Chapter 4

CHAPTERFOUR

Khloe felt off-kilter. The day had been surreal. She’d gone from feeling as if she was living in the background to standing in the spotlight. Not only that, but she’d apparently never been “in the background” as much as she’d thought.

She’d talked to more people today than she had during her entire time in Fallport. Not only Raid’s team members and their women, but random townspeople as well. The bell over the front door to Ziegler’s clinic had been ringing all day. People she’d only met once in the library kept stopping by to check on not only Duke, but her and Raid too. Expressing their concerns, wishing Duke well…and asking not-so-subtle questions about whether she was thinking about opening up a vet clinic in Fallport in the future.

Honestly, Khloe hadn’t thought much about it. But with each story about how cold or downright unprofessional Doctor Ziegler had been when dealing with an animal in distress—and how often he was closed and unavailable to help in an emergency—had her thinking hard about her future.

But before she could seriously consider staying in Fallport for good, she had to deal with her past. Make sure she wouldn’t bring any danger to town.

That was her greatest fear…that Alan Mather would try to hurt those she cared about. It was the reason she’d fled in the first place. But now that he was behind bars, maybe, just maybe, she could reclaim her life.

The coffee Caryn had brought had properly woken her up, and she didn’t even mind the shit she got from everyone about how much caffeine was in the sweet drink. Jokes about how hooking herself to an IV filled with straight caffeine would be just as effective made her smile. The clothes Caryn brought by were even better than coffee. Clean clothes always made Khloe feel better.

Duke was doing remarkably well, in part probably because he was so fit before he’d bloated. She had no scientific evidence that proved that, but in her experience, animals who weren’t overweight and had regular exercise seemed to bounce back faster after major surgery.

The waiting room was still overflowing with people there to support Raid and Duke, when the scenario she’d been dreading actually happened.

Doctor Ziegler returned early from his vacation to find out what in the hell was going on at his clinic.

She heard him yelling from the back room, where she was getting Duke ready to be transported, and her heart fell. She’d really been hoping to be gone by the time he returned. Duke was doing so well, she’d decided to move him to Doc Snow’s office a whole day earlier. But apparently that wasn’t early enough.

“Deep breath, Khloe,” Raid said from next to her.

Having him there went a long way toward helping her stay calm. It wasn’t that she was scared of the man, but after what had happened with Alan, she was much more wary of being around men when they were angry.

“He can’t do anything with so many witnesses,” he went on.

“I know. But it’s later, when everyone isn’t around, that I’m worried about,” she said without thinking.

It wasn’t until she felt Raid’s hand on the small of her back and felt his warmth next to her that she realized what she’d said. Raid wasn’t stupid. In fact, he was one of the smartest people she knew. He’d be able to read between the lines and know she was referring to an event in her past.

“He’s not going to lay a finger on you, and neither is anyone else,” he said in a tone that Khloe had never heard from the man before. It was low and threatening…and surprisingly, the underlying anger in his tone didn’t scare her. Because his ire was clearly over the idea of someone possibly hurting her, it was actually…comforting.

She’d always been independent. Before he died, her daddy had taught her not to take any shit from anyone, taught her how to protect herself. But even with all that training, Alan had still gotten to her.

Yes, having Raid at her side was a comfort.

“I know,” she said, trying to sound more confident than she was.

“I mean it,” Raid insisted. “Ziegler can be as pissed as he wants. He can yell and bluster, but the second he makes the smallest move toward you, he’s done. It’ll be made clear not only by me, but by every single person on my team, that you’re off-limits. Period.”

Khloe nodded, but she knew there was no way Raid and his friends could protect her every minute of every day. If Ziegler was pissed enough, if he really wanted to hurt her, he could do it sooner or later. Just like Alan had.

“You don’t believe me,” Raid said.

It should’ve worried Khloe that he seemed to be able to read her mind so well, but at the moment, it didn’t. “You can’t be with me all the time.”

