John totally ignored her to jump out of the car and run for the woman who’d descended the front steps and come halfway down the pretty stone path to wrap her arms around him. She barely came up to his chest, but she was pretty, and Emily saw the family resemblance right away. The same dirty blond hair and the same eyes.

John was grinning. The woman had tears in her eyes, but was laughing as she wiped them with the kitchen towel.

Emily sat, uncomfortable with getting out and intruding on this scene.

Not completely unaware of what separations did to families, she waited for the emotion of the reunion to abate before she slowly got out of the rental John had picked up in Coeur d’Alene so they could head north.

The house, two stories, with dormers on the front and a wide wraparound porch, sent her heart beating so hard. This place was not what she expected. This place was huge—they’d driven almost four miles up the drive—gorgeous, and incredibly wild, all at the same time.

For a man like John, she’d expected something…quaint, quieter, smaller.

Why? Where had she gotten those notions?

His politeness. He was a big guy, towering even over her five ten, but there was something about him that was gentle and restrained. He made her breathless now, with that grin on his face, which was turned up to the afternoon sun.

And when he spread his arms into the air, as if to hug the sun, her brain stopped working. Because his hair glowed. His face shone. His waist tapered under broad shoulders. He was incredibly sexy. Incredibly primal…as if a part of the earth.

He released a breath and his arms slowly lowered to his side. His mom nudged him and sent a glance Emily’s way. John put an arm on his mom’s shoulders and walked toward her.

Emily broke out of her trance and moved, her heart pounding again, only this time with anxiety.

The woman wore a skirt…and an apron. Her hair had some gray on the edges and was twisted up into a French knot. The entire day so far had been completely surreal. Now Emily was standing in the mountains of Idaho, where even the burning sun couldn’t disguise the fact that it was still cold. And she was about to meet John’s mother, of all people.

Did he often bring clients or coworkers home?

“Mom, this is Emily Rogers. She works for Hawk Elite.” His hand remained on his mom’s shoulder. His mom smiled shyly, studying Emily.

“Nice to meet you, Mrs. Vega.”

“Please, call me Donna. It’s always nice to meet one of John’s friends.” Question answered. Although Emily didn’t know what they were. “Come in. You must be exhausted after the trip.”

“She slept the entire way here. What’s to be tired about? Besides, look at this place.” John was staring out toward the peaks again.

Emily shook her head. “Are you sure you should have left?”

“Oh, yes.” John grabbed the door behind her as he smiled down into her face. “You don’t appreciate anything as much as you do if you leave, or have to leave.”

She’d heard that, but knew nothing about it. Before Harbor View, her home had been the place to lay her head between jobs. Before that, it had been the place where she studied between classes. If she went back far enough, she might remember a vaguely sentimental feeling about her time as a kid—at the beach—and needing to leave and wanting to stay.

Surely, that had more to do with returning to the house her stepfather called home.

A shiver ran up her spine as she blocked the thought.

Geez. She really needed to not think about the past. For some reason, being with the Vega family was causing her to dive into parts of her psyche she had no business being in.

“Oh,” Emily exclaimed as she stepped through the door. Hardwood—of all grains and shades—covered the front room, with its vaulted ceiling, big furniture, and warm, rich colors. A stone fireplace was built into the far west wall. On each side of the fireplace was a window, from floor to ceiling. Sun came through the glass and touched everything.

Through the glass was the perfect view of the mountain range, white-capped peaks that rose and fell and rose again into the blue sky. “Wow. That blue. That view. Jeez—”

Her throat tightened. Why did seeing that through John’s home affect her so strongly? She cleared her throat and turned to him, only to find him standing next to his mom in the foyer. They both were watching her. His mom had a look of pure kindness in her eyes. One Emily hadn’t seen since her childhood.

One that she knew was the very reason she shouldn’t be here right now. She was trouble, and it scared the crap out of her that she might bring that trouble to this place.

“Come back to my kitchen, and I will get you a drink, dear.” Donna came over and put an arm around Emily’s waist. “Go see your dad, John,” she ordered. “I’m going to steal your new friend for a while.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

* * *

“Another wounded stray?” John’s dad had a way of getting right to the point.

