Page 18 of Ranger Bravery

Heaven knew, Ava would do it in a heartbeat.

“I… We’re friends and I don’t want to screw that up…” Derek seemed to struggle for a moment, and then he shuffled some paperwork on his desk. His cheeks were fire-engine red. “We shouldn’t be talking about this. Forget I brought it up. See you in the morning.”

After he hung up, Piper said a silent prayer that Derek would find the courage to ask Ava out. The two would make a great couple. Then her gaze landed on Elena’s photograph. She breathed out, the twist in her stomach making it ache. She added to her prayer, “God, I really want to find Elena’s killer. Help guide me.”

Moxie came running around the corner and nudged Piper’s hand with his nose before walking to the door and standing next to it. Finn was still banging away on the piano. Now, the notes were getting on her nerves.

She rose from her chair. “Looking for peace and quiet, boy?”

He barked in reply. Piper shrugged on her coat before opening the back door. Moxie took off into the yard as she stepped onto the porch. Derek’s assurances had gone a long way to making her feel better. Still, there was no harm in doing a perimeter check of the property.

Cool air caressed her cheeks. A full moon was out, painting the neighborhood in an ethereal glow. Piper kept an eye on Moxie as she circled the house to the front yard. The Labrador pranced beside her. “Don’t get into anything you aren’t supposed to. I’m not giving you a bath because you bothered a skunk.”

She could swear he grinned in reply before stopping to sniff at some bushes bordering their property line. Piper reached the driveway. The street was quiet. Overhead an owl hooted. She breathed in the crisp air and let the silence wash over her. Exhaustion seeped into her muscles. Derek was right, she was tired and should go to bed.

An unfamiliar vehicle at the end of the street caught her attention. It hid in the shadows. An SUV judging from the size. The front-end was angled toward her house, giving anyone in the driver’s seat a perfect view of her property.

Piper’s pulse skittered and her fingers brushed against the weapon at her hip as she eased down the driveway. The feeling she was being watched this morning might not have been in her head after all. She lengthened her strides, intent on confronting whoever was in the SUV.

Moxie shot ahead of her. Before she could call the mutt back, the driver’s side door opened.

A man emerged.

Her hand tightened on her weapon as she undid the button on her holster. “Rock Fort Sheriff’s Department. Identify yourself.”

Moxie barked with excitement.

“It’s me, Piper.” Jackson stepped into the moonlight. He’d shed his cowboy hat and his jacket. A button-down shirt molded to his broad shoulders and accented his narrow waist. Tousled hair and a five-o’clock shadow added a rough edge to his appearance that was all too appealing.

Attraction shot through Piper, fueling her irritation. “What are you doing here?”

He patted Moxie, who was dancing around seeking attention. “Keeping an eye on things.”

“That’s unnecessary. Derek interviewed Marcus and confirmed he wasn’t targeting me. The attack was random.”

“He told me.”

“Then?”

He shrugged, as if to say it didn’t matter, and his mouth quirked. “Don’t worry, Piper. I’ve done stakeouts under rougher conditions. The seat in my SUV leans back, I’ve brought snacks, and there are a ton of reports to go through. Chances are, it’ll be a quiet and boring night.” Jackson leaned against his vehicle. “What did you find out from Elena’s social media accounts?”

He was attempting to distract her with the case. Piper didn’t intend to veer off track for very long. “There’s a woman who pops up frequently. Kylie Reynolds. She and Elena lived in the same neighborhood, a few streets away from each other. I think we should interview Kylie in the morning. We can also question some neighbors. If Shawn and Elena were having an affair, maybe someone saw him going and coming from her house.”

“Good idea. In the meantime, my boss, Lieutenant Rodriguez, has assigned some additional rangers to aid in the investigation. They’ll be here tomorrow afternoon.” Jackson turned away. “See you in the morning.”

“Wait…” She leveled him with a stern look and crossed her arms over her chest. “This is ridiculous. In case you haven’t noticed, I’m a trained law enforcement officer. There’s no reason for you to stand guard outside my house. I can handle things myself.”

“I never said you couldn’t.”

“Then why?—”

“Why do you think?” Jackson snapped. “I care, okay, Piper? There, I said it out loud. I care about you. In spite of everything, and as foolish as it makes me, I still care. You were nearly shot to death in front of me today. Do you really think I can get a good night’s sleep at the hotel? It would be impossible. I’d lay in bed and worry that some lunatic was heading to your house to kill you.”

Her heart squeezed tight. Without thinking, Piper stepped forward until she had her arms wrapped around his waist. His breath hitched and then Jackson returned her embrace. His arms were warm, his presence steady. Nothing was going to hurt her tonight. Not under his watch.

Relief swamped her, causing unexpected and unbidden tears. She was scared. Terrified, actually. It didn’t make sense. There was no evidence anyone was targeting her, and yet, the last two days had left her on edge.

Jackson pulled her closer. His heart thumped against her ear. She didn’t deserve this. Didn’t deserve him. She was damaged goods with a cloud of trouble that followed in her wake. It’d been true ten years ago. It was still true today.

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