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“Not an admirer of making myself a target,” he said over his shoulder.
Right.
Her back prickled. Someone had planted abombin pastor Zack’s house. For the first time since Bridger told her, the reality hit. Really hit.
That bomb came within seconds of blowing her apart.
Her legs turned to rubber, suddenly refusing to obey her brain.
“Easy there.” Tai caught her under the arms, saving her from landing on her rear right there in front of Phoebe Caine’sYarn N’ Things.
Bridger hurried back to her. “Are you okay? Are you dizzy? Nauseous?”
She shook her head. “Just a little….” She had to pause and lick her dry lips. She couldn’t seem to form words.
He wrapped an arm around her from the other side. Between the two men, her feet were barely touching the ground.
His gaze steady, Bridger commanded her full attention. “It’s okay. It’s a lot.”
She nodded, her eyes suddenly filling with tears.
Her awareness started to expand again. Tire noise. Cars. They were standing right out on Main. Tai eased her out of his hold, leaving Bridger to prop her up.
She tried to pull away from him, too, but he held firm.
“I got you,” he said.
“I can do this myself.”
“I’m not so sure about that. How about we head back into the bar?”
“No need. I can make it two blocks.” She jutted her chin at the store.
Valley Hardware.The sign rode the shake shingles on the ridge cap, red letters gleaming against the white enamel background. Their grandparents’ store. Their father, an only child, almost succeeded in running it into the ground before he disappeared to Los Angeles with the neighbors’ sister. Their mother had spent her life keeping it going. For her and Jason.
And now she would do the same. Not her dream life, for sure, but it was a pleasure and a privilege to continue their legacy.
By the time they reached the parking lot, her legs were working normally. She stepped out of Bridger’s hold. Leaving his strong arms was harder than she would have guessed. The man might get on her every nerve, but something about him called to her. Whether his faith or his strength of character or his plain, stubborn loyalty to his own word—and her brother—she had no idea, but the effect was like a jolt to the heart.
Funny, when Pete left, she’d been more relieved than anxious. Except for missing Kellen, she didn’t miss not having a man in her life.
Until now.
With the notable exception of Jason, she’d never had a man fuss over her. Protect her.
But Bridger wouldn’t be staying. Not for one second longer than he had to.
So they best get on with helping the pastor. Wanting to show that she was fully recovered, she sped up, beating the two of them to the entrance. After thanking Wes, and sending him off for an extra-long lunch break, she circled around behind the counter and perched on the well-worn stool behind the antique register.
“Where do we start?” she asked, her voice sharper than she intended.
Tai set down the fly-fishing rod he was admiring and waited for Bridger to speak.
Bridger settled a white Stetson onto his head from the display by the work clothes and bent down low enough to check his reflection in the mirror on top of the sunglasses display. He frowned, taking the hat off and settling it back in place with great care. “We start with you.”
“I thought you said that bomb wasn’t meant for me?”
“I’m not talking about the bomb. I’m talking about the preacher. You know him pretty well. His wife, too, I’m guessing.”
