CHAPTER SIXTEEN
“KEEP YOUR FINGER straight along the barrel, not on the trigger, until you’re ready to shoot.”
Maxi flushed. He’d already told her that a few times, but she kept forgetting. Luckily Miles made sure to stay behind her when she held his small revolver, which he often strapped to his ankle and she found easier to use than his Glock.
Actually, he stayed behind her with his hands on her—her waist, her hip...she was starting to think this whole exercise was just so he could fondle her.
Not that she would have denied him. No way. When Miles touched her, she could almost forget the rest of the world existed.
“Now,” he said near her ear. “See the can? No, don’t close an eye. Both eyes open, babe.”
The instructions went on and on, and after several tries she did finally hit the can. It excited her so much, she started to turn to Miles, but he caught her quickly and relieved her of the gun.
Another blush. But then she saw him smiling at her, his arms open, and she threw herself against him. “Who knew target shooting could be so much fun?”
“With you?” he said, pressing a kiss to her mouth. “Everything is fun.”
“Ha, right.” With the sun behind him, she squinted to see his face. “Not getting stitches.”
“Let’s just say I’d rather do that with you than without you.”
He kept confusing her with the things he said. Was it no more than the usual banter between a man and a woman, or was he telling her that she was somehow special? God, if only she hadn’t walked out on him the first time, she wouldn’t hesitate now to ask him how he felt about her.
But the history was there. She had walked away, and she didn’t know if that had forever altered his trust. Plus, he was now her bodyguard, so he was basically forced into close proximity to keep her safe. Being sexually compatible might just be a convenient perk for him.
She realized he was watching her intently, waiting for her reply.
Joking seemed like a good cover for her ridiculous insecurity, so she said, “Well, if I had to get stitches, I’d rather get them with you, too.”
“No stitches for you.” Miles touched her mouth. “Promise me.”
It couldn’t be her imagination. He was definitely warmer toward her, more demonstrative now in ways that didn’t lead them straight to bed. It was almost as if he’d made a decision that she knew nothing about.
Whatever his reasons, she liked the way he was with her now, so she smiled. “I promise.”
For once, the cats weren’t around them. The loud gun blasts had sent most of them scattering, but not far. They sat up the hill around the house, observing from a safe distance.
Only one cat remained close and Maxi bent to stroke along his back.
“He’s a brave one,” Miles said. “Hope he’s not watching and learning. That’s all we need is an armed cat.”
She grinned, scooping up the black cat and cradling him to her chest. A gentle breeze drifted over the pond. Somewhere in the distance, a frog croaked. The humidity felt lower today, and the recent rains had left the landscape a vibrant green.
Miles tilted his head. “You amaze me, did you know that?”
Surprised by that sudden disclosure, she said, “But my aim wasn’t all that great.”
“I don’t mean shooting. You’ll get better at that with more practice.” He, too, pet the cat. “I’m amazed because even with what happened, you don’t feel uncomfortable down here anymore.”
He didn’t have to clarify; she knew exactly what he meant. They were very near the spot where someone had put her unconscious body in the dead of night.
At first, she’d feared that she’d never be able to visit the pond again.
It was thanks to him that she’d conquered that fear. He’d been casual about walking with her around the pond, always sticking close, there if she needed him.
Such an amazing guy, in so many ways.
She managed a smile. “I used to be, but not so much anymore.” Her gaze sought his. “Not when you’re with me.”
Looking far too serious, his hand curved around her cheek, his thumb brushing the corner of her mouth. “I’m glad.”
They kept dancing around declarations and it made her nuts. In her heart, she wanted him to stay, but being rational, she knew he couldn’t. The Body Armor agency was a good forty-five minutes away. His friends, his family, his life...they all existed in a world separate from hers.
That he treated her so affectionately was probably because of the phenomenal sex, a carryover to that intimacy. She, better than anyone, knew that sex didn’t necessarily equate commitment. After all, she was the one who’d insisted that it not be anything more than sex. Since he’d become her bodyguard, she hadn’t requested a change in those parameters. He was only abiding by her rules—how could she change those rules now, when he was still obliged to stay with her?
Obviously she couldn’t, and damn it, she would not get emotional about it.
Everything was currently too nice to dampen it with what-ifs and worries for a future of their convoluted relationship.
