“He showed me that he’s carrying a gun. Oh God, Jack. I’m so scared.”

  She heard Jack sigh. “I know, Emily, and I don’t blame you. I’ll be there as soon as I can, and that trooper should be there any minute. Just hang in there. I know you’re strong. You can do this.”

  She swallowed hard and straightened her shoulders. “You’re right. I can. I won’t let anything happen to Lily.” She put the phone down and wiped down Lily’s body again. When she picked the phone up, she said, “I’ve just wiped Lily down, but her face is flushed pink. She’s hot, Jack.”

  “Wipe yourself down, too. Do it now. You can’t let yourself overheat, honey,” he said.

  She was shocked, again, at the endearment, and then decided that he probably didn’t realize he was using it.

  A headache pounded at her temples as she wet more wipes and ran them over her exposed skin.

  He kept talking, to keep her calm she was sure, as the minutes passed. He told her about his garage in Weslaco and gave her the address so that the tow truck could take her car there.

  The Bandido sat quietly on his motorcycle, occasionally looking both ways at the sporadic traffic going by.

  She realized that she hadn’t even asked him his name and felt a wave of gratitude for his protective presence.

  Finally, a black-and-white DPS vehicle slowed in the oncoming lane. She said, “Jack, the trooper’s here.”

  “Thank God. Call me back once you’re in the car.”

  The Bandido roared off.

  She smiled, wondering what the trooper made of the situation.

  The black-and-white patrol car pulled up in front of her SUV, and the trooper got out.

  She picked up Lily and opened her door, smiling at the young trooper in his sharply pressed uniform as he approached her car. “Thanks so much for coming. It’s hot out here.”

  “Was that guy bothering you?” He threw his thumb over his shoulder in the direction the Bandido had taken off in.

  “Oh no; he was actually staying here to protect me from anyone else who might stop. Just until you arrived, though.”

  The trooper raised his eyebrows. “Huh.”

  Then he motioned to his vehicle. “I’m Ben Afton. Why don’t you sit in my car? The AC’s on, and I’ll stay here with you while we wait for the tow truck.”

  “I’m Emily Anderson, and that would be wonderful.” She grabbed Lily’s sippy cup and diaper bag and followed him to the car.

  He opened the back door for her and said, “I’d put you up front, but there’s more room for the two of you back here.”

  “This is great. Thank you.” The blast of cold air as she sat down in the seat felt like heaven.

  Lily crawled over to the other side and sat down, obviously liking the feel of the cool seat against her hot body.

  Remembering her promise, she called Jack back. “We’re in the trooper’s car now. Lord, this AC feels good.”

  “You just relax and cool off. Let me speak to the trooper, okay?”

  “Trooper Afton? This is Jack McCollough, he’s a Texas Ranger and Lily’s father. He’d like to talk to you.” She handed the phone to him over the seatback.

  The man held it to his ear. “This is Ben Afton, Mr. McCollough.”

  She sat back as the phone conversation got underway. After a few minutes, the trooper handed the phone back to her and said, “He’s still on the line.”

  “Jack?” she said.

  “Listen, Ben is going to stay with you until the tow truck gets there, and then I want you to call me. Ben and I will figure out a place to meet. He’s going to bring you all to me.”

  A wave of relief hit her so hard she couldn’t breathe. They’d soon be safe with Jack. The knots in her stomach slowly started to unwind. “That sounds wonderful.”

  “Just hang in there a little while longer, and this will all be over.”

  Lily had taken a toy from her diaper bag and was happily playing with it. They were going to be fine now. “Thank you for everything, Jack. I’ll see you soon.”

  She leaned her head back and closed her eyes as she said, “Thank you so much, Trooper Afton.”

  “You’re welcome. And please, call me Ben.”

  She smiled. “Thank you, Ben.”

  The cool air was making her sleepy, but she fought the urge to let drowsiness overtake her.

