They’d won three of the four flags. Mary smiled at Vi, who was whooping and hollering her way through the gathered Arsenal personnel. The one loss they took today was one she had gathered extremely critical intel from. She’d already plotted countermeasures and had a list of questions drawn up to go over with Dylan and a couple of other people, whoever he recommended.

Every operative handled situations like that differently, so she wanted enough opinions to see all potential solutions, not just those her limited focus provided. She couldn’t believe she hadn’t thought of a human shield scenario. Not once had it crossed her mind, yet it was almost a basic training level maneuver.

One Dylan’s team found. She took a certain amount of pride in the fact he’d won the flag, not his brothers. They slapped him on the back and taunted him about having inside information. Heat rose in her cheeks as the men all focused on her.

Marshall stepped up and tapped her shoulder with a gentle fist bump. “Hell of a good defensive system, ladies. That’s the most impressive thing I’ve ever seen.”

“Yeah, little brother here is gonna be following you two around, drooling. Don’t mind him. He’s in the shock and awe stage of his worship,” Nolan teased.

“All the information Betty and HERA gathered from today is beyond valuable,” Mary said, projecting her voice loud enough for everyone to hear. “This was the first time we’ve set up and run the system full out, and we couldn’t have picked a better crew for it. You all put HERA through the paces and found quite a few holes we need to seam up. I’m going to need some feedback from the teams. We’re back office and don’t always think like you since we aren’t in the field all the time. I’d appreciate whatever time and information you can provide.”

Most of the men nodded. Dylan grinned.

“So, since HERA kicked your asses, how about you get a chance to kick back?” Vi asked. “Addy helped Mary and I get the offensive demonstration prepared. She’s going to walk the team leaders through the infield gear and drone capabilities, then we can get started after everyone’s back from lunch. Sound good?”

“One hour, everyone. Team leads, hang back. That includes you, Graves,” Dylan added.

Vi and Mary sat with Addy and The Arsenal team leads and walked through the various components of the infield systems, including the personnel assessment and real-time flagging. Riley and her mom took Bree and Rhea to the mess hall. Mrs. Mason had sat beside she and Vi during the entire exercise, but hadn’t said much. Mary wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not.

By the time the show and tell portion of the day was over, Mary was exhausted. While everyone grabbed lunch, she opted for a nap to stave off the worst of the weariness. Although long days with little sleep were a common occurrence in her profession, she was healing and needed more rest. Drinking the night before hadn’t been the smartest thing to do.

The rest of the afternoon would fly by quickly, though, because boys playing with their toys tended to get rowdy, especially when in friendly competition with one another.

Dylan and his brothers decided to keep everyone in the same teams from earlier and go head to head. Each team would have the same gear and take turns penetrating each other’s zones. Offensive versus defensive capabilities.

Vi and Addy had worked with the other women and gotten everything set up for the afternoon exercises. Now that she was awake and a bit more energized, she headed toward the remnants of the lunch table.

Dylan stood there, arms crossed over his massive chest. He flashed a smile when Mary approached. “Feeling better?”

“Yeah,” she admitted. “I see Arsenal operatives are like the ones at the Hive—vultures when lunch comes around.”

“Good thing I thought ahead.” He held out a hand. “Come on, let’s go eat.”

“I should stay here, check a few things out so everything’s ready for later,” she argued.

“Remember what I made you promise? That you’d give me the calm when I asked?”

“I never promised,” she whispered back.

He smiled but took her hand and dragged anyway. He did that sort of thing more often now. Touching. Holding. Mary tried to ignore the butterflies, the way her breath hitched every time he flashed the disarming smile, but it was getting harder and harder to remember why she needed to be careful.

Dylan Mason wasn’t her kind of man. Women like her stood zero chance of surviving the fallout his loss created. She hadn’t been woman enough to keep men like Dean satisfied; she had a snowball’s chance in a lava pit to keep Dylan on the hook longer than a few dates.

This isn’t a date, idiot. He’s feeding you. You’re his charge, nothing more. 

