Page 67 of The Way Back Home
CHAPTER THIRTY
NOAH
Noah was impressed. Happy Trails was doing incredible work. Not only did they offer physical therapy like Hopewell, but emotional healing too. Brian McCain seemed like a decent guy. The ranch worked closely with Sanctuary—the private complex nearby for vets returning from service.
He wondered if Teagan would like it here. They had plenty of horses to care for and trails that traversed the whole mountain. He conjured an image of riding with Teagan on a summer day, along trails dappled in sunlight, finding a quiet, isolated spot, and …
The clarity of the mental picture and the absolute rightness of it was surprising, as was the ache in his chest. While he was up here planning out a potential future, Teagan was in town, dealing with shit no one should ever have to deal with.
He shouldn’t have left her. Sure, Alex was keepingan eye on her, but that wasn’t the same as having someone by her side, watching her back, standing up for and supporting her. Teagan was strong, fiercely independent, and incredibly guarded, but Noah had caught glimpses of the woman beneath. The one starved for simple kindness.
What would she have done if he’d refused to leave her? If he’d said to hell with their deal and taken her hand in his and stood by her while she did whatever she meant to do? Would she have resisted? Absolutely, because she’d never had anyone care for or protect her, not even the ones who should have, without question. But deep down, she would know that she wasn’t alone. That someone cared.
His lips curled into a small smile when he remembered how much she’d fought him that night he brought her back to his cabin at the ranch. She’d been nearly feral—the same way any wounded creature would be when they felt cornered or threatened.
But he had gotten through to her, hadn’t he? She’d let him tend to her injuries, albeit reluctantly. She’d accepted a ride, shared a room with him at the rest stop, and even agreed to stay through the holiday.
That had to mean something.
Climbing into his truck, he set a course for town, determination a welcome fire in his blood. He’d been a fool, playing by the rules, believing that was more important than showing her what she meant to him.
He was halfway down the mountain when his phone went crazy, pinging with a dozen messages. Before he could check them, a call came through.
“Where the hell are you?” Daniel asked, his voice holding a level of seriousness Noah wasn’t used to hearing.
“On my way into town.”
“You know then?”
An overwhelming sense of dread filled Noah’s chest. “Know what?”
“Shit,” Daniel muttered. Then, to someone else, “He doesn’t know.”
Muffled curses, and then a second voice said, “Give me that. Noah, don’t you check your messages, man?”
“Must’ve been in a dead zone. Eli, where’s Alex?”
More curses. “Alex went with the sheriff to Teagan’s old house. You need to get there.”
“What the fuck is going on?”
“Not sure, but calls for backup and an ambulance came over the scanner a few minutes ago. We’ll meet you there.”
The call disconnected, and Noah pressed his foot down on the accelerator, going as fast as he dared on the slick mountain roads. The back end slid from side to side, and he kissed a guardrail or two on the way, but he made it to the run-down farmhouse in record time.
By the time he arrived, the sheriff’s car and two other cruisers from neighboring townships were in front of the house, and an ambulance was backed up close to the door. Noah was out of the car the moment the truck stopped and hit the ground at a dead run.
Alex blocked his path and stopped his progress just as he was nearing the house.
“What the fuck? Move.”
Alex’s expression was unreadable, his grip on Noah’s shoulders unbreakable. The twins were equally matched in size and strength, but Alex had the benefit of special forces training.
“Where is she?”
“Inside.” Alex’s voice, like his face, gave away nothing.
“Why is the ambulance here? Please tell me you killed the son of a bitch and they’re here to pick up the body.”