  When she sat up again, she noticed that Lily’s pull-up was wet. “Do you mind if I change Lily’s diaper back here?”

  Ben turned around. “I’ve got two little ones of my own. Go right ahead.”

  Not long after, the tow truck showed up.

  Emily took Lily’s car seat out of the SUV and grabbed her purse before giving the tow truck driver her key. After telling him the name and address of the garage, she went back to the trooper’s car to install the car seat. Lily had cooled down enough that Emily dressed her before strapping her in it. Ten minutes later, they were on the road.

  She called Jack and said, “We’re on our way. I’m putting the phone on speaker so you can talk to Ben.” She held the phone near the trooper’s head as Jack told Ben what mile marker he was at.

  “That’s about thirty minutes from us,” Ben said. Then he named a fast-food place in San Benito, a small town about half-way between them, as the meeting place.

  Emily’s pulse picked up. She’d see Jack in about fifteen minutes, then. The anticipation she felt was a mixture of emotions: relief to finally be going home and an intense need that she found hard to name but that was all about Jack.

  Lily began to fuss a bit, and Emily gave her a small piece of apple that she’d brought along as a beach snack. She ate it hungrily, and Emily gave her more. This kept her quiet until the car exited into a small town and Emily began to look for the place they were to meet Jack.

  Her heart thumped hard when she spotted his parked truck.

  Ben parked next to it, then got out of the car and opened the back door for Emily.

  She smiled at him, then bent over to take Lily out of her car seat.

  Jack swung his door open and strode toward them, his face drawn into an anxious frown.

  “Ben, how can I ever thank you for keeping these two safe for me?”

  The two men shook hands.

  Lily clung to Emily as she took her out of the car.

  Jack took Lily from Emily’s arms and gave her a hug as he continued, “It was bad luck that I was out of town today, or I’d have been here much sooner. I really appreciate you meeting them and bringing them to me like this.”

  “I was glad to do it,” Ben said.

  Emily took the car seat out of the trooper’s car and put it in the back of the truck as the two men continued to talk. Then she retrieved her purse and the diaper bag before taking Lily from Jack and heading back to his truck to strap her into the car seat there.

  Just as she finished, she spotted Ben pulling out of the parking lot. Thankful again for his help, she smiled and waved before getting Lily’s sippy cup out of the diaper bag and handing it to her.

  When she stood up to close the door, Jack walked up behind her. “Emily, I’m so sorry this happened.”

  Suddenly, her fragile calm evaporated. She began to shake, and tears formed in her eyes. “Oh Jack, I was afraid that I couldn’t protect Lily. That I couldn’t protect myself, either.”

  He took her into his arms, and the warmth of his embrace sent calming comfort throughout her body. She sucked in a breath as the tears spilled over her cheeks. She bit her lip, but still a quiet sob escaped her.

  He said, “Honey, it’s all right. You cry all you want.”

  But she didn’t want to cry. She wanted to feel this relief, this wonderful sensation of being safe in his arms. She shook her head. “No, I’m fine now you’re here.”

  He kissed the top of her head and then her temple. “I’ll always keep you safe, Emily.”

  She looked into his eyes and saw the wealth of tenderness there.

  He brushed a soft kiss across her lips. She slipped her arms around his neck and kissed him back, surrounded in warmth and safety with his strong body pressed to hers.

  Was this what heaven was like?

  He cupped her head in his hand, and she knew what her romance books meant when they said that the heroine swooned. She felt lightheaded and weak, totally overwhelmed; but still she wanted more.

  Lily cried, “Daddy,” and laughed, and the spell was broken.

  Jack looked into Emily’s eyes for a moment and smiled. Then he opened the passenger door for her. “Let’s get you out of this heat. The three of us will go to the beach soon. How does that sound?”

  She climbed into the truck. “Wonderful. I don’t know if I’ll ever want to travel this stretch of the road alone again.”

