“But it might’ve been him,” she said. “So there’s a good chance the asshole is still lingering around, waiting to strike again.”
“Maybe. Maybe not. Either way, he’ll never get near you again. That’s why the deputies are here.” Keeping one arm around her, he turned them both to face the uniformed officers. “These are Deputies Aaron and Andrew Hale. They’re going to hang around and keep an eye on things until the sheriff can review the camera footage from the gas station and nearby traffic cams and figure out what’s going on.”
Aaron nodded at her. “It’s nice to meet you, Sophie.”
“You don’t need to worry about a thing. Nothing’s going to happen to you as long as we’re here,” Andrew added.
“Thank you.” Sophie offered them an appreciative smile, but feared it fell short and probably looked more like a grimace. “I appreciate the help.”
“No problem,” Aaron said.
They looked at each other, some kind of silent twin communication passing between them, and then nodded. Andrew was the first to look away. He glanced at Rick and Sophie. “We’ll be outside. Aaron will take the front and I’ll take the back. You can rest assured that if your ex is in the area, he won’t get by us.”
“Thank you,” she repeated, unsure of what else to say.
The deputies exited the way they entered. She turned to Rick. “What now?”
“Now we wait.”
“Great.” Patience was not her strong suit at the best of times.
“Just go about your business as usual and try to pretend we’re not here.”
She figured that was probably a lot easier said than done, but she would try. “All right. What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to go have a seat over there and help keep watch.” He pointed at the cluster of chairs in front of the large window. “Why don’t you go and catch Deb up on what’s happening, have your lunch, and try not to worry yourself to death. I’m not going to let anything happen to you. I promise.”
She took a deep breath and exhaled. “It might not even be him, right? We might be worrying about nothing.”
“That’s right.”
“The sheriff will be get in touch with us as soon as he knows something though, right?”
“Yeah, I’m sure he’ll call as soon as he has information to share.” Rick kissed her temple and released her. “Go on. Do what you need to do and trust that we’ve got your back.”
“I do.” She lifted up on her toes and pressed a quick kiss to his lips. “I trust you.”
Walking away from him was hard when all she wanted to do was curl up in his lap and let him hold her until the danger had passed. Instead, she put on a brave face and did what needed to be done. Explaining the situation to Deb was no big deal, although she tried to downplay it, not wanting to worry her friend. They took turns covering for each other so the other could eat lunch. Choking down a hamburger had never been so difficult. She managed about half before she gave up and pitched the rest in the trash. As much as she disliked wasting food, there was just no way she could eat any more. Her nerves were a mess and her appetite was nonexistent.
She went back to work, covered for Deb while she took her break, and threw herself into checking in returned books, putting them back on the shelves, and waiting on the few individuals who requested her attention. The next time she looked up it was almost two, Deb was knee-deep in toddlers during afternoon story time, and Rick was on the phone talking to someone. Although she was too far away to hear what was being said, Rick’s deepening frown didn’t forecast great things.
She made her way over to him and reached him just as he was disconnecting the call. “Any news?”
“That was Stuart. The guy at the gas station wasn’t Lou. It was a false alarm.” He stood, towering over her, and ran his hands up and down her arms. “I’m sorry I don’t have better news.”
She shook her head. “It’s okay. It’s not exactly bad news. I mean, Lou’s probably long gone. If we’re lucky, we’ll never hear from him again.”
“Yeah, I guess. I’d just feel better if he was behind bars where he belongs.”
“Me too.” Even if she never heard from him again, she didn’t like the thought of him being free and having the ability to hurt someone else. “But there really isn’t anything we can do about it unless he shows his face around here again.”
“I almost hope he does,” Rick said quietly. “I’d like nothing better than to teach him a lesson or two he’ll never forget.”
A chill went down her spine at the menace in Rick’s voice. He meant business. Of that she had no doubt. If Lou knew what was good for him, he’d stay far, far away from Pleasant Valley.
“Well,” she said, trying to change the subject. “Since there’s obviously nothing to worry about, why don’t you get out of here and go do something fun until I get off work? You could go for a run with Toby and blow off some steam.”
“As good as that sounds, I’d rather stick around until you’re finished for the day. My beast is still a little unsettled by the false alarm.”
“Suit yourself. If you want, you can find a book or magazine to help pass the time and I’ll check in with you in a little bit.”
She left him by the window, with the midday sun shining in on his back and surrounding him in a golden halo of light. He looked like some kind of mythical warrior standing there, all stoic and brawny, and determined to protect her at all costs.
She loved him so much it hurt.
The sudden realization caused her to pause mid-step and damn near trip over her own two feet. She glanced back over her shoulder at him in wonder. That man was hers and she loved him. She was in love with him. The urge to run to him and share what she was feeling surged through her like lightning, but she resisted. Now was not the time nor place. When she said the words, she wanted to be somewhere private—like at home. That was it. She’d tell him later that night, maybe after dinner. They would have the rest of the night to express their love any way they saw fit. Preferably naked and horizontal.
She resumed her trip to the desk with an extra bounce in her step and a heightened anticipation for the night to come.
