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She came to a stop in the middle of the hallway. “You wouldn’t dare. Unless you’re willing to stop hunting killers and take a nice desk job at some boring office.” She poked him in the stomach, very close to his bullet wound. “I’m not the only one with a dangerous job.”
There was no arguing with that. Still… he cupped her face. “I don’t want to live without you, Sienna.”
“Ditto.” She gazed at him with so much love, it made his breath hitch. “But we aren’t guaranteed tomorrow, no matter what our jobs are. The only thing we have is right now.” Her gaze dropped to his lips. “So I suggest, Ranger Goodwin, that you make the best of it.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
He kissed her.
TWENTY-EIGHT
Three months later
Sienna ran down the porch steps and flung herself into Eli’s arms. He swung her in a big circle before placing her on her feet and then kissing her softly. His touch was like the air she breathed. Necessary. Sienna’s arms twined around his neck, her fingers dipping into the soft hair at the nape, silently inviting him to kiss her more.
Eli didn’t disappoint. By the time he pulled back, Sienna’s heart pounded against her rib cage like she’d ran a marathon and she was breathless. He looked equally stunned. Their passion wasn’t new, but a bolt of pleasure shot through her knowing that everything she felt, he did too. “Hey there.”
He grinned. “Hi.”
It’d been a few days since they last seen each other. Eli had been investigating a double homicide a few counties over. Dark circles shadowed the skin under his eyes, a testament to the long hours he’d put in, but it didn’t detract from his good looks. Her heart skipped several beats just being near him. “I missed you.”
“Missed you too.” He lightly kissed her nose.
“Did you catch the bad guy?”
“Yep.” His smile faltered. “Mind if we talk about the case later? I want to forget about everything for a while.”
She completely understood. His work could take a toll, as could hers. “Absolutely.” Sienna glanced at her watch. “In fact, we should get going. We’re supposed to be at Fresh Start to help set up at two.”
After Gideon’s arrest, Fresh Start closed its doors. It took time for all the legal paperwork to get sorted, and for Dalton to recover from his gunshot wound, but Eli’s brother was determined to reopen the charity’s doors. Today’s fundraiser would go a long way to making that happen. And with Dalton as the charity’s director, Sienna knew it would be a success.
She hesitated, thinking about how the last few days had been hard on Eli. “Unless you don’t feel up to it. I’m sure Dalton will understand if you need to cancel—”
“No way.” Eli reached for the passenger side door. “I’ve been looking forward to the carnival fundraiser all week. Some fun, friends, and silly games are exactly what I need right now.” A shadow crossed his face, and he swallowed hard. “We need to make a stop on the way there though.”
“Sure thing. Where?”
“You’ll see.”
Sienna’s brow wrinkled as she climbed into the vehicle. Curiosity begged a thousand questions, but she held them back. Eli didn’t particularly like secrets or surprises. She was interested to see what he had in mind. From the nervous way he fiddled with the air-conditioning vent before firing up the truck, he was upset about something. Maybe it had to do with the case?
Or maybe it had to do with them?
Oh heavens, was he going to break up with her?
No, that was a silly thought. Since getting back together, they’d fallen deeper and deeper in love. Conflicts arose, but unlike they’d done in the past, Sienna and Eli talked them through. True to his promise, he’d approached every problem with kindness and compassion. It’d made it easier for Sienna to express her true feelings about things. The result was a stronger, deeper, and more lasting love.
Eli steered the truck toward her parents’ farm. Sienna rolled down her window, letting the spring sunshine and the scent of flowers into the cab. Together they sang along with a country music song on the radio, eventually dissolving into laughter. Some of the tension riding Eli’s shoulders evaporated, and he looked less tired than he had when arriving at her place.
Suddenly he flipped on his blinker and turned into the Hendersons’ driveway. Sienna frowned. “What are we doing here? Do you need to help Mr. and Mrs. Henderson with something?”
The elderly couple had lived next door to her parents’ farm for Sienna’s whole life. They had three grown children and a gaggle of grandkids, but for the last several months, the beautiful ranch house had been empty. Mr. Henderson had fallen and broken his hip. The couple had temporarily moved to Waco to be closer to their daughter so she could help them.
“Not exactly.” Eli parked and killed the engine. “Let’s take a walk.”
“On the Hendersons’ farm?” Now she was really confused.
Eli didn’t answer her. He simply circled the truck and opened her door.
