Page 105 of Call It Love

Trey straightened, wiping the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand.

“Might save us both a few heart attacks,” he said dryly, but there was a flicker of humor in his usually serious eyes.

Jack circled around his legs once, sniffing at his shoes before deciding he wasn’t a threat and flopping down in the dirt with a huff.

There was a beat of easy silence between us. Then he gestured toward the bruise on the side of my head. “Everything all right with you?”

“Oh, I’m fine. Just trying to clear my head.”

He tipped his chin toward the trail. “That’s why I run. Guess you’ve got a lot to purge after this weekend.”

“Yeah, not just that, though.” I found myself telling him everything. The tree. The committee. The rutted roads. The tight deadline. The sick knot of guilt still coiled tight inside me.

Trey listened without interrupting, his breathing already even after his run. When I finished, he didn’t say anything right away. Just pulled out his phone, thumbed through his contacts, and held it to his ear.

“Mac. Meet me at the farm. One hour.” Not leaving anytime for his brother to respond, he hung up and slipped the phone back into his pocket like it was just another part of his day.

He gave me a steady look, full of quiet certainty. “No one’s letting Chase deal with this alone.”

I stared at him, throat tight, overwhelmed by how quickly he moved into action.

“How do you even know what we need?” I asked, half laughing, half choking on the emotion.

Trey shrugged, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly. “That’s why I called in reinforcement. We’ll figure it out. Get it done.” His voice softened from his usual gruffness. “Chase has shown up for a hell of a lot of people in this town. Time someone showed up for him.”

Before I could find the words to thank him, Trey gave a small nod, adjusted the brim of his hat, and loped back into his run, heading the opposite direction. Jack barked once as if to cheer him on.

And for the first time since Chase dropped the bad news earlier, the heaviness in my chest eased.

We weren’t fighting this alone.

Chapter 35

Anna

I took a quick shower,then spent way too long trying to camouflage the bruise on my face with makeup. It helped marginally. I still looked like I went a round with a heavyweight boxer, but at least the rest of me looked fresh and put together. I didn’t want to be a topic of concern when there were other things to focus on.

I was passing through the living room when I saw someone sitting quietly on the bottom step of the porch. Trey. His hat was pulled low, elbows resting on his knees, while he stared out over the fields like he wasn’t sure if he belonged here.

“Why didn’t you knock?” I called as I stepped outside.

Trey looked up. “Didn’t want to bother you,” he said, voice rough and low. “Plus, I’m more comfortable outdoors.”

I nodded my understanding. Chase had filled me in a little on Mac and Trey’s backstory, especially about Trey’s incarceration. I guess if I’d been imprisoned for years, I’d avoid being confined by walls, too.

I shook my head. “You’re not bothering me.” I hesitated,then added quietly, “You were one of the first people in this town besides Chase, who didn’t treat me like I was contagious. I really appreciate that.”

Trey’s gaze shifted up to mine, steady and unblinking. He didn’t rush to fill the silence or brush it off with empty words. Finally, he shrugged once. “Know something about that myself,” he said simply.

“Well, I’m glad you’re here. Thanks for wanting to help.”

Trey nodded once.

Jack flopped down between us with a sigh. Before either of us could say more, Mac’s truck with the Sterling Construction logo slid to a stop in the driveway. To my surprise, Cam hopped out from the passenger side with a curious look on her face.

Mac pushed his sunglasses to the top of his head and looked around. “All right, somebody want to tell me why my big brother’s dragging me away from work like it’s DEFCON 1?”

I walked down from the porch and gave them the short version. As I spoke, I watched their faces harden. Mac swore under his breath. Cam muttered something even less polite.

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