With an open mouth, she watched Matthew climb out of some crazy chair attached to the trunk of the tree. She snapped her mouth closed when he climbed down the tree until he was standing next to her.

“What are you doing out so early?” he asked.

“I wanted to have breakfast ready for Fynn before he went to school. It’s his birthday.”

“I know. I wished you had told us.”

Alanna shined the flashlight on what was hanging from his shoulder. “What is that?”

“Nothing …” Matthew took her arm to propel her to start walking again.

“Is that a bow?” Alanna stopped moving. “Are you out here hunting?” She jerked the flashlight up to shine it on his face.

Matthew took it away from her.

“You are! What are you hunting?”

“I wasn’t hunting …”

She pursed her lips at the deceptive ring in his voice.

“I was just watching Fynn trying to get his first buck.”

“Fynn’s here?” Alanna started shining the flashlight through the trees.

“Oh my God … get her out of here!” Isaac hissed from overhead.

“Well, that’s not very polite!”

Matthew started propelling her through the woods. “Isaac gets a little irritated when he’s tired.”

“How long have you guys been out here?”

“For a couple of hours.”

“I should go back and get another roll of sausage. I can make breakfast for everyone since they’re all up.”

“Let’s not.” Matthew hastened their steps so they were moving through the wooded section fast.

When they reached Silas’ house, she started for the kitchen to get cooking as Matthew placed his bow next to the door and quickly followed on her heel.

“About breakfast…”

Alanna turned with the sausage and waffles in her arms.

“Silas and all of us go to Waffle House to celebrate birthday mornings.”

“That would have been nice to know.”

Matthew glanced down at her ankle monitor. “We would have told you, but we didn’t want you to feel bad when we couldn’t invite you.”

“That’s okay.” Alanna went to the freezer and placed the sausage and the waffles inside.

“How about you go ahead and cook? I’m sure Fynn—”

“My breakfast is no comparison to Waffle House,” Alanna cut him off, smiling to show him that she wasn’t offended. “I don’t want to spoil Fynn’s birthday tradition.” Covering her mouth, she started to yawn, debating on getting started on Silas’ chores or returning to her trailer.

“Why don’t you take a nap?”

“I was thinking the same thing. I was just deciding whether to go back to the trailer or do the chores and sleep later.”

Matthew frowned. “Why not just take a nap here instead of going back and forth?”

“I couldn’t do that.”