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He struggled to think of something to say while the machine processed his payment, but came up empty.
Jane avoided eye contact as she slid the receipt across the counter. “Your order should be ready for pickup tomorrow afternoon.”
“Great, thanks.” Bridger hesitated, grappling with the urge to say something more, something meaningful. But no words came. Instead, he offered a weak smile and turned to leave.
Jane’s voice stopped him as his hand touched the door. “Bridger, wait.”
He turned to see her round the counter, a hesitant look in her green eyes. “I’m sorry if I seemed...distant. It’s just–– It’s good to see you again.”
Hope swelled his throat, catching him completely off guard. “You, too.”
He cringed inwardly. He was the interrogation specialist of the team. Where were the words when he needed them? He cleared his throat. “I meant it when I said we’d stick around. Me and the team, we could use a place to settle down after so many years moving around.”
She gave a soft smile, one that made his heart skip. “Redemption Creek has a way of growing on people. I’m glad you’re giving it a chance.”
Was she? Because they were picking up where Jason left off, helping good folks who needed heroes on occasion? Or was it personal?
He squeezed the card between his fingers.Please, he prayed,let it be personal.
He rubbed the back of his neck, searching for the right words. “And if I grew on a certain hardware store owner, well...that wouldn’t hurt either. I mean we. Our team.” He added quickly. And completely lamely.
Jane’s eyes widened slightly. Bridger held his breath, wondering if he’d been too forward.
But then she laughed, a sound like sun breaking through clouds. “I think it just might. But fair warning, I don’t make it easy on newcomers.”
Bridger grinned. “Wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Their eyes held a moment longer than normal. For the first time since heading into the store, Bridger felt like he was glimpsing the real Jane again. The one who saw through his armor as easily as she swung a hammer.
Maybe this wouldn’t be as hard as he thought. With care and patience, even the strongest walls could be breached. All it took was the right tools.
And the heart to see it through.
Heart, and wallet, way lighter than when he went in, Bridger stepped out into the late afternoon sun. He let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. Seeing Jane’s smile just now, a seed of hope took root.
The team was his family, now and always. But with Jane, he glimpsed the possibility of something more.
Maybe he hadn’t blown it completely. Yet.
2
Jane stared blanklyat the cash register, her finger absently tapping the side of it. The bell above the door jingled as it opened, but she didn’t look up. Her thoughts were still on Bridger North. The way his blue eyes crinkled at the corners when he laughed, the feeling of his rough hand on hers, the rumble of his voice when he said her name.
Bridger North: the guy who’d disappeared for a month without so much as a lousy text. Not one. By the time they’d run the people planning to murder Pastor Zack to ground, she thought she and Bridger were growing close.
Maybe it was simply the life-threatening situation. He might be a former Special Ops soldier like her brother, but she had zero experience with high-stakes situations. Once he and his team took off, she figured that was the last she’d hear until they had something to go on in the search for Jason.
But then the only realtor in town, Lenny Jarvis, told Maxine at the hair salon that a group of “Rambos” had bought the old Gaffney ranch. Bridger was coming back.
Or at least setting up a base of operations.
She’d tried her best to rein in her emotions, but there was a week or two there where she’d been dancing on clouds. Until he failed to reach out.
The message was clear. He might be interested in Redemption Creek as a base of operations, but clearly, he wasn’t interested in her.
So what was today all about? He’d seemed…tentative. Caring. Just when she’d made peace with the idea that he simply wasn’t interested. Tai and Mason and the others kept assuring her he was back in Seattle, attending to business, but even their comments rang hollow. The man had a phone, didn’t he?
And now her head hurt.
