Chapter 11

“Theo.” Otto took the last of the stairs at a lope so he could catch up to his partner. Viggy, Theo’s K9, glanced back at Otto and wagged his tail. Theo was not so happy to see him. After one look at Theo’s scowl, Otto’s original reason for chasing him got pushed back. “What’s wrong?”

Theo’s frown grew even more ferocious. “What’s wrong? Are you kidding me right now?”

“What?” Otto wondered if he’d missed some big news. It was possible, although he’d just returned to the police station at the end of a quiet night shift, and he hadn’t heard anything announced over the radio. Had Jovanovic been spotted in the area? Otto’s heart rate sped up, and he mentally cursed himself for leaving Sarah on her own at his place. He’d shown her how to get into the basement bunker, though. She was smart. If something happened, she’d hide. “Did something happen?”

“Yeah, something happened.” Theo’s sarcastic tone calmed Otto. If there’d been a serious incident, Theo would’ve been direct and to the point. “Some asshole left four puppies at Jules’s house. Apparently, she’s able to sleep through their hungry squeaking—I have no idea how, since they’re as loud as a fire alarm—so I was the one who got up with them. Every. Three. Hours.”

His disgruntled expression almost made Otto smile, although he could definitely sympathize. Getting woken up every few hours had left him feeling like he’d been run over by a truck, which had then backed over him for good measure. He’d slept like a baby that afternoon—except that the dreams he’d had about Sarah had been more of the adult variety. “Sorry. Why didn’t you wake up Jules so she could help?”

Theo suddenly appeared to find the hallway ahead of them so fascinating that he couldn’t look away. “She had an early shift this morning. She needed her sleep.”

“You had the early shift, too.”

Theo’s scowl was back as he abruptly changed the subject. “Shouldn’t you be getting home?”

The mention of “home” reminded Otto of what he’d originally needed to talk to Theo about. He looked around and then jerked his head toward the roll call room. Even though it didn’t look like anyone else was nearby, it was better to be safe than sorry. The cops he worked with could be brutal with their teasing, and Otto knew he’d be handing them solid-gold gossip fodder if they overheard what he was about to ask Theo. “You have a few minutes?”

“Yeah.” Theo glanced at his watch as he followed him into the room. “You only have six minutes before roll call, though, so you’d better talk fast.”

Otto closed the door behind them, and then turned back to see Theo eyeing him curiously. “Thanks. I have…well, a question.”

“Okay. Ask.” Theo half sat on the table behind him, crossing his arms over his chest. Viggy lay down next to him, his head resting on his front paws. Theo’s smirk looked a little too Hugh-ish for Otto’s liking. There was a reason he’d gone to Theo with this and not Hugh. “Well?”

Otto stared at Theo for several seconds, but the words wouldn’t come. “Never mind.”

As he started to turn away, planning to leave the room and take his potential humiliation with him, Theo grabbed his arm. “Hang on. Ask your question. You already stuck me with bottle-feeding your puppies. You can’t drop that teaser and leave. I’m curious now.”

“Fine.” Otto really did want to get someone else’s take on the situation, and he only trusted Theo and Hugh to keep their mouths shut. Since Hugh would torment him unmercifully, that meant he was stuck with Theo. Taking a deep breath, he forced out the words. “I kissed Sarah.”

Theo’s brows shot up. After a moment of uncomfortable silence, he said, “That wasn’t a question.”

“Right.” Otto cleared his throat, his gaze bouncing around the room before finally settling on the whiteboard in the corner. “She’s staying at my place so that she’ll be safe from Jovanovic. What if she thinks…? How do I let her know that she doesn’t have to…?” He trailed off again with a grunt of frustration.

“You don’t want her to think that she has to put out as payment for staying with you,” Theo said baldly, and Otto winced. It sounded as bad out loud as it had in his head.

“Yes.”

“Just tell her.”

Otto shifted uncomfortably. “I tried. It doesn’t come out right.”

