Broken Boulder Thanks for the hospitality

A good man, a sweet man. His words were more than she deserved, overly-flattering. Her own words caught in her throat--she closed her eyes and grinned, hoping Steele could feel the strength of sentiment behind the expression. It had been a hard moon for her. This helped.

She wished he didn't have to leave, but you had to find your own way, eventually. Lily knew exactly where he stood. She sighed, rolling her shoulders. She did not do goodbyes easily. If he would just separate from her, not look back. . . She'd see him to the border and then depart, not satisfied--but, at least, with hope in her heart that he would find something better out there. Something better than bears and fear.