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Chapter 17

Lucas pressedhis face to Maddie"s hair, while she dozed in his arms.

Dusk had fallen, and the flower shop was cast in shadows now. Maddie had been asleep for several hours, and he remembered how she hadn"t been able to sleep the night before.

She was sleeping now, trusting him to keep her safe.

Violet was tucked between their legs, her chin resting on Maddie"s calf. She opened her eyes and looked at him, and he grinned, shifting to pat her. "Good girl," he whispered. "I"m glad she has you."

Violet licked his hand, and then closed her eyes to go back to sleep.

Keeping Maddie tucked against him, Lucas looked around the back room of the shop. It was packed with flowers, and the room was filled with the vibrant scent of all the flowers mingling with each other. It reminded him of being out for a horse ride in the spring, when the wildflowers were everywhere, with water droplets glistening on their petals.

He suspected Maddie would appreciate the Oregon flowers.

As he thought it, his smile faded. Would she ever want to come to Oregon? Her home was here, with her friends, her dad, and her store.

His home was the ranch. He liked being here, but at the end of the day, home was with his family.

The thought was sobering. Was there a possibility for a real future with him and Maddie? It was easy enough to fly back and forth with the jet, but Maddie couldn't be bicoastal with her store, and he knew that he needed the anchor of his home.

He understood Maddie"s need for roots and a foundation she could count on, because he needed it as well. And their roots were on opposite coasts.

Hell.

He tightened his arms around her, as if he could hold onto this moment forever and not have to deal with facts that he didn"t like?—

The hair on his arms suddenly prickled, and he lifted his head, searching the room again…this time for a threat.

Violet lifted her head and perked her ears, staring toward the front of the shop.

Swearing under his breath, Lucas quickly rolled off the cot and yanked on his clothes. "Maddie," he whispered. "Get dressed."

She bolted upright with a start, her gaze immediately alert. "What"s happening?"

"Ssh. Violet and I both sense something. Get dressed." He got his boots on in record speed, then eased his gun out of his holster, which he"d stashed under the cot, within easy reach. "Keep the light off."

While Maddie got dressed, Lucas crept toward the door that led to the front of the store. Violet stayed with Maddie, but she was on her feet now, still watching the front of the store.

Lucas eased up next to the door, listening. At first, he heard nothing, but as he quieted his mind, he heard the muffled sound of footsteps.

He looked back at Maddie and gestured to the front of the store.

She nodded, grabbed Violet"s collar, and pointed to the back door.

He shook his head, knowing that there could be someone on the other side of that entrance as well. He gestured to the corner, and she shook her head.

He got that. She didn"t want to feel trapped.

But at the same time, it meant she didn"t have to watch her back?—

The door suddenly eased open, and he pressed his back up against the wall.

"Maddie? You in there?" Piper"s voice echoed, and he let out his breath.

"Piper?" Maddie hurried over, relief evident in her voice. "What are you doing here?"

Piper walked into the room, walking right past Lucas without noticing him. She was wearing a navy pants suit and heels. "I went by your house and you weren"t there, so I was worried. I thought maybe you fell asleep here again."

Lucas liked that Maddie had friends who checked on her. Maddie"s friends were like the Harts—found family with ties as tight as blood.

"I did fall asleep here," Maddie said, not looking at Lucas.

Piper suddenly stopped, and then whirled around to face Lucas. "Good God, Lucas. You scared the heck out of me! Why are you lurking in corners?"

He grinned and put his gun behind his back. "I thought you were an intruder. I was protecting Maddie."

"Are you armed? Is that a gun behind your back?"

He shrugged. "Maybe."

"Did you almost shoot me?"

"Never. I"m very good at what I do."

Piper put her hands on her hips. "And what is that?"

"Among other things, protecting people I care about."

Maddie met his gaze, and Piper raised her eyebrows. "So, you care about Maddie now? Is that it?"

He paused. "I do."

Piper glanced at Maddie, then walked over to him, right up to him, and gave him a long look. "Do not betray her, or all the money in the world won"t be able to protect you from me, Keira, and Tori."

He raised his brows, impressed by the vehemence in her voice. "I won"t betray her. I"m not cut like that."

She continued to stare at him, and he realized she truly didn"t trust him. Piper had her own issues, ones that ran deep on Maddie"s behalf, but also her own. "You"re part of Maddie"s soul," he said softly. "That means that I"m here for you as well. Whatever you need."

Sudden emotion filled Piper"s face, stark, raw vulnerability, then she turned away quickly to hide it.

Piper.Lucas felt her deep pain. She was sassy, bold, and loyal, but underneath the surface was a past that still had its grip on her. He recognized it, because he saw it in his family and in the mirror every day. "How can I help?" he asked.

Piper shook her head and walked toward Maddie, who was standing near the back door. "I"m good," she said. "No one is trying to hunt me down?—"

At that moment, the back door flew open, and three men burst in. At the same moment, something hit Lucas hard between the shoulders. He fell forward as the men grabbed Piper and Maddie and dragged them out the back door.

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