Page 51 of Peaks and Promises

It wasn’t that I’d caught a glimpse of her naked. I had, but I’d been moving toward her, intent on keeping her from falling, so the visual had been nothing but a flash. It was the memory of my arm around her—my hand on her bare skin, her body pressed against me. Nothing between us but my clothes.

An instant hard-on when you know a ten-year-old kid is right behind you? Not great.

I needed to keep some distance between us. Too much was happening, and it was happening fast.

Just a few days ago, I’d been minding my own business in a roadside diner. Now, I was on the run from an outlaw motorcycle club with a single mom and her kid, heading for my hometown and the family I hadn’t seen in almost two decades.

It wasn’t the time for me to even consider giving in to my attraction to her. She couldn’t pay me—and I didn’t need or expect her to—but I had to think of her as a client. Keep her in that box.

We stopped for lunch, and when we got back in my SUV, Summer gave Nate headphones so he could play games on her phone for a while.

“Do you think we’ll make it by tonight?” she asked.

“Yeah, I figure we’ll roll into town around ten. We’ll grab a hotel for the night and figure things out tomorrow.”

“About all that,” she said. “There’s a lot to figure out.”

“I know.”

“The closer we get, the more I’m starting to worry about how this is all going to work. A hotel is fine for a night or two, but I need a stable place to live. And a job.”

“We’ll have options. There should be plenty of rentals in town. My dad and brother own a bunch, and even if they don’t have anything open, they’ll know someone who does. As far as jobs, we’ll have to see when we get there.”

“I guess I’m not all that worried about the job thing. I’ve always been able to find something. I’ll be able to pay rent and keep food on the table at least.”

The undercurrent of worry in her voice was impossible to miss. And I knew exactly where it was coming from.

“He didn’t follow,” I said.

“I know he didn’t. Yet. And I know we’re going farther away. But it’s hard to believe they’ll give up. They never have. And that was when Axel wasn’t even around.”

“You’ll be harder to find this time.”

“But not impossible. It’s not like I’m in witness protection and changing my identity.” She paused for a moment. “And you won’t…”

I waited to see if she’d finish her thought, but she didn’t.

“I won’t what?”

“You won’t always be there. And the thought of being alone scares me. You could be right up the street, but if Mayhem finds us, we’re screwed.”

An idea hit me like a bolt of lightning. Witness protection. Change their identity. Stay close so no one could get to them.

We could pretend to be a family.

It would help keep them hidden—help keep them safe. Mayhem was after Summer and Nate Lewis, a single mom and her son. Not Summer and Nate Haven, part of a family of three.

But I couldn’t. It was a terrible idea. Hadn’t I been telling myself all day that I needed to keep my distance? Consider her a client, nothing more. Except…

I could keep it professional. I’d even done it a few times before. Posed as a client’s boyfriend or husband as part of the job. Granted, it was only for a day or two, and only in public.

And I hadn’t been attracted to those women.

But what if Summer and I pretended to be married? We could pass off Nate as mine, or at least as my stepson.

I’d have to tell my family the truth. I couldn’t lie to them about something like that. But they’d keep our secret. And posing as a family would add a layer of protection for Summer. And for Nate.

Once we were sure the danger had passed, we’d feign a separation. Summer could go on with her life. And I could go on with mine.