“You don’t want me to—”

“No!” Otto raised his hands in horror, cutting Theo off in mid-sentence. “No. I’ll do it. I’ll talk to her.” He’d figure out how to get the words out somehow, no matter how awkward it got. “I just want to know, was it wrong for me to kiss her? I mean, I don’t want to take advantage, and she’s so…” He stopped again, annoyed with how hard it was to articulate how he felt about Sarah. She was beautiful and sweet and brave. But she’d managed to escape from her controlling brother, and Otto was worried he was taking advantage of her vulnerable state. He didn’t want her to kiss him out of gratitude for saving her or for letting her stay with him. He wanted her to kiss him because she felt like she’d die if she didn’t—just like Otto had felt outside the guest bedroom yesterday.

“Otto.” Theo pushed off the table, bringing Otto out of his thoughts. “You’re not taking advantage. You’re the least-likely person to ever take advantage of anyone. Tell Sarah you like her, ask her out, and tell her she’s free to say no without any repercussions. If she does say no, then accept it and do your best to move on, so that things aren’t weird for her while she stays at your place.”

“Okay.” Otto blew out a long breath. It was painfully awkward to discuss this with Theo, but hearing it laid out like that helped clarify things in his mind. Otto had a clear plan now. He didn’t have to rehash it over and over until he wanted to smack his head against his squad car steering wheel anymore. “Thank you.”

With a brisk nod, Theo pulled out a chair at the nearest table and sat. Viggy shifted so he was lying closer to Theo’s boots, and Otto had a pleased moment that the dog was doing so well now. It reminded him that, thanks to the recent excitement, he hadn’t been to the kennel to work with his project dog lately, and he made a mental note to stop by on his way home.

“Any sign of Jovanovic?” Theo asked, stretching out his legs under the table.

“Yeah, but not around here. California State Patrol reported a possible sighting, but they lost track of his vehicle before they could confirm.” Otto had a strong urge to hunt Logan Jovanovic down and teach him a lesson. What made it worse was that he was—or had been—a cop. “It’s been a quiet night here.” Too quiet. There’d been way too much time for Otto to stew about the whole situation with Sarah.

“Welcome to winter in Monroe,” Theo said as the door opened behind Otto. He moved out of the way so that Lieutenant Blessard could enter.

“What are you still doing here, Gunnersen?” Blessard demanded.

“I’m on my way out,” Otto said, giving Theo a final nod of thanks. “Just telling Theo there weren’t many calls last night.”

“Good,” the lieutenant said, dumping a stack of folders on the desk at the front of the room. “The chief took eight officers to crisis intervention training in Colorado Springs for the week. Figured it’d be quiet now that most of the town has left for the winter.”

“Eight?” Theo repeated as Sergeant Wesley Gibson walked in and sat at the table across from Theo’s. “With Hugh still out, that just leaves…”

“The four of us.” Blessard gestured around the room, as if it were full of officers. Otto met Theo’s concerned gaze. “We’re down to bare bones here, gentlemen. Now would be the wrong time to get sick.”

“This is a bad idea,” Theo said, and Otto grunted agreement, moving to stand next to his partner. “We’re already down officers. Blanchett just tried to kidnap his sister—”

“And we arrested him,” Blessard said, cutting him off. “The FBI agents will be here in a few days to pick him up, as soon as the judge signs off on his transfer paperwork, and then we won’t even need to feed him. That situation is taken care of.”

“Jovanovic is still out there.” Just the thought of Sarah being at risk—even if that risk was small—made Otto feel sick. He’d been planning to ask some of the other officers to keep an eye on his place while he was at work, but there wouldn’t be any help until they returned from training.

The lieutenant narrowed his eyes, looking back and forth between the two of them. “Jovanovic wasn’t even back in California for a full day before he was spotted. Things are too hot for him. I’m guessing he’ll make a beeline to the Mexican border. If you’re worried about Blanchett’s sister, though, talk to the FBI about protective custody when they’re here.”

Otto was torn. He wanted Sarah to be safe, but he also wanted her close by. “That’s days from now.”

“Enough.” Blessard’s tone was final. “It is what it is. File a complaint with the chief when he returns. Gunnersen, go home and get some sleep. It’s going to be a shitty week.”

