She didn’t have a response. She flipped the keys around in her hand. “Look, I have a short window of time this morning while the ladies from my mother’s church are here. I have to attend the chamber meeting and run some errands on my way back.” Grabbing her handbag and keys, she started toward the door. “We’ll talk about it later.” And she’d think of some way to make him go home.

She went out into the backyard. Danny followed and fell into step beside her. “I’ll come with you.”

“That’s not necessary.” She rested her hand on the gun at the back of her hip. The weapon was well concealed by her bulky sweater. The sun, unusually warm for April, hit her back. Sweat broke out between her shoulder blades. “As you know, I can protect myself.”

“Against a deadly sack of sand, yeah.” Danny spun around. “Shooting a person is a much different experience. For instance, people move. They shoot back. And sometimes they look you right in the eye and remind you they’re human. If you can’t kill them, you’re dead.” Danny’s voice cracked.

Mandy stopped, remembering he’d been to war. How many people had he killed? Did their deaths haunt him at night? “I’m sorry.”

Danny kept walking. There was no cowardice in his strides, just pent-up fury and determination. No. Danny would never walk away from a challenge. He’d meet it head-on. No matter what it cost him. Or her.

He had to go.

Mandy got into her car and started the engine. She did not invite him to ride with her. On the way to the meeting, she pictured the chamber members. Other than her, they were probably the people closest to Nathan.

Was one of the chamber members blackmailing her? She hoped so. The thought of insane Nathan freely running around her backyard sent paralyzing fear into her bones. She doubted he was dead. Nathan was a survivor. It was in his bones. Even if he wanted to give up, he wouldn’t be able to. Persistence was a genetic flaw. Nathan couldn’t help himself.

She heard Danny’s car start up.

Just as Danny couldn’t leave until he’d exhausted all his opportunities to free his sister from fear.

Nathan was a gregarious and charismatic man, but he didn’t have close personal friendships. As far as she knew, he had family and business associates and Mandy. She couldn’t even remember him dating anyone, ever. Huntsville was a small town. Rumors spread like crabgrass in a pristine lawn. If Nathan had had any other affairs, he’d ventured to another town or he’d concealed them as well as he’d kept their relationship secret. Had he chatted up another lonely woman? Charmed her with his sad story? Told her how beautiful she was and made her feel special?