Not anymore.
Hopefully, not ever again.
Patience personified, Hunter stood there while she worked it out. Finally, she drew a deep breath and released it slowly. “Thank you for the stuff, guys. I appreciate it.”
“There you go,” Reyes praised. “The delivery guys will set it up for you. Maybe let the neighbor hang around until they’re done. It’ll make Kennedy feel better to know you’re not alone with them.”
Jodi rolled her eyes. “Kennedy, huh?”
“Okay, so it’ll make me feel better, too.” He did another exaggerated throat-clearing. “Don’t suppose you’d let me talk to him a minute?”
“Goodbye, Reyes.”
“Love you, doll.” For the cockiest of dudes with lethal skill, Reyes sure knew how to tug on the heartstrings.
Feeling like an idiot, especially with Hunter’s unwavering gaze taking it all in, Jodi smiled. “Love you, too.”
Kennedy went next. “I love you, Jodi. I don’t ever want you to forget that.”
No, she wouldn’t. She couldn’t. In so many ways, Kennedy was the sister of her heart. “Same.”
In a rush, Reyes said, “Dad loves you also, so there.” And then he disconnected the call—the goof.
Fighting a smile, Jodi stuck the phone back in her pocket. “Sorry.”
“For?” Hunter asked, already coming closer now that she wasn’t involved in a private call—a private call that he’d listened to.
“You said you’ve kept everyone off the property, but I’m here now and delivery guys will arrive soon, and sadly, I can’t promise it won’t happen again.”
He bypassed everything she said. “Was that your family?”
“My sort-of family, actually.”
“Ah. And someone in that family—I think I heard the name Madison—covered your background?”
No reason to deny it, since he’d heard it all. Not that she’d share details or anything. “Something like that.”
He stopped right in front of her, his dark blue eyes studying her. “You’re not a criminal.”
That was a tricky question. Might depend on who he asked, but she wasn’t about to explain it to him. “Been keeping you awake at night, huh? Did you think I was a serial killer or something?”
“Something,” he agreed softly.
The sound of an approaching truck broke the disturbing spell and Jodi lifted a hand to shade her eyes.
Turbo hated the intrusion. Like Hunter, he wasn’t used to anyone else being out here. As if he thought she and Hunter might be unaware, the dog howled. Loudly.
“It’s all right, bud.” Hunter put a hand to the dog’s head. “They’re expected.”
When Turbo saw that Hunter wasn’t alarmed, he sat down to watch the truck, still with suspicion, but without howling alarm.
Damn it, she’d disturbed his life so much already. First meals, and then troublemakers, and now a big delivery. “I should have known they’d pull a stunt like this.”
“A stunt like caring?” Hunter pressed. “Helping?” Before she could answer, he muttered, “You do seem to have a thing about accepting help.”
Only because she’d taken too much of it in the last two years. “We’ll be descended on in just a few minutes.” Which meant she could quickly explain a few things, and he wouldn’t have an opportunity to dig for more. “So how about I cut to the chase?”
“As you already know, I’m interested. Why else would I have been researching?”
“But you couldn’t find anything.”
“Actually... No, you go first. I’ll get into my part of this whole thing later.”
His part? Interesting. She couldn’t wait. Until then, she might as well get it said. “So, I was this lost, miserable...victim.” Saying the word, remembering how it had felt, made her chest tight and caused her pulse to quicken uncomfortably. Seeing Hunter’s sympathetic expression, she shook her head. “No, I’m not going into detail on that.” Not now. Probably not ever.
Her circumstances of victimhood were dead and buried and she planned to keep it that way.
“All right.”
Damn, that soft voice sank into her, got under her skin, and that turned her brisk in response. “Point is, with the help of an elite task force, I was able to find a purpose. Like helping other women, you know?”
“Yes.”
“I did that for a few years, and I enjoyed it.” On a gut level, she’d been good at it. “The people on the task force trained me, helped me to understand what to say and do, the resources I could share, stuff like that.” So many wonderful resources. Such an amazing family.
And they still wanted to save her.
“You made a difference.”
God, she hoped so. Jodi lifted her chin. “The thing is, I finally decided I should take some of my own advice and help myself, too.”
Hunter nodded. “That’s what you’re doing here?”
“Yup. Supposedly.” She watched the truck pass Hunter’s property—Turbo started to howl again—and she was glad her moment of confession was over. “I know what Reyes said, but you don’t need to stay. I can handle it.”
“I’d like to stay.”
Of course he would. So far Hunter had gone above and beyond to be nice, and she’d been nothing but snippy. “Suit yourself.” As the truck pulled to a stop, she walked out to greet the two men. Somehow, over the next few minutes, Jodi ended up holding Turbo’s leash while Hunter helped them unload furniture—far more furniture than Kennedy had mentioned.
She’d had to remove her cot so they could fit in the full-size bed, nightstand and dresser. Her little kitchen now had a small café table and two chairs. The love seat and padded chair perfectly fit the dimensions of her living room, and the men even hung her television on the wall.
What the hell was she going to do with a television?
Beside her, Hunter said, “Nice TV. If you want, I can help you set up some streaming services.”
She knew nothing about any of that. “Maybe. I’ve never been much of a TV person.”
“No? A movie in the evening is a great way to unwind.”
Doubtful that would work for her. Evenings meant escalating memories, too much introspection and plaguing regrets. She hadn’t been a restful sleeper in a very, very long time. Sometimes it felt like a different life ago, when she’d been someone else.