Against Me (Cedar Tree Book 3) Read Free Page B

alive somewhere. First, I'll have to find her."
    I know there’s a quick way to get some answers, but I don't really want to involve Caleb or GFI at this point in time. Call it being stubborn, but this is something I want to do for myself, if only to prove that I'm not completely useless.

CHAPTER TWO
    "H ow is she really doing?" Emma has me pinned down in the kitchen of her and Gus's newly renovated house.
    "Hard to tell. She recovered most of her basic skills without much effort, but using her legs seems to be an unexpected challenge. I'm thinking she’s losing faith."
    "I would if I were stuck in a facility with mostly seniors. I don't care how good a reputation this place has, being surrounded by elderly people all day, every day, must become depressing at some point, don't you think?"
    I can tell Emma is working up to something. She has this diplomatic way of laying out the groundwork in order to get her point across more effectively. Curious to see what she has up her sleeve, I nod my agreement.
    "Excellent. I knew you'd be on board," she smiles brilliantly.
    Wait. What did I miss here? I can't remember agreeing to anything, but the big grin on Emma's face tells me I'll find out soon enough.
    "I have already talked to Faith's therapist, and she says she will even come work with her at home if needed."
    Faith is Seb's younger sister who also suffered a head injury, but at a much younger age and frankly, with much more devastating results. Confined to not only her wheelchair, but with the capacity and mental maturity of an eight or nine-year-old. She lives in a nursing facility in Cortez.
    "Wait a second. What home? Katie doesn't have a home anymore. She let go of her apartment in Grand Junction and hasn’t explored any other options."
    Emma smiles like the cat that got the canary. "Of course she has a home. Now that you’re buying your own place in town, the guesthouse is free, and what more perfect place since it’s completely accessible."
    My boss's wife has rheumatoid arthritis, among other things, that has limited her physical abilities. Not that that would ever slow down Emma. Good lord, no. The woman can be like a bulldozer if you don't watch it.
    "Uhm, Emma? Have you discussed this idea with Katie? Or even with Gus? I mean, the two do have a history. They might not be as comfortable with this idea of yours."
    I hate bursting her bubble, but the reality is that Katie was hurt when Gus fell in love with Emma. I'm pretty sure there’d been some hope that her occasional entanglements with Gus might’ve turned into something more. Not that she ever told me, but I’m able to read that woman like a book. Katie might not be so eager to live with the daily view of something she missed out on, and I have a feeling Emma may not have considered all the emotional pitfalls that Katie's moving here might open up. Sounds like a potential minefield to me.
    The brilliance has gone off Emma's smile, but she shrugs her shoulders and stands as tall as she can. "I know Gus wouldn't hesitate in welcoming Katie if it meant she'd have some friends around her to motivate her. And Katie, well, I had hoped you might broach the subject with her."

    It's been three weeks since I forced Katie to come with me for the re-opening of Arlene's Diner, and although she finally conceded, it wasn't entirely convincing.
    I'm a selfish bastard, I know. It was as much for my benefit as hers. I'm ready to make Cedar Tree my home. I even bought property, but I can't see moving here with Katie stuck in Grand Junction, keeping herself locked away in that damn hospital like a hermit. I’m not gonna let her hide out there licking her wounds for much longer. I want her to reconnect to people and know she has a safe place. The hospital isn't it.
    Ever since she was attacked, while on protective detail last year, she’s withdrawn from everyone she knows. I suspect in part because the person she was protecting was her boss's new girlfriend, but I wouldn't