Chapter Nine
Rick disappeared in the direction of the bedroom as soon as they entered the house. When he returned, he was carrying a pistol and a box of ammo.
In the process of taking a drink, Sophie froze with the bottle of water halfway to her mouth. “What are you doing with that?”
“I’m going to teach you how to shoot. Come outside with me and I’ll show you how.”
“I don’t know about that.” She didn’t care for guns. They were dangerous and she was clumsy, two things that didn’t mix well.
“You’ll do great. There’s nothing to it really. Just aim and shoot.”
She took a drink of her water and screwed the cap back on the bottle. “I’d probably shoot off my foot...or yours.”
He smiled at her and shook his head. “I’m willing to risk it. I have faith in you.”
She wished she could say the same. She had a long history of bungling things up. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah.” Rick set the gun and ammo down on the counter. He cupped her face and looked deep into her eyes. “I promise to protect you until my dying breath, but I want you to have the knowledge and ability to keep fighting if something happens to me. Teaching you how to shoot is the fastest way to do that.”
“You shouldn’t say such things. I’d never ask you to take a bullet for me.”
He leaned in and kissed her softly. “You’d never have to ask.”
She lifted up and pressed her lips against his again, kissing him slow and deep. Heat crackled between them. She’d never get enough of him, of his closeness or his taste. It was crazy how much he’d come to mean to her in such a short amount of time.
Long before she was ready, Rick eased away and gazed down at her with all too knowing eyes. “Quit stalling.”
“Who? Me? I’m not stall
ing. Can’t a girl just kiss her mate without needing an ulterior motive?”
“Of course. You can kiss me anytime you want.”
“Right back at you.” She couldn’t think of a reason why she’d ever turn down affection from someone who genuinely cared about her. Her life had been sorely lacking in tender love and care until Rick came along.
“Come on.” Rick backed up and made a come-hither motion with his fingers. “Just let me grab a couple of things and we’ll be good to go.”
“All right.” She trailed along behind him, watching as he grabbed two pairs of clear glasses, a couple packages of little orange foam things, and some kind of rolled-up papers in addition to the gun and ammo.
“Do you go shooting often?”
“Not really. Mom insisted we learn though. Honestly, Toby took to it more than I did. The safety equipment and targets belong to him.”
“Won’t he mind us using them?”
“Nah. I’ll order him some more before he even misses them.”
“Okay.” She followed him outside into the warm evening sunshine. “So where are we going to set up the target?”
“You want to go for a walk? There’s a great spot a little ways into the forest where Toby already has a target stand set up. All we have to do is pin the target on the stand and it’ll be ready for you to do your worst.”
She reached for his hand and wound her fingers through his. “Lead the way.”
They headed around the house and up the gentle incline behind it. Walking hand in hand, they traveled through the forest for several minutes. Dappled sunlight shone down on them through the canopy of leaves overhead. A soft breeze rustled the treetops and kept her from overheating. It was simple and nice, two things she could use more of in her life.
All too soon they reached a clearing in the trees and she spotted the vaguely human-shaped target stand Rick had mentioned. The thing was dark green and shaped like the head and upper torso of a man. “So,” she said. “This is it, huh?”
“Yep.” Rick dug through the bag, pulled out the target, and unrolled it. He used the clips on the top and bottom of the stand to pin the target in place. “There isn’t much to it.”
He handed her a pair of the safety glasses and a little plastic baggie with two orange foam pieces. “Put the glasses on now. You don’t need the earplugs just yet.”
“Okay.” She slid the glasses on and watched Rick do the same. “Now what?”
“Now I want you to get a feel for the pistol.” He held out a shiny silver handgun with a handle made of mother-of-pearl. “Go on. It won’t bite. Take it.”
She accepted the gun and turned it over in her hands, looking at it. “Is it loaded?”
“No. Not yet.”
“This thing is smaller than I expected, and heavier. What kind of gun is this?”
“It’s a .22 caliber revolver. It used to belong to my mom. She bought it for protection after our dad was killed and used to carry it around in her purse. I think it would be a good idea if you did the same.”
“Maybe,” she said, not wanting to argue. The thought of carrying around a loaded weapon made her anxious. “Wait. Isn’t it illegal to carry around a concealed weapon?”
“That’s why we’ll go to the courthouse tomorrow evening after I pick you up at the library and fill out the paperwork to get you a concealed carry permit. There’s nothing to it.”
“You have an answer for everything, don’t you?”
“Listen, I get that you’re nervous, but I think you’ll feel differently after you get used to handling the pistol.”
“I guess we’ll see.”
Rick circled around her and pressed up against her back. The heat from his broad, muscular body seeped through her clothes and made her sweat. He pressed his lips against the curve of her throat. “Lift your arms and aim the pistol at the target.”
She lifted the gun with her right hand and pointed the end in the direction of the target. “Like this?”
“Close.” He ran his palm down her left arm, covered her hand with his own, and then lifted it up to join the other. “Try cupping your free hand beneath the hand holding the pistol for extra support. The thumb on your left hand should be directly beneath the pinky of your right.”
