It had Erin.

“Have you guys talked about keeping Erin there?”

Colin turned to him. “Did she suggest she wanted to leave?”

“No. Not to me. I think she’s happy.” Secluded and alarmed with people close by who could be there for her. “I feel better knowing she has people around.”

“Is that supposed to mean something?”

“I work long days. I don’t like the thought of her being alone.”

Colin stayed quiet.

Matt joined him in the silence.

They both took a drink from their bottles.

“Any chance your desire for Erin to have someone around has anything to do with the imaginary face you put on your punching bag?”

Matt sat his drink aside.

Vault.

And then there was Erin’s safety.

“It’s a pretty isolated property. You can never be too careful.”

Colin’s legs dropped off the chair. “Damn, Matt. Do I need to worry here?”

He shook his head. “If there was anything imminent, I’d have to break my vow to keep my mouth shut. I would never put a promise in front of anyone’s safety.”

“If it changes?”

“I’ll let you know. For now, it would be nice to know when you’re not going to be around so I can make an excuse to be there.” Because if Dickface, or whatever the ex’s name was, was staying away because of a restraining order, he might decide to pay a visit. “How soon will the gate camera be up and running?”

“Running cable this week.”

“Need help?”

“I’m never going to say no to free labor.”

Colin’s feet went back up on the adjacent chair.

“Thanks for not prying, brother. I want Erin to trust me, and screwing that up so soon wouldn’t bode well for anything lasting.”

“Does that mean things are progressing?”

He watched the condensation on his beer drip down the side of the bottle. “Man, I really hope so. We had dinner, but it wasn’t quite a date. She keeps saying she’s not ready for the whole dating deal, but sometimes when she looks at me I get the feeling she’s not even convincing herself with that story.”

“We’ve all noticed the attraction, and if she’s revealing secrets to you, then there’s something there. Be patient.”

He grunted. “Because I’m great at that.”

Colin laughed. “Bring her to a family dinner.”

“I’m not sure she’ll agree.”

“You know she won’t miss our engagement party.”

Matt hadn’t considered that. “I like the way you think.”

“Aren’t you at work?” Erin asked Matt. The man had called her every night he didn’t actually see her. And he’d made plenty of excuses to be on the property since she fought the bottom of her sink with the back of her head.

“I’m not on a call.”

“I would hope not.” Erin sat on the patio by the pool as the sun dipped below the horizon. The late spring heat was bending a little and giving the air a cool edge.

“What are you doing?”

She looked at her laptop. “Attempting to work.”

“Are you distracted?”

“Only by a man who keeps making excuses to talk to me every night. Most people just text.”

“Texting is lame. I mean, I’ll do it, but talking is much better. So much is lost in translation.”

Erin closed her computer and set it aside. “Did you have a busy day?”

“You mean you haven’t been watching your app?”

She feigned innocence with a gasp and then said, “I don’t open it all the time.”

Matt slowly chuckled. “See there. If you’d texted that to me, I wouldn’t have heard that little noise you made, and I might even have believed you. But since we’re talking, I know you’re full of it.”

“Are you calling me a liar?” She was smiling.

“Uhm, ah . . . ,” he stuttered. “I’m calling you a skilled bender of the facts. A confession you made to me not too long ago, if I remember correctly.”

Yeah, she had told him she’d become a chronic liar after leaving Desmond.

“Well, I hope people are on their best behavior and you can get some sleep tonight.”

“Midweek is always a little less crazy than the weekend. Unless it’s a full moon. And that’s next week.”

She laughed. “You know when our next full moon is?”

“Yeah. I rearrange my schedule if I can.”

“That’s nuts.”

“You think that now. Just keep that app open and off silent mode on the next full moon and see how much sleep you get.”

She was half tempted to do it.

“So, Colin and Parker’s engagement party. You’re coming, right?” he asked.

“I couldn’t exactly say no. Parker asked me to bake a cake.”

“Oh, no.”

“What?”

“Cake. I haven’t had your cake yet?” His voice carried a singsong tone as he spoke.

“Why did that sound sexual?”

He laughed. “I haven’t had that yet either.”

The word yet stuck out, but she wasn’t about to bring attention to what he’d said. “You’re impossible.”

“I know. How’s your head today?”

Every day, the same question. “It only hurts when I lie on it.”

“I bet a hemorrhoid pillow would fix that.”

The image said yes, the possibility of the smell said no. “I’ll continue sleeping on my side, thank you.”

He paused for a second. “How are you sleeping?”

With one eye open. “Not bad.”

Matt hummed. “You don’t have to pretend with me.”

“It’s a little hard when I roll over and catch the back of my head. I’m sure it will improve once the stitches are out.”

“Erin?”

“Really, Matt. I’m getting enough.” Yet as she was talking she found her mouth opening in a yawn. “I even nap during the day sometimes. Helps make up for what I don’t get at night.”

“I guess that’s okay.”

“Glad you approve. Now go back to work,” she teased.

“I’ll see you on Sunday.”

“Ha. Does that mean you’re not going to call the rest of the week?”

“Duh . . . no.”

She didn’t think so. “Thanks for checking on me,” she said.

“Anytime.”

She disconnected the call and imagined Matt walking back into the fire station. Was he wearing his blue uniform, or was he dressed down in a T-shirt and slacks? He kept his hair short and his jaw clean-shaven. At least that’s what she’d noticed about his appearance when he was working. If he had a couple of days off, he’d leave his five o’clock shadow alone. She liked the contrast. Work Matt and play Matt.

He was being overattentive after their discussion about her past. It would be easy to feel guilty about taking so much of his time, but the reality was, she liked his attention and his concern. It felt as if she’d carried the burden of her abusive husband alone the entire time she had been with the man. When she’d told Renee, it was a hard delivery of facts without all the emotion that went with it. Yeah, she’d cried a couple of times, but when Erin was in the process of leaving Desmond she had been terrified he’d find out what she was doing and didn’t give herself permission to fall apart.