was one of Tim’s men. And then she had to wonder. Why was he here? He did have a weapon tucked in the back of his pocket, and he also held a rifle.
When a call came from the far side of the acreage, he answered it. She smiled, realizing it was the sentry. Was this new? She didn’t remember seeing anything like this when she had been here as a child and later as a teen. But then her life had changed, and being a child was no longer an option in this world. Gone was her sense of innocence, of not knowing how the actual world worked. Just because her family scenario was crap, she’d always been optimistic that the rest of the world functioned in a much saner and more positive way.
As she watched, the man walked to Rebecca’s cabin, checked inside again, and then headed across toward the long house. She walked to the front window and studied him as he hopped up onto the veranda of the long house and calmly walked into the front door. Definitely a sentry then.
When her phone buzzed, she snatched it off the back of the couch. Tim. Sending her a message that all was well. She smiled and quickly answered. I wondered when I saw somebody walking around the cabins.
We’re doing constant patrols. Particularly now.
Is this new?
Yes. Galen asked us specifically to keep an eye on you, but we would have anyway.
She smiled at that and sent him a heart emoji. Tim was a good guy. He didn’t really want any of this kind of thing in his world, and she appreciated that he’d opened the door for them as it was. And he wouldn’t have done it if she hadn’t have been one of the people who had been here summer after summer after summer. She really appreciated what he was doing. She sent him a quick note of thanks.
When no response came, she returned to the couch with her phone and watched the fire. Her fingers itched to send Galen a message, but she didn’t want to disturb him. Plus, if he didn’t have his phone muted or off, it would potentially let somebody know he was there, and she didn’t want to risk anything like that.
As she lay on the couch, she couldn’t help but think about how life had switched for her right now. She’d taken time off work to deal with this. Seemed her boss was afraid she would quit, even suggesting she spend more time at home. She wondered about doing that, but she was only half interested in the suggestion. She would need to find a home where she was happy to stay.
She had an apartment in New York but hated it. It was dark and dreary, and getting out anywhere without a million or more people around was hard. She yearned for open spaces again. Being here at the compound had reminded her that her heart still loved the country. She would have loved an acre or more to herself with a house in the middle, nicely fenced to keep out the world. Of course that wouldn’t keep out any predator intent on getting in, but it was likely the best she could do.
She didn’t know what Galen’s story was. They hadn’t had a chance to talk, but that little kiss had been very telling, and, if she were honest, she wanted to spend more time with him. She hadn’t been in a relationship in a long time, and mostly she kept herself too busy. After watching her sister treat men like objects, Gemma never wanted anybody to treat her like one as well.
With her parents, her sister, and her ex-fiancé, Gemma had come away with a very different view of how relationships worked and what she wanted for herself. She wanted something based on mutual trust, where she didn’t have to worry about her partner flirting all the time with other women. She wanted to grow old together in the two rocking chairs on the front deck, just like Tim and his partner Mary were.
Gemma hadn’t seen much of Mary since their arrival here, except for a quick moment saying hi in the kitchen. She knew a lot of society would look down on that relationship because Mary was the epitome of the old pioneer woman. The thing is, Mary was happy, she was doing what she loved doing. She loved getting up at four o’clock in the morning, baking the