Okay, so that had been insanely awkward.

Jaimi tried not to look over her shoulder at the sheriff she'd just literally fled from. He was a sheriff, for heaven's sake. How was he not going to think that behavior was weird? She might as well have grabbed a Sharpie and written "I have big secrets I'm hiding" on her forehead.

It was his fault. He'd been so damn charming that she'd forgotten to put up walls and keep him dancing out of range. She'd wanted to connect with him, to let his smile make her feel good, to let him flirt with her a little.

He was handsome. He had a great smile. He'd saved her from pancake-ville. And he had the faintest hint of shadows in his eyes, which made him human. Yes, she was a committed single mom who was obsessively devoted to giving up everything that mattered to her to ensure the well-being of her kid, in accordance with every holier-than-thou-mom social media post that crossed her feed. However, she was also a sex-starved, relationship-challenged woman who wasn't immune to a man like Dane Wilson sending his charms her way.

Which had made her panic and act like a complete idiot.

"Mommy!" Emily tugged on her hand. "Did you hear what Santa's elf just said? Did you?"

Jaimi focused on her daughter, and the massively-broad-shouldered elf who was crouching in front of her. "Sorry, I was admiring the reindeer's tail." What? Admiring a reindeer's tail? What kind of lunatic lie was that? She might as well have said, "Hey, I have a fetish for furry butts." Good God. That sheriff had completely rattled her. She cleared her throat, and forced her attention on her daughter, trying not to notice whether the elves had marked her as crazy yet. "What did he say?"

Emily beamed at her, excitement dancing in her eyes. "He said there's a concert starting in an hour. Travis Turner! I love him! Can we go? Please, please, please? Can we go?"

Oh, man. Right now, she was feeling like heading back to the hotel and regrouping, not dealing with a bunch of swooning women ogling the massive country music star… How had they gotten such a huge headliner to perform at a local Christmas festival, anyway? Maybe Rogue Valley was more than the tiny town she'd driven through on the way to the festival. Or maybe Travis Turner had run over someone with his truck when driving through town and he'd been blackmailed into performing. Yeah, probably more likely…

Not that she had time to wonder about the booking talents of the local organizers, right? She had to stay focused on important tasks, like avoiding a certain sheriff who was probably Googling her right now. "I think we'll skip it, sweetie. Concerts can get pretty rowdy—"

"Not this one." The elf grinned up at Jaimi, flashing her a smile that was almost, but not quite, as charming as Dane's. "It's a family show. It'll be okay for her."

She had a sudden urge to jam the toe of her boot into that disarming grin. "I appreciate the recommendation, but I think we'll head back to our hotel—"

"Moooom!" Emily tugged on her hand. "I know he's your favorite! Please!"

Travis Turner had been her favorite, until attending his show meant staying within pouncing range of a certain hot sheriff with too much intelligence for her convenience. Hadn't Dane heard about guys who had rocks for brains behind their pretty faces and delicious muscles? Apparently not. The man needed to get out more, apparently. "We need to get dinner," she said firmly, gripping Em's hand and turning to leave…which put her facing Dane, who was striding directly toward her, a dark expression on his face.

His gaze drilled into her, freezing her in her frostbitten, snowbound tracks. Crap. He looked mad. Why? What had she done, other than almost neuter him with her elbow? Because yes, she had noticed that close call, and was horrified that she hadn't even managed to apologize before fleeing.

Something white by his hip caught her eye, and she stared at it. It took her a full moment to recognize it, then dread clogged her throat. He had the picture of Chase in his hand. Double crap. No wonder he looked mad. She gripped Emily's hand. "We definitely gotta go—" She managed only one step, before the other elf stepped in front of her, blocking her path.

She stopped. "Seriously? Are you guys tag-teaming me or something?"

He grinned at her, a smile that looked suspiciously similar to the first elf. He had a small cross hanging from his left ear, which just didn't look elf-like at all, right? More like a biker. "If you're looking for dinner," he said, with a casualness so deliberate that she didn't buy it for even a split second, "there's a barbeque during the concert as well. Travis Turner donated the food, and there's enough for the whole town." He smiled at Emily. "Do you like burgers?"

She beamed at him, as of course she would. Small children were experts at being treacherous little traitors when it suited them. "I love burgers. And fries. Are there fries?" She lowered her voice to a whisper that Santa could have heard even from the North Pole. "My mom makes me eat broccoli instead of fries."

"Yes, I do." Jaimi grimaced, watching Dane get closer. The man knew how to navigate crowds far too well, and he was barely slowed by all the people wanting to chat with him. Even when he spoke to them, he kept his gaze pinned on her, which, she had to admit, was both electrifying and alarming. Hot cowboy staring at her: awesome and a little terrifying. Suspicious and pissed off law enforcement officer bearing down on her: not at all awesome and definitely terrifying.

Terrifying either way, which meant sticking around was a poor choice on any level…And he was getting close! Panic closed in, and she realized she had only seconds to make a break for it. Of course, she could just plant her feet and decide that he was hunting her down because he was going to propose a moonlit sleigh ride snuggled under a fuzzy, insanely warm blanket while two gorgeous snow-white horses drew them along.

