Free Shadows at Sunset: Sunset Trilogy ~ Book 1 by Tonya Royston Page A

carefully balancing it. My mother held the back door open for me as I slipped outside onto the patio.
    Noah and my father stood beside the grill. They looked over at me as I placed the tray on the table. Noah caught my eye and smiled, causing me to nearly lose my balance. It was a good thing I had already set the tray down, or the pitcher and glasses surely would have fallen.
    “Laken, I believe you met Noah yesterday. I don’t know if Mom told you, but he’s going to stay for dinner,” my father said.
    “Yes, we met yesterday and Mom filled me in a few minutes ago. Hi, Noah.”
    “Hi, Laken. It’s good to see you again,” Noah said.
    All I could think about was that fateful moment yesterday when he had caught my fall. I could almost feel his strong arms where I had touched him, and I vividly remembered how his hands had felt around my waist.
    “Yes, you too,” I replied politely, trying to push the memory of yesterday out of my mind at once. “Would you like some lemonade?”
    “I’d love some.”
    As I poured two glasses, my father turned his attention back to Noah. “I need to get a few things inside. I’ll be back in a couple minutes. Noah, can you keep an eye on the grill?”
    “No problem.” After my father disappeared into the house, Noah smiled at me. “So how is it being a small town sheriff’s daughter?” he asked as I handed him his glass of lemonade.
    “Considering I don’t know anything else, it’s fine.” I sipped my lemonade as I walked around the table to sit on the steps leading down to the grass. I always preferred to sit there rather than at the table because it was closer to Dakota while he was out in the yard. Even now, when he wasn’t around, I sat there without thinking.
    Noah joined me, sitting so close that our shoulders almost touched.
    “The town seems like a very close-knit community. I like that. I’m from a big city where you can get lost in the crowd,” he explained.
    “Really? Where’s that?”
    “Pittsburgh.”
    “I would welcome a big city right about now. Getting lost in the crowd would be great after yesterday.” I looked at him, meeting his steady gaze.
    Noah raised his hand, gently brushing his fingers along the side of my face where I had hit my head the other night in the forest. All that remained was a faint bruise, and in a few more days, even that would be gone. “What happened here?”
    “I fell the night I found Ryder. I’ve done a lot of hiking in these mountains, but only during the day. It turns out that it’s a much more dangerous place in the dark.”
    He laughed softly, pulling his hand back. “I’m sure it is.”
    “And you saw first-hand how coordinated I am during the day. It’s a wonder I got Ryder home safely without killing both of us.”
    Noah’s expression suddenly turned serious. “How did you find him? All I heard was that you have some pet stray dog that led you to him. Is that how it really happened?”
    I shrugged and looked away. I hated lying to him, but I had no choice. “Pretty much.”
    “So where is this hero dog of yours?”
    “He’s not really mine. He’s just a stray I befriended. I leave food out for him and he trusts me, but he’s very shy and terrified of everyone else.” I gazed straight ahead, focusing on the trees and the setting sun. The crickets were starting to chirp again tonight since it had warmed up. I listened to them for a moment, not knowing what else to say. Finally, I changed the subject. “So you’re from Pittsburgh? Is this your first time living in New Hampshire?”
    “Yeah. I just moved here this summer.”
    “Do you have any family or friends here?”
    “No. I moved here for the job. And I wanted to get away.”
    “Well, you’re definitely away. There isn’t much to do around here.”
    “That’s good. I wanted a change of pace. It seems really peaceful here. Not at all like where I lived in Pittsburgh.”
    “You do realize you moved to the middle of nowhere, don’t