Credence

But she doesn’t. She lowers her rifle again and stands up straight.

I flex my jaw.

I head over, careful to step silently through the cold snow. I reach her and grab her chin, forcing her to look at me.

But she pulls it away. “I can’t, okay?”

“If you don’t, it’s jarred pickles for the winter.”

“Leave her alone,” Noah murmurs. “I’ll do it.”

But before he can turn to raise his gun, I interject. “She’ll do it.” I jerk my chin for him to go stand by Kaleb, who’s crouched down up against a tree. “She can pull her weight.”

“Screw you,” she bites out.

Noah hesitantly backs away toward his brother, keeping his scowl on me as I squat down.

“Get your ass down here.” I pull her down with me.

I lower my belly to the snow, the chill seeping through my camo, and I throw her a warning look.

A little snarl curls her lips, but she lies down next to me, training her eyes on the buck through the foliage.

Her white hat covers the tips of her ears, but the lobes are red, as is the tip of her nose. She wears two low pigtails, and I can see her eyes glistening with tears.

Jesus Christ.

“You wanna know what that meat you buy nicely packaged in the grocery store went through before it came there?” I growl at her. “These animals have a hell of a lot better life than the meat you buy, girl, so wise up and feed your goddamn family.”

Her chin trembles as she stares at the animal, her jaw flexing. “I hate you.”

“Not as much as you’ll love food in your belly.”

She brings up the weapon, propping her elbows under her and looking through the line of sight.

She squeezes the trigger, small sobs escaping her.

She’s going to lose it. She’ll miss, because she can’t see through her tears, and the deer will bolt.

‘Tiernan,” I say. “Look at me.”

The cloudless blue sky and the smell of ice surrounds us, but even now, looking at her innocent face and perfect lips, I feel a light sweat cool my pores.

“Baby, look at me,” I tell her again softly.

She turns her head, her gray pools meeting mine.

I wipe a tear from her cheek. “If something happens to me—or the boys—I need to know you can survive up here.” I speak softly, swiping my thumb under her eye to catch another tear before it falls. “What we have in the pantry will only last so long. I need to teach you this, okay?”

She trembles but nods, looking so sweet and vulnerable. God, my heart aches.

I lean in, placing a kiss on her temple. “The thought of you unprotected kills me. Please do this.”

She swallows and takes a deep breath, calming her tears and breathing before lining up her sight again.

“Okay,” she whispers.

I watch her, not the buck, and I’m mesmerized. So innocent and pure. Untouched and just coming alive for the first time. Something so big is just contained under her surface, and I want to feel it all come apart in my arms. Tiernan is a pulse in the house.