* * *

Otto was in a bad mood by the time he got to Nan’s. After Blanchett’s attack, he was wired and on edge. Despite the lieutenant’s reassurance, Otto still felt like it was a bad time for two-thirds of the police force to be sitting in a classroom several hours away.

It made him twitchy. He’d be the only cop on duty for the next four nights, so Sarah would be alone out at his place. It had been hard to leave her the previous night, and he’d been toying with the idea of using some of his personal days. Since he didn’t tend to get sick and didn’t take vacations, he’d racked up quite a bit of unused leave. Now, though, there was no one to take his place. He’d be leaving Sarah unguarded each night whether he liked it or not.

He slammed the door of his squad car a little harder than necessary, and he made himself pause and breathe for a second. It wouldn’t help Xena, the dog he was working with, if he was angry. Putting the whole situation in the back of his mind, Otto calmed his thoughts.

Once his annoyance and worry settled, he walked toward the building where Nan kept the rescue dogs. When she’d bought the property and built the kennels, she’d planned to board and groom dogs. The Monroe K9 unit used her facility when they needed to house a dog, since it was a better setup, with exercise yards and indoor training areas, than the small kennel next to the PD parking garage. Nan had never intended to house an animal shelter, but the closest humane society was almost an hour away, so people started bringing strays and unwanted dogs to Nan. Soft-hearted Nan could never turn them away.

“Hey, Sam,” Otto said as he stepped inside the building. It was only when he was in the warmth of the heated building that he realized how cold it was getting outside. The first big snow of the season was supposed to hit in a few days, and Otto had felt the bite of winter in the air. Jules’s brother, Sam, gave Otto an unsmiling nod without pausing in his work spraying down kennels with the pressure washer. Sam had worked for Nan since his family had moved to town a few months ago. He hadn’t had any experience when he’d started, but he’d learned quickly and was good with the dogs.

A quick glance showed that all the kennels were empty. Zipping his jacket a little higher, Otto stepped back into the cold. The wind had picked up, and it pushed against his back and legs as if hurrying him along. He moved quickly, wanting to get back into the warmth—or at least find a windbreak—soon.

Xena had the same instinct, since she was tucked into her shelter. Holding back a groan, Otto lowered himself to the ground, patiently rewarding her with a tiny treat every time she poked her nose in his direction. The pit bull–Lab mix had gained quite a bit of weight since being rescued in a raid of a suspected dogfighter’s home, but Xena’s ribs were still visible under her short coat. Her muzzle and head were crisscrossed with old scars, and she was missing part of her right ear.

By the time he’d succeeded in luring her out with treats, Otto was half-frozen. He gave her a final, gentle ear rub and slowly shifted away before standing, so as not to startle her. When he reached the gate, Nan was there, waiting for him. She was tall, her rangy frame disguised by multiple heavy layers. Her graying hair was covered in a colorful stocking hat.

“Brrr!” She gave an exaggerated shiver as he approached. “Xena’s coat is too short for this kind of weather. I asked Sam to bring in all the dogs, so Xena will be back inside soon. This wind is ridiculous. I’m nowhere near ready for summer to end.”

“Summer’s been over for a while,” Otto said, glancing at Xena as he closed the gate behind him. The dog watched him go, and her tail wagged slightly before she retreated back into her shelter. “Now fall is done.”

Nan arched her eyebrows so high they disappeared under her hat. “Thank you for that, Mr. Depressing.”

Otto just offered a small shrug of apology. It might not be cheery, but it was true. Winter was well and truly there, and he had the frozen ass to prove it.

“Do you have a minute?”

The words, so close to what he’d asked Theo such a short time ago, worried Otto. Nan had never asked Otto for romantic advice, and he would be very happy if she kept it that way. They’d discuss dogs, the weather, and occasional town happenings, and that was it. Otto really didn’t want to expand their conversational subjects, especially if it meant hearing about Nan’s love life. She was watching him, though, waiting for an answer.

Trapped, he gave a silent sigh and a slight tip of his head before following her to the main building where her office was. As they crossed in front of the kennels toward the office door, barking echoed and reverberated, bouncing off the ceilings and walls, painfully loud.

