“Information,” McCrea said. “Hard stop. Just information. This is not the first time I’ve heard the boys bitching about things. They’re hurting, Vicky. Hell, everybody’s hurting. If I hadn’t passed along the information, I thought I’d be doing a disservice to our friendship. That’s it. Do with the information what you will.”

After a half minute of silence, Victoria said, “Okay, my turn to ask you a question.”

McCrea groaned. “Hit me.”

“Why are you still here?”

“I’ve got no place else to be. I came here as your bodyguard—something you clearly have never needed—and now I stay here by inertia. I literally have no place else to be.”

“Is that the only reason?” Victoria asked.

McCrea took his time answering. “That feels like a very . . . dangerous question.”

Victoria shifted in her tree chair. This could get very awkward, very quickly. “Never mind,” she said.

“Don’t do that,” McCrea said. “Don’t tee up an intriguing question and then walk away from it. We’ve come too far for that.”

Victoria remained silent. She wasn’t trying to be petulant. She didn’t know how to form the words.

“Look,” McCrea said. “I’ll put it right out there. Do I like you? Yes, of course. Do I think you’re smokin’ hot? Of course. I’m male and I’ve got eyes.”

Victoria was grateful for the darkness. Otherwise, he’d have seen how red she felt her face turn.

“I think you’ve got a great family. Yes, your boys are pains in the ass, but they’re good kids.” He paused. “But if your question was about romance—”

“Oh, God no.” Victoria said it too quickly. She heard the defensiveness in her own voice.

“It’s just too soon,” McCrea said without stopping.

“Of course, it is,” Victoria said. “You’ve lost your family. Everything is too soon after that.”

Another awkward pause.

“But I’ll tell you this,” McCrea said, “since we’re being honest with each other. I think you’re not as strong and independent as you think you are. I think you’re in way over your head, and you need personal advisers you can trust. I’m happy to serve in that role.”

Victoria reached out and their hands found each other in the darkness. “I appreciate that,” she said.

“And if the time comes when you do decide to leave this place, I’d really like to meet Adam. According to Caleb and Luke, he pretty much hangs the moon.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE