As Hank’s truck came to a stop in front of the White Oak Ranch, the little hairs on the back of Raptor’s neck stood on end. It was the front side of dusk, but still light enough to see far into the distance. It looked peaceful, beautiful really, a hell of a lot better than the jungle, that’s for sure. So why was his body on full alert?

“Are you coming?” Hank yelled as he walked toward the front porch.

“Yup, on my way.” He hadn’t been around a lot of little blue haired women, so maybe that’s where his trepidation stemmed from. Hell, his team would be laughing their asses off if they ever found out. Good thing they wouldn’t.

He caught up to Hank as he pulled open the front door. An aroma of deliciousness wafted through the open door, and his stomach growled. Hank laughed and winked at him. “Just wait, you ain’t seen nothing yet.”

Sadie came out of another room with a baby balanced on her hip. Chase had told him Hank was a new dad of a baby girl. He’d said it with a trace of envy Raptor hadn’t understood. But he didn’t think it was his place to ask either. He was already in hot water.

“You must be Jasper, or do you prefer Raptor?”

“Raptor, ma’am. It’s been so long I don’t know if I’d answer to Jasper.”

“You got it. I’m Sadie, Hank’s wife, and this here is little Emma.” Hank kissed his wife first then his daughter.

“I should have done the introductions. I was talking about you on the way here so I figured he’d know.” Sadie laughed and handed Emma to Hank. “She needs a diaper change, you’re just in time.” Then stretched out her hand to Raptor.

“Welcome to Montana. C’mon, let me introduce you to Rori.” A strong woman, by the feel of her grip, but he didn’t think he’d get the same from the bakery owner.

“Don’t worry, she won’t bite.” Hank laughed as he went off to take care of his daughter and left him to follow Sadie.

“It smells delicious.” His comment was accented by another growl of his stomach, and Sadie laughed.

“Yes, it is. Rori and I have been cooking up a storm all afternoon. It’s so nice to have someone around besides Hank and my brother.”

“I bet you wore the poor woman out.”

Sadie glanced over her shoulder with a questioning look and answered, “I think you might have a wrong idea about Rori.” He didn’t think so. Then he stepped into the kitchen and came face-to-face with Aurora Prince, and she couldn’t have been further from “Betty Crocker” if she’d tried. This was the woman he was hired to protect?

“Rori, your bodyguard has arrived,” Sadie said with a laugh and walked around the kitchen island to stand next to her friend. When she lifted her face from whatever she was making, and their eyes met, Raptor grabbed the back of the nearest chair to keep his balance. He’d never ever forget those eyes. Damn, he’d been searching for two years, and now they were right in front of him.

“I’m Raptor Ramsey, nice to meet you Aurora.” He held out his hand, hoping, praying she’d reach out hers for him. Convince him that she wasn’t a figment of his imagination.

“Please call me, Rori. Only my parents called me Aurora.” A shadow passed across her face, but she shook it off and glanced down at her hand. After she used the towel to get the residual dough off her hand, she took his. “I keep telling Sadie, I don’t need a bodyguard. But she and Hank won’t listen.”

“Hank drove past the bakery, and I saw the front window. From what he said, it sure didn’t sound like an accident.”

“It was probably just some kids.”

“We’ve been over this. Hank doesn’t overreact,” Sadie cut in. “And the window wasn’t the only thing that’s happened either. Did he bring you up to speed, Raptor?”

“Yes, ma’am, he did.” He still couldn’t pull his eyes away from Aurora – Rori. She was even more striking than he remembered. Not beautiful in a traditional sense, but her wide blue eyes seemed to peer deep into his soul. He hadn’t remembered her lush curves or the brown curls that were now tinged with a dusting of flour. He smiled, something he hadn’t done a whole lot of lately.

“Raptor?” Sadie had still been talking, but he hadn’t heard a word she’d said. Could he get away with yes or of course? It probably wouldn’t be the wisest course of action since she was his bosses’ wife.

“I’m sorry. Could you repeat that?”

“No, need,” Hank said as he came back in carrying little Emma. “It’s safer to have Raptor on the job than leave you alone over there. Even if you don’t think so, we’ll all feel better. You’ll do it for Sadie, right, Rori?”