“This sweet baby,” she said, hugging the cat and effectively diverting her thoughts, “stayed with me. When I finally woke up enough to realize what had happened, he was there, watching me. He even came closer and sat by me.” At the time, the familiar cat had felt like a lifeline in the middle of the unknown.
Miles, always attuned to her moods, scratched beneath the cat’s chin. “Don’t take offense, buddy. She doesn’t mean to insult you.”
Mouth twitching, Maxi asked, “How did I insult him?”
“You called him a sweet baby. He’s actually a total badass. I’ve seen him stalk birds, a rabbit and a fish in the pond.”
“Ah, well, then, I’m sorry.”
“Are you set on the name Baby?”
She nodded. “At first I was calling him Shadow, mostly because when he sits in one, the only thing you can see is his eyes. But then he was such a cuddler, I started calling him Baby and it stuck. Now I’m starting to think that name isn’t nearly grand enough.”
The cat stretched toward Miles, his purr rumbling, his big yellow eyes closing in pleasure as he got attention from both humans.
Mesmerized, she watched the gentle way Miles handled the cat, taking him from her and holding him close. “So as a hero, he needs a grander name?”
An idea dawned on her. “What do you think of calling him Hero?”
“I think he doesn’t care what you call him, as long as you keep loving him.”
Again, it felt like he was talking about more than her cat. In truth, Miles was her real hero.
Did he know that?
Just in case, she whispered, “I’ll love him forever.”
Miles gave her a long look, then, holding the cat against his shoulder, put his other arm around her and started them all toward the house.
It had been only two days since his trip to the ER, but he barely paid any attention to the injury. It definitely hadn’t slowed him down—not in bed, and not around the farm.
Before they could do any practice shooting, he’d built a barrier down by the pond that gave her a wide range for missing and would catch any stray bullets. It was more complex than she’d expected, but Miles was good with his hands.
She grinned while thinking that. Yes, the man was very, very good with his hands.
Even though they couldn’t see anyone beyond her property, they both knew that on occasion someone lurked out there, spying on them.
She didn’t want to kill anyone. Catch them, yes. Pulverize them, sure. But she didn’t want an accidental death on her hands, so she’d waited for him to build the barrier.
Now that it was done she wanted to get in as much practice as she could before the farmer delivered her goats. She’d purchased five of them, and after they were in the pasture, she wanted them to get used to their new home before possibly startling them with gunfire.
Yesterday, Brand had visited again and he and Miles, with her help, had put solar lights on every third fence post. They’d also installed two very tall birdhouses on poles—so that the cats couldn’t disturb them—and each one had a powerful solar light attached that would shine into the woods.
Brand was different from the others, more intense. Still friendly with an easy smile, but she had the feeling his thoughts were troubled. Because of that, she’d tried to give him time alone with Miles, but neither man wanted to let her out of his sight.
As she and Miles reached the house, his cell phone rang. He set down the cat and, after glancing at the screen, told her, “I’ll just be a minute.”
Meaning it was a private call?
Not liking the way he’d just excluded her, she nodded and continued to the barn to feed the cats. They appeared out of everywhere, already knowing it was dinnertime.
The cats, at least, loved her.
She filled the trough to the brim, then folded her arms on the top of the closed barrel to watch as the cats ate. Her heart warmed. Yes, there were too many to call them pets, but she cared about them all the same. She even loved the barn, which still needed some repairs to the roof.
Miles’s plan was to get to that tomorrow. When he’d claimed to dislike idle time, he hadn’t exaggerated. He truly seemed happiest while staying busy. But then, so did she, and every addition, every improvement to the farm, filled her with contentment.
Could she give it all up for Miles?
Immediately she shook off that thought. In no way had he asked for a commitment, so why was she even considering it?
This was home.
But would it still feel that way after Miles left? She had the disturbing feeling that her love of the place was closely tied to Miles being there with her.
When his arms came around her, she jumped. “Blast, you startled me.” She would have straightened, but he didn’t let her.
“Sorry,” he murmured, nudging in close against her bottom to keep her in place.
She felt his smile when he pressed a kiss to the back of her neck. Miles’s kisses never failed to make her shiver. She relaxed again.
To her surprise, his hot mouth moved down her neck to the sensitive spot where it joined her shoulder while his hands scooped over her breasts, gently kneading.
“Miles?”
“I love it when you go braless.”
