Something changed then. Momentarily lightened. Emphasis on momentarily. Faith was no longer a woman who allowed herself to be lulled into a sense of false security by a charming remark or smile.
“I’ll call my sister.”
“I’d appreciate it.”
He shifted his weight. “I don’t know what it is about me that sets you off, but I promise you I’m not an ax murderer or whatever my sister led you to believe.”
Relief washed over her as Drew provided a logical motivation for her fear. An excuse. She grabbed it with both hands. “She didn’t say anything to make me think you were...that.” But her inflection made it clear Debra had said things about his “issues”—which she had.
“Maybe not an ax murderer, but she paints me in a way that makes people wonder if I’m one step away from going postal.”
And what was she supposed to say to that?
She’d called Jolie from work that afternoon to ask about Drew. Jolie said he was a stand-up guy.
Was.
Jolie hadn’t talked to him since he’d returned home, since life and the military had changed him.
Faith took hold of the gearshift again.
They were neighbors. She worked with his sister. She was going to see Drew Miller again, and she didn’t want this situation hanging over her head. She put the truck in Reverse but kept her foot on the brake as she forced herself to do the hard thing. “The way I act around you has nothing to do with your sister.”
His gaze narrowed, but other than that he didn’t move a muscle. He waited for her to continue, which made her wonder if he was afraid of spooking her. “Almost two years ago, I was attacked by a man in a parking lot at a rodeo. A...big man.”
An expression of dawning understanding transformed his features. Softened them to a degree.
“And I’m a big guy.”
“You are.”
He gave a very slow nod, his gaze dropping as he once again folded his arms. When he brought his gaze back up, she was surprised at how open it was. “I’m sorry to hear that happened to you.”
Faith gave a jerky nod, but didn’t answer.
“It explains a few things.”
“I didn’t want you to blame your sister for putting ideas in my head.”
“You know that we’re going to run into each other from time to time. I might...” he casually shrugged his heavy shoulders “...drive off the mountain or something.”
She didn’t crack a smile at the unexpected joke, even though a small part of her wanted to. “I hope that time will make things better,” she said stiffly.
“One can hope.”
She started to ease her foot off the brake, needing very much to get out of there. To escape not only the situation, but the odd feeling that she’d just found someone who understood.
“I’m sorry I make you nervous, Faith.”
“Yeah.” Her voice was little more than a throaty whisper, because she hadn’t expected empathy and didn’t know how to deal with it. “Me, too.”
With that, she stepped on the gas, swung the truck in a wide arc, then started back down the rutted road to the Lightning Creek Ranch and safety.
DREW FOLLOWED THROUGH on his promise to Faith and drove to Eagle Valley Community College where he would confess to his sister that he’d rolled his rig off the mountain, thus freeing Faith from her dark secret. He wouldn’t have told Deb at all if Faith hadn’t been involved.
Deb left him cooling his heels in her outer office with her long-suffering associate, Penny, as she finished a phone call and made another. Finally, she welcomed him into her personal space, which was decorated in the same minimalist, yet expensive-looking style as her house. Lots of leather and glass. Single orchids. That kind of stuff. Drew was more of an overstuffed-chair, coffee-table-you-could-put-your-feet-on guy, so he’d never felt comfortable in his sister’s sphere.
“How are you feeling?”
Drew managed to keep a straight face, despite her solicitous tone. “I’m sore.”
“Have you intensified your workouts?”
“No. I rolled the Jeep night before last and got banged up.”
The gold pen Deb had been holding fell out of her hand and rolled across the desk. “Were you drinking?”
Drew scowled at her. “What the hell kind of question is that?”
“A reasonable one,” she defended. “People with your affliction tend to self-medicate.”
“Deb...stop with the affliction talk, okay? And I’m not self-medicating.” He was afraid to. He was afraid of disappearing down a rathole if he started depending on substances to help him through the long days and longer nights. He hoped like hell that he wouldn’t be driven back to the nightmare drugs that had made him feel like the walking dead. “I swerved to miss a deer and over-corrected. It was rainy and slick.”
She studied him for a long moment, as if trying to make him squirm like one of her employees. He wondered if Deb could make Faith squirm. She had backbone, but she was new on the job, and probably on probation. She was also the reason he was there, having yet another uncomfortable meeting with his sister. “Are you all right?” she finally asked.
“Yeah. Faith Hartman heard the wreck and came to my assistance.”
Deb’s eyes widened. “She didn’t say a thing.”
“I asked her not to.”
“Why?”
Drew cocked an eyebrow. “Because I didn’t want you peppering her with questions that should be directed at me...like whether I was drinking.” Deb flushed. “I told her I’d tell you in my own time.”
“She did ask to speak with me yesterday,” Debra said with a thoughtful frown.
He got to his feet. “Let’s leave Faith out of this. She’s my neighbor, your employee. Period. She shouldn’t be in the middle of family matters.”
And he didn’t want to add more stress to her life. She’d remained in his thoughts the night before, long after she’d confessed her past, and he’d woke up thinking about her. He told himself it was because his protective instinct was kicking in. He had an idea of what she was going through and he felt for her. That was all.
When Deb remained silent, he assumed she accepted his logic and decided to make good his escape. “See you around.”
“I heard there was a lumber delivery at the cabin.”
Drew stopped with his hand on the doorknob and turned back. “How?”
“That’s not important. What on earth are you doing up there?”
None of your business.
Except it was half her business. She and Drew had inherited equal interest of their grandfather’s mountain hideaway years ago, and he now leased her half of the property.
“Do you really care?”
“I’m interested.”
“I’m not building a bunker or anything.”
“That’s not funny.”
“Wasn’t meant to be.” He let out a breath that made his shoulders sag. “I’m going