Until Jinx - Happily Ever Alpha World

“I think you can put a fence up that’s between five to eight feet tall, but we can check that, too. Then maybe your lights won’t trip all the time at night, so you’ll be able to relax more, but also take it seriously when they do turn on. What about in the house?”

“Oh, the house is secure. I’ve got a fancy-dancy alarm system with sensors and extra locks on the windows and doors. Most importantly, this place is wired up to the point of being Fort Knox according to the pamphlet the company left behind, so—”

“Wait,” I held up my hand. “Most importantly? Not to downplay how great your work is, but this is your livelihood, not your life.”

“This stuff is my salvation,” she whispered, her tone making it clear she was begging me to understand.

Closing my eyes, it hit me—this is what’d gotten her out of the pit she’d been in, and it was also what kept her feeling like she was living her life. I could understand that because art had done the same thing for me on many occasions.

Shooting her a smile to let her know I got it, I gestured to the house. “Okay, show me your ‘fancy-dancy’ alarm system, and we’ll take it from there.”

Tilting her head to the side, she frowned at me. “Take what from there?”

Closing the distance between us, I said gently, “I’m not falling asleep on the job when it comes to your safety, so if I think you need more, we’re going to install more. If I don’t think it’s good enough, we’ll get it changed or adjusted to make sure it is. I want you to be able to fall asleep at night without panicking something’s going to happen, and I’d like to be able to do the same thing, knowing that you’re safe and sound.”

I didn’t add that I’d let her down once and I wasn’t going to do it again, because then she’d think I was just doing it out of guilt. The fact was that I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her—and admittedly her story—since she’d come into the shop, and it wasn’t just guilt that was weighing on me.

Everything that was Sienna, from the shy way she’d first looked at me, to her bravery and courage, to her strength and her beauty, had me hooked. But I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to protect her, too.

As we walked across the yard to her back door, I took another look to the left when something didn’t feel right, but there wasn’t anything obvious to see—just the trees.

They were definitely an issue.

At the back door, she kicked off her sneakers and waved me in. “Sorry, I have to take mine off, or I’ll track clay over the clean floors, and it’s hell to clean up. Would you like something to drink?”

I blinked as my eyes adjusted from the bright outside to the dimmer interior of the house, but also at how quickly she was talking as she walked over to the fridge. The place was beautiful from what I could see, and it was clear they’d recently done some work on it.

“I’m good, thanks. Did you and your folks have to do much before you moved in?”

Closing the fridge door with a bottle of water in her hand, she shook her head as she looked around. “Only the security system and some painting. We were lucky, an old couple rented it after we moved out and they kept it in perfect shape. About two years ago, my parents asked them if they wanted a new kitchen put in and what work they’d want to be done if they could choose anything. We ended up only doing the bathrooms and kitchen.” She pointed toward an open doorway that led to the living room, so I went through it and smiled when I saw how it was laid out.

Why? Because she had the same sectional as me, and they’d split the living room in half with the dining room on one side—just like I had.

When I relayed this to her, she smiled as she made herself comfortable. “I couldn’t figure out how to do it and make it look good, so Maddie took over after we moved it around a couple of times.”

“It must be nice to be near her again after all this time.”

Staring into space for a moment, she smiled as she thought about it. “I missed her so much, but she came to stay with me during school breaks. After that, she changed to coming for most of her vacations from work. Nothing beats being around her every day, though.”

“Do you miss your family? Mine live half an hour away, and I can’t even imagine what Mom and my sister would be like if it was more than that.”