  He handed her the seat belt and paused while she put it on. “I was worried sick while I was trying to get to you. Literally, I felt nauseous all the way here.”

  She caressed his cheek. “I’m sorry you were so worried. It must have been terrible for you. We should all take a nap when we get home.”

  He nodded. “That’s a good idea.”

  He climbed into the truck and headed back toward Weslaco. Once he got up to speed, he reached for her hand.

  Her heart pounded as he rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand. This had been a horrible day, but something wonderful had come of it. She and Jack had had their first kiss. She squeezed his fingers and he turned to smile at her, sending tingles chasing across her chest. They were going home, and she couldn’t wait to get there.

  Jack opened and closed his hand on the steering wheel, his grip still weak from clenching it on the way to find Emily and Lily. Her phone call saying that they were safe had brought tears to his eyes. He was even thankful to the Bandido for keeping watch over them, and he never thought he’d say something like that.

  He glanced in the rearview mirror, and relief flooded his chest. Lily was drowsing safely in her car seat. God, he could have lost her today.

  Emily had her head back and her eyes closed. Her hand was limp in his. She must be exhausted from the heat and the emotions of the past few hours.

  He couldn’t wait to get them safely home. He’d feed Lily and give her a good bath, and hopefully Emily would feel better after a shower. He kept silent as Lily and Emily dozed.

  When they arrived home, he said, “Emily, I’ll handle Lily. Why don’t you take a shower and rest up? I’m going to feed her something and then give her a bath.”

  “Oh, thank you, Jack. That sounds amazing. I’m so sticky and awful, I don’t know if I’ll ever feel clean.”

  He chuckled and headed for the kitchen with Lily in his arms. There were leftovers from the previous night’s dinner, and he heated some up for her.

  She ate hungrily and drank copious amounts of milk. She’d probably gotten a bit dehydrated from the heat.

  After Lily’s bath, he took her into the living room to play for a while before bedtime. He checked his watch. The garage should be open for a few more minutes. He put in a call to let them know that the SUV that had just been towed in was his nanny’s and to let him know what they found out.

  Emily walked in a few minutes later. “I can’t nap. I’m too wound up.” She went over and gave Lily a kiss. “You look good, little one. You’re all over your exciting day, huh?”

  “She sure seems to be,” he said. “How about a glass of wine? It’s five o’clock. Not too early to start drinking.” He grinned as he said it, and she gave him an answering smile.

  “Sounds good to me.”

  He got up and soon returned with her glass of wine and a beer for himself. He noticed that she’d taken a seat on the couch, so he sat down beside her but gave her plenty of space.

  He said, “I don’t know what I would have done if something had happened to you two.”

  She shivered. “I’ve never experienced anything like it. I felt so isolated and vulnerable.”

  He looked at her for a moment. “You could always get a license to carry. We could go regularly for target practice, so you’d be familiar with your gun.”

  Her eyes widened. “I’ve never shot a gun before. Never even thought about it.”

  He shrugged. “It’s a way to protect yourself, but only if you feel comfortable with it.”

  After a long pause, she said, “I’d have to buy a gun.”

  “We’ll go pick one out together, and it’s on me. After all, you’ll be protecting my daughter with it, too.”

  She shuddered again. But after a moment, she said, “If it means that I can protect us if something like today happens again, then I’ll do it.”

  He let out a sigh of relief. “I have a friend who teaches a licensing course. Does that work for you?”

  “Sure. I can do that.”

  They made a plan for the next class, and he texted his friend to hold them a spot.

  “I know a reputable gun shop where we can get you something you’ll be happy with.” They talked about that for a while and made plans to go by the place.

  He felt immensely better but noticed that she looked shaken. He reached for her hand. “What’s bothering you?”

  She shook her head. “I guess the idea that Lily and I might be in danger again.”

  He scooted over and put his arm around her. “You might not ever be again, but if it does happen, you’ll be prepared. Isn’t that what you want?”

  She nodded, her hands clenched in her lap.