Hank was good. From what he already knew of Rori in an emergency, she was too kindhearted to do anything other than agree. Unless Paris had changed her.

“You guys aren’t fair. You do know that, right? I’m a grown woman, have traveled through Europe, and run my own business. I think I can take care of myself.”

“But you’ll humor us?”

“Yes,” Rori said, but her reluctance was loud and clear. Raptor hid his smile. That was his girl. Wait, what? His girl. He’d only just met her, and he was not the relationship type, or was he?

“I guess you’re stuck with me for a bit, Raptor. I hope you don’t mind early hours and long days.”

“After spending the last ten years in the military, I don’t think it will be an issue, ma’am.”

“Good to know. Oh and please, stop calling me ma’am. There’s really no need, Rori is fine.”

“Yes, ma’am…I mean Rori.” She hadn’t recognized him, and now he had to decide what to do about it. He wasn’t even sure how he felt about it – he hadnt been able to get her off his mind, but then he hadn’t been the one injured and in shock.

After missions, the civilians involved rarely remembered much, so he shouldn’t be surprised really. For now, it might be best to leave it alone. At least until he could assess the situation at the bakery and determine the threat.

***

All the men who worked for Hank were ex-military, and even though Rori had been impressed by their sheer size, none of them affected her like Raptor. Intense was a good word. Maybe sex god? He’d melt chocolate if he went near it. If the heat rising up her neck was any indication, she was ready to melt. What was wrong with her? And why did she get the feeling he was trying to see inside her head?

“You okay?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah. A bit distracted.”

Sadie laughed and elbowed her in the side. “Really? I couldn’t tell.”

“Craptastic.”

“If I wasn’t so head over heels for Hank, I’d be drooling too.”

“I’m not drooling.” But Rori wasn’t positive Sadie was teasing, and she used the back of her hand to check.

“No, you’re not. But you should be.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Besides, he’s working for me, right? Sort of anyway. And I’m still in mourning.”

“Please. It’s been two years. Jim wouldn’t have wanted you to end up a blue-haired old lady baking all day and spending all night alone. Not from everything you told me about him.”

“True. But…”

“I’m not telling you to jump into bed with him. Just see where it goes.”

“It’s not going anywhere. Why would Mr. sex god want anything to do with me? Have you looked at me lately? He could have anyone he wanted.”

“If you’d stop hiding behind the counter, you could too.”

“I don’t mean to interrupt, but when’s dinner? I’m starving, and Raptor’s stomach was growling as soon as he walked in the door. By the way, Sadie, have you heard from your brother?”

“Yes, he called earlier, he’s going to stay in Texas a bit longer.”

If she hadn’t been blushing before, she had to be three shades of red now. When she glanced sideways at Sadie, her friend was laughing. Great.

“Sorry. It’s ready. Let me just put these into the oven, and we can eat.” After popping the tray of mini apple strudel in the oven, she and Sadie plated up the chicken marsala and red potatoes they’d made while waiting.

With the food set on the table, they sat down to eat. Rori wasn’t sure she’d be able to swallow a bite with Raptor’s eyes watching her every move. Finally, she couldn’t take it anymore. “Is there something wrong? You keep staring at me. I’m getting a complex.”

“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”

“It’s okay.” Why did she feel like she was in high school on a first date? She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt this awkward around a man. There was no reason for it. He wasn’t there to date her, only to keep her safe. Even if she didn’t think she needed it.

“I’m not sure what you call this, but it’s delicious. It’s been ages since I had a homecooked meal.”

“It’s one of Rori’s recipes. She’s a Cordon Bleu chef. If you’re anything like the rest of the town, you’ll need to work out more just to keep from gaining weight. I couldn’t work there, I’d be enormous.”

“Sadie’s exaggerating. I’m glad you’re enjoying it. I figured most people eat chicken and it was the least I could do after you flew all the way here for no reason.”

“Rori, we’ve been over this,” Hank cut in before she could go any further.

“Yeah, I know,” Rori said unable to keep the exasperation out of her voice.