Given the way he now touched her, she loved it, too. “It was way too hot today for a bra, and since we’re the only ones here—”
“You don’t need to convince me.” He pressed his hips against her backside again, and she felt the rise of an erection.
Would they have sex here, in the barn? With the cats aware? No, she couldn’t do that. “Um, Miles...”
“Let’s go into town for dinner.”
Startled again. “I thought we were going to grill.”
“I changed my mind.”
It wasn’t what he said that did it, just a feeling she got, but she pushed away from the barrel, forcing him to back up. The second he did, she turned to face him—and got arrested by the heat in his eyes. Oh, that was a very real interest, so he hadn’t faked wanting her. But why all of a sudden, and why did it feel like he was keeping something from her?
Ripe with suspicion, she asked, “What’s going on?”
His crooked smile told her she’d hit the nail on the head, but he answered her question with one of his own. “What makes you think something is?”
“I don’t know. Just a feeling. But I’m right, aren’t I?”
His hands settled on her hips and he bent to kiss the tip of her nose. “Partially. I always want you, so don’t doubt that. And actually, I came in here to explain, but you were bent over that barrel, which was an invitation if I ever saw one, and I got a little distracted.”
“You’re not distracted now.”
He pulled her forward so that she felt a full erection now. “Wanna bet?”
His need fired her own, but she held on to that suspicion. “Does this have anything to do with your phone call?”
With an abrupt laugh, he said, “The call was from Leese, and no, he doesn’t give me a boner.”
She choked back her laugh. “I meant the mystery of why you want to go out for dinner.”
“Actually...yes.” He kissed her again and stepped back. When cats began circling his legs, he knelt down to pet them. “Leese did some checking on Fletcher for me.”
What? That was news to her. She sat in the hay across from him, and immediately three cats crawled over her legs. “When did you ask Leese to check on him?”
“After the bomb. But if I hadn’t asked him, he probably would have on his own. We all got an uneasy vibe from Fletcher. At first I wasn’t sure if it was just jealousy, but—”
“Whoa, wait.” Did he really just say that? To be sure, she repeated, “Jealousy?”
“Yes.” His gaze traveled slowly all over her, ending at her eyes. “Fletcher wants you. You might not see it, but every guy here knew it, including his grandpa.”
“Woody said something?”
Miles shrugged. “Armie heard him warn Fletcher away, telling him that you and I were a thing and he shouldn’t cause any trouble.”
Were they a thing? Sexually compatible, sure, but more than that? “I don’t think Fletcher would have anyway.” The idea of Miles being jealous both thrilled and worried her.
“Now that we know Fletcher has a dangerous temper, I wish Woody hadn’t butted in.” He smiled with menace. “I’d love for Fletcher to give me a reason.”
A reason to what? She was afraid she knew, and it made her scowl. “You’re aware that I’m not into Fletcher, right?”
“Doesn’t change how he feels, does it?” A small female cat crawled up his chest and licked his chin. Miles laughed and readjusted her to his lap.
“I don’t happen to think he feels anything but friendly toward me. But no matter what, I don’t want you hurting him.”
Miles stiffened. “And why the hell not?”
“He hasn’t done anything!”
Miles looked down at the cat, his hands gentle but his words hard when he said, “Or maybe he’s done a lot.”
All the breath squeezed out of her. “You think Fletcher...?”
“I think it’s possible.” His gaze cut up to hers. “More and more, it’s looking that way.”
“So we’re going to town to do...what?”
“Get information. If he fought with those guys, I want to know exactly what happened, and if they really did disappear.”
“Donny said they were bad news.”
“And yet they didn’t stick around to get even.”
God, that did sound bad. “If Fletcher is behind all this...” Her stomach pitched and she shot to her feet. “I was alone with him. He was in my house—was in it after my grandma died! He could have gotten copies of the keys easy enough.”
“Since we changed the locks, no one else has gotten in.” Miles set the cat aside and slowly came to his own feet. “There are other things to consider.”
Arms wrapped around herself, Maxi tried to fight off the hot waves of dread. It all came back to her, the mishaps, the terror—finding herself outside in the dirt. She shuddered.
Miles reached for her, but she stepped away. She had to get it together and she knew she couldn’t, not if she leaned on him.
Then suddenly she found herself spun around and against him anyway.
Glaring down at her, Miles growled, “Don’t do that.”
Her jaw loosened at his aggressive tone. “Do what?”
