Chapter 18

Panic clutched her airway, giving her the answer. She no more wanted him to leave than he seemed to want to. "Go where?"

He shook his head, jaw ticking. "It won't matter."

"Of course, it matters." He had no one. She'd suspected it before, but the notion gelled the more she got to know him.

"I don't" He closed his eyes and sighed.

"You don't what? Don't matter?" Lord, her stomach rioted. The longer he stood not answering, the hotter her eyes burned. Her heart cracked for the troubled, scared kid he used to be and the broken, misguided man he'd become.

Justin must've known. The realization slapped her in the face like the brisk wind off the mountains. Maybe her brother hadn't had the whole story, but enough to know sending Nate to her was the last gift Justin could give his fellow soldier before dying. Tears clung to her lashes and she closed her eyes.

"I'll do whatever you want, baby. Just tell me."

"Stay." Lunging, she wrapped her arms around his waist and gripped his shirt. "I want you to stay."

He stood frozen for a moment, then his rigid body sagged. One hand in her hair, he set the other low on her back. "I promised your brother I'd take care of you."

No. He had it wrong. Him being in Meadowlark, on Olivia's ranch, was Justin taking care of Nate. She pressed her cheek to his pec, inhaling his scent of soap and warm male. "Then let's go home."

He dropped his chin to the top of her head and lingered a silent beat. "Okay."

When they finally got back, Aunt Mae and Amy were at the kitchen table, drinking tea.

"Hey, you." Olivia gave her friend a tentative one-armed hug and sat down. "No, stay in your chair. It's good to see you out of bed. How are you?"

"I'm sore, but okay. Thanks."

"Where's Kyle? Did you talk him into going to work?"

Aunt Mae laced her fingers and set them on the table. "He and Nakos are reshoeing horses."

"I'll take these upstairs." Nate jerked his chin at the luggage and stepped out.

Amy sighed. "I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me yesterday, but he is that big, isn't he? Dang, Olivia."

She laughed, but the sound was forced after what she'd learned and the attack on her emotions. "He's a nice guy, too." Refocusing on her friend, Olivia's stomach clenched at the day old bruises mottling Amy's face. At least her right eye wasn't swollen shut today. "We picked up your pain meds and got you some things from the house. I'm sorry about your camera."

"Yeah." Amy stared into her teacup as Nate quietly returned and stood in the corner. "That's what startedthis." She waved at her injuries. "Chris was pissed I cared more about the camera than him or some such crap. He took a hammer to it. Just like that. Two years of saving dimes from odd jobs, and all that hard work's gone."

Olivia exchanged a worried glance with Aunt Mae. "The printer's toast, too. I didn't see your laptop."

"That would be in the garage. Under his truck tires. It was the first thing he destroyed." Amy closed her eyes. "He stopped paying the mortgage six months ago. The house is in foreclosure."

Before Olivia could respond, Aunt Mae took Amy's hands in hers. "Then you'll stay here. For as long as you want or need."

"I can't impose."

"Don't you ever say something like that to me again." Olivia looked at Amy dead-on. Her folks were hard people and it would be a cold day in hell when they'd let their daughter back into their house, especially after what they'd consider a scandal. She wasn't going anywhere. "You're staying here. Period."

"Thank you. I don't know what to do around here, though. It's not like you need the help. There's no jobs available in town."

Aunt Mae shrugged. "You can cook, can't you? Clean? When you're up to it, you'll give me a hand, and there's nothing more to it."

"You're the best. Thank you. I'll figure something out soon for the long haul." Amy ran her fingers through her cocoa hair and winced. "I think I'll take that pill, Liv. If you don't mind?"

"Sure." Amy was the only person who called her Liv. She wasn't fond of the nickname, but her friend wasn't up for a reminder. Not that she'd listen.

Aunt Mae rose and opened the pharmacy bottle Nate had set on the counter. She poured a tablet in her hand and passed it to Amy. "Olivia will take you upstairs, get you unpacked. You should rest."

Amy swallowed the medicine with a healthy gulp of tea. "I can't thank you guys enough." She looked at Nate. "And you, charging into the barn like you did? That was amazing."

He stared at her, seemingly uncomfortable, but when he spoke, his tone brooked no argument. "It was necessary and anyone would've done the same."

"I'm not so sure about that. Thank you, anyway."

His gaze slid to Olivia's and back again. "Get better. That's thanks enough." He shoved off the wall. "I'll see if Nakos needs a hand." He glared at Olivia. "Don't leave the house without telling someone."

When the door closed behind him, Amy blew out a breath and fanned her face. "Dang. Is he always that intense?"

"Yes," Aunt Mae and Olivia said together.

Olivia laughed. "Imagine Nakos's protection gene and multiply it by ten, then give him military training."

"Huh. I hope you're getting some. He's hot, Liv."

Up went Aunt Mae's brows. "Just what I've been saying."

"And that's my cue." Olivia rose. "Come on. Let's unpack."

Once upstairs, Amy climbed in the full-size bed and curled up on the yellow comforter while Olivia folded clothes and put them in drawers. For too long, the only sound was Olivia's feet on the hardwood floors. Silence had never been their thing.

"How long has the abuse been going on, Amy?"

"This was the first time he hit me, if that's what you're asking." Amy flung her arm over her head and winced, clutching her ribs with her other hand. "I might've been stupid for marrying the jerk, but I'm not a complete idiot. I would've left his ass."

Relieved she hadn't missed signs, Olivia gingerly sat next to her, hating how frail her friend looked. Amy always had the life and gumption Olivia strived to replicate. "What happened?"

"I already told Rip and Kyle."

"Tell me."

Amy sighed and closed her eyes. "I found the foreclosure notice from the bank. He never mentioned things were that bad. He wanted to sell my equipment and I refused. It wouldn't have made a dent, anyway." She glared at the ceiling. "The next thing I know, he's on a tear. Took my laptop and ran it over. Smashed my stuff with a hammer. When I cried and tried to stop him, he turned his tantrum on me."

She turned her head and met Olivia's eyes. "He eventually left. I walked here. You know the rest."

Throat tight, Olivia forced back tears. "I'm so sorry."

Amy shrugged as if it didn't matter. "Chris will be taken to Casper for sentencing tomorrow. He's pleading out. Rip told me today when he got my statement. I need to find somewhere to store my stuff before the bank takes possession of the house. And a divorce lawyer. What a mess."

"You can put your things in our basement. We don't use it for anything but canning in the fall, anyway." Olivia took Amy's hand and wove their fingers together. "As for the rest, we'll deal with it."