Once inside Nan’s small, untidy office, Otto hurried to close the door and muffle some of the noise. Nan moved a stack of papers off the lone visitor’s chair, but he waved her off, preferring to stand. If she was going to ask some extraordinarily awkward question, he wanted to be able to make a quick getaway.

After sitting in her own chair, Nan didn’t seem to be in any hurry to speak. Instead, she picked up a pen and focused on it as she rolled it between her fingers. Otto watched her, curious, but not curious enough to prompt her. If this was about something that was going to be vastly uncomfortable, he’d rather stay in ignorant bliss for a little longer.

“Otto, about Xena…”

“Xena?” He hadn’t expected the dog to be the topic of conversation.

“She’s been here almost three months.”

Otto’s stomach clenched. He knew where this conversation was leading. Suddenly, Nan’s reluctance to speak made sense.

“I know you’ve been working with her a lot—almost daily—but she’s just not making much progress.” Nan’s voice was gentle, but her words still made Otto stiffen.

“She is making progress,” Otto said, keeping his voice even with some difficulty. “She wouldn’t even look at me when she first arrived, much less take any food out of my hand. Now, she’s coming out of her shelter willingly, and we’re working on her touching her nose to my hand. She just wagged her tail at me!”

Despite his best effort, his voice rose on the last words. Immediately clamping his mouth closed, Otto gave himself a mental lecture. He needed to stay calm and rational. Xena was special to him, though. She reminded him of a much-younger Otto, before he’d been fostered by the Lopez family—an Otto who’d learned to keep his head down and who’d gotten very good at dodging fists.

“I know she’s making some progress.” Nan’s expression was apologetic. “It’s just not enough progress. There are two malamutes coming in tomorrow that got left in a foreclosed house after the owners moved away, and I need that space. I just don’t have the room for Xena anymore, not when it’s probably going to take another year to get her to the point where she can be adopted. I called the pit bull rescue in Fort Collins, but they have a waiting list. I’m stuck, Otto.”

Otto looked at her resolute face and knew that she’d made up her mind. Nothing he said was going to budge her. He knew, though, that he couldn’t abandon Xena when she had nowhere else to go. “I’ll take her.”

“What?” Nan looked surprised, as if she hadn’t been expecting him to offer. “Are you sure?”

He wasn’t sure whether taking home a fearful pit bull mix was a smart idea, not when he had the puppies to bottle-feed and Sarah to guard and skeleton-staffed night shifts to cover, but it was the only option. He wasn’t about to give up on Xena. “Yes.”

After Nan eyed him for several moments, her shoulders sagged and she leaned back in her seat. “I’m so relieved. I hate turning any dog away, but there are just so many kennels and only so much time.”

Otto dipped his head in acknowledgment, but he was anxious to go. The thought of Sarah had awakened the anxiety he’d pushed back before working with Xena. He needed to get home, to check on her, to make sure everything—and everyone—was okay. Now, he needed to get Xena to her new home, too.

“Leash?” he asked, reaching for the doorknob.

“Here.” Nan pulled one off a peg on the wall and handed it over. “Sorry about this, Otto. If there was any other way…”

“Not your fault, Nan,” he said truthfully. “Like you said, there’s only so much room.”

Leash in hand, he made his way through the kennel, not even hearing the volley of barking this time. Otto was too busy trying to figure out how he was going to save everyone he was now responsible for. If he screwed up and dropped one of the many balls he was juggling, someone could get hurt—or killed.

* * *

It was hard for Sarah not to run out to greet Otto when he got home, but she managed…barely. It had been a long night. She’d slept a little in the safety of the bunker, but the cot had been hard and narrow—especially since she was sharing it with Mort and Bob.

Instead, she focused on scooping the egg mixture into tortillas. She’d gathered eggs out of the nesting boxes in the chicken coop earlier, getting a thrill with each egg she’d found. It was such a simple thing, but it felt so much more rewarding than pulling a carton of store-bought eggs from the fridge.

