Page 10 of Rescued By the Ranger

I turn and push on his chest to get him out of the kitchen. “Go! You’re going to eat all of the dough.”

“Would be a damn shame…” He slips the spoon into his mouth and pulls it out with a pop.

“You owe three dollars to the swear jar!” Jazzy yells from the other room and we both smile.

He leans in close, the scent of his body wash enveloping me in the myriad of pines in this elevation and snowy cleanness. “She’s a hard ass.”

“That’s another dollar,” Jazzy says with a giggle.

Rhodes walks away with a smile. “Totally worth it.”

And I wonder if he might be.

5

LEESA

I’m ruminatingand I know it. I’ve seen therapists to handle it, but it doesn’t go away easily.

How could he? This is his daughter. Does he want her scared? Does he want her cold? Does he want us to hurt even more?

I pull a door closed after checking a hallway bathroom. I go back to the kitchen and living room after every room to make sure Jazzy’s okay, feigning that I need to check on the cookies. But I think she knows something’s up by her side-eye glances while she continues to color in a Barbie coloring book. She’s way too smart for her good. And mine.

I pull out another sheet of baked cookies.

Probably swiped my phone while I was busy with Jazzy.

If my trust wasn’t shaken before, it’s a frantic toddler with a rattle now.

Cary’s had enough of my time and energy.

With my back turned to the living room, my chest starts to hopscotch. I’ve been so strong for so long. Knowing that I just had to be. I had to make sure that Jazzy always felt protectedand make sure that I didn’t say anything bad about Cary. But this is too much.

I can’t help but wonder if he’s watching me right now.

Sure, I can’t prove it’s him, but I can’t help but think of all the times he said that he’d be there in the dark, observing and waiting.

Creepy is fucking right.

My body wracks with an earthquake of realization. I knew it was going to be a challenge being up here, but this makes it more challenging than I ever could’ve imagined.

“Hey, it’s going to be okay,” Rhodes’s voice should’ve scared me, but it didn’t.

I turn and he stands close, blocking Jazzy’s view of me.

I shake my head and cross my arms. “I shouldn’t have come here.” Tears fall over and I can’t stop them.

His arms wrap around me, and I crash to his chest. “Hey, hey, it’s going to be okay.”

I stay there way too long. He’s warm. He’s hard but soft, too. And it’s been so long since I felt the touch of a man.

I look up into that handsome face. The thick trimmed beard over his cheeks and down his sharp jawline. His green eyes piercing into me, deep and direct to the place that heats quickly.

Attraction, off the charts.

Interest, ramping up quickly.

Desire, wet panties are happening.

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