Page 33 of One Last Promise

She held her breath as the door opened.

Steps, inside, heavy. Then the door closed.

Rigger wouldn’t close the door, would he?

The movement stopped. Oh no?—

Then steps, down the short hallway, toward the kitchen and?—

“Stay back!”

She rounded, the knife up.

“Holy cats!” The light slammed on, and Moose stood in the entry, his eyes wide.

His face bore a scuff on his whiskered chin, and blood crusted his jeans, and just like that, his hand grabbed her wrist. “Let it go, Tillie. I’m notgoing to hurt you.”

She nodded. And he let go. She yanked her hand away and set the knife on the counter.

“What are you doing here?”

He blinked at her. “Ilivehere.”

“I thought—” She was shaking now, stepping away from him, terribly aware of the look on his face, a little angry, a little relieved—honestly, she couldn’t place it. “Are you okay? I was afraid they were going to arrest you.”

“They did arrest me! Or tried to—long enough for the media to come by and get a great shot of me handcuffed against a cruiser. So yeah, that will be a big help to my lawsuit.”

Lawsuit?

He took a breath. Closed his eyes. “Okay. Sorry. I am usually a little more reined in.”

Yes. She knew that. She’d seen him after the rescues while he processed . . . usually with a milkshake rather than a stiff shot of whiskey. Which was at the least, interesting. Definitely telling about the kind of man he was.

That probably accounted for why she stood in his kitchen, the knife on the counter, feeling more chagrined than afraid.

Probably accounted for why she’d too easily gone to him for help.

“I’m so sorry, Moose.”

He opened his eyes. Sighed. “No, Tillie. I’m sorry. Are you okay?”

“Yes.” She nodded, just to confirm. “And Hazel is taking a bath in your swimming pool upstairs.”

He blinked at her a moment, then let out a laugh. “Right. Okay.”

And just hearing him laugh made her want to weep, a rush of light and warmth through her.

Maybe they would be okay after all.

The door opened then, and Axel came in. She glanced at him.

“Good,” he said, and sat on the bench tounlace his boots.

Good?

“He said I could come here,” she said to Moose, as if in explanation.

Moose nodded, glanced back at his brother. “Yep. That was a good call.”

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