Sue gestured to the big bunkhouse window, through which it was possible to see that Avery and Gabe had taken seats on opposite sides of the little table there that held a scale model of the ranch, carved by Greg.
“She’s moved on. Found her soul mate. Which is as it should be because Elizabeth is your destiny.”
Destiny?
Elizabeth was visible from here, too. She’d just come back outside and was standing some distance away with her phone to her ear like always, talking, talking, talking to her coworkers in Washington at the job she claimed she would put behind her when they were formally engaged.
Over the past few days, Walker had noticed that wherever Elizabeth stood, her back was to the rest of them, whereas Avery was always in the center of things, always reaching out to someone else, always getting involved, helping out, looking for a way to belong. He knew she’d been shocked when Renata dumped a backup husband on her, but Avery had been nothing but kind to Gabe, who even Walker had to admit wasn’t a bad guy.
“You think she’s here to stay?” he asked his grandmother, nodding at Elizabeth.
Sue hesitated long enough to tell him she, too, worried about that. “I think she knows where her duty lies.”
“And you think it lies on the reservation?”
“Where else? There’s plenty of work to do there even if neither of you seem to notice it.” Sue pinched her lips together. “There has to be a wedding in a few weeks. Your rules, not mine,” she pointed out. “I’ve heard no plans. No one’s consulted me about the guest list. That’s why I’m here. These things must be done right.”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake,” Elizabeth exclaimed into the phone loudly enough for both of them to hear. Walker could have seconded the sentiment. “That’s not good enough!” She took a few steps away from them and lowered her voice, and they couldn’t make out any more of her words.
“Seems to me she plans to head right back to Washington.” He ignored Sue’s prior statement. He didn’t want to marry Elizabeth. Hated watching Avery through the window as she tilted back her head and laughed in the company of another man.
She and Gabe bent over the table again. Were they moving elements around the map? Coming up with ideas for the community? He wanted to be at that table, alone with Avery, making plans.
“I’ll talk to Elizabeth.” Sue’s disapproval was clear.
“Find out who she’s on the phone with all the time. Something’s up she’s not telling either one of us, and if she runs off at the last minute—”
Sue snorted. “You have your backup bride.” She shot a severe look Avery’s way, and Walker followed it to find Avery looking off into the distance and Gabe focused on—
Elizabeth.
Sue must have seen that, too. “Oh, no,” Sue said, shaking her head at him, even though Gabe wasn’t looking at her. “That man better get his head on straight. If he thinks—”
A scream, long, high and loud, echoed across the little valley from the direction of the manor on the top of the hill, raising the hairs on the back of Walker’s neck. He started running before he made up his mind to it, racing down the incline from the bunkhouse and then up again, following the track to the back of the three-story mansion.
“Someone was here!” Addison yanked the door open and called out when she spotted him. “Someone was looking in the window—just a minute ago. Nora saw him, and she almost fainted.”
Clay sprinted past Walker into the house. More men were coming behind him. Knowing Addison and Nora were safe now, Walker veered across the backyard, avoided the clothesline and slowed as he approached the forest. They’d caught an intruder here once before, a man who was hunting Win. Was someone lurking in these woods?
“Spread out.” Boone caught up to him. “Let’s do this methodically.”
They did so, falling in line and walking forward through the trees at an equal pace, inspecting the underbrush and looking for any indication someone had been there. They gave it their best, but the intruder had gotten too much of a head start, and an hour later, they had to admit defeat.
Returning to the manor, they found most of the women gathered in the kitchen around a large table. Avery was setting out cups of freshly brewed tea; she must have seen them coming. Nora, cradling her baby in her arms, was pale and drawn. Clay sat as close to her as he could. Angus was pacing the room.
“Did either of you get a good look at the guy?” Boone asked Nora and Addison.
Nora shook her head. “Just a glimpse.” Her voice was low and rough, and Walker could only imagine what she was feeling. Months ago, her stalker had followed her here from Baltimore and nearly killed her in the little old schoolhouse across Pittance Creek. Before his attack, he’d snuck around Base Camp, playing mind tricks on her, making his existence known without providing her the proof she needed to get the rest of them to take her seriously. “Mid-thirties, maybe. Tall and blond.” She shrugged. “That’s all. He was looking in right there.” She pointed to a large window that had been opened wide to let in what little breeze there was. “Then he was gone.” There’d only been a screen between the women and the intruder.
They were lucky nothing worse had happened.
Elizabeth sat at the far end of the table, bent over her nearly empty tea cup, running a thumb over its surface, lost in thought. Always on the fringes, Walker thought. Always disconnected from what was going on.
She must have felt his gaze
