Page 79 of Her Guarded Hero

“Crystal is not your biggest fan at the moment. It was nobody’s business why I didn’t tell you that I was pregnant. That was between the two of us. I told Crystal that you hadn’t abandoned me, but she refused to believe it.”

Dalton winced. “You’re saying I have some ground to make up with her.”

“Something like that.”

“I’m just glad you have such loyal friends.” Dalton came up behind her and wrapped her up in a hug, his lips at the base of her jaw. “I’ll talk to Crystal. It’ll be okay, I promise.” He nibbled on her earlobe.

Aurora dropped the clothes and turned into his arms. “I think I’ll wait to call Crystal.”

“Good idea,” he said.

* * *

“You’re back,” Crystal said as she walked up the porch steps. It was definitely not a warm welcome.

“Hi Crystal,” Dalton said. “It’s good to see you. How are the boys?”

“We’re not going to talk about the boys, we’re going to talk about you being a Baby Daddy, and what all that entails.”

God love her, she’d marched right on up those stairs, to the one just below the top of the porch, so that her head almost reached the middle of his chest and she looked like she might take a swing at him. Instead she jammed her finger into his chest. “You know you broke her heart, don’t you?”

Dalton winced. He really wished she would have hit him.

“I’m here now,” he uttered softly.

“You here for good?” Crystal demanded.

“She won’t be able to get rid of me,” he promised hoarsely.

Crystal blinked rapidly then swiped at her eyes. “I was counting on you being a good guy. Don’t fuck it up again, okay?” Her voice trembled.

Dalton went down two steps and pulled the diminutive woman into his arms and hugged her hard. “I won’t. I’m never letting her down again, I promise.”

Crystal cleared her throat, “So why are you out here flirting with me?”

“I’m here with some of my teammates,” he explained.

They were going to love Crystal. “There’s a big Skype conversation going on inside with thousands of Aurora’s family members as well as Sheriff Brody.”

“I hate him,” Crystal said bitterly. “He’s been useless.”

Dalton chuckled. “You’re not alone with that viewpoint. Anyway, the conversation inside is about where Ned Little might have been working when he left here.”

“Okay,” she said slowly. “And you’re out here with me because…?” she prompted.

“I want Aurora out of the line of fire. Dex talked to Jack this morning before the call. This is call is more for show. We know-”

“We who?”

“My teammates, Aurora’s uncles, Gunnar and Lindy.”

“Lindy’s here,” she squealed. “She didn’t call me. The Tahoe Trio are back in action!”

“Focus,” Dalton said.

“Okay, so who’s Jack?”

“Jack’s someone I used to work with. He’s a SEAL, and his family has a big spread near San Antonio. He found out that Ned had worked for three months at the Windsor Breeding Stables near Sutter Creek. Despite the fact that they had been contacted by Aurora not to hire him, and she sent Freddy Windsor a picture of Ned, the man hired him anyway. It makes no sense.”