Panther Park Then surely I'll do the same,

The stranger greeted her with a grin, off-kilter as the initial laugh but Finley lacked the social know-how to make any conclusions. At least it wasn’t Donovan’s smug smile or Renard’s… lip-curled tooth-flashed thing masquerading as a smile. With a chuckle the stranger also clipped past introductions—perfectly fine, in Finley’s book—and spoke vaguely of life and moving on.

Finley gave a small nod, listening intently. That sounded nothing if not relevant. “Only forward.” It was becoming a mantra.

Would it be presumptuous to assume Finley wasn’t the only stray among the trees? Likely. But the laugh was more… genuine wasn’t the right word, but something in it piqued curiosity. Humble? Not a brag, and not for show. If nothing else, this one wasn’t a Saint. Frankly it was refreshing. “You come from the mountains?”