“Shut me out.” Hands on her shoulders, he lightly shook her. “You’re not alone, damn it.”
“I know.” His fury had just wiped away every bit of nauseating fear as if it had never been there. She even grinned. “I wasn’t exactly doing that anyway.”
“Bullshit. You’re still keeping me at a distance.”
For a minute there...yeah, she had. But she had a good reason for it. “Desperation isn’t pretty. In fact, it’s awful. No one wants to be around a desperate person.”
His scowl lifted. “More bullshit.” Then with more exasperation than anger, he blew out a breath. “One, you’re not desperate. Stubborn, sure. Sensibly frightened when things are out of your control, yes. But never desperate. And two, even if you were, I’ve already told you that I want to be there for you.”
“But—”
“No buts, damn it. You can cry, Maxi. You can get a little desperate. You can have a hundred cats and call a friendly gathering a party. Doesn’t matter.”
Unsure where he was going with this, she muttered, “It was a party.”
Miles almost smiled. “What you can’t do is shut me out.”
More and more, the things he said screamed of commitment. She dropped her forehead to his chest and nodded.
Apparently he wanted a verbal confirmation. “Okay?”
“Yes.” She wrapped her arms around his waist, and damned if she didn’t feel tears burn the back of her throat. “Okay.”
“Good.” He hugged her off her feet, turned her toward the house and gave her a swat on the ass. “Then grab your purse and let’s get going.”
She jerked around to gasp, “I can’t leave yet! I have to change and fix my hair and—”
Now Miles laughed.
As her eyes narrowed, he managed to quell the humor long enough to ask, “How much time are we talking?”
“Ten minutes.”
“Is that all?” He came forward, scooping his arm around her and getting her walking toward the house. “You’re damn near perfect, do you know that?”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
“Actually finish in ten minutes, and I’ll swear it’s true.”
It took her fifteen, but only because Miles insisted on changing in the same room with her. And then helping her.
With his hands on her.
And his body pressed to hers...
They left the house an hour later and got to a small diner in town just as the dinner crowd exited. That worked for Maxi in her new mellow mood.
Amazing how Miles could take her through so many emotions, and always left her content in the end.
* * *
“DON’T CORRECT ME on anything, okay?” He watched her sip her iced tea and waited for the questions.
They didn’t come.
Every time he looked at her, he thought of how quickly he’d taken her, how hard she’d wanted it and how fast she’d come apart. Damn, but it kept getting better and better.
Lambent sensuality remained in her dark eyes, and it turned him on, even though he should have been satisfied for at least a few hours.
Her lips still looked rosy and swollen, too.
When the waitress brought their food, Miles smiled at her. “It smells good.” He’d ordered the fried chicken and Maxi had gotten a club sandwich.
“The mashed potatoes are real,” she said with a wink. “And the gravy is so good you’ll want extra, so I brought it along.”
“Thank you. I take it you’re a good judge of your customers?”
“Worked here since I was fifteen, so yeah. I can usually pick a meat eater from a salad fanatic—or a man who likes his gravy.”
“Guilty,” Miles said, although as an athlete, he tended to avoid things like excess gravy. “Since you were fifteen, huh? So you’ve been here five years?”
She laughed and swatted at him. “I’m thirty-three, but thanks for the compliment.”
Just what he’d judged her to be—close to the same as Fletcher.
With his ridiculous flirting, Maxi finally tuned in, but out of curiosity, not jealousy. “That’s a long time to keep the same job. Guess you love your work?”
She propped a hip on the booth top and smiled. “I do, but it’s a family business. You’re both new here, so I guess you didn’t know that.”
“You grew up around here?” Maxi asked.
“Born and raised.”
Miles said, “So you know everyone, huh?”
“I do.” She held out her hand. “Jenny Williams.”
Maxi introduced herself and then Miles. “I inherited my grandmother’s property.”
“I knew your grandma. She was a nice lady, real kind to everyone. I’m sorry for your loss.”
“Thank you.”
Maxi looked at him, then picked up her sandwich, leaving it to him to do his questioning.
He tried to ease into it. “Have you heard about the trouble Maxi’s been having?”
“Who hasn’t? Did Fletcher catch anyone yet?”
“Unfortunately, no.” Miles was formulating a way to further discuss Fletcher when Jenny continued.
