Page 75 of Protect My Heart

“Me, too.”

CJ tapped on his keyboard. Jim huffed out a sigh and pulled up the file on Warden Richard Finden. He wished he was with Doc. After the hospital cleared him to leave, he called and checked on Doc and Tigger. She swore she was fine and his dog would be alright. Jim’s heart ached to be home on his own couch with Doc and Tig, but they weren’t there anyway. They were at her parents’ house on Lake Minnetonka. He’d headed back to the station. No way would he have missed questioning Finden. Even if the lawyer kept them from interrogating the scumbag like he dreamt of.

An hour crept by as CJ and Jim combed the files for clues. Anything that would explain why this guy was after Doc. She should be safe now that he was behind bars, but Jim wanted to know why. He needed to. The man took his dog for God’s sake, which was bad enough, but he took his woman, too.

His woman. He liked the thought of Doc being his woman. Although, the mini boxing match going on in his stomach had him on edge. It’d been half of his lifetime since he wanted to share it with a woman, share everything. But Doc was special. Admitting it to himself made the fight in his gut go extra rounds, but he knew it was true. He wasn’t ready to utter those three little words yet. Nope. Not yet.

But soon.

Chapter 22

The sound of the car door rousted Liz. Tigger raised his head, his lean body rigid as he slowly stood on the bunk in Jim’s ice house. Her fingers threaded through his soft fur. “What is it, boy?”

Her chest tightened as she reached for her .380 Sig with her other hand. She slid it close, nestling it beside her hip. Warden Finden was in jail but she wasn’t taking any chances. “Jim, is that you?”

No response.

She leveled the gun at the door, racked the slide, and took in a steadying breath.

Inhale. Exhale. She could do this. CJ had taught her to shoot.

Steps grew louder. Inhale. Exhale. Wait for it.

The doorknob jiggled.

She called again, “Jim?”

Silence.

Her finger moved to the trigger. She could do this.

Tigger’s tail brushed her arm.

Air backed up in her lungs.

Tigger’s tail whacked her again. Her gaze dropped to his tail. His wagging tail. Shit.

He yipped as the door flew open. Liz dropped her arm, and the words whooshed out. “Holy crap, Jim. I could have shot you.”

She ejected the round in the chamber and rose to help him. He flagged her back, and hopped up the step into the trailer. Pain flashed across his face before he schooled his expression.

He spit out the prescription bag he was holding in his teeth. He dropped the donut from under his arm and wobbled on his crutches. “Once today was enough, thanks.”

He raised a hand and took a tentative step closer. “What are you doing here? More importantly, where did you get the gun?”

“I’ve had it for years.” She set the gun on the small table “I told you I knew how to shoot.”

He carefully lowered to the bunk and pulled her close. Entwining his hand in her hair, his words a butterfly soft caress on her ears. “If I’d lost you…”

His grip tightened.

“You saved me.” Her fingers sought purchase as she anchored herself to him. She could feel his heartbeat. The staccato rate slowed with each passing moment. His warmth lulled her, and the secure feelings of home spread through her core. This is where she belonged. Not Minnesota, just here, in this man’s arms. Jim was her home.

Liz lost track of time as their embrace calmed them both. She could have stayed like that forever, but the cold nose of a wiggling canine broke into their cocoon.

Jim slipped his arm around the dog and pulled him into their circle. “I couldn’t forget about you, Tig.”

She spotted a glint of tears in this strong man’s eyes before he swiped it away with his sleeve. He may have physical pain, but she could see the emotional hurt. The instinct to baby him was strong, but he wouldn’t want it.