Of course she did.
"You don't have to do this."
I looked at her.
Really looked at her.
The woman who had somehow gotten under my skin.
The woman who smiled at me.
Argued with me.
Made me laugh when I didn't want to.
The woman I'd spent years avoiding because getting close felt dangerous. Especially since her Dad told me she was off limits when we were in school together.
Now danger had found her anyway.
"Yeah."
My voice came out rough.
"I do."
Something changed in her eyes.
Something soft.
Something hopeful.
And suddenly it was getting hard to breathe.
The door exploded open.
Kyle came sprinting out of the house.
"WE GOT A PROBLEM!"
The entire porch froze.
"What?"
The teenager pointed toward the barn.
Wild-eyed.
Panicked.
"There's somebody in there! I saw them from the window upstairs."
Every protective instinct I possessed came alive.
I shoved Sadie behind me.
Pulled my sidearm.
And started running.
