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The criminal had run them off the road and then approached the battered SUV to finish the job. Hannah, brave woman that she was, readied herself to shoot him if need be. Approaching sirens scared Dusty away before he could get close enough to harm her. He escaped from the scene. Deputies discovered the truck he’d stolen three hours later in an abandoned feed store parking lot. It’d been hauled to the forensic shed for processing, but Ryker wasn’t holding his breath. So far none of their efforts had yielded much in the way of results. None of Dusty’s family or friends or known criminal associates had seen him in weeks.
Ryker hauled himself to the bathroom. Cuts and bruises covered his body, and every muscle hurt, but he was thankful to be alive. More grateful that Hannah walked away from the accident with nothing more than a few minor nicks from the broken glass. Losing her…worse, being responsible for her injury or death…it drudged up every one of his insecurities and deepest fears. He hadn’t protected Alison during the gas station robbery.
He couldn’t fail again. Not with Hannah.
A shower and fresh clothes went a long way to making him feel normal. Ryker left his bedroom and hurried down the hall. The murmur of Hannah’s voice filtered from the living room. He rounded the corner to find her on the floor with Charlotte.
The baby was propped into a seated position, her back and side supported by some kind of funny-looking pillow. She whacked at a toy with both chubby hands. Music spilled from light-up buttons. Charlotte squealed with joy. Her happiness made Hannah laugh too. The sound reached right inside Ryker and wrapped around his heart, squeezing it tight. Good heavens, the woman was stunning. Her shiny hair was piled into a messy bun, her face makeup free. Yoga pants and a long T-shirt molded to her slender form. Her feet were bare.
Hannah must’ve sensed his presence because she glanced up. Her smile widened. “Hey there. How are you feeling?”
“Better now that I see you two.” He joined them on the floor. The sounds of rattling pots and pans filtered into the room from the kitchen. “Is my mom cooking lunch?”
“Yep. Eli called a while ago. He’s coming here, along with Gavin and Claire, to discuss the case. Your mom is whipping up something for them to eat, and since I haven’t spent much time with this little munchkin”—she tickled Charlotte under the chin—“we came in here to play.”
“Nice.” He enjoyed seeing Hannah happy and relaxed. Especially after yesterday. Ryker patted his pocket and realized he’d left his phone charging in the kitchen last night. “What time are they coming?”
“In an hour.” Hannah’s gaze assessed him, those gorgeous blue eyes squinting slightly as her attention was drawn to his hair and the wound hidden inside. “You have some more time to lie down, if you want. I was gonna wake you in thirty minutes.”
“No, it’s okay.”
A strand of hair had wriggled loose from her bun. Ryker brushed it away from her cheek to tuck it behind her ear. Hannah’s skin was soft. Her breath hitched as his thumb caressed the delicate curve of her chin. A faint scratch marred her porcelain complexion. It was a stark reminder of how close Ryker had come to losing her last night. “How are you doing?”
She reached up to take his hand. “I’m better this morning. I didn’t sleep a wink until Eli called from the hospital and told me you’d be okay.” Tears shimmered in her eyes. “I was really worried about you. Don’t scare me like that again, Ryker. My heart can’t handle it.”
“Hannah…” A lump formed in his throat. Had any woman ever looked at him like that? With such feeling? Warning bells clanged in his head as Ryker’s gaze drifted to her lips. He wanted to kiss her. So much. Sheer willpower held him back. He would never, ever do anything to hurt her. “I want to promise that I’ll never put myself in a dangerous situation again, but that’s not possible. It’s kinda in the job description.”
She chuckled. “Yeah. One minor detail.” Hannah met his gaze again. “I don’t like that you’re in danger because of me.”
“I’m not in danger because of you. None of this is your fault.” He squeezed her hand gently. “And from what Eli said, I’m fortunate to have you on my team. You were ready to risk your life to protect me. Do you know how brave you are? It’s incredible. You’re incredible.”
She blushed. Then her lips curved into a smile. “Keep talking, ranger. I don’t get compliments that often.”
“A shame. A woman like you should receive compliments every day.”
“You think so?” She tilted her head, and then her gaze skittered away from his. “I’m surprised to hear you say it. You’ve flirted with practically every female in my office. Except for me.”
There was a tinge of hurt in her voice. Ryker couldn’t let that stand. He trailed a thumb across her knuckles. “Did you ever think that maybe I couldn’t flirt with you? It’s embarrassing to admit, but you make me nervous.”
“Nervous? Why?”
“Because I care about you, Hannah. More than I should.” Ryker hesitated but realized he’d waded into deep waters without meaning to. Adding this kind of pressure to an already fraught situation was a bad idea. Hannah had a killer coming for her. The last thing she needed was to be burdened by his emotional problems. He gently pulled his hand away from hers under the guise of twisting a knob on Charlotte’s toy. “Forget it. Let’s talk about something else.”
“I don’t want to talk about something else. I’m tired of ignoring what’s happening between us.” She touched his sleeve. “I care about you too, Ryker. And I’m scared. I’ve lost a lot of people in my life, and my heart has been pretty battered and bruised. Maybe I’m wrong, but I get the sense you’re scared too. The way you treat romantic relationships never made sense until you told me about Alison. Then I realized you’ve built a wall around that wonderful heart of yours.”
Ryker wasn’t surprised by Hannah’s observations. She was smart and intuitive. His gaze shot to her beautiful face. The compassion and understanding written on her features nearly undid him. “I didn’t save her. My screwup cost Alison her life.”
“No, Ryker. What happened wasn’t your fault, just like what happened with Kristin wasn’t mine. The gunman that entered that gas station and killed Alison is the only one responsible.”
He opened his mouth to argue but then snapped it close. The situations weren’t exactly the same, but… Hannah had a point. The brilliant woman had painted him into a corner. His gaze narrowed. “Excellent move, counselor. You’re using my own argument against me.”
“I sure am.” Hannah leaned closer. “You and I are more alike than either of us realized. Both of us longing to fall in love, but neither willing to take the leap because we’re both scared out of our minds.”
“So where does that leave us?”
“I’m not sure, but I think we should find out.”
Ryker’s breath hitched as her gaze dropped to his mouth. Like a magnet pulled of its own volition, he couldn’t resist leaning toward her. Hannah needed no encouragement. She met him halfway, and the moment their lips touched, nothing else mattered. Every fiber of his being was focused solely on her. The soft feel of her mouth, the warmth of her skin as he cupped her face to deepen the kiss, and the way she met his passion with her own. He was lost in her. A drowning man who never wanted to resurface.