Drove him crazy most of the time, but he didn’t mind. He considered the question before answering. “No,” he said slowly. “Scarred.”

Dad tossed him a pair of gloves, and John drew them over his hands and then stepped into the corral where his father was training one of the new mustangs. “Up,” he said, and as if he’d never been away, John jogged beside the fence and waited for the horse to come aside him. He grabbed the reins, stepped into the stirrup, and swung his leg over. Around he went, once then twice, and finally a third before his dad, satisfied with how the horse was handling a rider, signaled him to stop.

John patted the mustang’s neck. “How long have you been working with him?”

“A month. He’ll do well. I have a buyer coming out later this week.”

John dismounted and walked the mustang over to his dad. “Name?”

A shy smile rose on his father’s face. “You always were more interested in getting to know the horses than train them.”

“Guess that’s why I live in Raleigh.”

“We haven’t named this one. It’s going to the therapy camp down in Colorado.”

John nodded. He’d visited the camp a few times over the years after he’d volunteered during high school. “You have enough help around here?” He trusted his brothers and sisters to keep an eye on things, but he still worried. His dad was in his seventies now. He might be going strong, but there was always that niggle in the back of John’s head. “You should take a vacation.”

Dad snorted. “I’m in the best vacation spot this country has to offer. Where would I go?”

With a shrug, John followed his dad to the barn. “I don’t know. The beach?”

At the following silence, John stopped and turned to his dad. The conversation was fairly familiar. They’d had it before a few—hundred—times. But never before with the hesitance.

“What?”

“Mom’s been talking about taking a trip. I don’t know what’s gotten into her.”

John rolled that around in his brain, using reason to keep the panic at bay. “Everyone’s healthy, right?”

“Of course,” his dad answered, and frowned. “Darn woman, that’s all. Thinks we should go on a cruise or something.”

John thought of the sweet little tourist town on the coast where he’d found Emily. “I know a place you might like.”

“Don’t put more ideas in her head.”

He couldn’t help but laugh. “Dad. You guys can take a vacation. The ranch isn’t going anywhere. Dave’s got it covered.” Turning, he put a hand on his dad’s shoulder, surprised at how short and slender he seemed. The man had definitely lost an inch or so and some bulk in the last several years, so that now John was the one who felt like the big guy.

It frightened him a little.

“Think about it.”

“Maybe.”

“Good.” He handed off the reins. “I’m going to find Dave.”

“Head out toward the lake. Dumbass Don Juan took some girl on a picnic. He should be back by now anyway. Remind him he has work to do.”

John snickered. “Did you really call Dave a dumbass?”

Rolling his eyes, his dad chuckled. “It’s gotten worse.”

“Oh, Dave.”

“Maybe you can talk to him. He looks up to you.”

A breeze blew up from the valley and brushed his face. The smell of the lake below them came up the hill, and his thoughts turned to Emily up at the house. “Dumbass,” he whispered with a shake of his head. “I’ll talk to him.” After I find Emily.

His legs protested the climb back to the house. Being back at high altitude always wore on him at first. Made him crazy to feel so weak, so he pushed it, running the last twenty yards. The cold coated his lungs and he wheezed as he bounded up to the back porch and stopped. He bent over his legs to stretch the hamstrings and felt the ache in the back of his legs.

“You really should run more, so you’re not so out of shape.” Her voice came through the open door and the screen that separated them. She was grinning, though, and holding a mason jar that had fresh lemonade in it.

He groaned when he saw it. His mom made the best lemonade in the world. No, the universe. When he opened the door, Emily stepped back and he eyed her drink, which made her cup her hand around it protectively. “Hey, get your own glass.”

He forced himself not to stop and be a sentimental fool as he crossed into his mom’s kitchen. Making a spectacle of himself wasn’t really on the list of things to do in front of Emily. But the warmth hit him first. Then the smells, of bread and roasts and…something flowery.

