Harlequin Romantic Suspense March 2016 Box Set Page 30

  He stepped into the den and drew up short at the sight of Darcy on the couch, feeding the baby. How long had she been there? A small stab of guilt pricked through the fog of his fatigue. He hadn’t even heard the baby cry—thank goodness Darcy had been here to take care of her.

  “Good morning,” Darcy said with a smile. She always had been a morning person.

  “Uh, hi,” he replied, suddenly very aware of the fact that he wore only pajama bottoms. Normally he wouldn’t be so shy, but after last night’s kiss, he didn’t want to send any mixed signals. “I’ll be right back.”

  He returned a moment later fully clothed and feeling more awake. “How long have you two been awake?”

  She lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “Maybe an hour? I heard her stir, so I decided to get her a bottle before she started crying. I wanted you to get some sleep.”

  “Thank you,” he said, touched by the thought. He’d lost count of the number of times he’d paced back and forth in front of the window last night. He glanced at the spot now, half-surprised to find there wasn’t a clear path on the floor marking his travels. “Is she doing okay?”

  “Yeah. She’s still eating.”

  His stomach rumbled, and Penny nudged his hand, reminding him that she was hungry, as well. “Can I get you something to eat? Maybe some coffee?”

  “Coffee sounds great, thanks.”

  He nodded and headed into the kitchen. Ten minutes later, he returned carrying a tray laden with toast, fruit, yogurt and coffee.

  Darcy’s brows shot up. “Wow. That’s quite a spread.”

  “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day,” he said lightly.

  “True. I just usually don’t have enough time to eat it.”

  He watched her from the corners of his eyes as he poured the coffee. “I imagine you’re very busy.”

  She tilted her head to the side, watching him arrange the toast and fruit on plates. “It’s just all too easy to get caught up in work. I need to be better about taking time for myself to do the important stuff. Like eating and going to the bathroom.”

  Ridge smiled. “I’ve learned the work will still be there when you get back.”

  “I know,” she said, using her free hand to snag a triangle of toast. “But it’s hard to justify taking a break when my job deals with trying to help people. If I stop working during the day, they have to wait longer for treatment.” She chewed for a moment, then spoke again. “It’s hard not to feel guilty about it.”

  Ridge took a sip of his coffee and leaned back. “I get that,” he said.

  She met his eyes, her expression thoughtful. “You know, I think you might be one of the few people who do. I imagine when you’re off on a search, you don’t take a lot of time for yourself, either.”

  It was the truth and he didn’t bother to deny it. When he and Penny were working, they were totally focused. Ridge did keep a close eye on his dog, though—it was important Penny not get too tired because she was the most useful part of the team. If she stopped functioning, the search slowed way down.

  “Believe it or not, we have mandatory breaks during a search,” he informed her.

  “Really? I didn’t know that.”

  He nodded. “It’s vital Penny keep her energy up. If she gets exhausted, we can’t work. So every few hours, we take a rest and do something else.”

  “Like what?” Darcy sounded genuinely curious, which ignited a small warmth inside his chest.

  “Well, it depends. I’ll make sure she’s fed and that she’s had a bathroom break. If she’s tired, we’ll go somewhere quiet so she can sleep. If she’s not interested in napping, we’ll go off to the side and play.”

  “Aren’t you worried about losing time?”

  Ridge swallowed a spoonful of yogurt. “Yes and no. Like I said, she works better when she’s rested. If I were to push her, it could wind up taking even longer to find our target than if we had just stopped for a bit. Besides, there are usually several teams working an area to make sure we have adequate coverage. That means even when we take our break, someone is always searching.” He took another bite, then added pointedly, “Just like the hospital has more than one doctor working at a time.”

  Darcy’s cheeks turned a pretty shade of pink. “Fair point. And normally, I’d agree with you. But the Granite Gulch Regional Medical Center has a real staffing shortage right now. It’s why I’m here.”

  So that explained her presence back in Granite Gulch. It was one of the things Ridge had wondered about, but he hadn’t had a chance to ask her yet. Darcy had always been ambitious and she’d made no secret of her desire to practice medicine in a big city. Ridge knew her father worked at the hospital, so he must have pulled some strings to get Darcy back in town.

  “Do you like working there?” he asked, trying to keep the conversation away from her family. He heard about their activities through the town grapevine, but since they moved in different social circles he never saw them. It was one of life’s small blessings.

  “It’s not bad. Different from what I’d expected.” She popped a grape into her mouth. “I won’t be here too much longer, though. I’m starting my job in New York in a few weeks.”

  “Ah.” He wasn’t surprised to find her time in Granite Gulch was temporary. Darcy had always been just a little too much for this small Texas town. She would fit in well in New York. He could picture her now, striding confidently down a crowded street, riding the subway with her nose in a book, going out for drinks with friends. It would be good for her to work there—hopefully, she could build a life for herself away from her controlling parents.

  Still, the realization she was leaving so soon bothered him on a level he couldn’t explain. After all, they weren’t going to pick up where they’d left off relationship-wise. But he had hoped to have a little more time with her, to get to know this new Darcy if only for the sake of closure.

  Ridge pushed his disappointment aside. “You must be excited,” he said, offering a smile.

  She nodded. “I am. A little scared, too.”

