Alanna frowned at him. “I don’t need to do something else before I leave?”

“Nope, that’s pretty much all. Silas takes the trash out in the morning, and Fynn does his breakfast dishes and puts them away.”

She was out of the front door before he could make it through the dining room.

What the fuck is going on with her?

Determined to be upbeat, he tried to draw her into a conversation. He pointed out where Isaac and he worked, only to be told Silas had already told her. Each time he tried to talk to her, she would lag behind him until he felt he was talking to himself.

In Isaac’s house, there wasn’t much to show her. He must have done a deep clean in preparation of Alanna coming.

“Isaac will leave a note if he needs a chore done. Looks like all he needed today was a couple of steaks brought from the main freezer. I can bring them on my way back to my place.”

Alanna stared around the house that Isaac and he had bought online and built together.

She left the kitchen and explored the rest of the house, coming back with a frown. “He didn’t even leave me the bed to make.”

“We’re used to being self-proficient.”

Leaving Isaac’s, he took to Jacob’s.

“All they need is for you to put the clothes in the dryer and get laundry detergent from the storeroom. I’ll drop it off.”

Coming out of Jacob’s second-hand trailer, he led her through a heavily wooded area.

As they neared the end, he stopped and reached out to take her arm. She had been following him with her head down and seen he had stopped. At his touch, she jerked her arm away, lifting frightened eyes to his.

“I was just trying …” he began when she rushed forward.

“Alanna, stop!” Running, he barely managed to catch her around her waist.

“Don’t touch me!” she screamed, hitting him on the hand looped around her waist. “Don’t ever put your filthy hands on me!”

Containing her struggles, he walked backward with her then turned again so she could get a better view.

“Look.” Shaking her to get her to stop fighting him, he got a firm hold on her with one hand before jerking her head down. “You would have fallen if I hadn’t stopped you.”

Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

Forcing herself to look, Alanna saw she would have gone over the edge of a steep hill. Below were a house, paddock, and two metal buildings.

“I’m sorry. Thank you. I reacted badly …” she managed to choke out, feeling his hands drop away from her.

“It’s okay. I should have warned you that we were coming to a drop-off.”

Alanna bit her lip at the stiff way he had spoken to her.

“Here’s how we get down.” Matthew started going down the path.