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He hadn’t checked it in two years. It could have been anyone.
Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.
He clamped his mouth shut, trying to tamp down a rush of fear. Without the money, he had no escape plan. Losing the fake IDs wasn’t so bad, but the money…
Without it, the whole plan crashed and burned.
The sounds of the helicopter had faded away, leaving that weird desert silence he hated.
He needed money. Enough to get himself out of the country so he could access his millions.
He slammed his hand against the rock.Think. Think. Think.
And then he had it.
Getting the money wouldn’t be so hard.
1
Bridger North cruisedinto the tiny ranching town of Redemption Creek, slowing as he hit Main Street. His friend Tai’s words still echoed in his head.
“What do you mean you haven’t contacted Jane since we’ve been gone?” His friend had stared. Just stared, in the open-mouthed way people did when they were dumbfounded. “This is the woman you told me you plan to marry. Might have been nice to give her a head’s up. Don’t you think?”
Before Bridger could justify his actions, Tai shook his big, shaggy head. “You are a certified idiot.”
Nothing Bridger didn’t already know.
The closer he got to the center of town, the heavier the weight on his chest grew. Distracting himself with the million tasks he and his team needed to wade through to make their new headquarters habitable didn’t help. Neither did cranking the radio.
Yeah, he was in trouble. If singing along with Josh Turner didn’t dissipate his nerves, nothing would.
Truth was, he had this coming. Once they’d wrapped up the pastor’s blackmail case last month, he’d scooted out of town like his tail was on fire. Because, you know,things. A million of them he had to arrange to get him and the team back in the tiny ranching town permanently. There was property to buy. Property to sell. Stuff to gather. State-of-the art computer hardware. Weapons. Vehicles. Planes. Starting up their own civilian Special Ops outfit was a way bigger undertaking than he expected.
Not that he couldn’t have texted Jane a time or two in between shopping sprees.
At first, he fooled himself into believing she knew how he felt about her. He’d told her he’d be back. That he and his team planned on settling in Redemption Creek.
But he hadn’t said the rest. The hard part. He’d disappeared for a month without actually putting his feelings into words.
He wanted a relationship with her.
That he hadn’t had the guts to say out loud. When he left, she’d been beginning to thaw. Now, who knew?
And even if she was a little intrigued, how would she feel once she knew the truth? He groaned, rubbing a hand over his freshly shaved chin. The truth. The ugly, sordid truth about how he and the team came into fortunes.
Payoff for their silence about the things they’d done. He had to believe, once Jane knew the truth, she’d send him packing.
Not that he had any intention of cluing her in. Not until the rest of the team, her brother included, gave him the go-ahead.
And hey, if Jane shot him down now, it would never be an issue, right?
Preparing himself for the worst, he pushed open the door to Valley Hardware. The bell above jingled, announcing his presence. The store was a curious mix of modern and vintage tools and equipment—a reflection of Redemption Creek itself, and the store’s owner, the woman who’d been on his mind every second since he drove out of town last month.
He scanned the shelves, noting the practicality in every item displayed and wondering how to greet her. What did a guy say to the woman he was certain he wanted to spend the rest of his life with when he was less than certain how she felt about him?
“Need some help?” Jane’s voice––warm and familiar––startled him.
She stood behind that same antique cash register where they had first met just a month ago. Like the day they met, the sun streamed in through the high window behind her, making her sable hair shine.
