Page 22 of Chasing Shelter

God, life could be a real dick. And not the good kind. But it was also a great equalizer. It didn’t matter if you came from a background that meant you were struggling to get by or if you were part of the one percent of the one percent, life could still suck in the worst ways. And the people who were supposed to care for you could do anything but.

The image of a tiny Trace swirled in my mind, alone and defenseless. I suddenly understood him a little more. But that didn’t mean Iwould stop trying to force him into a little fun and recklessness. All it told me was that he needed it more than ever.

“Good to know,” I said softly.

I felt Anson’s gaze probing the side of my face but didn’t look in his direction. I knew my expression could give away too many clues for a man who was a master at discerning them all.

“You guys need any refills?” I asked.

“We’re good,” Shep assured me.

Anson just grunted his agreement.

I turned in his direction. “Next time I see you, the goal is twenty whole words. I believe in you.”

Shep choked on a laugh as I raised my fist in the air. But I didn’t miss the twitch of Anson’s lips. “Victory!” I called as I backed away.

I got caught up in delivering food to a crowd made up of mostly locals. I’d met a few, but the majority were new acquaintances. I wasn’t surprised when all but two already knew who I was. That was small-town life.

I slid a plate in front of a woman I didn’t recognize, her eyes locked on me. “Here’s that breakfast platter for you. Do you need any refills?”

“You’re that Pierce girl, aren’t you?” she asked, not much warmth in her voice.

Tension wound through my muscles. I’d never wanted to change my name more than I had this past month. “Ellie.”

The woman’s lips thinned. “You and your brother have a lot of nerve sticking around here after what your father put poor Arden through. The stress he put on the whole Colson family.”

My hands fisted at my sides, my fingernails digging into my palms. “Well, seeing as Arden and Linc are engaged, I don’t know how she’d feel about Linc taking off, but I’ll be sure to pass along your concerns.”

I turned on my heel and stalked off before I said something I really regretted. The problem was, I didn’t disagree with her on the father front. Philip Pierce was a monster, capable of things I couldn’thave imagined just a couple of months ago. And the thing that scared me the most was that his DNA wove through mine.

I startled as I nearly knocked into someone. Strong hands reached out to steady me. “Whoa, careful there, woman on a mission.”

I looked up into kind, brown eyes I recognized from the aftermath of Arden and Linc’s attack. “Deputy Fletcher,” I greeted, doing my best not to look like a deer caught in headlights.

“I told you, call me Harrison.” Those brown eyes narrowed. “Hey, you okay?”

“Just a hectic morning,” I said, forcing a smile.

He didn’t look especially convinced, but he didn’t press. “I didn’t know you worked here.”

My smile became a little more genuine. “I don’t. I just offered to pitch in because Thea’s new hire was a no-show.”

“Joey,” Harrison groaned. “That kid dances to the beat of his own drum.”

“I’m starting to think his drum never beats on time.”

Harrison chuckled. “It does not. Thea’ll have to hire someone else. I have no doubt.”

As I glanced around the still-crowded bakery, I winced. “I hope she finds someone quick.”

“I think I’ll keep my orders to go until she does,” Harrison said, nodding to the bakery bag and coffee on the counter.

“Smart man.”

He smiled wider and shifted slightly. “I heard you’re sticking around Sparrow Falls.”

Goose bumps rose on the backs of my arms, but I did my best to shove down the sensation. Harrison wasn’t a private investigator breaking my privacy. This was just the small-town grapevine, and I needed to get used to it. “I am. It’ll be nice to be close to my brother, and I think a change of pace will be good.”

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