by Terri Reed
Maya and Brady stood in the glow of the porch light. Both looked unharmed beyond the injuries from earlier in the day. Alex breathed easier as he vaulted up the stairs of the Gallo house. “What happened?”
Maya shook as she explained. Alex fisted one hand and turned to Kaitlyn. “You okay?”
She gave him a sheepish look. “Yeah, I’m fine. Took a hit on the back of the head but I didn’t lose consciousness or anything. I chased the perp but he’s a fast runner.”
“And agile,” Maya added. “Just like the guy on the trail today.”
Dread gripped his chest. The guy had somehow learned where Maya lived. Not good.
“I’ll be taking over Maya and Brady’s protection from here on out,” Alex announced.
Kaitlyn winced. “He got the drop on me. It won’t happen again.”
“No doubt it won’t,” the sheriff stated. “But you were clocked on the head. You need to take it easy. See the doctor and make sure you don’t have any kind of concussion.”
“I don’t have a concussion,” Kaitlyn grumbled.
“It would make us all feel better to be on the safe side, Kait,” Alex said. “I’ll take over for tonight. We will regroup in the morning.”
As the sheriff and Kaitlyn left, Alex urged Maya and Brady back into the house.
Brady let out a big, noisy yawn. “Maya, I’m going to my room.”
“Actually, I’d like you both to pack a bag,” Alex said. “You’re coming home with me.” He hadn’t really made the decision to take them to the ranch until this moment, but it made the most sense.
“What?” Maya stared at him. “We can’t stay with you.”
“Why not? I’ve plenty of room at the ranch and it will be easier to protect you there.”
“You’ll have to drive us to the store in the morning.”
“Not a problem,” he told her. “I have your Jeep, remember?”
Though she nodded, she said, “I’m not sure about this.”
“I am.” He wasn’t leaving here without her and Brady. “I don’t suspect the perp would return tonight, but he may eventually. I’d rather have you where it would be harder to get at you.”
After a heartbeat, she turned to her brother. “Brady, Alex has invited us to stay with him. Are you okay with that?”
Brady’s sleepy gaze bounced between them. “Okay. We’ll sleep at Alex’s house. That’s cool.”
Maya hugged her brother with her one good arm. “Go to your room and pick out some clothes. I’ll be right in to help you pack.”
Brady ambled off down the hall, his booted foot making a clomping sound as he went. Once he was out of earshot, Maya said, “Thank you for this. It’s beyond the call of duty.”
Uncomfortable with her assessment for reasons he didn’t understand, he shrugged. “Protecting you two is my job. My duty, as you put it. I can keep you safe better on the ranch than here.”
“But for how long?”
“As long as it takes.”
“I hate to be a burden.”
“You’re not. Now, go pack so we can get a move on.”
She bit the bottom of her lip, drawing his gaze from her pretty, troubled eyes to her lush mouth. He forced himself to turn away before he gave in to the sharp yearning to pull her close and kiss away her worry. She had every right to be scared. Someone had tried to break into her house. She’d been attacked this afternoon. And he would do everything he could to keep her and her brother safe. His attraction to the pretty shopkeeper had no part in the equation.
Maya let out a small sigh of apparent worry—or maybe acceptance, he hoped—then turned and hurried down the hall. Alex expelled a heavy breath, then checked to make sure the kitchen door was securely locked.
Ten minutes later, they were in Maya’s Jeep, with Alex driving, Maya in the passenger seat and Brady dozing in the back passenger area.
“Go through what happened again for me,” Alex asked Maya as they headed out of town toward his place.
“There’s not much more to tell you,” she said. “I was sleeping in the recliner when I heard a noise at the kitchen door. Kaitlyn had been sleeping in the den. She came out to investigate. I got Brady into the den and called 911. I took my dad’s airsoft gun out to the back porch. The guy was in the shadows. I couldn’t make out his size or shape.”
“You shouldn’t have gone outside,” Alex stated, frustrated that she’d taken such a risk.
“I was afraid for Kaitlyn,” she said.
“Kaitlyn can take care of herself,” he replied, hating the thought of something happening to Maya.
As Alex approached the long drive that led to his house, he kept a watch for any signs of being followed. All was dark behind him. He took the turn and drove through tall trees to the clearing where his ranch-style house sat smack-dab in the center of thirty-five acres. The house was already here when he’d purchased the land, but he’d built both the barn, where he housed Truman, and the corral. He was proud of the place and the work he’d put into it. Growing up, he and his dad had lived in a series of run-down apartments with no yards, let alone room for animals.
He brought Maya’s Jeep to a halt in front of the house. Floodlights illuminated the wraparound porch and his father and his dog, Rusty, a four-year-old red tri Australian shepherd, standing in the open front door.
“Who’s that?” Maya asked.
“My dad,” Alex replied. His dad must have heard him leave and gotten up.
Maya eyed him curiously. “You’ve never mentioned your father.”
No, he hadn’t. Talking about his parents wasn’t something he liked to do. He hadn’t seen his father until six months ago when he’d shown up on Alex’s doorstep, sick and in need of a place to live. “He’s staying with me temporarily.”
“Where’s your mom?”
