Page 75 of Shielded Hearts

With a deep breath, she opened the cabin door and stepped into the cool space. Her boots scraped on the tile of the entryway. Now that she’d been inside the Malones’ home, she recognized several similarities between the materials used in both places. Willow’s touch was evident.

The hominess of the space hit her immediately. The lingering scent of cedar and pine seemed to have seeped in even though it was closed up.

As per her instructions from the guys, she set out through the house, switching on lights. She flung the patio door wide open to allow the cool fall air to circulate and clear out the smell of a house unoccupied. It also offered a quick entry point for Carson, who was lurking nearby.

Or an escape for her and Willow.

When she entered the living area, she stopped. The normally cozy area would have soothed her under any other circumstances. She envisioned nights in front of a flickering fire in the hearth, wrapped up in Colt’s arms.

As she passed by the sofa, she reached out and stroked her fingers along the plaid wool blanket that they’d made love on by the water.

Even though everything looked beautiful and calming, to her, the world was warped and ominous. The walls felt claustrophobic and looming. The rustle of branches outside the big windows made her heart seize. Her pulse spiked.

Did Gideon take the bait?

They had to hope.

She must be crazy to suggest that she put herself in the middle of danger. Gideon proved he would stop at nothing to hurt her…but she was counting on that, wasn’t she?

She continued toward the stairs, heart pounding. Each step she took, every creak of the wood beneath her boots, had her gut clenching.

Upstairs, she switched on the lights in the blue bedroom and the green. Then she went to the master bedroom and switched on the overhead chandelier as well as the light in the master bathroom. Then she stood at the big window she admired so much and gazed out at the view.

The lake reflected the gray sky of evening. The water was choppy from the wind, adding to the frightening feel.

Colt, Carson and Gray were out there, watching and waiting. They were wired, connected with earpieces.

Aspen hated being in the dark.

She glanced at her wristwatch—her mother’s—to check the time. Willow would be here soon.

Pulling her gaze away from the view, she hurried downstairs to wait for her arrival. A rustic clock on the mantel ticked a little too loudly. So did her heart.

A few minutes later, a knock at the door made her jump. She squelched a cry and rushed to answer it.

As soon as she opened it and saw Willow, relief passed between them. They were both on edge, but they had each other.

She slapped a smile on her face. “Welcome! You must be Emma.” Her voice carried just the right amount of forced cheer in case Gideon was close enough to hear.

“So good to meet you at last, Miss Grace.”

Reaching out, she clasped Willow’s hand. “Please, call me Aspen.”

The warm feel of her palm felt like a lifeline. They shared a smile and Aspen moved to close the door. The hair on her nape stood up as she realized Gideon might be watching them right now.

If everything went according to plan, he was.

Willow stepped into the entryway, looking around as if she’d never seen the place before. “Wow, this is just as lovely as you claimed.”

Their plan was to act their parts. Willow was in the market for a vacation retreat. Aspen was the travel concierge.

She waved a hand at the space. “Shall I show you around?”

“That would be wonderful.” Willow breezed through the rooms like she did this every day instead of working with veterans and horses.

They crossed the living room, and Aspen chattered on about the history of Lake Tahoe and what year this cabin had been built. She didn’t know the facts, but she made them up with far more ease than she ever guessed possible under such duress.

When they reached the open patio door, Willow stepped up beside her. They faced the outside, neither of them breathing.

---