Thad drove down River Creek Road, having loaded his last two escapees in the kennels. The rapid temperature drop gave him a bit of a chill. He scanned the neighborhood to see if his headlights triggered the glow of another animal’s eyes.

Poor Karly. She must be going crazy.

The night air circulated through the truck’s cabin, producing a subtle white noise, giving him a chance to think about possibilities. A few weeks ago, he didn’t think he had any, but Karly changed that.

He’d been wrong to let her go. She was stronger and more flexible than he realized. She just might have learned to be a soldier’s wife after all. He could deal with whatever life threw at him, but only if Karly was in his life.

For whatever reason, she loved him. She might not have said it directly, but she’d demonstrated her love in little ways. She’d fussed about his leg, tried to find him a job, defended him, just like she did in high school. She might be the only one who loved the real him, not a reflection of what others thought of him. He never understood why, but she loved him, dents and all. She needed support, and he’d be there, because sooner or later her family members would let her down. They always did. And no matter what it was she was hiding, he could deal with it.

When he arrived outside of Helper Shelter, she was the first out the front door.

“I’ve got a total of five in the back,” he said, leaning out before shutting off the engine.

She reached out to touch an arm. “Thanks.” She shined a flashlight in the kennels. “I’ll mark them off the list.” She hurried back inside.

Her touch seemed insignificant, yet was so casually intimate it made his pulse beat double-time. He backed into the nearest parking spot. Several volunteers raced out to help unload the animals. Karly returned with a clipboard and highlighter. “Finding the rodents and lizards will be almost impossible. They may be gone for good. We’re still missing a cat and four dogs.”

“Maybe this is fate’s way of helping you decide how to consolidate your business. Maybe boarding and dog training is what you need to focus on.”

“Those are certainly the most profitable parts of my business.”

“We just need to figure out how to get enough money to keep you going for now.”

“Right now, it’s not about the money. I need to do what I can to make sure these animals are safe. I don’t know how I’m going to ever thank all these volunteers.”

“They love these animals, as much as they care for you.” We all love you Karly. I wish you could see that. He studied the tree line. “I’ll get a flashlight and see if the last of the bunch might be close by.”

She moved next to him while he unlocked his tool case. “You’re exhausted. There are already a dozen people out searching. I can’t ask you to do any more. You’ve done enough.”

He studied her face. Nice try. I’m not falling for you sending me home.

If they hadn’t been at the bar together, she would have called everyone, but him. He knew that, and he hated knowing it. The fact was, he knew her.

He lifted a flashlight from the metal case. “Tell you what. I’ll join the search crew, and we’ll start a grid search. At the end of two hours, we’ll call it a night, and start the search again at daylight—and that includes you. Deal?”

“No, I need to stay here. The animals are upset. A human presence will help keep them calm.”

“Mara called to check on my status. She told me Mrs. Gaccione, Brianne, and the sleepover crowd decided to set up tents in the back. There are more than enough hands to help calm the animals. Mara’s your business partner. Let go for once.”

“But—” She lifted that perfect, stubborn chin. “Why are you doing this?”

He dipped his head and gently placed his mouth on hers for a slow, healing kiss before pulling back. “Do you have to ask?”

Seconds had passed before she released control. “Thank you,” she said quietly, this time without a smidgeon of defeat or failure.

Heck, yeah. He’d take the small win.

In the dark of night, the streetlights from the bridge and her building reflected off the tears of relief shimmering in her eyes. He’d had bullets whizz over his head, bombs go off next to him, and planes fly so low they shook the ground he walked on, but nothing terrified him more than the way she had wrapped around his heart, refusing to let go. He wanted to be the man she saw when she looked at him.

She stared at him for a good long while before she took a step back. “I’ll round up a few more folks so you can brief them on that grid search thing you want to do.”

Halfway around the building, several volunteers emerged from the tree line, and people poured out of the building. Many he didn’t know ran over. “We found them,” echoed on the night’s breeze. “We just need a couple more halters and leashes.”

Several women grabbed what they needed and headed off. “I guess they don’t need either of us after all.”

“Maybe not me.” Thad wrapped a hand around her back. “You. We all did this for you.”

She looked around at the people working with the animals, helping settle them, giving baths to those that needed them, doing whatever was necessary to help her business.

“I can’t believe these people just showed up.”

“I can. This is Elkridge. People help each other.”

“But…” She sniffled, and her lip quivered.

He shoved the flashlight into his pocket, and opened his arms wide to invite her in. She only hesitated for a minute before walking the two steps into his embrace. Her shoulders trembled, then began to shake as the building tension released and converted into liquid emotions.

The evening wind picked up, but he shielded her from the gusts that swirled around their intertwined bodies. The skies were clear, and the moon had risen. The building allowed them to stay in the shadow—to enjoy their own little corner of peace.

Ten years ago, Thad wouldn’t have appreciated this moment. A hug was taken for granted. A loving kiss brushed aside. A soft word spoken ignored. Not anymore. He’d seen the short side of life. A life snuffed out in an instant.

Slowly, her emotional vibrations eased and became still. Karly wiped her nose with the sleeve of her fleece jacket. “I don’t know why I’m crying. You come back to town, and I turn into a weepy wimp.”