When they entered the barn, curiosity won over requisite silence. Horses whinnied and nickered from a connected pasture not too far away. She wasn’t sure how she expected a barn to smell, but this one was almost...clean. Well tended.

Dylan did the cowboy whistle thing she’d seen in movies a time or two. A gorgeous black beast came charging up. He stroked the gorgeous animal a few times, then looked over. “You ever ridden a horse before?”

“Me?”

He looked around. “No one else here.”

“No.” Mary gulped. She so, so wanted to though. “I’d probably screw up or be too nervous and make him jittery.”

“Peanut doesn’t rattle easily.”

“You have a horse named Peanut?” Mary couldn’t help it. The laughter tumbled out.

Crimson rose in his cheeks. He escorted Peanut into a large area she assumed was a grooming area, and he began brushing the horse.. Her heart thundered wildly. Why was she here?

“He was born while I was in the service. Riley took one look at him and declared he was mine, but everyone considers him more hers.” Dylan set the brush aside and hefted a saddle onto the horse’s back. “I’d been home a few weeks before that because of an injury, so I must’ve been on her mind. She was pretty young back then, and it was summertime, which meant she got bored easily. Mom would make her a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for a midmorning snack every day.” He smiled and started working the saddle’s straps around Peanut’s big belly.

“It took Mom a few days to figure it out, but little Riles came to the stable every day and sat in Peanut’s stall, feeding him the sandwich. She’d ramble on the entire time. We were all overseas, so it was just her, Mom, and Dad. I guess that’s how she coped. She didn’t want to overload them with whatever scared a little sister about all six of her brothers being gone. Riles doesn’t share easily. Peanut here got it all.”

Mary smiled and swiped the tears from her eyes. How sweet. She could imagine a young blond girl whispering her secrets and fears to the amazing creature before her. How much had Peanut heard?

“His name was changed to Peanut when Dad heard, said he couldn’t imagine a better name. Riles brought each of us out to meet him when we came home on leave. She always mentioned he was a great listener, as if she sensed we had troubles to offload. Every now and then, we see her wander into the barn with a sandwich and figure she was visiting an old friend.”

Her heart squeezed when he turned and faced her. She leaned forward when he cupped her face.

“You were amazing today, Mary. You continue blowing me away with everything you can do, how brilliant your mind is. But you’re more than HERA and what you do. I know you’re probably nervous about talking with the doctor in the morning, so I wanted you to see there’s more ways to offload than with someone. Though I want to be the someone you feed your troubles to.”

Dylan’s mouth swept across hers, a gentle glide that warmed her insides as though she was atop a campfire. No one was around. She set her hands on his hard chest and groaned. Her hands wandered to his muscular back and drew him closer, until he molded against her and swept his arms around her. She delved, tasting his mouth with wild abandon.

Definitely not boring or awkward.

Pleasure beaded through her bloodstream, land mines waiting to implode. She wanted more, the glide of his mouth across her neck. His hands on her body. The kiss ended before she wanted.

Come to think of it, nothing was as she expected when it came to Dylan. Kissing and touching had always been...functionary with Dean. She hadn’t ever anticipated his touch the way she did Dylan’s.

And the kissing. Wow. Dylan Mason was a master kisser.

“If I don’t stop now, sweetheart, we won’t be making the afternoon activities because I’ll have better things for us both to do.”

She was okay with better, which surprised her. She licked her lips and let him guide her to Peanut.

“Put your hand here,” he said as he settled her good hand on the front of the saddle, then helped situate her foot in the stirrup. Before she could argue or question the intelligence of his actions she was atop Peanut.

How the hell had that happened? She peered down at Dylan. Peanut was a really big horse. Like bigger than she’d expected height wise. “He’s so tall.”

“Just under seventeen hands,” he commented.

She looked at her hands, then down at Dylan. “Yours or mine?”

He smirked. Her heart thundered as he mounted behind her. “Let’s go riding before I decide to stay in here and kiss you some more instead.”

Mary was okay with kissing. Really okay.

