Adam came strolling up to the front door of his rental early Monday morning, a happy grin on his face. After spending most of the day with Kylie yesterday, he’d gone back home and had been able to get the barn cleaned out, and had even started in on her car.

It wasn’t nearly enough, of course, but with a to-do list a mile long, it was never enough. Even though he hadn’t completed 1/100th of the must-do’s on his list, after his mom’s huge smile and hug when he’d unloaded all of the groceries, he’d still felt ten feet tall.

And now, he had a whole week to look forward to, where he got to see and work with Kylie every day of it. He couldn’t squash the feeling that he’d been handed a gift; a rare and precious gift.

He knocked politely on the front door; although he owned the house, he couldn’t just go barging in. She was his tenant, not his roommate. But when she opened the front door, she wasn’t smiling and happy like normal. Her eyes were red, her thick blonde hair was in the sloppiest ponytail he’d ever clapped eyes on, and she just looked…exhausted.

His cheerful greeting died on his lips. “Are you okay?” he blurted out.

She nodded and shrugged, shifting her purse higher on her shoulder, her lunch bag gripped tightly in her other hand. “I’m ready to go whenever you are,” she said mechanically.

Adam was stunned. She must’ve used that phrase in conversations with him a half dozen times before, but this was the first time where she’d said it while looking like she was facing an executioner.

“Is it the animals? Did they give you fits again this morning?” He was already cursing himself for not coming out first thing this morning. The happy, accomplished feeling he’d had while bounding up the driveway leaked out of him like a deflating balloon.

Once again, he’d let someone down whom he cared about. She’d told him last night when he’d dropped her off that she thought she had it and she didn’t need the help anymore, but obviously, he shouldn’t have believed her. Maybe Dumbass had—

“They’re fine,” she said curtly. “I’d really like to go to work now.” She brushed past him and towards the truck, climbing inside, not waiting for his help up into the cab.

He walked slowly around to the driver’s side and climbed in, starting the rumble of the diesel engine, thankful for the noise. Anything to help hide the silence that had descended like a brick wall between them. Where the hell was the Kylie from yesterday? And the last two weeks? This morose person sitting next to him bore no resemblance to the Kylie whom he’d come to know.

In conclusion to the longest drive in the history of mankind, they finally pulled up in front of the clinic and again, Kylie jumped out before he could help her out, hurrying to open the front door using her own key. By the time he got through the front door after her, she’d already put her lunch away, flipped on the open sign, turned on the computer, and was making coffee. She was a whirlwind of activity – a tornado of efficiency – but still, no sound was coming out of her.

Oh, and she wasn’t meeting his gaze.

If he didn’t know any better, he’d think she was royally pissed at him, but for what, he couldn’t begin to imagine.

After doing a quick check of the few animals in the back and filling his coffee mug, he headed out the front door.

“I’ll be back at five,” he said as he headed out. She nodded in acknowledgment but still said nothing.

He slid into the driver’s seat of his truck, pulling his phone out automatically to check his schedule for the day, even as he turned the situation over and over in his mind. He couldn’t make heads or tails of it, and with a muttered curse he was glad his mother couldn’t hear, he put his truck into reverse and headed out of the parking lot.

Whatever was going on with Kylie, he could only hope to God it didn’t have a damn thing to do with him. Maybe a day by herself in the office to think it over would help.

God only knew it couldn’t hurt at this point.