Otto’s kitchen was well-stocked, and she’d had no problem finding all the ingredients for breakfast burritos, plus fresh fruit she’d cut up. Sarah had always enjoyed cooking. It centered her and calmed her racing thoughts. Now, though, with everything that was going on, she knew it’d take a lot more than just throwing together some breakfast burritos to give her peace.

“Morning,” Otto said, standing right at her elbow.

Sarah jumped, bumping the plate on the counter in front of her. Even though she’d seen Otto’s truck pull up and knew he was there, she’d expected to hear him walk in. “Oh! Wow, you’re stealthy.”

“Yeah.” Otto snuck a piece of orange and popped it into his mouth. “Hugh tells me that all the time. Says I’m part Paul Bunyan and part ninja.”

Sarah smiled. “That’s actually a really good description. Are you?”

“Am I what?” he asked absently, his attention focused on stealing another piece of fruit.

Sarah put the plates on the table. “Part Paul Bunyan and part ninja.” When he just shrugged slightly, she asked, “What were your parents like?”

“Not sure.” Although his words lit a fire under her curiosity, she had a feeling she shouldn’t push any further. “Breakfast looks great. You didn’t have to cook, though.”

She accepted the subject change easily as they both started eating. She of all people understood not wanting to talk about family. “Figured I’d pay you back for lunch and dinner yesterday—well, partially pay you back.” Everything was made from his groceries, after all. “I’m going to town tomorrow to do some shopping and look for a job.”

Otto paused, his forkful of food halfway to his mouth. “To town? That’s not safe.”

“Why?” It was Sarah’s turn to stop eating as she stared at him, worried. “Did someone see Logan? Has he been hanging around?”

“No, but it’s better if you stay here, just in case.” He resumed eating, but Sarah laid her fork carefully on her plate.

“All the time?” She hadn’t left one prison just to live in a second. “I can’t do that. I sold some of my jewelry, so I have a little money, but it’s not much. I need to find a job.”

His brows drew together as his mouth tightened with resolve. Even his chewing was resolute. “You don’t need money. Whatever you need, I’ll get it for you. It’s safer here.”

Sarah knew Otto was just looking out for her, but the restriction chafed. “Thank you, but I need to start working. Aaron’s been arrested, and Logan’s long gone. It’s safe enough in town, especially with you, Theo, and Hugh right there if I need help. I’ll go crazy without anything to do all day, and I can’t mooch off you until I leave Monroe.” The idea made her cringe.

“You wouldn’t be mooching,” he argued. “You can help with the animals and…” He paused, looking around as if searching for something else to suggest. “Cooking. This is really good.”

“Thank you, but I need to be independent. It’s important.” Her tone was firm, shaking just slightly, even though her stomach churned. She’d never stood up to her father or her brother. Despite Otto’s gentle manner, it was still terrifying to hold her ground.

He frowned at her before stabbing another bite of burrito with his fork. “Fine, but I’m going with you.”

“To work? Every day?” Sarah stared at him. That sounded strange and uncomfortable and frankly unworkable. How would she tell a potential employer that she couldn’t be separated from her bodyguard? It would be like trying to get a job with Jeb in tow, except that Otto was much more attractive, and kinder, and, Sarah assumed, a much better kisser.

At the thought, her face grew warm with what she was sure was a bright-red blush.

“No.” His word came out grudgingly, as if Otto was wishing there was a way he could follow her around all the time. “Tomorrow. I’m going with you tomorrow. We’ll work something out for the rest of the time. One of us needs to be able to get to you quickly if you need help.”

“Okay.” It was such a relief that she hadn’t gained a new constant bodyguard that she didn’t even argue. Honestly, she didn’t really want to argue. It’d be reassuring to have Otto around as she ventured into public for the first time since Aaron had appeared, and she was perfectly happy having multiple cops close by. “We can go right after breakfast so we’re back before your bedtime.”

After Otto’s grunt of agreement, they ate in silence for a few minutes. Finally he said, “There’s a new dog in the barn. I’ll introduce you after breakfast. If she does okay with you and the other animals, we’ll move her into the house.”

“A new dog? From where?”

“A rescue from Nan’s. She’s out of space and getting more dogs.”