On the counter beside the fridge, John lifted the lid to the cookie jar and reached in.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

He didn’t let go of the thick cranberry, chocolate, and oatmeal cookie as he turned to grin at his baby sister. “Rachel, Rachel, Rachel,” he said, surprised to find that she’d grown a good six inches. Shocked was a better word for it. And completely dismayed that she was this gorgeous young lady.

Not a kid anymore.

He was staring, and he knew it. But he’d been fifteen when she was born, and from that first day, he’d always had this special spot inside of him—for her. Rachel ran and threw herself into his arms, hugging him so hard around the middle. “Hey, baby girl.”

Drawing back, she looked up into his face and then threw a punch, directly into his stomach.

With an oomph, he almost laughed. “What was that for?”

“Quit staying away so long.” She scowled, and behind them both, Emily hummed. “See? Your new girlfriend agrees.”

“She’s not my girlfriend.” John pulled his sister back into a hug and kissed the top of her head. “Emily, this is my sister Rachel. Rachel, this is the best shooter Hawk Elite has had on the team. The best in the entire country—”

“Not.” Emily scowled, embarrassed by his compliment.

“Total badass.”

“John Paul Vega,” his mother snapped, just like old times, his three names in staccato succession.

Heat rose on his neck. “Sorry. She is awesome, though.”

Rachel sent Emily an assessing, fifteen-year-old look—completely bored. The darker looks from the Vega side of the family ran strong through her veins. And coming back this time was like a slap to his face. He definitely needed to have a chat with his brothers to make sure someone was watching out for Rachel.

Emily rolled her eyes and cleared her throat. “So, what grade are you in?”

“Eleventh, but I’m young for my grade. Only fifteen because my mom homeschooled me through middle school and I finished early. And I’m really smart.” Rachel’s eyes widened. “I don’t mean that egotistically. I have the curse of the elevated IQ. Nothing I’ve done has been able to stop it. Believe me. I’ve tried. Anyway, I use too many words when one works.”

Emily laughed, sounding relaxed—for the first time since they’d woken up that morning. “It’s okay. I’d like to hear about how you’ve tried to fend off the curse. Sounds interesting. I’ve got a few curses I could use fending from.” Uncertainty clouded her eyes, breaking the ease from a moment ago.

“Whatever you do, don’t go with dating the dumb jock,” Rachel said.

“You’re too young to be dating,” John interrupted. “Mom, you are not letting her date, are you? Whatever happened to the you-can-date-when-you’re-ready-to-get-married rule?”

Donna patted his shoulder on the way to the kitchen island, where she set the bin of flour on the counter. She pulled the top off and dusted the granite top. “Mind your own business, John.”

“Rachel is my business.”

“Am not. You don’t even live here anymore.” Rachel’s chin went up. “The only reason they didn’t let you date was because they knew you’d be an idiot about it.”

“That’s not true,” Donna said. “We expect all of you to take dating and relationships seriously. Respect for the person and for the sanctity of marriage is a quality everyone in this family will learn. None of this random hooking up and sleeping around with a new person every other weekend—”

“Mooom,” Rachel said. “Ew. Please. We have company.”

“Making love is a beautiful thing, Miss Rachel. One day, you’ll learn about that.”

“Not today.” Rachel freaked out, covering her ears.

“Not if you become a nun, either,” John teased. “I hear the Sisters of Mary Mother of the Church are recruiting.”

“Convents don’t recruit,” Rachel said with a pout.

Emily giggled behind him, and when he looked over at her, she quickly cleared her throat and the laughter from her face.

“Shall we?” He grinned and waved a hand. “I can show you around the place. I’m sure there’s another brother or sister around here somewhere who’d be happy to embarrass us both.”

Mom sent him a glare, and he knew that look. It was the one reminding him to mind his Ps and Qs. He took a moment to kiss her cheek. He loved his mom, loved that she cared. Loved that, despite the discomfort of having a mother who wasn’t shy at all about sex, she never truly interfered in his relationships.

Emily eyed him curiously as they walked around the house to the front yard.

He got that look a lot. “They’re family.”

