Page 56 of Hunted Hearts
“I have people I talk to. I consider my team friends of mine. My publicist, assistant and others. But I never really hadfriends.”
“You have more than friends. You have family now.”
Her throat closed off with the emotions surging inside her.
“There’s a going-away party later. You and Theo have to come.”
She blinked, remembering the gentleman they crossed paths with coming into the lodge. The conversation between Willow and Gabe made much more sense now.
Honor leaned against the table, watching her closely. “It’s a bonfire—something that we all enjoy on Friday nights. Make sure you get Theo to lend you one of his warm coats.”
She glanced across the room to Theo’s coat draped over the back of the chair. She could almost feel the weight of it around her shoulders.
But she really longed to feel his strong arms wrapped around her…and his lips on hers.
She was falling for her bodyguard, and there was no taking back her heart once she gave it.
Chapter Eleven
The mountains had that crisp look that Theo had only ever seen when it was promising snow. He could smell it in the air too, clean and cold—a tang that almost burned his nose.
Gabe’s going-away party was starting outside, and the ladies had gotten into the spirit. Strings of golden lights had been strung around the fire pit, attached to wooden stakes stuck in the ground. Between the fire Colt already had blazing and the lights, the whole yard was lit up.
At the center, the fire crackled, shooting sparks into the air and vanishing into the dark. The smell of woodsmoke curled through the air, mixing with the laughter and clink of bottles. The faint twang of country music played over a speaker.
Theo stood off to the side, a beer in hand, taking it all in. There were at least twenty people scattered around. Malones, Black Heart vets, a couple of locals who’d gotten close to the program. It was the kind of gathering he’d grown used to since coming home, where tough men who carried ghosts on their shoulders loosened up around a fire, ribbing each other and passing around the therapy baby like she was the one thing anchoring them all.
Navy giggled as Oaks hoisted her in the air like she was flying. She was wearing a snowsuit, and her small mittened hands flapped.
“Fly to your daddy, Navy!” Oaks made her swoop into Denver’s arms.
Theo grinned to see Denver cradle his child and press a kiss to her forehead before she “flew” to Colt. Even the vets whonormally kept their distance—hard cases with thousand-yard stares—relaxed when she landed in their arms.
There was something about the baby’s soft babbling and gummy smile that soothed parts of them nothing else could touch.
Theo’s stare shifted from the child to Juliette. Always back to Juliette. Looking at her brought such a mix of feelings. After spending hours in the war room with his brothers, he had enough intel on the charity to create a plan for moving forward.
But it wasn’t nearly enough—not for him. As much as he loved having Juliette here on the ranch, he needed her out of danger.
Even if it meant that she resumed her tour, and things ended between them…it was his job.
He brought the beer to his lips and took a swig. Nothing was strong enough to dull the pain of the thought of her walking out of his life.
Hell.
She stood with the ladies, the firelight caressing her beautiful face and casting parts of it in shadow. But he could tell she was smiling, and her eyes glittered with happiness. He didn’t know his sisters-in-law well yet, but Juliette seemed to enjoy their company.
And she fit right in with them. Which only made her eventual leaving even worse, because it was obvious that he wouldn’t be the only one in the family feeling her loss.
He tried to tear his stare away from her, but it snapped right back like an elastic band.
Too damn bad his heart wouldn’t do the same.
Gray appeared at his side, and Theo grunted in greeting.
“Nice party,” he said.
Gray snorted. “You can’t see anything but Juliette, can you?”
