Page 38 of Allie's Shelter

“Why?”

“Do it, Allie.” He silently vowed to kill whoever had taken the shot at her. Her soft cheek was scraped raw and would probably bruise on the way to healing.

“No.” She glared at him. “You’ll use a knife.”

“On your face? No way.” He shook his head. “There’s one here close to your eye. I don’t want you flinching.”

She obviously didn’t believe him.

“Go on and look in a mirror then,” he dared her, knowing she wouldn’t. When her eyelids drifted closed, he said, “I still think that tree trunk in your knee happened at the freshman party.”

“You’re impossible.”

He smothered a smile as she offered anecdotal proof to support her theory. Sending her down memory lane was as much about distracting him as it was her. Temper only made it a challenge to be gentle and he didn’t want to add to the damage on her soft, creamy skin.

One after the other, he carefully slid the big splinters out of her cheek, laying them on the countertop. When he paused to roll his shoulders, he realized the last few deep, tiny ones would need the knife.

“Hang on a second. I’m getting a warm compress.”

Her eyelids fluttered and her eyes went wide, shocked at the collection of splinters on the counter. “Why didn’t I feel all that?”

“Adrenaline.”

“Mm-hmm and your gaping head wound was a distraction. I saw the bone.”

“You did not.” He winked at her again, blowing off her obvious attempt to torture him. “Hold this to your face for a couple minutes.”

He picked up her phone and sent more instructions to Eva. He wanted this incident sent up the line to his buddy at the FBI.

“Who do you think is out there?”

“No one now. I’d bet whoever took that shot is long gone. Even if they find him, the shooter’s likely to claim it was a hunting accident. Since no one’s taken a shot at us in here, I’d say whoever is after you is calling it another opportunity missed.” He needed to reassess and come up with a new plan to ensure they didn’t succeed.

“Any chance you have a rogue enemy armed with a rifle lurking about?”

“I’m sure I do.” He grinned at her and pulled the compress away. “But this is definitely about you. Eyes closed.”

She didn’t argue this time and her mind was clearly working since she didn’t even flinch when he dug out the last, deep splinter.

“Done.” He let himself take a normal breath again. “Let me clean…”

He looked down and words failed him. Her blue eyes were huge behind a sheen of tears. “No. Don’t cry now. The worst is over.”

But the dam broke. Her forehead dropped to his chest as her arms circled his waist. He held her, had no defense against her. Whether she was vulnerable or standing strong, some part of him seemed to know what he didn’t want to admit. He’d always think of her as his.

Nothing changed that feeling. She’d been his truest friend in this town, and though she’d eventually abandoned that friendship, he still wanted her above anyone else.

Knowing that persistent wanting made him a sap and a fool, he had to step up and accept it as reality.

“Shh, sweetheart. It’s going to be okay.”

“You could have died,” she mumbled into his shirt.

“It isn’t the first time.” He leaned back, tipped her chin up so he could look into those amazing eyes. “It won’t be the last.”

“But this time it’s my fault.”

“No. It’s your case, but not your fault.”

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