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“Shh, shh. Sometimes in extreme situations, feelings start out as one thing, then turn real fast into something else. Because all your senses are in high gear. So put this in your Day Planner. I’m catching this killer, then moving into your life. Whatever problems are giving you nightmares, we’ll deal with them together.”
As if she’d been holding herself together through sheer willpower, she crumbled. Her body curled into his, and he held her tightly, vowing to protect her from harm. And to help her banish her demons.
At last, she turned around, so he could see her face. Her smile was weak, but it was there. “Can I fix you some breakfast?”
“Thanks, but no. Coffee’s good, but then I’ll just go through the cafe drive-through. I really need to get going. I want to make sure your car’s in the driveway in case you need it, but Dana?”
“Mmm?”
“Don’t go anywhere for a while today, okay? Let me get this meeting out of the way and patrols out on the road, so there are people around if you need them.”
She tensed. “You think someone will attack me?”
“After what happened to your house, I just don’t want to take any chances.” He sat up, taking her with him. “I know I’ve got frozen waffles and some other stuff.”
“Cole, I can’t hide out here. I have things to do.”
“Just until I call you.” He stood up, taking her with him. “I’ll get someone from Guardian out to your house today to take care of the damage, but you may need to call the realtor’s office first.”
She groaned. “That means calling Jane Milburn.”
He kissed her forehead. “You can handle it. Come with me. I want to show you something.”
“What?”
“Just come on.”
He walked her to his bedroom, ignoring the fact he was completely naked and her towel was in disarray. With a flick of his fingers, he opened the blinds on the full-length window and was rewarded with a small gasp.
“Cole! It’s beautiful.”
Yes, it was. It still took his breath away. Behind the house, the barn, and corral sat in the rising sun, the pastures rolling away and glistening with morning dew. In the distance, the tall hills ringing the property were silhouetted against the sky. A battered pickup stood beside the barn, and the horses were getting their morning play in the corral.
“Is-is someone here?”
“Just the kid I pay to take care of the horses in the morning when I need him. Usually, I ride before heading into the office, but right now, that’s on the back burner. I called him last night. He’ll be gone in a little bit. He’s got school.” He kissed the top of her head. “Much as I’d rather stand here with you, I need to shower and get to the office. You take your time and don’t leave here until you talk to me first. Where’s your cell?”
“In my—the bedroom.” She hurried to get it.
Cole punched some numbers in and handed it back to her. “Now you’ve got my cell number in there. You can bypass the switchboard.”
“Thank you. And Cole? Take care of yourself today. Use everything Guardian gives you. They have extensive resources. I’ve worked with them before, and sometimes, it was actually a pleasant experience. This town is on the verge of imploding, and I don’t want you to be at the epicenter.”
“I’ll be fine.” He cupped her chin. “I hope you brought enough for a few nights because I’m not letting you go back to your house.”
“I can’t stay here forever.”
Oh, yeah. You really can.
“Let’s catch this killer, and we’ll go from there. Meanwhile, I can work better if I’m not worrying about you at night.”
“Yes. Okay. Sure.” She gave him a shaky grin. “I’ll hit the store today and have something for you to eat.”
“I don’t know what time it will be.”
“That doesn’t matter.”
“Remember, don’t leave until you hear from me.” He brushed a kiss over her mouth. “And you’re not sleeping in the guest room.”
