Chapter 13

I stared at Smith in shock as he threw open the door and bolted across the parking lot. I called after him, but he was already disappearing down the alley between the buildings.

My hands shook, and a buzzing sound filled my ears. What the hell had just happened? One minute everything was fine. The next, he was sprinting away from me like his heels were on fire.

An empty numbness seemed to take over my body, and it took me two tries to turn off the ignition. Still rattled, I climbed from the car and glanced around. There was nothing out of the ordinary that I could see. Had Smith discerned some threat and taken off after it? I had no idea.

He'd left so abruptly that the car door was still wide open. My stomach twisted into a knot as I rounded the car and closed the door, then locked up. I stood there for several moments, watching, waiting for Smith to return. He didn't.

I felt like an idiot for standing here next to my car, waiting on him. I glanced at my cell phone. Nearly ten minutes had passed, and I had no idea where he'd gone, or why. Maybe he wasn't coming back. The closeness I had felt to him this morning dissipated into thin air.

Maybe that was the cause. My throat tightened. Did he suspect my feelings for him were growing stronger? Maybe he had seen this as his opportunity to get away and had taken it. Was the idea of being with me so horrible?

Tears pricked my eyes. Circumstances of my past confirmed that, yes, it was better to run away and never look back. Not even my parents had wanted me; they'd given me up for adoption the day I was born. For the next eighteen years I'd circulated through a series of foster homes, only to be disappointed by one family after another, before I finally left for good. I'd learned long ago that I wasn't worth the trouble.

Coming here to Pine Ridge and making a life for myself had gone a long way in restoring that confidence. But in the blink of an eye I was that same young woman, insecure and unwanted.

I moved on autopilot, unlocking the door and turning on the lights as I moved into the work room of the shop. I glanced at the coolers, filled with bright arrangements. There was a delivery to be made, and I knew Jules was excited to get set up for Briarleigh's wine tasting event this evening.

My limbs leaden, I gathered the arrangements and loaded them into boxes, then carried them to the van. Just as I closed the rear hatch, motion from the corner of my eye drew my attention to the alley. Smith sauntered toward me, a fierce scowl on his face. Just like that, all my misgivings evaporated into thin air.

I rushed toward him. "What happened? Is everything okay? Are you all right?"

I couldn't stem the flow of words as I swept my gaze over him from head to toe, checking for injuries. "Did you see something? Are you hurt? Where?—?"

My words were abruptly cut off as Smith grasped my shoulders. His gaze met mine, and he gave a quick shake of his head. His hold was gentle yet firm, and I felt his silent command to follow his lead.

I stepped toward the van, legs shaky, and my feet slipped on the gravel. One huge hand shot out, wrapping around my bicep and hauling me upright. I found myself face-to-chest with Smith, not unlike this morning. But this time, a whole different set of emotions flooded me. Fear. Worry for both of us.

I drew in a deep breath. I trusted Smith to keep me safe; I had to trust that he would reveal whatever was going on, at least as much as he could.

Not for the first time I wondered at his past. He was domineering yet controlled, his instincts honed to a razor sharp edge. Had he spent time in the military or worked as a cop? Maybe an agent of some kind? I hated that he kept me out of the loop, and I resented it as much as I understood.

All at once the emotions swirling in my chest culminated, and my fury bubbled over. "Are you kidding me? You just took off after something, someone—hell, I don't even know. And you were gone for damn near half an hour."

I stabbed a finger in his direction. "I need to know right now what the hell's going on. I knew something was wrong," I continued, ire steaming in my veins.

"But I let you convince me everything was fine, that there was nothing to worry about. Even after I took you in, you continued to hide it from me. But whatever this is—whoever it is—has been here from the beginning, hasn't he?"

His eyes changed then, deepening as a flicker of emotion crossed the dark depths. "You just didn't want to risk me throwing you out. I never should have?—"

A loud beeping cut through the air, causing me to jump. I yanked my phone from my back pocket and sucked in a breath when I saw the time. "Damn it. We have to go."

I shoved him in the direction of the van. "Everything's ready, I just need to lock up."

I closed up, then leaped into the van, cranking the engine and shifting into gear seamlessly. A tense silence filled the car as we drove up the mountain toward the lodge. Inwardly I still seethed, but at least we'd made progress. Later, once we were alone again, I would insist he explain everything.

Silently, we gathered the arrangements and made our way to the great room. I smiled at Jules, who flitted around the room, making sure everything was perfect. I set the box of arrangements on the table, then nodded for Smith to do the same. "Can you get the rest, please?"

I needed a moment to myself and though I could tell he didn't like the idea of leaving me alone, he left to retrieve the rest of the flowers. Jules and I had spoken a few days ago, so I began to distribute the arrangements on the tables provided.

I'd just placed the last one near the window when a man sidled up next to me. "You do that?"

He pointed at the vase of Hyacinths, and I offered him a smile. "Yep."

"Cool." He nodded approvingly. "Those look nice."

He didn't look familiar, so I assumed he was a guest. "Thanks."

He turned to face me and held out a hand. "I'm Preston."

"Lily." I returned the shake. When I tried to pull away, he held on a second too long. I finally managed to extract myself and pointed over my shoulder. "I'm sorry, I have to get back to work."

The man leaned in just a little too close. "I'm in town for the next few days. Can I take you to dinner?"

Shock rolled through me. "I—I'm flattered, but… I can't."

"You can't take a break to eat?"

The man grinned wolfishly at me, and my stomach flipped. It was the smile of a man who got exactly what he wanted, when he wanted it. He was handsome enough, but confident to the point of cocky, and I had no desire to be another conquest for him. "I appreciate the offer, but?—"

"A drink, then."

A strong arm came around my waist, pulling me into a thick, hard body. "The lady said no."

Surprise rippled through me, freezing me in place. Thoughts ping-ponged through my brain as I fought to identify the husky, slightly raspy masculine voice that floated over my shoulder.

And then it clicked. It had come from Smith.

As if that wasn't enough of a shock, his next words stopped me cold.

"She's with me."