He held up the photo.

Shit. No sleigh ride intended. She wasn't staying around to be interrogated. She was a horrible liar at her best, and she was too cold for even that level of unenviable performance. Decision made. Time to bail. She squeezed her daughter's hand. "Okay, Em, you win. Let's head back to the hotel and get some warmer clothes, and then we'll come back for the barbeque and the concert. But we'll have to be quick, so let's run." As Emily squealed with delight, Jaimi tried to step around the elf, but the oversized elf, who was way too strong and big to possibly fool any child, moved with her, still blocking her path.

"Excuse me," she said, trying to hide her desperation. "but we really need to go—"

"Jaimi."

Dane's deep voice made her teeth clench, though she wasn't sure if it was from a shot of stark terror, or the flashback to landing on his lap after he saved her. His voice was so deep, and so delicious, and so tempting…

Damn him.

She grimaced, ignoring the elf's raised eyebrows at her cranky expression, then turned toward Dane, plastering on a smile.

God, he looked good up close. She'd already forgotten about his strong, whiskered jaw, and the way his brown eyes settled on her as if she were the only thing in the entire world that he cared about. Her heart melted a little bit before she could remember that he was probably her enemy. She cleared her throat. "Dane. Hey. So nice to see you again." Fake small talk was so not her thing, and she saw from the suspicious look on elf #1's face that he didn't buy it. Or maybe, he just heard the strangled mix of terror and lust in her voice. That could be it as well.

Dane walked up, his shoulders even wider than the built-like-a-brick-wall elf's, and, sadly, his face was much less friendly than it had been only moments before. So, yeah, definitely no romantic sleigh ride offer pending. Sob.

"I'm glad I caught you," he said, his eyes studying her face with a level of interest that didn't feel nearly as flirtatious as it had been when she had been parked on his lap. He held up the photo. "You dropped this, and I thought it might be important."

Jaimi felt her cheeks heat up, and she snatched it from his hand, trying to get it before Emily or the elves noticed. "Thanks—"

"Mom! That's our photo of—"

She slammed her hand over Emily's mouth and anchored her against her hip. "So, yes, we were just heading back to the hotel—"

"So soon?" Dane smiled at her, a smile that still made sparks salsa happily down her spine. God, he was handsome. How was it possible that every woman in Rogue Valley wasn't lined up behind him, trying to get close enough to fondle him illicitly? "I see you met Santa's elves. How are they doing? It's their first time."

Emily beamed at Dane, apparently as enamored by him as Jaimi was, without the "Oh, God, he's going to either expose me or charm me into taking off my pants," baggage to complicate things. "They wouldn't let me climb into the reindeer pen," Emily announced, "but then they gave me food for them, so it was cool."

Jaimi managed a smile. "Thanks for saving her from herself," she said to the elves, even as she began to edge away. "But we really must go—"

"Jaimi's new to town," Dane announced, moving in beside her, so she was basically penned between the three large men and the fence. What the hell? Was she imagining it, or had they somehow made a secret pact to trap her? "Maybe she could sit with you and your families at the concert?" he said to the elves. "I bet her daughter would love Ava."

"What?" Jaimi stopped trying to retreat, staring in confusion at Dane. She had been so certain he was mad at her, but if he was, why would he offer up some local hospitality for her and Em?

Elf #1 narrowed his eyes, clearly wondering the same thing. "Yeah, sure, we can make that happen."

"That's great." Dane's words sounded pleased, but there was still an edge to his voice that made Jaimi shift restlessly. This was not the same friendly, flirty hottie who had rescued her. He was tenser now, watching her as if he wasn't sure whether he was going to have to whip out his gun and take her down. "Jaimi, these are the best guys in town, and they're like my brothers. Meet Zane and Steen Stockton. Zane and Steen, this is Jaimi Hamilton and her daughter."

He dropped the names like a freaking bomb and then waited, staring at her.

Zane and Steen? Jaimi froze, her face morphing into horrified stillness as her chest started to hammer in panic. Emily squawked in surprise, and Dane's eyebrows went up with expectation. Holy crap. He'd dropped that bomb to test her.

She had to pull out the deflection. She had to shrug it off, and play the "no big deal" card. Like now.

But no casual quip came to her mind. No clever response. Just absolute shock and numbness. She was rooted in place, frozen into paralysis, like an idiotic rabbit who thought that hiding in plain sight was a better response to an approaching coyote than actually…oh…maybe… running like hell?

She shot a panicked look at the elves, but from the mildly curious expressions on their faces, she knew they had no clue what was going on. They had no idea who she was, just as her mom had always told her. She was nothing to them. Nothing. For a split second, a huge crash of sadness pressed down upon her so hard she couldn't even breathe.

Dane frowned at her. "Are you okay?"

She shook her head once, unable to find her voice, unable to summon even a single word.

Emily tugged at her hand. "Mom?"

She couldn’t even answer her daughter. She couldn’t even fake a smile for her, which was astounding, given her expertise in faking it to keep Em happy.