“You’re right. I can’t. But that doesn’t mean we can’t make it perfectly clear to him that messing with you will be the worst decision he’ll ever make in his life.”

“Right. Can we please go and get this over with?” Khloe asked, not wanting to think about anyone trying to hurt her again.

Raid didn’t respond verbally, but he leaned over, patted Duke, told him that they’d be right back and not to worry, before walking toward the door. Instead of opening it and waiting for her to precede him, he walked through, leaving her behind.

Khloe was confused, because Raid wasn’t one to be impolite. In fact, she couldn’t remember a time when he didn’t hold the door for her, or for any of the women in their circle of friends. But her confusion was cleared up when he turned around in the hall on their way to the waiting area and said, “Stay behind me.”

She normally would’ve gotten irritated with his demand. With what came across as overbearing high-handedness. But truthfully, at the moment, she was just relieved. She wouldn’t exactly mind having Raid’s imposing presence between her and Ziegler.

When they finally entered the waiting area, Khloe glanced around at all the faces. She knew people had been coming and going all morning, but there had to be at least fifteen people there. Half of them, she didn’t even know.

“You!” Raymond Ziegler yelled, making Khloe jump.

She felt movement close behind her and turned to see Lilly and Heather standing at her back. The fact that Heather was there was surprising. It hadn’t been that long ago when the woman was living in the woods, hiding out from the men who’d kidnapped her and abused her for years. Her support and strength, in the face of an obviously very angry man, meant the world to Khloe.

Ethan and Tal flanked Raid as they faced off against a fuming Ziegler.

“What the fuck did you do to my clinic?” he raged.

“I didn’t do anything,” Khloe told him, pushing her way between Ethan and Raid to stand next to the latter, rather than behind him.

“Bullshit! You broke my door! You used my meds. My supplies. Without my permission. That’s against the damn law!”

“I’m going to pay for every cotton ball and every drop of drugs that I used,” Khloe informed him.

“You better!” Ziegler barked. “Once I’m able to do a full inventory, I’ll send you a bill.”

“No, you won’t,” Khloe said calmly. “You’ll overcharge me, just like you do all your clients. I’ll pay you for what I used to save Duke’s life, but not a penny more.”

Ziegler’s face got even redder, if that was possible. He was wearing fatigues, and it was obvious he’d come straight back from wherever he’d been hunting to confront her. He had a thin five o’clock shadow from not shaving for a few days, and his face and hands were filthy. He was in his fifties and overweight, but at around six feet tall, he was still a bit daunting.

As she watched, his hands clenched into fists, and it was all Khloe could do not to take a step backward at the visible sign of his anger.

“I’m going to sue your ass!” Ziegler fumed.

“For what?” Ethan asked, joining the conversation.

“For breaking and entering. For using my equipment without permission. For threatening my livelihood.”

“First of all, the police chief was here, and he was the one who broke in and informed your alarm company what was going on,” Tal explained. “Second of all, Khloe only used what she needed in order to save Duke’s life. And third, how in the bloody hell can you think what she did in any way reflects on you? Threatens your business in any way?”

“Because!”

Khloe wanted to laugh. She hadn’t done a damn thing to hurt his business. At least, not any more than the man himself. He was just butt hurt and hated that someone other than him was able to swoop in and save the day. He loved being the only vet in town and took advantage of that fact in cruel ways. He refused to come in after-hours when someone had a pet emergency. He closed exactly at five o’clock, didn’t work weekends, and didn’t have an emergency answering service. Clients had to wait until he opened in the morning, or on Monday, or drive to the nearest emergency vet.

The fact that she was willing to go to such lengths to save Duke’s life hadn’t gone unnoticed in Fallport, especially if the number of people begging her to open her own clinic was any indication.

With that thought, Khloe decided that maybe Ziegler had a point. Her going above and beyond with the bloodhound probably had hurt his business.

“I saw the picture you posted on your social media account yesterday,” a man in the waiting area said to Ziegler.