“It’s sad that there are so many homeless dogs.” Sarah was perfectly fine with having another companion for the lonely nights, although she’d have to push two cots together if they all ended up in the bunker again. It had been tight enough with only Mort and Bob joining her. “Are we going to pick up the puppies while we’re in town, too?” As much work as they were, she’d missed them.

“Yeah.” The word came out as a sigh. Otto looked tired. “The kids have school tomorrow, and Theo and Jules probably want a full night’s sleep.”

As she finished her breakfast, a warm curl of excitement pushed away the nerves that had been wearing at Sarah’s insides since fleeing Texas. It was fun—thrilling, even—to be staying with Otto and his ever-expanding collection of pets and the possibility of more kisses and the prospect of a job—her first ever. Best of all was that she’d stood up for herself, and he hadn’t slapped her down or insisted she stay at home or anything.

Despite everything, her new life was starting to take shape, and it was amazing.

* * *

“She’s very shy,” Otto warned a little bit later as they walked toward the barn. “I’ve been working with her for a couple of months, and it still takes a lot of time and treats to get her to come to me. She’ll let Sam approach her and leash her—Sam has a way with all the dogs—but she’ll still try to run from Nan if she’s able.”

“Okay,” Sarah said. “I’ll try not to scare her.”

“I don’t want you to be upset or think that you’re doing something wrong. It’s just how Xena is. Her previous owner caused a lot of damage.”

“What happened to her previous owner?” Sarah ducked into the barn with a shiver of relief. The wind seemed even sharper than it had the previous day.

“County jail.” Otto closed the door behind him and flicked on the lights. Despite the multiple bulbs, it still took Sarah’s eyes a moment to adjust to the dimness. “He was denied bail, since he’s skipped out on it before, so he’ll be locked up until his trial for dogfighting and a number of other charges. He’s a…” He paused. “He’s not a nice guy.”

“At least he’s paying for his crimes.” Sarah peered at the opening to the wooden doghouse and saw the quick flash of a light-colored muzzle as Xena peeked at them and then disappeared back inside. “I imagine that doesn’t happen often with these cases.”

“No, it doesn’t.” Otto gestured toward a few hay bales stacked against the wall. “This might take a while. Want to sit?”

Although the top bale looked a bit prickly, Sarah settled on it. It was more comfortable than she’d expected, since her jeans protected her from the scratchy hay. Scooting back, she leaned against the wall while Otto sat next to her. With his leg just a few inches from hers, Sarah couldn’t stop thinking about all the “roll in the hay” jokes. There was something wrong with her. Every time she got close to Otto, all her thoughts instantly went to sex. It was like he short-circuited her brain.

She cleared her throat, needing to change the direction of her thoughts before she overheated or blurted out something very, very inappropriate. “Do you think I’ll have any luck finding a job? I know that a lot of places are closed for the winter.”

He made a low humming sound. “True, but most of the employees have left. The places that stay open are short-handed. What kind of job are you looking for?”

“Anything really.” Although she hated to sound like a spoiled princess, she wanted to be honest, especially with Otto. “I’ve never had a job before.” She braced herself, waiting for his judgment, but he just made another of his humming sounds.

After a short pause, he said, “Since you’re flexible about the type of job, that’ll open up some options for you.”

Sarah looked at him, studying his profile as she wondered why she’d ever been worried about Otto being rude or condescending to her. He just wasn’t that way. Everything she’d heard him say had been thoughtful and kind. Even though she barely knew him, she felt like she could trust him. She understood why animals gravitated toward him. After all, she certainly felt his magnetic pull. “You’re such a good person.”

He glanced away. “Not really.”

“Yes, really.” When she saw how uncomfortable his shrug was, she changed the subject. “Have you always had a way with animals?”

“Pretty much.” He was quiet for a few moments, long enough that she thought he was done talking. “Animals are…easier than people.” He sent her a quick glance. “Most people.”

“True.” It was her turn to go quiet.

“Not you, though. You’re easy.” His face immediately flushed when she gave a choked laugh. “Not like that. You know what I mean.”

