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last night
haunting around Bree’s place.
    “Same one.”
    “Good to know. I’ve already cataloged the
scent. I’ll head over to—”
    “And I’ll be coming along.” The tone he used
dared her to argue.
    One look at him and she nodded. “Very
well.”
    With a wave of her hand, she led Hunter
toward her car.

Chapter Six

    Bree flipped through the channels mindlessly.
The damn phone hadn’t rung all morning and the silence was
beginning to get to her. She closed her eyes and leaned her head
back against the couch, trying to force herself to relax. The
restless itch building inside her only intensified with the
quiet.
    Hunter Reed had been in her life for one day
and already she resented the solitude. Weird, how comfortable he
made her feel, how at home he made the place feel. Crazy
too, because this was her house but she hadn’t realized until he’d
walked out that door this morning that it had never become a
home.
    No. If she were honest with herself, her home had died with Arianna. Died with the distance their
daughter’s death had driven between her and Caesar. She opened her
eyes and looked around the room. It was beautifully furnished, but
empty.
    She hadn’t let a single bit of life enter
this place.
    No pictures, no heirlooms, nothing really
personal. The walls were bare and the colors and furniture were all
neutrally chosen. Nothing here really said Bree . She flicked
off the television and shoved off from the couch. This had to
change. When a perfect stranger could walk into her life and make
her see just how badly she was missing out on life , on
everything, something had to change.
    Nerves twisted her stomach, but she refused
to back down as she headed for her bedroom closet and the
collection of boxes stashed at the back of it. Hidden behind
clothes and shoes were the memories she’d locked away. Sinking to
the plush carpet, Bree ran her fingers over the first tub. She
remembered the day she’d packed it all away, tears streaming down
her face.
    She’d needed time then. To grieve, to heal,
to just get space.
    Now, however, it was time to start putting
back together the pieces of her life. Time to start moving
forward.
    She dragged the large plastic container
towards her and popped off the lid. Right on top sat a framed 8 x
10 of Ari, grinning up at the camera, sunlight streaming through
her red hair. Bree felt her heart catch and she reached for the
wooden frame. Her hand shook.
    God, how she’d missed seeing her little
girl’s face.
    Hearing her laugh.
    Holding her.
    She picked up the picture and looked into
those almond brown eyes. They’d always been so warm with happiness.
Arianna had been a being of joy. She ran her fingers over the image
and wished like hell she could touch her daughter just one more
time.
    “I’m sorry, sweetheart,” she whispered to the
photo. Part of her was still sorry she hadn’t been able to save her
daughter, and that same part of her always would be.
    But right now, the larger part of her
regretted keeping the memories of Arianna locked away in a box.
Caesar—for all the horrible things that he had done—at least he
hadn’t tried to push the memory of their daughter away. At least he
hadn’t folded her up into a plastic box and shoved her at the back
of a closet.
    He’d sought to avenge her death in his own
twisted way.
    Staring at the portrait now, Bree knew there
was no way she was shoving this all back into her closet. It was
time to move forward and it was also time to bring the memory of
her daughter fully into this house. It was time to make this place
a home.
    She set the picture up next to her and
continued through the box. She found her old Shifter Town
Enforcement award for ten years served on duty. Arianna’s favorite
doll, a stuffed lion with a frizzy mane. Her heart clenched but she
kept digging.
    There were so many pictures.
    Ones of the three of them—Caesar, Ari, and
her—all grinning up at the camera. Bree remembered that day. It