“Father John is making more sense now.” She bit at her lip and glanced over at him under those pretty blond eyelashes. Those eyes, so expressive, were filled with curiosity. “Can I ask you a personal question?”

Inwardly he cringed, but it was the way of it, which was why his dating had slowly waned over the last few years. He’d gotten a little tired of explaining why he wasn’t going to have sex. The trouble with Emily? She was the first one he truly didn’t want to scare away.

And celibacy was apparently scarier than a guy like Malcolm, who seemed to have a new girl every time John turned around. He sighed. “Go ahead. I’m an open book.”

“I doubt that. We all have secrets.”

He shrugged. “Not much to keep secret.” Except the fact that I’ve had an unhealthy, fantasy-like crush on you for two years.

“Why do you live all the way in North Carolina?” She stopped where the yard narrowed to a path before it headed downhill to Ghost Lake.

He stared at her, pleased that she hadn’t followed the usual, and laughed at himself for assuming he knew what she would do. When she frowned, he put a hand on her shoulder. “I’m not laughing at you. I’m—” He shook his head. “I’m an idiot.” He paused then, as the wind caught her hair and wrapped around his wrist. He wanted to touch that point on her neck where he could see her pulse pounding.

He had to think of an answer. “Why do I live in Raleigh,” he said slowly. He’d been gone for a while now. He loved his family at Hawk Elite. They’d become as important to him as his biological family. “I’m not sure I know. I like being needed.” And this was the first time he’d been home in ten years when he questioned if he might be needed on the ranch. Was David carrying enough of the load? Were his parents getting too old to handle it all? His stomach hurt a little at the thought. “I don’t know.”

In a surprise move, Emily came close and hugged him, arms tightly around his neck.

“Can I tell you another secret?”

“Sure,” she said, her voice soft against his ear.

John pulled back. “I really like you.”

“Aw.” Her grin teased, made him want to wrestle her a little, and he liked that playful quality that sprang to life when he least expected it. She didn’t like when things got too serious.

“I’ve been taking my life one day at a time for a long time. I’ve been too long in the military and with Hawk Elite to think the future is something I can count on. Life can be short and fleeting.”

She blinked as if surprised, and nodded. “I know.”

“Yeah.” He tucked that now-familiar stray hair behind her ear. “But, for me, my one day at a time is based fully in the faith that someone has a plan for me. So I’m with Hawk Elite now. Maybe in a year I’ll be elsewhere. Maybe I won’t. I don’t know. But one thing I’d like to explore is that maybe, just maybe, finding you was part of that plan.”

He’d made her nervous enough to take a step back. Behind her, his brother was making tracks up the path from the lake, no girl in tow. He gave Emily’s shoulder a squeeze and stepped around her. “Dave!”

Dave looked up from his feet and waved as he jogged the last few feet up the hill. “What the hell are you doing here?” he asked, pounding John’s back. “I thought you were off to find that hot sniper lady.”

Emily cleared her throat and lifted a brow.

“Oh, crap. That’s you, right?”

“Dave, Emily. Emily, Dave,” John said. “We should have a family meeting and do this all at once.”

“Sorry, bro.” Dave shook her hand. “Of course, you are hot.”

John whacked his brother on the back of the head, catching him before he ducked away. “Where’s your latest darling? Dad says you were out on the lake.”

“Eh, she took off from the road access. Had a thing to go to in town this afternoon.” Dave put an arm around Emily’s shoulder and turned her back to the house. “So, you’re the one who’s been consuming my brother’s thoughts.”

John groaned as Dave walked away with Emily.

He loved his family. He loved his family. He loved his family.

He couldn’t hear their words anymore, but smiled when Emily threw her head back and laughed at something Dave said. Dave, the jokester, nary a serious bone in his entire body.

Yet even though he was younger and a bit on the reckless side, Dave was the most loyal of John’s brothers. They’d grown up together, only a year apart, the closest in age of siblings from parents who seemed to have an alarm for creating babies exactly two and a half years apart.

So he relaxed when Emily glanced over her shoulder at him. He’d already told her his most important secret.

Anything Dave wanted to spill didn’t matter.