Broken by Shiloh Walker

muscle-bound weight-lifter look. She hadn’t seen any sign of spare flesh anywhere on him and she’d bet that under that shirt, he had a six-pack. His jeans were almost as worn as the T-shirt, and they molded to his legs in the most delicious way imaginable.
    Oh, yeah. Very easy on the eyes.
    But still, she couldn’t quite define him as a dear .
    Theresa turned away from the refrigerator and pushed lettuce, tomatoes, and carrots into Sara’s hands. Automatically, Sara took them.
    “Why don’t you wash those up and then make us a salad? I just need a few more minutes to get out some plates . . . and a bottle of wine.” Theresa paused and cocked her head, studying Sara. “You don’t mind if I have a glass, do you?”
    “It’s your home, Theresa.”
    “Oh, I know. I just . . . well, some people are uncomfortable around alcohol.”
    There were unspoken questions in Theresa’s voice, in her eyes. Fishing , Sara decided. Very subtle, but still, fishing none the less. “Don’t worry about that with me. I wouldn’t mind a glass of wine myself.”
    Over dinner, Sara realized that fishing was something that Theresa excelled at. Despite her earlier claim of not wanting to know any information about Sara, she managed to sneak in very clever little probes. If Sara hadn’t become very paranoid over the past few years, she just might have let herself get tripped up.
    After deflecting yet another question, Sara took a sip from her wine and gave Theresa a friendly smile. “So, how long have you had your other tenant?”
    It worked—Theresa leaned back in her chair, a thoughtful look on her face. “Hmmmm. I guess close to six months.”
    “What does he do for a living?”
    There was a cagey look in Theresa’s eyes, one that Sara recognized. She wasn’t the least bit surprised that her new landlady was a matchmaker.
    “Oh, Quinn does a little bit of everything, I think.”
    “That’s vague.” Sara tore off a chunk of bread and popped it in her mouth.
    “It’s the truth. He knows his way around cars, has helped me some around this old house. Even knows his way around horses, from what I can gather . . . not that he’d need it much around here. His dad has a ranch somewhere, in Montana, I think. Or maybe Wyoming. Just a handy sort, in a lot of ways.” Theresa paused and eyed her clean plate for a second. “I really shouldn’t but I think I’m going to have some more. Would you like another helping?”
    “No. I’m stuffed.” She really should head out. She’d already spent far too much time talking to her new landlady.
    But even as she thought about getting up, Theresa started talking again.
    “I’d seen Quinn around at Dierburg’s a few times. A man who looks like that . . . well, I may be old, but I’m not dead. He’s not easily forgotten.”
    “I’ve got to agree with you there.” Quinn Rafferty did not blend.
    “He actually helped me out once before I even knew his name. This girl and her boyfriend were bothering me in the parking lot—claimed they had car trouble and desperately needed a ride—supposedly they’d left their baby alone with a teenage neighbor just to run to the store for a few minutes, then the car wouldn’t start.”
    Theresa frowned and gave Sara a narrow look. “Regardless of what some people think, I’m neither naive nor soft in the head. They were up to no good. When I told them I was pressed for time, they pushed the issue. I was actually getting a bit scared and then Quinn comes up—seemed like out of nowhere. Gives the two this look and threw a couple of quarters at them—told them to call a tow truck and leave me the hell alone. They took off like he’d pulled a gun . . . or a badge. I tried to tell him thank you, but he acted like I hadn’t said a word and just headed on up to the store—although he didn’t go in until I’d gotten into my car and pulled out of the parking space.”
    Theresa paused and took a drink of her wine. “A few weeks later, as it