Silence made time slow to a stop as the three men stared at her, no doubt shocked by the look of absolute terror on her face. But she couldn't think of anything to say or do to break the moment. Her mind was an absolute blank.

Elf #1 (who was that? Zane? Steen?) glanced down at the photo in her hand, and his brow furrowed as he saw what was on it. When he looked back up at her, his eyes were narrowed. "What's that?"

At the sound of his voice, the deep tenor that was so different from Dane's, something snapped inside her, something she'd been holding taut her whole life. She looked back and forth between them, at Zane and Steen, in their elf hats. Which was which? She had no idea, but as she searched their faces, looking for some clue, the strangest feeling came over her.

These men were her brothers. Even if they had no idea who she was, they were hers.

Suddenly, tears filled her eyes, and her throat clogged. She stumbled backwards, her vision suddenly too blurry to see. "We have to go." The words were an unintelligible muddle, but who the hell cared at this point? Dignity was a lost cause, and escape was the only choice, no matter how klutzy, unprofessional, or pathetic it might be. "Now, Em."

For once, her daughter didn't argue. Emily gripped her hand tightly, and broke into a run to keep up as Jaimi practically sprinted across the festival grounds. Only once did Jaimi glance over her shoulder, and she saw the three men standing together, watching her.

They weren't talking.

They weren't looking at each other.

They weren't entertaining the kids.

They were completely, and entirely, focused on her.

She knew then that escape was only temporary. They were going to come find her. She had to get out of town, vacate before they found her, go back to Boston—

Her gaze settled on Dane, and her heart seemed to stop. She'd expected to see that same anger that had been on his face when he'd handed her the photo…except it wasn't there. There was no anger anymore. His jaw wasn't hard or flexed. The expression on his face…was concerned. Kind. Worried.

Surprised, she stopped running, staring across the crowds at him. Her chest hurt, either from the physical exertion, or from emotion, or from the fact that Dane was looking at her as if he wanted to hug her, not arrest her.

He said something to Steen and Zane, then detached himself from them and started walking toward her, not taking his gaze off hers. She tightened her hand around Emily's, unsure what to do. She wanted to run, to hide, to escape from this part of her life, to retreat back to the world that she knew…

But something kept her rooted in place. Something deeper. Something that was calling to her more deeply than the screaming of her inner wimp to run away.

"Are we going to introduce ourselves?" Emily whispered. "Or are we still spies?"

"I don't know," Jaimi whispered back. Dane was closer now, still watching her. His approach was different than it had been the last time. He was still in relentless pursuit, but there was a softness to his expression that made her heart ache. She had a sudden vision of falling into his arms and letting him envelop her in his protective strength.

God, what the hell? She didn't fall into anyone's arms. She was a badass single mom who karate-chopped men who tried to muscle their way into her precious mother-daughter circle.

"You don't know if we're spies?" Emily asked.

"I don't know what to do," she admitted. Her throat was dry now, and she knew she had to decide right then whether to walk away or let him catch up. She didn't feel like engaging in offensive martial arts with him. She wanted to stand there, like some pathetic lump, and let him sweep her off her feet like a fairytale prince who just happened to be wearing Wranglers, cowboy boots, and that calf-length jacket that was just so undeniably male.

Emily tightened her hand around hers. "I'm sorry I brought the photo," she whispered, her voice suddenly very small. "I didn't mean for them to see it."

Jaimi's heart squeezed, and she looked down at her daughter, at her worried little face, and the tears brimming in her eyes. "Oh, baby, it's okay." She crouched down and pulled Emily into her arms. "I love you."

Emily nodded, a single tear glistening on her cheeks. "I want a family," she whispered. "I really do. I want to tell them who we are."

Oh, God. How could she ignore that? Without Gram, it was just the two of them, alone in the entire damn world, and she knew Emily missed Gram more than she'd ever admit. Jaimi took a deep breath. "Gram always said everything happens for a reason, right?"

Emily bit her lower lip, her big blue eyes fixed on Jaimi. "Yeah."

Jaimi took another deep breath. God, she could barely breathe, her chest was so tight. "So, there must be a reason that the universe wanted Dane and the others to see the photo." I can do this. I can do this. I can do this. But she didn't feel like she could. But for her daughter, for her amazing daughter, she would try. She forced a strained smile. "So, let's see what that reason is, okay?"

"Really?" Emily stared at her, hope lighting up her face. "I thought we were running away."

Jaimi managed a laugh. "We were, but then I smacked down my inner wimp."

"Oh." Emily grinned. "Awesome."

"Yeah, awesome." Not quite feeling the vibe of "awesome," Jaimi lifted Emily onto her hip and then turned toward the men she'd left behind. Zane and Steen were still watching her, and Dane was only a short distance away.

She still had a second to flee, a second to retreat to her life.

Then Emily leaned her head against Jaimi's cheek, and resolution flooded her.

She had to at least try. She wasn't going to promise anything, even to herself, except that she wasn't going to run away this minute. For now, for this moment in time, she was going to stand right where she was and see what happened.

So, she tightened her grip on her daughter, lifted her chin, and waited for Dane to reach them.