Page 18 of Rescuing Baylee

“Gunnar is an emotional support dog trained to respond to PTSD. Cass got him a year ago, after she’d been shot. He must have sensed that you were struggling.”

She smiled sadly and took a deep breath before meeting his gaze. “Yes. Perhaps. Night, Landon.”

“Night, Baylee.”

Landon watched Baylee walk away,and he felt… unsettled. Intrigued. Angry. There was a whole gamut of emotions running through him about the woman, and he couldn’t untangle them.

Baylee had to be one of the strongest women he’d ever met. And he knew a lot of strong women. He wanted to wrap his arms around her and protect her from the world.

Nightshade. Fuck… that was a whole new level of fucked up. He’d seen the coverage on the event and 60 Minutes had recently done an in-depth investigation into what had gone on, so he thought he knew some of the details.

If Baylee had been there, she’d seen things no one should ever have to see. Were the knife cuts to her face from torture? They had to be.

One of his greatest regrets in life was not serving in the military. At the time he’d graduated high school, he’d been taking care of his family and working a part-time job to bring in money. He couldn’t even think about leaving his mother and siblings alone.

Veterans had saved their country more times than he even knew, and he appreciated the fuck out of those that had committed the time and grit to do it. A lot of his friends were vets, so he had some insight into the ways they thought.

As he remembered her scars, though, he knew some had given a lot more than others.

Baylee Mitchell held an appeal to him he didn’t want to acknowledge. Despite, or perhaps because of, the scars, she had a natural beauty to her that drew his gaze repeatedly. Strong and competent, she knew what to do in an emergent situation. When he’d talked to her supervisor, the woman had flat out told him that Baylee was indispensable in the pediatrics department. And here at his apartment, he’d heard over and over how great she was from the other residents.

No one person could be that perfect, could they?

His mind drifted back to Nightshade. The name alone sent shivers down his spine. The mere mention of it conjured up images of chaos and devastation. Even though the Army had published pictures and video of the aftermath, he couldn’t imagine what Baylee had endured there, what horrors she had witnessed. The thought made his stomach churn with a mixture of anger and sorrow. The videos had mostly been a blur because they hadn’t wanted to show all the bloodstains.

But amidst the somber thoughts, there was a flicker of something else—admiration. Despite everything she had been through, Baylee had emerged from the depths of hell with her spirit intact. She was a survivor, a warrior in her own right, and Landon couldn’t help but feel drawn to that strength.

As he pondered over his conflicting emotions, a voice interrupted his thoughts. It was his neighbor, Mrs. Jenkins, her gentle tone breaking through the silence of the courtyard.

“Landon, dear, are you alright?” she asked, concern evident in her voice.

Landon forced a small smile, masking the turmoil brewing within him. “I’m fine, Mrs. Jenkins. Just lost in thought.”

She nodded understandingly, her eyes lingering on him for a moment longer before she continued on her way. Alone once more, Landon let out a heavy sigh, his mind still swirling with questions and uncertainties.

Baylee Mitchell was a puzzle he couldn’t quite solve, a mystery he couldn’t resist unraveling. And as much as he tried to deny it, he knew deep down that she had already made an indelible mark on his life—one that he couldn’t ignore.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Baylee attacked the cookie recipe with a vengeance. She needed something in-depth to take her mind off what talking with Landon had dug up.

She knew it was only a distraction, though. Eventually, she would have to deal with it. Just like she always did.

Her counselor said that she was able to counsel herself as well as he did, so Baylee let herself think about the past couple of days as she mixed chocolate chips into her batter.

Again, she felt no regret about taking the gang banger’s life, though she did regret making the baby an orphan. But then, maybe the baby would be better off without that kind of influence in his life.

She hadn’t even hesitated when it had been time to act. That was one thing the Army was good at: preparing their soldiers. It had been years since she’d been in the Army, but that training still held hard.

If she was presented with the same situation, she would repeat the same actions, too. She would like to think she had saved lives. No, sheknewshe had. Even if there were repercussions from her actions, she would be content inknowing she had done everything she could to save her friends and coworkers.

She needed to put it aside and get on with her life.

Baylee slid the first tray of cookies into the oven and took a bite of the batter. Mmm… cookie batter made everything better.

After an hour, she had a delectable pile of cookies spread along her counter. They needed to cool for a while before she packaged them up, then she was going to go try to improve her image.

An hour later,she stood before her neighbor’s door. It was quiet beyond, and there was a very good chance he wasn’t even in there. He could have been called out to a crime or something. Her pulse jumped at the thought of seeing him again, and she took a deep breath. It was just a guy, she told herself firmly. An incredibly attractive guy, granted. A guy that was tall enough and big enough to make her feel feminine and want to be protected.

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