  He placed his hand over them. “I’m so sorry you were scared today. I wish I could make it all go away.”

  She shrugged, and he felt a slight tremor go through her. She said, “I’ll get over it. It’s just the shock. When the truck came by with that man in it and when the Bandido stopped, I knew I couldn’t do anything if they chose to harm us, or, God forbid, kidnap Lily.”

  Her bottom lip trembled, and he took her into his arms.

  She pressed her face against his chest.

  He said, “We were lucky. I can’t imagine what it feels like to be a woman in a situation like that. I’m glad you’re choosing to be armed in the future.”

  He always went armed, even when off duty. He felt naked without his SIG Sauer P320 9mm.

  She sighed heavily and closed her eyes.

  He held her for a long time as he felt her slowly relax.

  When she finally raised her head, her eyes were clear and calm. She cupped his cheek in her hand. “Thank you, Jack. I needed that. I’ll be okay now.” She rose to her feet, and he joined her.

  “I’m always here for you, Emily. I hope you know that.”

  She nodded solemnly. “I do.” A small smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. “How about I start supper? Any suggestions?”

  He took her by the hand as they headed for the kitchen. “Let’s go look at what we can find.” Lord he’d enjoyed holding her. It had touched his heart, moved him in a special way. And, if possible, it had made him even more protective of her.

  He smiled as they entered the kitchen. He had no problem with that at all.

  Chapter Eleven

  Friday night, Emily sat snuggled against Jack at the movie theater. They were watching the latest spy movie, something they’d both been wanting to see. They’d already had a nice dinner at an Italian place called Bella Mia, and she felt full and content as a frantic car chase raced across the screen.

  She’d called Claire earlier in the day to tell her that she was thrilled about Jack’s invitation to go on a real date. She’d already told her all about her and Lily being stranded and that she and Jack had kissed after her rescue. In answer to Claire’s questions about the whole boss/employee thing, Emily had merely said, “I trust Jack, and what’s between us feels right.”

  As the wild soundtrack on the screen quieted down, Jack leaned his head against her and kissed her temple. A shiver of arousal went through her. She slid her hand down his thigh, snuggling closer to him. Closing her eyes, she felt everywhere his body touched her, and a wave of euphoria swept through her. There was nowhere else she’d rather be.

  His arm tightened around her, and she sighed and patted his thigh. He clasped her hand and caressed it with his thumb.

  She didn’t care about the movie. The only thing on her mind right now was her connection to this wonderful, powerful man. His sweet tenderness was always such a contrast to his strength.

  She gave in to her emotions, let her body melt into his, cherishing his gentle touch as he traced his fingers up and down her arm.

  Later, when the movie was over, she could barely make it to her feet.

  Jack steadied her. “You okay?”

  With a slight smile, she said, “I’m fine. I think I just relaxed too much.”

  He took her hand and led her to the steps.

  A few minutes later, he helped her climb into the truck and handed her the seat belt. He waited until she’d buckled herself in, and warmth swept through her. He was always such a gentleman.

  As they drove home, he reached for her hand, and an electric connection buzzed between them. His smile had a spark of desire in it that made her stomach muscles tighten.

  When they arrived home, he quickly paid Brandi. She headed out the door with a friendly smile for Emily. Lily had long been asleep.

  When they were alone, Jack said, “Are you up for a glass of wine before bed?”

  “That sounds great.”

  She followed him into the kitchen and watched while he poured her a glass. When he handed it to her, the smile she gave him held more than happiness as she let her feelings for him show. A shiver of excitement ran through her at the thought of what might happen next.

  Jack gave Emily a slow, sensual smile and put his arm around her as he led her back to the living room. Without asking, he pulled her down next to him on the couch. Feeling her warm body against him sent a wave of arousal shooting through him.

  He held his beer up to her glass. “To an amazing evening.”

  She smiled and clinked her glass with his bottle. “To more evenings like this.”

 

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