“Well, don’t you worry. Fletcher won’t put up with that nonsense. He has a real mean streak when it’s called for. He’ll find the guy and make him sorry.”
He couldn’t have asked for a more perfect setup. “A mean streak?”
Jenny grinned. “Mean and hot-tempered. You don’t want to be on his bad side.”
“No,” he lied, “I don’t. In fact, I heard something about him going after a few punks with a ball bat.”
Jenny sobered. “Yeah, but that was for Anna.” She shook her head. “Poor girl.”
Maxi paused, staring at her. “What happened to her?”
Jenny, a world-class gossip, slid into the seat beside Maxi and lowered her voice. “She got mixed up with some bad people.” Even lower, she added, “Drugs.”
“How terrible.” With honest sympathy, Maxi said, “Poor Woody.”
“It was bad on him. Here he was raising them like his own—you know his daughter died right, and Fletcher and Annie came to him?”
“Yes, Woody told us,” Miles said.
“He did? That’s a surprise. Usually Woody won’t discuss it.”
“Someone else brought it up first,” Maxi said.
Jenny accepted that. “Well, Woody did everything he could to keep those boys away from Annie. He knew she was getting her drugs from them. Then one night it got really bad. Fletcher found her, totally out of it, at a party and he flipped. He took her home but then went back with that bat. It wasn’t just two boys he laid low that night. It was everyone at that party—until he found out who’d given her the drugs. Those two got the worst of it.”
“I heard he put them in the hospital.”
“They’re lucky he didn’t kill them.”
“Telling tales, Jenny?”
Jenny and Maxi jumped in guilt. Miles slowly straightened in satisfaction.
Fletcher stood there, his expression masked, until Jenny made her excuses and hurried away.
The officer turned to watch her go, then smiled down at Maxi. “We used to date a few years back. She’s a gossip, but a sweet one. You’ll like her, just don’t ever tell her your secrets.”
Seeing Fletcher flirt with Maxi right in front of him infuriated Miles. “What secrets of yours did she tell?”
Fletcher turned a steely gaze on him. “I know better than to tell her any.” He gave a curt nod and walked away.
Soon as Fletcher was far enough away, Maxi melted across the table with a groaned “Oh my God, that was awkward.”
He almost laughed. Picking up a long lock of her hair, he teased, “You’re not cut out for this, are you?”
“Subterfuge?” She lifted her head to glare at him. “Veiled threats? No, absolutely not.”
“I learned more than I expected to.” He wound the silky strands around his finger. “Jenny is apparently an endless well of info. Wonder if I can lure her back by ordering chocolate cake.”
“You’re kidding, right?” Maxi freed her hair and straightened, then pushed her half-eaten sandwich away. “I lost my appetite.”
“I didn’t.” He dug into the fried chicken and mashed potatoes, and he had to admit, the gravy was incredible.
He did order the chocolate cake, but with Fletcher sitting a few booths away, Jenny tried not to linger.
Miles had to ask, “Are you afraid of him?”
The surprise on Jenny’s face, along with her laugh, was answer enough, but she added, “Afraid of Fletcher? No, of course not. But he’s a friend and I don’t want him to know I talked about him. What he did back then, defending his sister, he sees it different than most. While the town cheered him, he was disgusted with the whole thing. He’d worked hard to turn himself around, even became a cop. These days when he loses his temper, he just gets quiet. Real intense.”
“So you haven’t seen a repeat of the violence?”
She glanced at Fletcher, then away. “He’s a nice guy. You should ask him about this stuff.”
After she left, Miles asked Maxi, “What do you think?”
She took her time answering, even stole a bite of his cake. “I honestly don’t know. Fletcher has been nothing but nice since I came here.”
“Nice because you haven’t seen his temper yet.”
“Maybe. But if that’s all in his past, should we really hold it against him? I don’t want to be a hypocrite. God knows I’ve made too many mistakes myself.”
“Any mistakes you made didn’t include a ball bat.”
Regret shifted her gaze away and lowered her voice. “No, it involved destruction of my family’s home.”
Miles reached across the table, taking her small hand in his. She was a delicate woman, small-boned but with a backbone of steel. He looked at her hand, running his thumb over the edge of her short nails. The manicure was gone, but to him she was even more beautiful in her ability to stand firm against all odds. “You trusted the wrong person, babe, that’s all. Let’s not do that again, okay?”