Peanut was an awesome tour companion. He plodded along in a slow gait and responded quickly when Dylan nudged him with his legs or pulled on the reins. The Mason land was gorgeous. He knew every inch, regaled her with stories from his childhood, family history. Time halted as she listened. Leaned against his powerful frame, burrowed within his arms, she listened, laughed, and teased.

He brought them to a stop beneath a thick, huge pecan tree. He pulled out a blanket from the basket beneath the tree and spread it on the ground. A smile crept across his handsome face as he spread the rest of the stuff out. Her throat closed tight, her chest swelled.

Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

“It’s a bit corny now that I think about it,” he said. “I woke up early this morning and figured this would make a good break in the day.”

“It’s sweet.” She sat beside him. “I love it.”

Mary slid half a sandwich to the side and looked at him. A knowing gleam lit his eyes.

“What?” she asked defensively.

“I made Peanut her own. We’ll feed her together. After you’ve eaten.” He opened a bottle of water and passed it over. “You didn’t grow up near farm and ranch land.”

“City girl, born and bred.” She took a swig of water. “Mom was a teacher, Dad was a mechanic. Neither of them understood why I loved computers so much.”

“Siblings?”

“A half-brother, older. He didn’t like me much.” Her stomach soured like it always did when she thought about Ralph. “He had...issues.”

“He hurt you?”

“Sometimes. I was younger than him; he played rough. Mom and Dad got upset with me for telling on him so much. Eventually, I didn’t bother.” Why had she said that? Must be the magic peanut butter and jelly.

“They should’ve listened.”

“They had bigger troubles, and Ralph worked hard. The sign of a good man is how hard he works, you know.” Bitterness coated Mary’s tongue. No matter how long she’d tried, Dad had never seen her as more than a problem. A chore he handled in between taking out the trash and mowing the lawn. “Dad didn’t expect to have another kid when he married Mom. I was a mistake.”

“No child is a mistake,” Dylan growled. “They still together?”

“Oh yes. Mom would never leave Dad. Ever. If there’s a problem you don’t retreat, you dig in and work harder.” Mary pulled off the crusts and took a bite. “Don’t get me wrong, I had a good life. They gave me everything I needed.”

Dylan studied her a moment but said nothing. She suspected the silence on his end was tough. Dad would hate him. Mom, too.

“They’re in Boston, where I grew up.” She rose, grabbing one of the extra sandwiches piled up between her and Dylan. “It must be great growing up in a small town, kind of like one big family.”

“Where everyone knows your business and has an opinion about it they share often and loudly,” he groused.

“You and your brothers are a focal point.”

“What makes you think that?” he asked.

“The way everyone watched us at Bubba’s. It was a wild guess.”

“Masons have been around as long as Resino has. We’re a founding family. The Burtons on the other side of town are the other big family. Between them and us, we keep most of Resino employed, in one way or another. Dallas helps Riley and the ranch foreman run things. The rest of us stay focused on K Bar.”

“And Warrior’s Path?” She offered half of the sandwich to Peanut. “It’s a wonderful program from what I’ve heard. You’re going to affect a lot of lives, help a lot of people, Dylan.”

“Everyone should have a safe haven somewhere and someone who steers the ship when things get rough.”

“Ah, I hear the Navy in you now,” she teased.

“Bite your tongue,” he teased. “We’d better head back before Marshall sends out a search party.”

Mary glanced at her watch, startled to see they’d been gone for two hours. Everyone would be waiting. And for once in her life, she didn’t care about the job or anyone’s expectations. She wanted to stay there, under the pecan tree, with Dylan and Peanut. Eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

“WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?” Riley demanded. “Mom and Marshall were about to start scouring the ranch.”

“I took Mary out to the tree, introduced her to Peanut,” he replied as he tossed Peanut’s reins to her.

Mary tore out of the barn like it was on fire, headed straight for the compound. So much for getting her to focus on something other than work. They’d had a great afternoon, though. She held her past close, not offering much in the way of details, but he’d read through enough of the lines to know he didn’t like her family. 

