Niska will let him go with this belief, because it's far less dangerous than the real reason she needs to push him away. The moment he figures out what she is, that will be the dangerous precipice upon which she won't be able to escape.

It will determine what kind of man he is and she's not sure she knows well enough. She terses her jaw and walks, like she's going to a death sentence, because with every passing moment, she feels more fluid leaking that will require replacement.

The product, she has. The help? She'll need. "I don't suppose you know if Mark is here and not at his farm?" she asks, feeling like this will be too much to ask.