“I wouldn’t classify you in the weepy wimp category.”

“No? What category would you put me in?”

“I would put you squarely in the seriously strong category.”

She adjusted her baseball cap, then played with her ponytail woven through the back. “Strong? Me?”

“Don’t like that one, huh? How about beautifully brave?”

“Now you're patronizing me.”

She stood there with her pouty expression, her hair rippling in the breeze, studying him with those purposeful eyes, and he wondered if he’d ever seen anything more beautiful. She thought he was here to help her, but in reality, every touch, smile, or friendly poke helped him heal.

He took a step closer, carefully backing her up against the building. “Never patronizing, but maybe a bit more honest than you want to hear.”

“But—”

“Don’t fight me, Karly. Don’t fight this.” He lowered his head to remind her of all the reasons she was good for him. He pressed deeper, and then finally her hand fisted his shirt and yanked him closer still, her grip urgent. She released a growl of frustration, wrapped her arms across his shoulders and pulled, circling her legs around his hips.

Yes. He pushed her up against the metal wall to let his hands explore. She kissed his neck and nipped his chin with abandon.

His legs weakened, and he locked his knees, pressing harder against her.

“Thad?”

“I’m right here. I’ve got you, babe.”

The heat between them exploded, with hands and arms moving in different directions, fighting to memorize every inch of skin.

“You might want to take that PDA someplace else,” Sheriff Joe’s voice conveyed a hint of sarcasm, “before I have to write you both a ticket for indecent exposure.”

Thad pressed his hands up against the building while Karly slid her legs down off his hips, hiding her face.

“That’s a good idea,” Thad said, not taking his eyes off her, a chuckle lodged in his throat.

“No, it’s not.” Karly pushed on his chest, but he wasn’t willing to let her go, not yet.

“Tell you what,” Joe continued. “Mara and I are going to stay with the kids. You two take off. Get some…um…rest.”

“I can’t just leave.” Karly started to duck under his arm, but the absence of her heat made him realize what he wanted. Screw it. He wanted her now.

She took two steps before he tugged on her arm, spun her around, and threw her over his shoulder. She landed with a soft oof.

“I’ll take you up on that offer, Sheriff. Mighty obliged.”

Karly slapped his rump. “Let me down.”

The sheriff laughed. “And drive the speed limit. I don’t want any more calls tonight. I have six youngsters wanting popcorn, pizza, and a movie. My sisters are setting up a projector even as we speak.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Sheriff.” Karly kicked her feet before Thad could wrap an arm around them, blocking her. “You need to arrest this man, for…”

“Karly?” Thad stopped to adjust her weight. “Do you want me arrested, or do you just want to see me in handcuffs?”

When she pounded on his back, Thad started laughing. He gave her a smack on the butt, and that quieted her for about three seconds. At the truck, he set her down next to the passenger door. “Do you want food, shower, or bed?”

“We’ve had food.”

His brow lifted. “That leaves shower or bed.”

She lifted on her toes and bit his chin, then eased back. “Why can’t I have both?”

“See? That’s why we’re good together. Get in.”

In the truck, she still looked a bit dazed, and he had no doubt that, once they were at his cabin, she’d fall asleep in less time than it took him to shower off. He took her hand and drove the few minutes to his place in silence. She just sat, unmoving, as he shut off the truck’s engine.

“Would you have rather gone back to your place?”

She shook her head and then looked at him. “No. I’m just tired.”

“You’re way beyond tired.”

“No. I mean I’m emotionally drained. We’ve had this push and pull thing going for a few weeks now. Tonight reminded me that anything can happen. Just once, I’d like to be with you without my worries interfering. Do you think we can get through tonight without all the tugging back and forth?”

He reached over and drew a line with his finger down the side of her face, under her jaw and then down her throat. “I’ve always believed you could do better than me. You can do anything you want, choose any guy in this town, yet you’ve always chosen me. I don’t understand why. Maybe that’s why I’ve always struggled with what goes on between us. Tonight, I won’t question why. The answer is yes. Yes, Karly, I won’t fight this. You make my nightmares go silent. That’s a good thing.”

She looked at the cabin. “Then what are we waiting for?”

“Wait here. Give me two minutes.” He shot out of the truck, opened the front door, and went in the house. He lifted the emergency candles from the cabinet and placed them around his room, lighting them as he went. After he put the third candle on the side table, the front door opened.

He turned. The moonlight flowing in from the windows outlined her silhouette. She looked like an angel. He drew a shaky breath and reached out to take her hand.

“This is your dance, Karly. I’ll follow where you lead,” he said, giving her an opt-out card. “There is shampoo in the bathroom cupboard. I think it’s the kind you like. Plus a clean towel and a new toothbrush.”

“You bought me shampoo?” She searched his eyes. “Did you think you might get lucky?”

“Call me optimistic. I also have condoms in my nightstand drawer.”

A weird expression crossed her face, then evaporated just as quickly. “I want to make the awful things that happened today go away.” She reached for the edge of his shirt to lift the cotton fabric over the top of his head. “I want you, under the covers, right now, Lopez.”

He grabbed her around the waist and started to walk her backward toward the bed, toward paradise. “That sounds like a perfect plan.”