Chapter 27

27

Caleb opened his eyes. Something had woken him.

The bedroom was silent save for the steady rise and fall of Grace's breathing at his side. Hours had passed since morning and golden afternoon light cast a glow across the ceiling. The promise of a fresh start at life, the chance to put his fuck ups behind him. This morning in Grace's arms, it had all seemed possible, but in the harsh light of reality?

He swung his legs out of bed, pulled on his cargo pants and reached for his gun on the nightstand.

Grace stirred, mumbling, her arm stretching across the now empty bed. His feelings toward her? They were more complex than he thought possible. He scrubbed a hand across his face. He should be honest with himself, for both their sakes. Was this nothing more than moment in time?

He opened the bedroom door, holding his breath, his ears straining for sound.

There.

In the kitchen, the soft tread of footsteps.

His mind raced. Had Hudson's men found them? But the house was heavily alarmed. Wyatt? He wasn't due back for another month.

So who?

Caleb slunk down the hallway, his back to the wall, hugging the lengthening shadows. Light spilled from the kitchen.

He tightened his grip on his gun, preparing to confront the intruder head on. No one would hurt Grace. Not while he was here.

"Caleb?"

Adrenalin dissipated as quickly as it had surged. "Wyatt?" He lowered his gun, stepping into the kitchen to find his brother standing in front of the open fridge, a bottle of water in his hand. "Wyatt? What the fuck are you doing here?"

Wyatt rolled his eyes. "Oh, I don't know, maybe because I fucking live here? The real question is, what are you doing here?" His gaze dropped to the gun in Caleb's hand. "Aside from trying to shoot me, of course?"

Caleb tucked the gun into his waistband. "It's a long story. I didn't think you'd be back so soon." Several bags were lined up against the kitchen counter. Wyatt was home to stay. "It's my weekend off."

Wyatt closed the fridge and swigged some water. One dark eyebrow arched as he fixed Caleb with an inscrutable look. "And you chose to spend your precious time off at my place?" Several inches taller than Caleb, Wyatt cut an imposing figure. His eyes held a guarded intensity that many found intimidating. But his brother was a good man.

Caleb lifted one shoulder. "What can I say? You have excellent coffee and one of those fancy machines." He made an exaggerated pinching motion with his fingers. "You know, the ones with the teeny-tiny pods that make teeny-tiny cups of overpriced joe."

Wyatt snorted, snatching the cloth Grace had folded at the sink and tossed it at Caleb's head with unerring accuracy. "Fuck you."

Caleb dodged the cloth. "I thought you were still with mom and dad. Figured it'd be safe to crash here for a bit."

Wyatt rolled his eyes. "I was. But I'm meeting with the base commander." His jaw tightened almost imperceptibly, a muscle ticking in his cheek.

Caleb shook his head. "Suspension not sitting well?"

A mirthless smile stretched across Wyatt's face. "That obvious?"

"No, I just know you too well." Caleb's tone softened. "Miss the water? Miss us?"

"The ocean yes. You? No."

Caleb took a stool at the counter.. He looked over his shoulder to where Dolly was still curled up on the couch. "Some guard dog you are."

Dolly yawned and rested her head on her paws, her face turning sad.

"The old girl came and said hello." Wyatt leaned one hip against his gleaming hob. "So. I have time. What's the story? Or should I say tell me a little more about Grace?"

Crap. "Sarah?"

Wyatt fixed him with a pointed look. "Mom mentioned she hasn't seen you in ages. You know how she worries." Silence took a beat between them. "So Sarah's been giving her updates."

Caleb stilled. "Updates? On what?" As if he didn't know.

"Your new woman, of course." Wyatt's gaze bored into him.

Caleb shook his head. "Doesn't Sarah have actual crimes to be solving or something? Pretty sure that's what we pay her for."

"You know what she's like when she and mom get together." Wyatt's tone was equal parts amused and exasperated. "It's like the Spanish Inquisition, only with more baked goods."

"I'm just helping her out." The words sounded hollow even to his own ears but he forced himself to meet Wyatt's analytical gaze. "She doesn't have anyone else right now, and there's a psycho ex, Hudson, after her. Based on what's happened so far, he's a crazy bastard. His men stormed my cabin, and they were fucking relentless. This was the closest safe bolthole." Caleb waved a hand at Wyatt's gleaming fortress, the state-of-the-art security system blinking in the background. "No one has secure shit like you do."

Wyatt raised an eyebrow, a glint in his eye. "That shit is necessary," he drawled, propping one elbow on the counter. "So, what's the plan?"

"Mitch is fixing up her car. The plan was for her to get back on the road, but..." Caleb trailed off, a bitter taste flooding his mouth.

"But?" Wyatt prompted.

Caleb curled his hands into fists on the countertop. "But I'm no longer sure about letting her leave on her own. It feels like she'll be too vulnerable out there." He swallowed hard, a dull ache blooming behind his breastbone. "I don't know if I'll be able to sleep at night, knowing she's alone and unprotected."

"Sounds like you're in deep." Wyatt let out a low whistle.

Caleb laced his fingers together, the knuckles turning white with the force of his grip. So fucking deep. His life before Grace had been a flat, colorless thing compared to how the last few days had felt with her.

"I'll collect her car tomorrow—" Caleb shook his head. "And then I'm going to talk to her about staying with me until things have calmed down."

Wyatt hummed under his breath. "I see."

"I just want to make sure she's safe." Reality butted against him. "Then she'll move on."His older brother's gaze needled his skin. Caleb swallowed hard. "Once this is all over, she'll go back to her life, and I'll go back to mine."

Except, he couldn't imagine his life without Grace in it anymore.

Wyatt's eyes narrowed, his head tilting as he studied Caleb's face. "That sounds definite."

Caleb shrugged, the movement stiff and jerky. "Grace is a free woman." The words were broken glass in his throat. "She's free to go where she chooses. Nothing I say or do will change that."

Wyatt was silent for a long moment. "She might be good for you."

Shit. The truth was the idea of Grace leaving made his chest go tight, made it hard to breathe. "It's not my decision. Besides, coming from you…" Caleb kept his face blank even though he knew it was futile. Wyatt could read him like a book, always had done since they were little kids.

"Fair enough." Wyatt pushed off the counter.

How could one woman affect him so intensely in such a short period? Time to shift the conversation to safer ground. "When are you meeting the Commander?"

"Tomorrow afternoon. I can be here tomorrow morning while you collect her car, so she's not alone."

The coffee machine gurgled, the scent of brewed beans filling the air.

Caleb latched onto the distraction with gratitude. "That fancy machine just for show, or are you going to make me one of those midget coffees?"