Chapter One
Zac shotbolt upright in bed, his ears straining to hear what had woken him.
The hair on the back of his neck stood on end as a scraping sound echoed through the house. Wiping his hand across his eyes, he forced his brain to focus.
He was home.
In Montana. Not sweltering in a hot Afghanistan summer.
The noise could have been anything. Deer, elk, squirrels, or even wild cats could sound like humans. And then there were the bears…
He was sure he’d locked the front door before he’d gone to bed, but—
There it was again, only this time it sounded like something heavy hitting the floor.
With his heart pounding, he pushed off his blankets and reached for the baseball bat beside his bed.
He’d arrived home late last night, exhausted after a thirty-hour flight from Kabul. It was ironic that, after working in refugee camps around the world, it was here, in Sapphire Bay, where he felt unsafe.
Raising the bat to his shoulder, he moved into the hallway. Sunlight trickled through the gap in the curtains. He glanced at his watch, surprised to see it was already eight o’clock.
Silently, he moved down the stairs. His sweaty palms gripped the bat, holding it tightly as if waiting to hit a home run.
Was that running water?
Whoever was here had to be human—unless a thirsty bear had decided a kitchen faucet was better than drinking from a creek.
Eliminating the wildlife didn’t mean he was safe. He lived in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by pine and spruce trees. On any other day, if someone broke in, no one would stop them.
That wouldn’t be happening today.
Taking a deep breath, he pushed his back against the wall beside the living room doors. On the count of three, he spun around the edge of the doorframe. Apart from the furniture, the room was empty.
As quietly as possible, he crossed the room. When he stepped into the kitchen a flash of red turned him toward the butler’s pantry. Before he could move, a woman stepped through the doorway.
The loaf of bread in her hands dropped to the floor. Her wide-eyed gaze shot to the bat, then returned to his T-shirt and boxers. “Who are you?”
For a few seconds, all Zac could do was stare at the pretty brunette standing in his kitchen. When she took a step backward, he figured he’d better lower the bat before she panicked.
“I’m Zac. I own the house you’ve broken into.”
The woman’s shoulders sagged in relief. “I’m not a burglar. I’m Willow Clarke. I’m restocking your pantry and refrigerator with fresh food.”
Zac had no idea what was going on. He’d never heard of Willow or met her before. “Mabel Terry looks after the house. She doesn’t know I’m here.”
Willow picked up the loaf of bread. “Mabel wanted to make sure the house was ready for you, but she’s busy in the store for the next couple of days. I offered to help.” She sent him a confused frown. “I thought you weren’t arriving until tomorrow night.”
“I caught an earlier flight home.”
“I guess that’s a good thing.” Willow left the bread on the counter and picked up her jacket. “I’d better leave. There’s fresh milk, butter, and yogurt in the refrigerator, and Mabel gave me half a dozen frozen meals for your freezer. If you need anything else, Mabel said to call her at the general store.” She stuck her hands in her pockets. “I’m sorry if I gave you a fright.”
Zac didn’t know what it was about her, but his brain was having trouble forming words. “I was asleep. I thought you were a burglar.”
“You don’t need to worry about that in Sapphire Bay. We must be one of the safest places in the world.” She handed him a set of keys. “I won’t need these anymore. Welcome home.” And with a quick smile, she walked out of the kitchen.
“Thanks for leaving me the food,” he yelled after her.
“That’s okay. Have a great day.”