Khloe thought his name was Jim. She didn’t know him, had no idea what he did, what his connection to the Eagle Point Search and Rescue team was, or even if he had any animals. But by the tone of his voice, it was obvious his comment wasn’t exactly complimentary.

“Yeah? So?” Ziegler said.

“Those antlers had to be…what? About six feet wide or so? Which would make that bull moose around ten years old, right?”

“I guess.”

“Not too many moose around here. Where’d you go to hunt? Had to be fairly close, since you were out hunting yesterday and are standing here right now.”

Raymond didn’t respond, simply glared at Jim.

Then someone else spoke up. A woman this time. “I saw that pic too. And I looked up the company that was on the logo of the truck in the background. They bring animals to their farm for people to hunt…and I use that term loosely. Hunters like you buy an animal, and it’s released into their fenced property so you can go in and shoot it nice and easy, since there’s nowhere for animals to go. It’s unsportsmanlike and disgusting,” she finished, venom dripping from her tone.

“Molly’s right. They bring in grizzlies, moose, deer, pigs…sometimes even kangaroos. It’s awful,” another woman said. Claire something-or-other. Khloe recognized her from the library.

“It’s not like that,” Raymond protested, getting even angrier.

“Really? How much did you pay for that moose?” Jim asked, his arms crossing over his chest. “And what happened to the animal after you shot it and took your stupid posed pictures?”

“I’m sure the meat went to good use,” Raymond muttered, his face flaming now.

Most of the people in the room rolled their eyes.

“Besides, what I do in my free time is no one’s goddamn business,” Raymond seethed. “All that should matter is that I take care of Rover and Frisky and all the other animals people entrust to me.”

“That’s true to a point,” another man said. “But when the money we pay you to take care of the furry members of our families goes to the illegal and immoral hunting of an animal that’s been brought in for a canned hunt, that’s when it becomes our business.”

“Exactly!” Molly said. “And Miss Khloe here stepped in without hesitation to help Duke. She didn’t care that it was after-hours, or insist the surgery was paid for before she started. She did what needed to be done. And from what I hear, she hasn’t even mentioned charging a fee. Her only concern was saving the dog’s life. When’s the last time you performed a surgery without it being paid for up front?”

Raymond’s face was so red, Khloe was honestly concerned he was going to have a heart attack right then and there.

Throughout the entire unpleasant conversation, Raid hadn’t said a word. Hadn’t moved from her side. He’d just stood there with his arms crossed and a frown on his face. He was intimidating even to Khloe, and he was on her side.

But when Raymond took a step in her direction, that changed. Fast.

Pushing Khloe behind him with one arm, he slammed the heel of his other hand against Ziegler’s sternum when he got too close. “Step back,” he growled.

“You hit me!” Raymond exclaimed. “Everyone here is my witness! This man struck me. I’m suing your ass too!”

“He didn’t hit you,” the second man who’d spoken said as he rolled his eyes.

“He did! He put his damn hand on me!” Raymond insisted.

“Because you threatened Khloe,” Jim said.

“I did not!” Raymond shouted.

“Stepping toward her with your fists clenched is a sure sign of a threat where I come from,” Ethan informed him.

Khloe shivered at the look of hatred the vet aimed at her. “You’re going to pay for this. I’m going to make sure of it.”

“Now that was a definite threat,” Jim said. Then he smirked. “Everyone here is a witness.”

“And I’m thinking if anything happens to her, it won’t be hard to figure out who did it,” Molly said. “It’s definitely time for me to find a new veterinarian,” she added, disdain dripping from her tone.

“Good luck. There aren’t any other vets around here,” Raymond said. “And Muffy is spoiled rotten anyway.”

“Her name is Fluffy, and who cares if she’s spoiled? I’d rather drive an hour to another vet than have you put your hands on her ever again,” Molly told him.

“Like I need your money,” Raymond unwisely muttered.

“You’re right. You don’t. And you won’t need mine, either,” Claire chimed in.

One by one, the people in the waiting room agreed.

