Page 67 of Montana Mystery

Brandon tensed, ready to argue, but Noah spoke again before he could. “You can have one of the cabins at Resting Warrior. No strings. No therapy or anything you don’t want to do, just a place where you’re safe so you can move around without being in pain. Believe me, I understand you want to go home. We’ll try to make sure that happens sooner rather than later.”

Brandon wasn’t happy, but he nodded.

Noah left before us so we wouldn’t be seen together leaving, and I helped Brandon through the discharge process and outside before we met Noah in an out-of-the-way corner of a dark parking garage.

He held my hand when I slid next to him, tension in every line of his body.

Noah hated this. He didn’t like that we’d lost the Riders, even though there was no way he could have known they were playing him. He was frustrated—had told me as much—that they’d gone to ground. They would just go somewhere else and start over. Idaho or Colorado or Wyoming.

If they did, there was no way to stop them.

He was good at hiding it most of the time. But right now, when we were on alert, it was in the forefront of his mind. Even though there was some other catalyst, he blamed himself for losing them, and it bothered him.

I was selfish. Because the fact that it bothered him benefitted me. He’d put all that aside and focused on me throughout the last week. And being the sole focus of Noah’s attention was a heady thing. He’d let me help with the animals and drilled me until I knew all of their names.

We’d gone on snowy horseback rides and come back soaking wet from the exploration, only to warm up in the shower. Together.

Our tangled fingers were low between our legs. Brandon was already nervous about Resting Warrior. Today wasn’t the day to tell him that I was... what was I doing with Noah? I didn’t know if it could be called dating. But I’d tell him another time.

We pulled into a mall parking lot, and Noah’s voice was quiet. “I’ll be circling. Take your time. Call if you need me.”

“I will.”

Brandon groaned getting out of the truck. “Going shopping really wasn’t on my list of things to do.”

I shut the truck door behind me and gave him a look. “Considering most of your clothes are in shreds? You need something that doesn’t have blood on it.”

Not counting the hospital, this was the first time that we’d been alone in weeks. And the awkwardness was practically visible in the air. We stepped into the department store, and he started to walk away. “Not long, okay?”

“Sure.”

I rubbed my chest and the tension there. I hated that it felt like this, but I didn’t know how to find my way back. Because I loved my brother, but I didn’t trust him.

That thought alone made me feel like shit. Hopefully we could find our way forward and I could trust him again. But that was going to take time. And confirmation the Riders were no longer after him or me.

Brandon glanced back toward me, and I caught the tinge of regret there. He knew we were broken too.

Blowing out a breath, I shook my head. Clothes. That’s what I needed.

Not much. But I grabbed some comfortable sweats and some jeans. A few shirts. I didn’t need to be fancy, especially if I was staying in Noah’s house most of the time.

How I found myself in the lingerie section, I pretended not to know, as I looked over things that were made of lace that I’d never worn before.

A deep blue set caught my eye. The sheer panels fluttered down from the pretty bra and had a matching set of panties. That was perfect. One more set—black and strappy—joined the pile.

“Really?” Brandon was behind me with his own pile of clothes in his hands. But now the tension was gone, and he was smirking at me in the way that only a brother could. “You need these?”

“None of your business.”

He rolled his eyes. “Yeah, okay. Because the way you two were pressed together in the truck was really subtle, Kate.”

My whole body turned bright red. “I was waiting to tell you. Until you’d had a few days out of the hospital.”

“I’m not going to tell you how to live your life,” he said. “Clearly, I’m not a person who can judge someone’s life choices.”

“Brandon...”

He cleared his throat. “Just be careful, okay?”

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