She did as he asked. Her grip on the gun did feel more secure. “All right.”
“Now I want you to pull back the hammer on the gun, slide your pointer finger through the trigger guard, and squeeze back on the trigger.”
“I thought you said there weren’t any bullets in this thing?”
“There aren’t. This is just practice.”
“Okay.” She used her thumb to pull back the hammer, slid her finger through the metal loop around the trigger, and pulled on the trigger. The gun made a clicking noise and the cylinder that housed the bullets turned over.
“That was good. Now try again.”
She repeated the process again. No big deal.
“So far so good?” Rick asked.
“Yeah.” She hadn’t really done anything yet.
“Good. Now you’re ready for the bullets and a lesson about aiming.” Rick stepped back and held out his hand. “Let me have it back for a second, please.”
Sophie handed the gun over and watched Rick pop out the cylinder and slide a bullet into each individual chamber. It only held six bullets. That didn’t seem like much.
“Now would be a good time to go ahead and put your earplugs in.” Rick snapped the cylinder closed.
Sophie pulled the pack of earplugs out of her pocket and looked down at them. “How am I going to hear you if I stick these things in my ears?”
“They don’t block out all sound. They just mute it. Besides, you’re going to do this the same way as before. Only this time you’ll have bullets.”
“Okay, but stop me if I do something wrong.”
“Don’t worry. I’m here to help. You’ll do fine.”
She ripped into the plastic, collected the two little bits of foam, and pushed one plug into each of her ears. Rick handed her back the gun and moved into position behind her.
“All right,” Rick said loudly. “Aim your weapon at the target. If you look closely, there’s a single sight on the front of the gun barrel and two posts on the back side. To aim, you look through the back posts with your dominate eye and line the front sight up evenly between the back two rear posts. In order for you to hit what you want, you have to line up the front sight, rear sight, and your target.”
Sophie shook her head. “I don’t get it. That sounds impossible. You can’t look at three things all at once.”
“I know it sounds complicated. That’s why we’re practicing now. Just give it a shot whenever you’re ready.”
Never was the first date that popped to mind. Unfortunately, she didn’t want to disappoint Rick. He was only doing this because he was concerned for her safety. The least she could do was give it a shot. She couldn’t help if she sucked at it.
She sucked in a deep breath and held it as she pointed the end of the barrel toward the center of the target. She closed one eye and looked down the barrel with her dominate eye, just as he’d told her to, and lined the sights up with the center of the bright orange circle. She cocked the hammer, exhaled, and squeezed the trigger.
The loud bang and sudden recoil of the weapon caught her by surprise. She winced and jerked her arm upward. The shot went high, missed the target by a mile, and hit an oak tree, sending bark flying.
“Okay,” Rick said. “That wasn’t a bad first try.”
Sophie snorted. “You are so full of crap. That was awful.”
“You’ll do better now that you know what to expect.”
“Uh-huh.” She glanced over her shoulder at Rick. “Can I quit now?”
“One more time. For me. Please?”
Oh, that wasn’t fair. “One more and then you’ll give up on the shooting lessons?”
“You’ve got a deal. If you still hate it after one more shot, then we’
ll pack up and go back to the house.”
Sophie nodded and faced forward again. “Here goes nothing.”
She aimed carefully, cocked the hammer, and squeezed the trigger. This time the noise didn’t catch her off guard. Neither did the kickback. She kept her grip steady and her aim true. To her surprise, the bullet punched through the center of the target and left behind a gaping hole in the solid orange circle.
“Oh my goodness. I did it.” She dropped the gun and whirled around and threw her arms around Rick. “Did you see that? I hit the bullseye.”
“Damn right, you did.” Rick hugged her back, lifted her off the ground, and twirled her around. “You’re a natural.”
Sophie closed her eyes and threw her head back, letting the sun shine down on her face. It warmed her almost as much as the man spinning her around and around in circles. She reopened her eyes and gazed upward to find her mate smiling down at her as if she were more precious than the sun above their head or earth below their feet. Her pulse sped up while the world around them ceased to exist. The only thing that mattered in that moment was the man holding her.
“I love you,” she blurted out, unwilling to wait another second to tell him how she felt.
His smile eclipsed the sun. “I love you, too.”
He lowered his head and she lifted hers, meeting him halfway in order to press her mouth against his. She tilted her head left and parted her lips, inviting him inside, and he was quick to take her up on her silent request. His tongue slid over the sensitive inner flesh of her lower lip and beyond. She met each teasing caress with one of her own, sinking ever deeper into the kiss. Their tongues glided back and forth together in a mating dance older than time.
By the time Rick eased back, her head was spinning from more than the heat and her panties were suspiciously moist. She was half tempted to drop onto the grass and offer herself up to him like some daring exhibitionist. Unfortunately, that wasn’t an option since Rick’s younger brother came and went as he pleased and could appear at any time.
Pleasant Valley Bears: BBW Paranormal Shape Shifter Romance (Pleasant Valley Shifters) Page 7
