he pressed, and she saw something that looked like desperation on his face. He really was worried about her. Warmth permeated every dark, cold corner of her heart at the idea that someone as wonderful as Theo Storm would be concerned about her. It felt like the greatest gift she’d ever received.

“I think I prefer the cabin.”

Staying at Edith’s would be the smarter decision, from Gretchen’s perspective, because her resolve to take things slowly with Theo was weakening.

However, staying with Edith and managing to keep her out of the line of fire was a pipe dream. Edith, like Theo, would never leave her alone with Briggs. Knowing the beloved old woman, she’d most likely throw herself between Gretchen and her ex, and that could not happen.

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