“Not smart,” Tal said with a smirk as he shook his head.

“I want all of you out of here! Now,” Raymond ordered between clenched teeth.

Khloe was never so glad that her patient was doing as well as he was. “We were on our way out when you arrived,” she informed him.

“And don’t think you’re taking any of my supplies with you,” Raymond sneered.

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” she said.

“Come on, let’s go get Duke ready,” Lilly said, putting her hand on Khloe’s arm.

There was nothing more Khloe wanted to do than get out of Raymond’s presence, but she kind of felt bad for the man. Even though he was an ass, it had to suck to be on vacation and hear about your clinic being broken into. Even if it was by another veterinarian.

“For what it’s worth…I’m sorry,” Khloe told him, trying to take the higher road. “I am going to pay you for the supplies I used.”

“You’d better not dare undercut me,” Raymond said.

Her resolve to be fair wavered, but Khloe nodded. “I won’t. I’m perfectly aware of the cost of everything I used.”

“The door will be fixed by tonight,” Ethan told Ziegler. “Rocky’s coming over in a while to fix the frame.”

“Good,” Raymond said, not willing to say thank you.

“What an ass,” Claire said, not exactly under her breath.

“I told you—everyone out! The clinic is closed. This isn’t a social gathering place,” Raymond barked.

One by one, the people who’d witnessed the entire unpleasant encounter filed out, leaving only Ethan, Lilly, Tal, Heather, Raid, and Khloe. And Raymond, of course.

“You people think you’re untouchable,” he told them, hatred in his tone. “News flash, you aren’t. You might have everyone in this goddamn town wrapped around your fingers, thinking you can do no wrong, but they’ll see through your goody-two-shoes façade. Mark my words.”

Khloe could only shake her head. The man was delusional. The three men standing there were some of the best people she’d met in her life. They were good to their cores. There was nothing Raymond could say or do that would change that. Ethan and the rest of the Eagle Point SAR team had helped too many people—tourists and locals alike—for Ziegler to change anyone’s mind. She had a feeling the more he tried to disparage their reputations, the more it would blow back in his face.

“You have ten minutes to be gone,” he threatened.

Khloe wanted to ask “or what?” but she refrained. He could call the police, but since Simon was firmly on their side, as were all his deputies, she didn’t think they’d actually do anything. But because she was more than uncomfortable in Raymond’s presence, she turned and headed for the door to the back rooms without another word.

Heather and Lilly stayed by her side, and once they were in the room where Duke was still resting comfortably, they all let out a long breath.

“That man is horrible,” Heather said. She hadn’t said anything while they were in the waiting room, but those four words summed up all their feelings completely.

“Totally,” Lilly agreed. “But did you see the way Raid immediately moved when Ziegler stepped toward you?” she asked Khloe.

She nodded.

“He’s protective,” Heather said quietly. “He likes you.”

“Yup,” Lilly said with a smile. “It’s about time.”

“Wait, wait, wait. It’s not what you think,” Khloe protested.

“Uh-huh,” Lilly said, the smile on her face growing.

“Seriously. He’s protective of all women. I’ve seen it in the library. And when he’s on the scent with Duke.”

“It’s different,” Heather told her. “It’s the look in his eyes.”

Khloe glanced at the shy woman next to her.

She shrugged. “I know I’m not the most worldly person, and I’m the last person who should be commenting on someone else’s relationship. But I recognize it because it’s the same look I see in Tal’s eyes whenever he looks at me. From the first day I woke up in that cave and he was sitting outside, staring at me, I saw the same emotion in his eyes that was in Raid’s just now.”

Khloe wanted to continue to protest. But more than that, she didn’t want to tell Heather she was wrong. The woman was still coming into her own and acclimating after her awful experience.

Besides…she’d seen the look in Raid’s eyes just now. She’d dismissed it, but she couldn’t deny the relief she’d felt when he’d stepped in front of her to keep Raymond from getting too close.