“I know.” She did know. After growing up the way she had, it was easy to believe that everyone hid an evil side. Meeting truly good people, like Otto and others she’d met in Monroe, was a shock—a good one, but still a shock. “I understand how hard it can be to trust people.”

He was silent for a long moment. “I was left at a hospital when I was two.” It surprised her when he spoke, especially when he shared something so personal. She stayed silent, not wanting to say the wrong thing and make him stop talking. “I went through a lot of foster homes. Some were bad.”

Blinking away tears, Sarah studied the piece of hay between her fingers. She didn’t want him to know that the thought of Otto as a hurt little boy made her want to cry, so she kept her head down as he continued.

“When I was eleven, I went to live with the Lopez family. They lived on a cattle ranch east of town.”

“Were they nice?” She had to know, or her heart was going to break for him.

“Yes. They were good people. I learned a lot about animals while I was there. I met Hugh that year, too, and we became friends.”

“Why did you become a cop, rather than a vet?” she asked.

“I knew I could do more good as a cop,” he said. “Besides, I don’t have the temperament to be a vet.”

She laughed, tension leaving her in a rush. Later, she knew, she’d think about Otto as a sweet, quiet little boy in an awful place, and she’d cry. For now, though, she teased, “Too much talking?”

“Way too much.”

When she snuck a glance at him, he was smiling at her. Instantly, she was caught and couldn’t look away. As attractive as he was when he was serious, he was a hundred times more beautiful when he smiled.

Sarah knew she should look away and pretend she hadn’t been staring at him like a creepy stalker, but she just couldn’t. His eyes were so pale in his tan face. That light of blue should’ve been cool, almost frosty, but they were very, very warm instead, like the flame of a gas stove.

He slowly—almost shyly—raised his hand and ran his fingertips along the curve of her cheek, along her jaw to her ear, and then down the side of her neck. Sarah’s shivers had nothing to do with the cold air. In fact, her skin prickled with heat. Otto leaned closer, his gaze locked on her mouth, and Sarah’s stomach swooped like she was going through the loop-the-loop on a roller coaster.

His lips were close, so close that she closed her eyes, waiting for the kiss. The seconds ticked by, but the contact she wanted never came. She opened her eyes to see him watching her with a look she couldn’t interpret.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, although a big part of her didn’t want to know if there was a problem. The selfish, shallow, needy part just wanted him to kiss her.

He opened his mouth and then closed it again, and Sarah started to worry. What was so bad that he couldn’t say the words? All sorts of horrible scenarios trampled through her mind: he was married or he was dying or he didn’t really want her or—

“I want you,” he said baldly, and she jumped at the juxtaposition of her thought with his words. She had a nonsensically worried moment that he’d managed to read her mind. “I like you.”

What’s the right response to that? she wondered frantically. As the moment stretched awkwardly, she finally blurted out, “Thank you.” As soon as the words were said, she wanted to smack her head against the barn wall. “I mean, I’m glad, since I do, too. Like you, that is.” Desperately wishing she’d actually gone away to college and had managed to gain some social skills and experience in conversations like these, she shut her mouth firmly before any more nonsense could escape.

His smile came slowly, like his speech, curling up until the corners of his eyes wrinkled. Sarah was fascinated. He was so honest. He was smiling because he was truly happy. Growing up, everyone she’d met—including herself—had been hiding something. Their masks kept them alive, and Sarah had become so accustomed to hiding that she’d forgotten that not everyone was forced to live that way. Otto reminded her that people could actually mean what they said.

“Good.” His fingers ghosted over her cheek again. “You don’t have to, though.”

Her forehead puckered with confusion. She hadn’t said any of her thoughts out loud, had she? There was no way—she was an expert at hiding her feelings. “What?”

Otto’s eyes closed for a moment before he looked at her again. “Sorry.” Even in the low light, Sarah could see a slight reddening of his face under his tan, and it intrigued her as much as his slow and authentic smile had. “I’m making a mess of this.”

“Not a mess,” she hurried to say, although she still didn’t know what he was talking about. “I’m just not sure what you’re saying.”

“Even if you aren’t…interested. In me, I mean.” His cheeks darkened even more. “You can stay here. I would never push you into something you didn’t want.”