“Grandpa’s tree?” she asked, eyes wide. “Dylan, Mom hears you took her out there, and she’ll be planning a wedding. No kidding. What were you thinking?”

“None of your business, Riles. Back off.”

“I don’t like this, Dylan.” Riley remained close even though he walked away. “She’s a nice girl, really nice. She doesn’t deserve this.”

“Deserve this?” he repeated.

“To be the rebound girl.”

“Back off, Riles. It’s none of your business. Mary’s a great woman, one who’s been through more than most people could handle. She’s got a huge burden on her shoulders and needs a friend. I want to be that friend. I swore to protect her, so of course I’m keeping her close. She’s my responsibility as long as she’s here.” Dylan glared at Riley. “Back off.”

“See? That’s what I’m saying. She’s falling for you. Don’t string her along. Rebound with some other woman, someone who doesn’t mind you purging Hailey from your system then moving on.” Riley unsaddled Peanut. “Mary’s too sweet to use like that.”

“Leave that bitch out of this.”

“You’ve gotta deal with what happened at some point, Dylan. Everyone’s worried. Hell, even Marshall was saying just last night that he thought you should’ve moved on by now.”

Fuck. When the hell had his sex life become a family discussion point? He didn’t want them sniffing around Mary, making her uncomfortable. He sure as hell wasn’t going to share what he was starting to feel about the woman with his little sister. Hell no.

“I’ve gotta get to the compound. They’re waiting on me.” He charged toward the door. “And keep your nose out of my business, Riles.”

Frustrated that nothing in his life stayed private long, he headed toward the compound and slammed straight into Mary. He reached out and grabbed her shoulders. Wide, blue eyes peered up at him. Her face drained of color as she looked away.

Fuck.

“Mary.”

“Sorry. I came back, realizing I needed to help with Peanut.” She swallowed and pushed from his arms. “And I forgot to thank you for the wonderful time. Guess I should’ve stayed away.”

Dylan looked back at the barn, then down at the woman who’d obviously heard too much of the wrong thing and nothing of what he really wanted her to know. “Riles noses around. I don’t want her messing around in my business. I say what she needs to hear to back off.”

“Sure. It’s not my business either, Dylan.” She pointed toward the compound. “I’ll meet you there.”

“Dammit, Mary. Look at me.” He cupped her face. “I’m not having a misunderstanding hanging between us. She has no idea what she’s saying. You are not a rebound.”

“I know. I’m a friend you’re protecting. A responsibility.” She repeated the words monotone, but her sadness and hurt filled her eyes.

Hurt he’d created because of some bullshit need to keep his family from his private life.

“You mentioned how living in a small town must’ve been great. Remember what I said?”

“Everyone knew your business and had an opinion,” she whispered.

“Exactly. You just heard it in action. I haven’t even wrapped my own head around whatever the hell you’ve stirred in me, and I’ve got the entire family offering up their thoughts on how I should or shouldn’t proceed.” Dylan cupped her face.

“I...” She looked into his eyes. “I stir you up?”

Fuck. Dylan’s mouth had run off without his brain.

“Yeah, you do. I’m not ready to share what went on with Hailey, but I will. I’d like you to hear it from me, not the local gossip mill and not my family.”

“Okay.” She settled her hand on his. “I’m not good with the whole dating thing. I’m really boring. So I know this isn’t like we’re dating or anything, just so you know. I know it’s a temporary thing, something to pass the time.”

“You aren’t an itch I’m scratching, or a rebound fling, or anything else. I don’t know what the hell you are, Mary. I’ll be honest. I’m floored. One minute, I don’t want you and what you might mean anywhere near me. The next, I’m ready to rip my brother’s head off for winking at you. We’re neck-deep in trouble, and it’s all swimming around you. I hate that. I hate not knowing who or what’s around the corner and knowing things are about to explode in our faces. And I hate not knowing what to do about you, whatever this chemistry is between us. I don’t want to hurt you, Mary. I won’t ever hurt you.”