“Right. Whatever. Doesn’t matter. I’ve got eight minutes now to get Duke prepped and out of here,” Khloe said matter-of-factly.

She started to kneel next to Duke when Lilly stopped her with a hand on her arm. “You can talk to us,” she said softly. “We aren’t going to judge you. You’ve got friends here, Khloe. Me and Heather, Elsie, Bristol, Caryn, and Finley. You need to talk…we’re here.”

Khloe swallowed hard to keep the emotion welling up inside her contained. “I know,” she managed after a moment.

“Good. Because we’re gonna want to hear all about you being a vet and how you ended up here in Fallport,” Lilly said with a compassionate smile.

“It’s not very interesting,” Khloe hedged.

Lilly snorted. An honest-to-God snort. “Right. Sure.”

“Just like the story of how I ended up living in the forest isn’t interesting,” Heather joked.

It took everything in Khloe not to laugh out loud at that. Out of everyone in their group, Heather’s story was probably the most traumatic and heart-wrenching. “Okay, it’s sorta interesting, but I really need to get Duke out of here before Ziegler comes in to drag him out.”

“Over my dead body,” Lilly muttered.

“What can we do to help?” Heather asked.

Khloe was glad it seemed the interrogation was over…for now. She knew the time would come when she’d need to talk to her friends. But surprisingly, now that the cat was out of the bag, pun intended, about her being a vet, it didn’t seem quite as daunting or scary to consider telling everyone what she’d gone through.

Turning her mind to the task at hand, Khloe decided not to worry about the future. What happened would happen. She’d learned that the hard way. But it also felt a little easier to put aside her worries because she had such good friends around her.

It took longer than the ten minutes Ziegler had given them to get Duke ready to be moved. Brock brought his Ford Ranger over so they could put Duke in the bed of the truck. He’d even put a blow-up mattress in the back for the dog to lie on. Khloe and Raiden rode in the back with the dog, while Simon led the way to the square with his lights on. They were only driving around five miles an hour, so the cold didn’t bother either Duke or the humans who were sitting with him in the open air.

There was quite the procession as they headed to Doc Snow’s clinic. It almost felt like a mini-parade as they wound their way around the square to the back of the clinic. With all the people there to help, it was a matter of minutes before Duke was safely ensconced inside a treatment room in the small medical center.

Khloe was surprised when Afton arrived, saying she was there to watch over Duke to give everyone a break. If it had been anyone but the vet tech who’d told her to go home and get a shower and something to eat, Khloe probably would’ve refused. But she’d seen the woman’s talent firsthand and trusted her implicitly. She hadn’t lied when she’d told the young woman that she’d hire her in a heartbeat.

After giving Afton one last spate of directions in regard to Duke, Khloe found herself tucked against Raid as he led her out of the treatment room. He hadn’t protested leaving Duke for a while either, telling Khloe that if she trusted Duke’s well-being to Afton, he did too.

They were standing in Doc Snow’s small waiting room when Finley started laughing.

“What’s so funny?” Elsie asked.

“Remember the guy standing in the corner of the room when Ziegler was losing his mind?” Finley asked.

Khloe shook her head. Aside from the people giving Ziegler a piece of their mind, she didn’t really take notice of who else was there and who wasn’t.

“Wasn’t that Rory? The snowplow driver who helped get everyone to Lilly and Ethan’s wedding?” Elsie asked.

“That’s him. He just posted a video on Fallport’s social media site,” Finley said. She turned her phone around so everyone in the room could see it. Raymond Ziegler was trying to defend the hunt he’d been on, and the video went on from there. It included him saying he didn’t need anyone’s money and ended after he’d threatened the SAR team.

“He’s done,” Elsie said with a small smile.

“No one’s gonna want to use his services after seeing that,” Zeke agreed as he put an arm around his wife.

Once more the spark of interest to open her own clinic here in Fallport flared to life in Khloe’s belly. Elsie was right. Once people saw his disregard and disdain for the residents of Fallport, and after his disparaging remarks about the Eagle Point Search and Rescue team—men who voluntarily went into the forest in all kinds of weather and times of day simply to help others—he was most definitely going to lose customers.