“If you’re going to cook like this you’re going to have a hard time getting me to leave,” Raptor said and winked. She couldn’t hold back her smile.

“We’ll see. Maybe I’ll have to start burning things.”

“No, you won’t,” Sadie said. “You are too much of a perfectionist in the kitchen.”

Their laughter eased the earlier tension, and the conversation turned to food, and what Raptor liked to eat. She couldn’t believe he’d been living on mostly food in a pouch for the last decade. Gross. She’d fix that. After four years at the Cordon Bleu, Rori was horrified by his description of the MREs. The chefs would have had fits at the mere thought of food in pouches.

After dinner, Hank took Raptor out to the barn and Rori helped Sadie clean up.

“What do you think? Will you be comfortable having him as your bodyguard?”

“Do I have a choice?” Rori thought she’d be more concerned about having a stranger stay with her, but after spending the last couple of hours with Raptor, she didn’t feel awkward about it at all. “I know, I know. I was kind of worried about it, but now not so much. Unless he’s hiding what he’s really like, I think it’ll be fine.”

“Good. Because there was a Plan B.”

“Isn’t there always?”

“Yup, sometimes a Plan C too. Actually, there was always a Plan C.”

“Out of curiousity, what was Plan B?”

“We’d have you both stay here.”

“Yeah, no. That would never work. I start some of the dough at two a.m. Nope. Not happening.”

“It wouldn’t have been a big deal. Half the time Emma has us up in the middle of the night anyway.”

“It would be for me. I’d have to get up even earlier to get back into town.”

“True. But it was better than having you freaked out.”

“I don’t get freaked out.” At Sadie’s look, she ammended her last statement. “Okay, so maybe I get a little freaked out. But you’re the one who thinks someone is out to get me.”

“Exactly.”

Rori shook her head in frustration as she plated the strudel for dessert. Since she’d come back to Eagle Rock, she and Sadie had gotten closer than they’d ever been in high school. But when they were always hovering over her, it drove her a bit crazy. She’d been on her own too long, and it made her feel claustrophobic.

“After dessert, I need to get home. I’m exhausted, and I still have to get Raptor settled.” She hadn’t heard Raptor and Hank come into the kitchen, and Raptor’s voice over her shoulder startled her. If it hadn’t been for his quick reflexes the plate of studel would have landed on the floor.

“I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“It’s okay. I should be used to it because of Hank and the rest of his guys. They’re always sneaking up on me.”

“No, we’re not. It’s just ingrained in us.”

“Yeah, I know. Like I said, I should be used to it.”

Raptor took the plate of pastries and placed them on the island. “How about we take a couple of these for the road.”

“It’s okay, we can have coffee then leave.”

“I didn’t realize how early you started until Hank filled me in. You need your rest.”

“You don’t mind?”

“Of course not. It’s my job remember? To keep you safe that is.” Rori’s yawn was the icing on the cake, and there was no changing his mind.

“Okay, you win.”

“Here you go,” Sadie said as she handed Raptor a silver foil wrapped package filled with strudel.

“I hope you kept some for you guys?”

“Are you kidding? No way would she give them all away,” Hank said with a chuckle. “My wife won’t pass up anything that Rori makes.”

After saying their goodbyes, they loaded Raptor’s gear into the van Rori used for deliveries.

“I’ll stop by tomorrow to see how things are going,” Hank said to her while staring at Raptor. What was going on? Some guy thing by the look of it.

“C’mon, bodyguard, let’s get a move on. I have to get up in four hours.”

“Yes, boss,” Raptor answered with a big grin. He needed to stop looking at her like that, she was going to melt like a buttercream if he kept it up. “I can drive.”

“It’ll be faster for me to do it than have to give you directions.”

“They sound like a married couple already.” Sadie giggled. Married? Sadie must have been sipping the marsala wine behind her back. The woman had clearly lost her mind.

“Keep it up, and all the eclairs will be going to Hank.”

“Yikes.” Sadie hugged her and whispered, “just give it a chance.”

Rori was too tired to argue that this was just a job for Raptor, they’d only met a few hours earlier, and she wasn’t on the market anyway. They’d had this conversation or a derivation of it several times over the last six months.