“I know.”

He still looked concerned, so Sarah caught his hand and squeezed it.

“I know,” she repeated, meeting his gaze evenly so he would understand that she was serious, that she wasn’t just blowing off his warning. “I can see it.”

“See it?” His fingers closed around hers, and she marveled at his gentleness. It was such a contrast to how rough his skin was and how large his hands were. They could crush hers, but she trusted that they never would.

“You bottle-feed puppies.”

He paused, as if waiting for her to continue. “So?”

“Your skittish horse approaches you. Your retired K9 partner loves you. You climbed a collapsing windmill to rescue Dee’s cat. Your human cop partners would die for you. Even Sam is comfortable around you, and from what I’ve seen, he’s not comfortable around anyone.”

Still he waited, looking at her without comprehension.

“I know when people are cold and hard.” Her voice shook a little. “You, Otto, are not cold or hard. Your heart is huge and as squishy as a marshmallow.”

“Squishy?” From his expression, Otto wasn’t sure how to take that. Sarah had to laugh at his crinkled nose.

“It’s a good thing.” Feeling enormously brave, she leaned forward and kissed the corner of his mouth. The roughness of his stubble contrasted with the surprising softness of his lips, and she lingered there for a moment, lightly exploring. When she finally pulled away, his eyes had gone gas-flame hot again.

Otto slid a hand over the side of her neck and under her hair to cup her nape. As he leaned forward, her eyelids closed, her breathing speeding up in anticipation of his kiss. Kissing Otto was her favorite thing in her new life, and that was saying something, because she loved many, many things about her newly discovered freedom. His lips brushed her, touching the right corner of her mouth and then the left. Even those tiny kisses made heat blaze through her, as his gentleness created a softer—yet no less addicting—warmth.

He increased the pressure, deepening the kiss, and she leaned in to him, her hands going up to clutch his shoulders. She couldn’t get close enough. Her hands slid up his neck and over his head, and she marveled at the silky softness of his hair, despite the short length. Soon, however, his kiss took over her thoughts, and she could only concentrate on how amazing his mouth felt on hers.

“Otto.” She somehow managed to pull back just far enough to speak. “I want—”

Something pressed against the side of her calf.

Sarah jumped with a shocked yelp. As she turned her head to see what had just touched her, Otto made a surprised sound.

A pit bull–type dog was crouched next to her, huddled against the hay bale, her blocky head tucked behind Sarah’s legs. “Hey,” she said softly, slowly reaching toward the dog’s ears. “You must be Xena.”

Her fingers touched the dog’s head, felt how much Xena was trembling, and her heart broke. Sarah knew what it was like to be that scared. Twisting around, she carefully lowered herself so she was sitting on the ground next to the dog. Xena turned her head and laid her muzzle on Sarah’s thigh.

“Poor baby,” she crooned, stroking the velvet ears, her fingers tracing the bumps of the dog’s scars. Sarah wasn’t sure how long they sat there before Otto broke the silence.

“Let’s introduce her to Mort,” he said quietly, standing up. Xena eyed him warily, although she didn’t move her head off Sarah’s leg. Otto handed Sarah a leash, and she clipped it on Xena’s collar.

“Come on, sweet girl.” Lifting the dog’s heavy head off her leg, Sarah got slowly to her feet. “You’ll like the house better than this chilly barn.” Now that she was moving again, Sarah realized exactly how cold and stiff she’d gotten sitting on the hay and the ground.

As they made their way toward the barn door, Xena moving low to the ground with her tail tucked tightly, Otto put a hand lightly on Sarah’s back. “Impressive,” he said quietly. “She’s never reacted like that to anyone else.”

Sarah smiled, but it quickly dropped away. She had a feeling that Xena had approached her because they were common souls—both had been victims; both had needed to be rescued.

She sent a quick glance at Otto. They’d survived, though—survived and found this marshmallow-hearted man and his beautiful, safe home and his sandwiches and his secure bunker. And freedom. Freedom no one was ever going to take from them. Reaching down, she gave Xena’s ears another rub.

They were both going to be fine.