Which opened the door for a new veterinarian to easily recruit new clients.

“As funny as that is, and as much as I think he deserves his words and actions to be well known…he’s not going to be pleased with that video,” Tal observed.

Khloe frowned. Tal wasn’t wrong. She hadn’t posted the video. Hadn’t had anything to do with it. But just like that, worry crept in once more.

“Just what I need,” she muttered. “Someone else who has it in for me.”

The room went silent—and when she looked up, Khloe realized everyone was staring at her. Shit. She’d done it again. Opened her mouth and said the wrong thing at the wrong time.

“Khloe—” Brock began, frowning.

“No,” Raid said firmly with a shake of his head.

“No?” Brock repeated.

“We aren’t doing this now. Khloe’s exhausted. She needs a shower, and then food to soak up all the caffeine in her veins from that coffee she drank this morning.”

“But if we should be on watch for someone other than Ziegler, we need to know the details,” Zeke said in an even tone.

“No one’s gonna interrogate Khloe. When she’s ready to talk, she’ll talk. If she’s never ready, than that’s how it’ll be. In the meantime, we’ll keep an eye on Ziegler and make sure he doesn’t do something stupid.”

Khloe didn’t know what she’d done to deserve such loyalty from Raiden. She’d been kind of a bitch since they’d met. She didn’t mean to be, but she’d been trying to protect herself from getting in too deep with him or his friends. Clearly it hadn’t worked. She couldn’t imagine not having him, or the others, in her life now. Especially in a crisis like they’d had in the last twenty-four hours with Duke. Everyone had stepped up to help. They’d proven to be the kind of friends she’d always wanted and never had. And she’d found them when she wasn’t even looking or trying.

“Right. We can do that,” Zeke said.

“I’ll talk to the others,” Brock added.

“Operation Shield Khloe starts now,” Tal agreed. “She doesn’t go anywhere without eyes on her.”

“Wait a sec,” Khloe started, but Raid spoke over her.

“I’ll be in touch,” he told his friends.

“I’ve got a cake I need to bake,” Finley told her, “but I can come over afterward to keep you company when you sit with Duke.”

“I can bring Tony by too. He’ll want to see for himself that Duke’s all right,” Elsie said.

“I’m not sure that I’ll be any help, especially when you’ve got Afton and everyone else, but I’m happy to do whatever I can to assist with Duke if you need it,” Heather volunteered.

“Thank you so much, everyone. But I think we’re good. Duke needs to stay calm for now. Maybe once he goes home, you can work with Raid to take turns sitting with him at the library or at his house.”

Everyone agreed immediately.

“And I’m thinking we need a girls’ night soon,” Elsie said firmly.

Khloe wasn’t so sure about that, but she could tell Elsie and the others weren’t going to budge. And since she had a small reprieve before she needed to figure out how to explain her past to her friends in a way they wouldn’t resent her or be pissed that she hadn’t already told them what was happening, she nodded.

Everyone hugged her tightly before heading out. After a few more words with Afton and making sure she was good, and thanking Doc Snow again for letting Duke hang out in his clinic for a couple days, Khloe let Raid lead her outside once more.

But instead of heading toward her apartment, he drove away from town toward the small house she knew he owned.

“Raiden? I want to go to my apartment.”

“No.”

Khloe frowned. Did he really just say that? “You can’t kidnap me. I want to go home.”

He had the nerve to chuckle. Somehow in the last few hours, she’d forgotten how irritating he could be. “This isn’t funny,” she said tightly.

“No, you’re right, it’s not,” he said as he sobered. “You’re exhausted because you spent the night looking after my dog, who you performed emergency surgery on and saved his life. You slept on the hard floor. Haven’t eaten anything worth mentioning. Had to deal with Ziegler being pissed at you, which rattled you more than you’re willing to admit. You’re also coming to terms with how important you are to our friends, which I know is something you’ve been trying to avoid since the day you took the job at the library. Also, Caryn told me that you didn’t have much to eat in your fridge—and yes, I told her to snoop and report back to me.