There was a tentative note in her voice that made his chest tight. He knew she’d lost her parents at a young age. “Mom lives in Idaho Falls with her third husband.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah. My parents divorced when I was a kid.”
“I’m sorry.”
Her sympathy grated on his nerves. “No big deal.” He popped open the door. Rusty raced down the stairs to greet him with sloppy kisses and happy barking. He held out his hand in the stop formation, indicating for the dog to wait and give him space. Rusty backed up, but his backside wiggled with excitement. “I’ll get your bags and then come back to carry Brady inside.”
She chuckled. “As strong as you are, I don’t think carrying Brady up a flight of stairs is a good idea. If you fell, then you’d both be injured. I’ll wake him.”
The compliment slid over him like a warm blanket.
“You think I’m strong, huh?” He reached out and tucked a lock of her dark hair behind her ear.
She seemed startled by the question or maybe it was his touch as his fingers lingered, tracing the line of her jaw.
She leaned back, out of his reach, her eyes wide.
Stung by her rejection, he tucked his thumbs into his utility belt. Clearly, he’d overstepped, which wasn’t like him at all. He wasn’t angling to romance Maya. He wasn’t willing to go down that road. And now, realizing she didn’t want his attention only solidified his vow to never suffer heartache again.
He jumped out and, with Rusty at his heels, he moved to the back compartment of the Jeep to grab their gear while Maya woke Brady. The teenager climbed awkwardly out of the Jeep and glanced around. “Big place. Dark out here.”
“It’s peaceful,” Alex said.
“Dog!” Brady exclaimed softly.
“He’s friendly,” Alex assured the younger man. “This is Rusty.”
“Remember how I taught you to greet dogs?” Maya asked her brother.
Brady put his hand out for Rusty to sniff. Then the dog leaned against Brad
y’s legs for a good scrub behind the ears. “Good dog.”
The sweet sight had Alex and Maya sharing a gentle smile.
Unfamiliar with the tender emotion filling his chest, Alex quickly gestured toward the house. “Shall we?” He ushered them up the front porch stairs.
“What do we have here?” Frank Trevino asked as the trio stopped.
Alex tried to view his dad as Maya would. Frank was slight of build with a craggy face and thick salt-and-pepper hair. There wasn’t much resemblance between them as far as Alex was concerned. “Dad, this is Maya Gallo and her brother, Brady. They are going to be staying with us for a while.”
Dad’s eyebrows shot up. “Okay. Welcome. I’m Frank Trevino.”
“Hi, Frank,” Brady said and stuck out his hand while hitching his backpack higher on his shoulder. “I’m Brady.”
Dad shook Brady’s hand. “Nice to meet you, young man.” Dad stepped back. “Come in. Let’s get you two settled.” He gave Alex a questioning glance as he closed the door behind them.
“We’ll put them in the back bedroom,” Alex told his dad as he set Maya’s and Brady’s bags on the scarred cherry hardwood floor. Then he turned to Maya. “Do you mind sharing with Brady tonight? Tomorrow, I can get the office set up with another bed.”
“That’s fine. You don’t need to go to any trouble on our account,” she said.
Despite her words, Alex would make sure they each had some space. The house was big enough, and he actually would enjoy the diversion from his father’s troubles.
“Come with me, young man,” Dad instructed Brady as he grabbed the bags. “We’ll get you settled in.”
Dad and Brady headed down the hall. Once they were out of view, Maya said, “Thank you for taking us in. I feel bad that we’re putting you and your father to so much trouble.”
“No trouble at all. You and Brady need to get some rest. Morning will be here fast.”
“What about you?” she asked. “You need to rest, as well.”
He appreciated her concern, though he wished she’d show more concern about herself. “I will sleep. But I’m not nursing an injury. You are. And after the trauma today, you both must be exhausted.”
“I am,” she confessed.
“Can I get you anything?” he asked. “Bottled water?”
“I’ll take one and so will Brady,” she said.
He stepped into the kitchen and took two bottles of water out of the fridge. “Here you go.”
“I like your home,” she said, her hand caressing the granite countertop. “I’ve thought about updating our kitchen counters.”
The wistful tone had him moving closer. “I could help with the updates. I did most of the work here.”
Her eyes widened. “You did?”
He smiled. “Cheaper than hiring someone else to do stuff I can do.”
“That’s very handy of you.” She smiled shyly. “I might take you up on that offer someday.”
“Anytime.” Attraction zinged through his blood. He wanted to offer her more than just his carpentry skills. He wanted to give her comfort and support. Would she accept?
Oh, man. He’d better reel in his wayward thoughts. She was his to protect, not romance. This was so unlike him. He usually was better able to separate his personal feelings from his professional ones. But for some reason with Maya Gallo, he wanted to set aside his job and just be a man who wanted to get to know a beautiful woman. Bad idea on so many levels.
He stepped back, putting much-needed distance between them. Gesturing toward the hall, he said briskly, “The bathroom is next door to the room you’ll be sleeping in. There are fresh towels and such in the cabinets. Help yourself to whatever you need.”
She nodded and walked out of the kitchen. Alex waited a beat to catch his breath and calm his racing blood before checking that the doors and windows were locked.
