Page 40 of Stalked at Rescue Ridge

Acrash outside caused Bree to jump out of her skin. Rinty hopped onto all fours, ready for action as he aligned his entire body in a way that made it look like he was pointing at the spot the noise had come from.

“Let’s go,” Kade said to him as Bree moved to the kitchen drawer and pulled out a knife.

Kade reached into his rucksack that sat just inside the front door and retrieved a handgun of some kind. Bree might have grown up in a ranching community in a small Texas town, but she’d always shied away from guns aside from the stun gun her dad had once placed inside her handbag.Just in case,he’d said. At that time, her biggest threat had been a teenage boy he thought might decide the lines of consent were blurry when she’d told him no.

Gripping the handle of a carving knife, she followed Kade into the living room, Rinty by his side. Had the dog realized Kade was ex-military at some point? After the commands? Because watching the two of them now, they could be mistaken for partners to her untrained eye.

Outside the window, rolling gray clouds blanketed the sky. The chill in the heavy air promised a weather front was on its way. She’d been too distracted to check the report. Being out here in a cabin if a storm hit wasn’t exactly her warm and fuzzy right now.

Kade stepped onto the small concrete steps, his head shifting as he swept the area. A hand came back to stop her from following. “Stay inside and lock the door, okay?”

The thought of being separated, even for a few minutes, caused her shoulders to tense up.

Pain doubled her over as another cramp stole her breath.

Kade turned his head and muttered a few choice words—the exact words she was thinking.

How could this be happening now?

The contractions had been coming all morning.

“Tell me what’s going on,” Kade said.

“Leaving the hospital might have been a huge mistake,” she said, cradling her bump. “This baby might be ready to meet the world.”

“Right now?” he asked.

“I’m afraid so,” she said, sitting on the step.

Kade tucked the weapon behind him into a holster. She hadn’t realized he’d been wearing one earlier. His cotton shirt covered it. He helped her up and inside the door before grabbing his rucksack. “Are you ready?”

She nodded as another contraction hit. When had they started coming closer together? “I need to call my OB.”

“Your what?”

“Doctor,” she said as she breathed through the next one.

“What do I do?” he asked, sounding lost. It was the first time Bree had ever seen a chink in his armor.

“Grab my handbag,” she instructed. “My cell phone should be inside.”

“Okay.” He had her purse in a matter of seconds. Whatever threat was outside would have to be dealt with on their way to his truck.

Kade glanced at Rinty before helping her to her feet. “I’ll call my sister and see if she can arrange for one of my brothers to pick him up. He can stay at the ranch until I can pick him up and bring him home.” She liked the sound of those words a little too much.

This seemed like a good time to remind herself that she needed to keep perspective. They wouldn’t just be hurting each other if they tried to have a relationship and failed. They could damage the little one. No way was she allowing that to happen.

Besides, she was seriously jumping the gun. Kade hadn’t mentioned the possibility of the two of them together. No matter how incredible the kiss they’d shared had been, it couldn’t happen again. There was too much at stake.

“Can you walk on your own to the truck?” he asked.

Something dawned on her. “You can’t leave Rinty here alone.”

“What?”

“Someone might be out there, watching,” she said. “He could poison Rinty or outright shoot him.” Another cramp.Breathe.Bree glanced down at Rinty. “You’re coming with us, boy.”

Kade wrapped an arm around Bree, shielding her with his own body as they moved to the truck. Two steps away, he clicked the button to unlock the doors. Swiftly, he helped her into the passenger seat. Rinty had already jumped inside and taken a position in the backseat. Determined brown eyes scanned the area, searching for any sign of movement.

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