She’d done what she had to do for Claire today. Yet it devastated her to think that her actions had cost her Sebastian.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Never. That’s when Luke Dempsey had planned to return to his hometown of Misty River.

But here he was.

On Friday morning, an elderly woman unlocked the door to the apartment she’d listed for rent. She went in ahead of him, eying him suspiciously.

She was right to be suspicious. He could snap her in half.

He’d found this place the old-fashioned way, by buying a newspaper out of one of the few machines left in town and scanning the For Rent section. This landlady was old-fashioned, wearing tight gray curls and an apron over a faded dress. The apartment was old-fashioned, too.

Green carpet that stank of dust stretched from wall to wall. The kitchen had yellow Formica countertops and wooden cabinets with brass handles. He entered the one bedroom. More green carpet. The bathroom hadn’t been updated since the fifties.

He returned to the living area, which felt big to him after the jail cell that had been his home for the past seven years. The ceilings were at least twelve feet high. Square panes of glass divided the tall rectangular windows that let in views of the town and mountains.

Having grown up in Misty River, he was familiar with this building. It had been constructed for commercial use more than a century ago on the edge of the historic downtown. A warehouse currently occupied by a lumber company took up the bottom floor. The next floor, offices. The top floor, this floor, contained a few apartments that had probably once housed either the original owner’s family or supervisors.

“Are there hardwood floors under the carpet?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“If I rent this place, can I pull up the carpet and refinish the floors?”

“Yes.”

“Can I renovate the kitchen and paint all the walls?”

A frown wrinkled her forehead. “I’m not paying for that.”

“Can I do it if I pay for it?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll take it.”

Despite his many sins and failures, Luke was a man of his word. He’d returned to his hometown to fulfill the promise he’d made to his friend and fellow inmate, Ed Sutherland.

When Ed was dying, he’d begged Luke to protect his only child, Finley—who wasn’t even aware of the danger her father’s actions had brought to her door.

Luke had told Ed that he’d keep her safe.

He hadn’t yet met Finley. He didn’t care about her. And he didn’t care about working for her animal shelter. He only cared about one thing.

Doing what he’d said he’d do so he could finally be free.

After a night of shredded sleep, Sebastian woke to overcast weather and a black mood.