“So, I’m taking you to my place, where I can make sure you eat something healthy and get some uninterrupted sleep. I’m sure well-meaning but nosy people will be stopping by your apartment to gossip. At my house, you can rest.

“And after that last comment you made at the clinic…if you think I’m letting you out of my sight until I’m sure any threat from Ziegler is mitigated, and I know what other threats might be hanging over your head, you’re delusional.”

Khloe sighed. She liked most of what he said. But that last part…she knew he was protective but hadn’t realized exactly how much. “I can take care of myself.”

“I know you can,” he said without hesitation. “You’ve been doing it for a damn long time. But you don’t need to do it all alone anymore.”

“What if I want to?”

He turned then, and his green eyes bored into her own. “Do you?”

It was on the tip of her tongue to say yes. That she didn’t want him to get involved. But she couldn’t do it. She was tired. Bone-deep tired. It was exhausting wondering when and if someone was waiting around every corner to harass her and maybe try to finish what Alan had attempted in the past.

Raid didn’t make her answer. His eyes went back to the road.

Gratitude filled her. He wasn’t going to make her acquiescence harder than it already was. Khloe sighed in relief as she shut her eyes. She still felt as if she had the weight of the world on her shoulders, but for now the load was a tiny bit lighter.

She opened her eyes when she felt the vehicle slowing down. Raid was pulling onto the gravel driveway leading to his house. She’d driven by his place in the past and loved it on sight. The house was painted a dark blue and had a porch on the front and along one side. A detached garage sat nearby, but Khloe couldn’t take her gaze off the swing on the front porch. She’d always wanted one of those. Could imagine herself sitting there unwinding after a long day.

“I’ve still got some work to do on it,” he told her, “but the important stuff is done.”

“And what’s the important stuff?” she couldn’t help but ask.

“I fenced in three acres in the back so Duke could run around and roam without me worrying about him wandering off. Bloodhounds have a tendency to follow their nose for miles and miles, then look up and wonder where the hell they are.”

He wasn’t wrong. “It couldn’t have been cheap to put in all that fencing,” Khloe said.

“It wasn’t. But it was important, so I figured out a way to make it happen.”

More proof that Raiden was a good guy. “What else?”

“A nice kitchen. A shower where I don’t have to bend my knees to get under the spray, and a bedroom large enough for a king-size bed so I don’t feel cramped.”

It sounded like heaven to Khloe. And of course a tall man like Raid would want to be comfortable in his own home.

“I’ve got two guest rooms, and two other bathrooms you can pick from to shower, one is an en suite. Take your time, we’ve got a while before I think you’ll want to go back and check on Duke.”

“Like you don’t want to check on him yourself,” Khloe said.

Raid smiled. “Guilty. It’s gonna feel weird to be in my house without Duke here. Come on. While you’re showering, I’ll make us something to eat.”

“Don’t you want to clean up too?”

“Yeah, but my belly is telling me food is more important at the moment.”

“You’re such a guy,” she semi-complained.

“Yup,” he agreed without hesitation as he shut off the engine.

They climbed out and met at the front of his car. He’d parked right in front of the house instead of in the garage, and she followed him up the stairs to the porch.

“Tell me that swing is as comfortable as it looks,” she said as he unlocked his front door.

“Don’t know. Never sat in it.”

“What?” Khloe asked in disbelief. “That’s awful!”

“Not my thing. But you can take a turn and let me know how it is,” he said as he pushed open the door and gestured for her to enter ahead of him.

That made Khloe remember how he’d walked in front of her into the waiting room at Ziegler’s clinic. Putting himself between her and any danger they might be walking into. Raiden had hidden depths, and Khloe was suddenly curious to see what else she could learn about him.