“You’re saying not to trust Fletcher?”
Rather than answer that, because he wasn’t quite sure what he felt about it, Miles said, “I feel like we’re onto something here. Don’t you?”
“Actually...I do.” She sighed. “But I hate it. He’s so well respected. If we’re right and he’s behind all the trouble, and if we can prove it, how will I ever get accepted here?”
He hadn’t thought about that. True, he didn’t want to do anything to upset her ultimate goal: settling in Burlwood, Ohio, for the long haul. She wanted to live in her grandmother’s home—now very much her home—where she could care for the cats and the land and her soon-to-be-acquired goats. The atmosphere, the openness, suited her. It was like she was always meant to be there.
But then, it often felt like he was meant to be there, too.
“It’s early yet. Let’s do some more asking around before we tackle problems that might not be there.”
Relieved, she nodded and started to stand.
He said, “Don’t freak out, but I have a few questions for Fletcher first.”
Her behind dropped right back in the seat. “But—”
Already on his feet, Miles put money on the table, enough to cover a nice tip—because Jenny had surely earned it—and then drew her up beside him. “It’ll be fine.”
In a low whisper she begged, “No fighting, not in here.”
“Hadn’t planned to throw any punches, and Fletcher doesn’t have a ball bat, so no reason to worry.” She couldn’t say more because they’d already reached the officer’s side.
Fletcher paused in eating a meat loaf dinner, his gaze on only Maxi. “Did you enjoy your meal?”
“I did, thank you.”
“Everything is home-cooked here.”
Miles asked, “Mind if we join you for just a minute?” He didn’t wait for Fletcher to deny him, already urging Maxi into the seat.
Fletcher laughed. “Using her for bait? You know I won’t refuse her, but you now...you could take a hike.”
“I’m not going anywhere.” Miles sat beside her. “I’m curious about the police department here. So far all we’ve seen is you, but there have to be other officers, right?”
Fletcher shrugged while shoveling in another bite of his meal. He took his time chewing, wiping his mouth with his napkin, taking a drink.
Miles had to admit, the guy was gutsy. He wouldn’t bow easily to pressure—of any kind.
Finally, Fletcher gave his attention to the question. “Besides the chief, there are nine of us full-time and a handful of part-timers. You don’t see anyone else because Maxi lives in the area I cover.”
“24/7, huh?”
“Pretty much.” He crossed his arms on the table. “There’s not a lot of crime around here, so middle-of-the-night calls are few and far between. Since I’m already familiar with the history and what’s happened, it wouldn’t make sense for someone else to have to play catch-up.”
“If there’s so little crime, why the hell do you have nine full-time cops?”
“Being in the country means a lot of ground to cover. You’re talking more than forty square miles. When something happens, the citizens don’t want to wait an hour for someone to show up.”
“That makes sense,” Miles allowed. “What kind of crime have you had?”
“Mostly vandalism, domestic violence and sometimes reckless driving, especially during the summer during school break.”
“No robbery?” He watched Fletcher. “No drugs?”
The other man didn’t even blink. “Occasionally both, but it’s not a big problem here.”
“Not since you ran off the guys bothering your sister?”
That got a reaction. Fletcher’s eyes narrowed and his mouth curved in warning. “So you did your homework? Big fucking deal. It’s old news.”
Miles didn’t back down. “What happened to those men—after you laid them up?”
“Don’t know, don’t care, so if you’re thinking to get a confession out of me, well, here’s one for you—if they were still around, I’d do it again, and this time I’d make sure they couldn’t crawl away.” He abruptly stood, threw a twenty on the table and stalked out.
Jenny, seeing that, ran after him, her expression full of angst.
Much of the diners stared at them with disapproval. Had everyone overheard? Probably. Fletcher hadn’t exactly been quiet in his replies.
“I feel terrible,” Maxi whispered.
Yeah, he didn’t feel so great himself. He’d wanted to ask Fletcher where his sister was now, but given his reaction, he was glad he hadn’t. “Let’s go.”
Maxi smiled at all the gawkers, then stood to join him yet again. In no way did she look cowed by their censure. Instead, she kept her head up, that placid smile in place.
Miles took her hand, saying, “Have I told you lately how proud I am of you?”
Surprise replaced the smile. “Proud?”
“Very. Never forget that, okay?”
She still looked flummoxed when they got outside and found Fletcher waiting for them.