He was confident they hadn’t been followed here, but he wasn’t taking any chances. He’d stay up tonight, and tomorrow he’d call to have an alarm system installed, not that Rusty wouldn’t alert him if someone approached the house. But he wanted even earlier warning. He’d put sensors on the drive and motion sensors in the trees in a hundred-yard perimeter, because there was no way he was going let anyone get close to Maya and Brady again.
* * *
After settling Brady down for the night, Maya took refuge in the bathroom. The soft yellow lights over the sink revealed dark circles beneath her eyes. Her hair was a mess. Who was she kidding? She was a mess. The day, the evening had been one harrowing experience after another.
Except for Alex. He’d been a beacon of hope and light that she wanted to cling to.
And now she and Brady were ensconced in Alex’s home. A place she’d never expected to be. But she was so thankful for his protection and concern. He was a nice man. Kind and giving. The type of man she could fall for if she weren’t careful. Her heart rate accelerated.
She had to be careful. She had Brady to think about. Complicating her life with a crazy attraction wouldn’t be smart. She had responsibilities and wouldn’t allow anything or anyone to distract her from the life she’d painstakingly built for her and Brady.
Going through the mundane task of brushing her teeth and hair helped to calm her nerves. With her arm in a sling, she wasn’t able to put her hair up like she normally would at night. Carefully, she changed into lounge pants and an oversize flannel shirt. Buttoning it with one hand was a challenge, but she managed to get it done. She tucked her toiletry bag out of the way under the sink before turning out the light and heading back to the room she’d share with Brady tonight.
She paused in the hall. A flickering glow drew her toward the living room. Alex sat on the raised hearth of the fireplace staring into the flames, apparently deep in contemplation, with his dog sitting at his feet. Firelight danced, lighting the dark depths of his hair and washing his face in a warm glow. He was a handsome man with strong features and broad shoulders. He was a man people relied on, a man people trusted. A man she trusted.
Rusty turned and looked toward her. She shrank back into the shadows, unwilling to disrupt Alex’s thoughts. But the dog would have none of it. He left Alex’s side and trotted to where she stood with her back plastered against the wall. He licked her hand.
A soft chuckle startled her. Her gaze jumped to meet Alex’s. He’d followed his dog and now stood very close.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to disturb you two,” she said in a voice barely above a whisper.
“No worries. Come join us.” He gestured for her to follow him.
“Can’t sleep?” she asked as she settled on the hearth with her back to the warm fire.
“Not yet. But you really should be sleeping.” He sat beside her, leaving a safe gap between them.
“I will,” she said, wishing she didn’t want to scoot closer to him. “But I’m still a bit keyed up.”
“Is the shoulder painful?”
“A bit. The ER doc gave me some pain meds. I took one. I have to wait for it to kick in.”
“It’s amazing nothing broke,” he said. “You hit the ground hard.”
“It’s a blessing for sure. The doc said it will take a while for the soft tissue to repair itself, but I should be good to go fairly soon.”
“I believe the Lord was looking out for you today because it could’ve been so much worse,” Alex stated. The darks of his eyes reflected the flames of the fire.
“Yes. I could’ve landed on my head.” Or went over the edge of a cliff or been killed by some crazed maniac. She shuddered with residual fear.
Forcing herself to focus on something other than the drama of the day, she asked, “Where did you grow up?”
“I was born in Whitefish, Montana, but my parents moved to Denver not long after,” he said, his gaze trained on the fire while he petted Rusty. The dog leaned
against him as if sensing his master needed support. “After the divorce, Mom and Dad both stayed in Denver for a while and then Mom moved away.”
“That must have been hard going back and forth for visits.” She’d only ever lived in Bristle Township.
“Yes, it was tough at times. But no big deal. Lots of kids do it.”
Maya knew that just because many children had to travel back and forth between their parents after a divorce, it didn’t make it any less painful. She’d had friends growing up who’d had to do the trek to visit a parent. She hated to admit that at times she thought it would have been nice to live part-time somewhere other than Bristle County. But she realized how blessed she’d been to have her parents together for her childhood.
It made her sad that Brady hadn’t had them. And sad for Alex because despite his assurance it was no big deal, there was a thread of hurt there. But he obviously didn’t want to address it with her. “What brought you to Bristle Township?”
“I wanted a place of my own,” he said. “This ranch came up for sale at the same time that Sheriff Ryder was looking for another deputy. Moving here made sense.”
“A God-sequence,” she said with a soft smile. It was word she’d heard her parents use often.
“Excuse me?”
“My parents taught me to believe that God is in control and when things work out in a way that seems...random or a coincidence, that really it was God orchestrating things.” She tapped his knees. “He wanted you here.”
Alex’s gaze touched her face like a caress. “I’m glad I was here today.”
And she was grateful God had used Alex to protect her, despite her initial reaction. “Me, too.”
He held her gaze. Her breath caught in her throat. Had he leaned toward her? Her gaze dropped to his mouth. Would he kiss her? Did she want him to?
A piercing scream rent the air.
Jolted out of whatever stupor had gripped her, she jumped to her feet. “Brady!”
FIVE
