Page 24 of Ranger's Wildflower

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Blaze shrugged once. “Passing through maybe. Never seen him before.”

Convenient.

Too convenient.

“You heard what he said,” Blaze added carefully.

My gaze snapped to his.

“Yeah,” I said. “I heard him.”

The tavern quieted again around us.

Everyone pretending not to listen now.

“And?” Blaze asked.

I didn’t hesitate.

“I don’t buy it.”

The words came out rough.

Certain.

Because nothing about Tessa Bloom lined up with the picture that guy painted.

Not the woman who remembered old ladies’ coffee orders.

Not the woman who handled flowers like they mattered.

Not the woman who flinched every time someone raised their voice around her.

Blaze studied me for a second. “She didn’t defend herself.”

My jaw tightened.

“I noticed.”

“She just…” He frowned slightly. “Shut down.”

Yeah.

Exactly.

That was the part clawing at me.

People who were lying usually fought harder than that.

Got loud.

Defensive.

Angry.

Tessa looked like somebody had reached into her chest and crushed the air out of her lungs.

Like she’d already fought this fight before—

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