His house was surprisingly tidy. For some reason, she’d expected to see dirty dishes, junk on the coffee table, and general chaos. His office at the library was total chaos. Not dirty, but stacks of papers and books everywhere, and his precious, ever-present coffee cup that Khloe didn’t think had been properly washed in years. But from the quick glimpse she got as he led her through the main living area, past the kitchen, to a guest room with an attached bathroom, the place was immaculate.

Raid didn’t come into the bedroom, but instead stood in the doorway, obviously not wanting to make her uncomfortable. “Take your time in the shower. Chicken marinara all right?”

Khloe blinked. “Seriously?”

“Yeah, why? Are you allergic to chicken?”

“What? No. Is that even a thing?”

Raid shrugged. “Sure. People can be allergic to just about anything these days.”

“Not me. But I was expecting something like a sandwich or scrambled eggs or something.”

Raid smirked. “Why, because I’m a guy?”

Khloe wrinkled her nose. When he put it that way, she was being sexist. “Yeah?”

He chuckled. “I don’t have an unending repertoire of things I’m good at cooking, but my Instant Pot has made things much easier. I’ll get our meal started. Again, I’ve got a kick-ass hot water heater, so take as long as you want. We can both get some sleep after we eat.”

With that, Raid gave her a small chin lift, then closed the door as he left her to her shower.

How long Khloe stood there staring at the door after he’d left, she didn’t know. She’d gotten used to the Raiden she saw at work. Gruff, standoffish, focused on the tasks at hand…and a man who seemed to find fault in every little thing she did.

This man, the generous, caring, almost flirtatious guy, was hard to get used to.

Eventually, she forced herself out of her stupor and turned toward the bathroom. She found clean towels in the small linen closet, extra toothbrushes and toothpaste in a drawer, soap, shampoo, conditioner, and even a towel warmer. She was under the impression that Raiden was kind of a loner and didn’t have a lot of friends outside the SAR team. But maybe she was wrong, if the obvious preparation for guests was any indication.

Half an hour later, Khloe emerged from the guest room. She’d taken her time in the shower and felt a hundred times better. Although the caffeine she’d had earlier had definitely worn off. Yesterday and last night were catching up with her. She was hungry, yes, but the thought of lying down on a comfortable bed and taking a nap was even more appealing.

When she walked into the main room, she stood there for a moment watching Raid without him realizing she was there. The man seemed at home in his kitchen. He’d changed his shirt and now wore a pair of gray sweatpants.

Khloe had never understood why women went so crazy over a man in sweats…until now. The material clung to Raid’s legs as if it was a second skin. His thighs were muscular and his bare feet sticking out the bottom made the scene seem even more intimate. But it was the way the sweats highlighted his crotch that made Khloe blush.

It was silly. He was completely and decently covered. But she couldn’t look away from the bulge in his pants. It was more than obvious his cock was appropriately sized for someone of his height. Then he turned around, and Khloe’s fingernails dug into her palm. Good God, his ass was just as impressive.

How come she’d never noticed that Raiden Walker was built so perfectly until recently?

Probably because when she’d first arrived in Fallport, she was pretty traumatized and did her best to keep her head down. Also, Raid was her boss, and she needed her job. Needed a place to recoup and hide out.

But as the months passed and her fear began to change to anger at how her life had been upended by an event that wasn’t her fault, Khloe had reluctantly—and secretly—acknowledged an attraction to Raid. Which she’d been trying to tamp down ever since.

Now that she was in his house, had been naked in his shower—well, not his shower, but close—and he was dressed casually while making her something to eat, all the feelings Khloe had been trying to suppress came roaring to the surface. Making her nervous. And jittery. And self-conscious.

Doing her best not to stare at how well he filled out those sweats, Khloe cleared her throat as she walked toward the large, charming kitchen and tried to pretend nothing had changed between them in the last twenty-four hours.

But she knew she was kidding herself. Everything had changed. And she had a feeling there was no way she and Raid would be able to go back to the way things used to be between them.