  “You’ll do great,” he said, offering the assurance automatically. He wasn’t just saying it to be nice—once she decided to do something, Darcy always succeeded. She had intelligence to spare, worked hard and had enough perseverance to fill Texas Stadium. Once she got started, she was a force to be reckoned with and he had always enjoyed watching her go after her goals.

  She gave him a sweet smile. “You were always my biggest cheerleader,” she said, her tone a little wistful. “I don’t think I ever thanked you for that.”

  Ridge felt his face grow warm. “No need for thanks,” he said, deflecting her gratitude. “I just call it like I see it.”

  Little Sara finished the bottle and spit out the nipple, emitting a soft belch. Darcy smiled down at her. “Was that a good breakfast?” she asked the baby.

  “Here, why don’t I take her so you can finish eating?” Ridge gathered the baby and pressed her to his shoulder, then started patting her back to encourage her to burp again.

  “Do you know what time the storm let up?” Darcy asked around a mouthful of food.

  Ridge shook his head. “No clue. I know it was still going strong when I fed her last, but I have no idea when it left the area.”

  She frowned. “How long do you think it will take before I can drive?”

  “Hopefully, sooner rather than later,” Ridge replied. “Now that it’s no longer raining, the roads should start to dry out. I’d give it a couple of hours and then you can try to go home.”

  Darcy nodded. “That sounds reasonable.” She took a sip of coffee, then made a face. “Do you think he’s still out there?”

  He didn’t have to ask whom she meant. “I doubt it. He’s probably long gone by now.” The fact that the man hadn’t come back during the night suggested h
e was no longer around. Maybe they’d gotten lucky and he’d been washed away during the storm...

  “I hope so,” she said with a small shudder. She stood and gathered the dishes, then picked up the tray and headed for the kitchen. When she walked by the back windows, she drew up short. “Oh man,” she said. “Have you looked outside lately?”

  Apprehension made Ridge’s gut twist. “No. What’s wrong?”

  Darcy shot him a sympathetic look. “It’s really torn up out there. Lots of branches and debris from the storm.”

  Ridge sighed, the idea of having to clean the yard sapping the little energy he’d gained from breakfast. “That’s not surprising. I’ll deal with it later.”

  Darcy eyed him thoughtfully. “You know what? Let’s tackle it now, while I’m here to help you. Then you can spend the rest of the day relaxing with the baby.”

  “Really?” He perked up a bit at her offer. With two people working, it wouldn’t take as long to take care of the mess. There was just one problem. “What about the baby?”

  “She’s got a full tummy. She’ll sleep for a while. We can leave her in the crib and check on her often while we work.”

  “That sounds good.” And it did. Even though he didn’t relish the thought of dealing with the storm damage, it would be nice to spend a little time outside and get some fresh air. The woods always smelled amazing after it rained—so crisp and clean, as if all the dirt and grime of the world had been washed away.

  It didn’t take long for them to get Sara settled. Penny watched them, her ear cocked in anticipation. Ridge wanted to let her outside, as she always enjoyed romping in the woods. But he needed her to keep an eye on the baby, at least for the time being. “I’ll take you out later, girl,” he told her. “I need you to stay and watch the baby now.”

  Penny huffed out a sigh but walked over and sat in front of the baby’s makeshift crib. Darcy watched the whole thing, an amused smile on her face. “It’s almost as if she understood exactly what you said to her.”

  “She did,” Ridge said. Darcy chuckled, clearly thinking he was joking, so he didn’t press his point. He and Penny had a special relationship, something other search and rescue handlers understood because they shared the same bond with their own canine partners. It was easy to forget that people who didn’t spend 24/7 with a dog would see his interactions with Penny as outside the norm.

  “After you,” he said, opening the back door and gesturing Darcy outside. It took a lot of willpower, but he managed to stop himself from leaning down to take a whiff of her hair as she passed by. She’s leaving soon, he reminded himself sternly as he followed her outside.

  Too bad his body didn’t care. He still felt the imprint of her curves against his chest, a phantom sensation that had plagued him all night long. He wanted to haul her up against him so he could feel the real thing again, but he knew it would be a mistake. After all, she clearly regretted their kiss last night. He would look like a clueless idiot if he tried to touch her now.

  She bent to pick up a fallen branch and the movement made the fabric of her scrub pants tighten in all the right places. Ridge forced himself to look away, feeling like the worst sort of voyeur. But his eyes kept going back to Darcy, tracing the lines of her body as she moved. His fingers ached to follow suit, so he busied himself with stacking broken branches into a pile. No sense wasting them—he could use them as firewood when the nights got chilly.

  Darcy walked over, her arms filled with sticks. She added them to his pile, and as she straightened, he noticed she had some leaves stuck in her hair. Before he could think better of it he reached up and gently tugged them free, then tucked the strands of hair behind her ear.

  She smiled at him. “Thanks,” she said, her cheeks a healthy shade of pink from the outside air and the exertion.

  “My pleasure,” he murmured.

  She held his gaze and something flared to life in her eyes. An answering warmth started in his chest and spread through his limbs, making him feel as though he was standing in a sunbeam. Slowly, so slowly, they moved toward each other until he was close enough to see the dark gold flecks in her deep brown eyes. He felt trapped in her stare, but he didn’t want to look away. She was his past and his present, and he was helpless to resist her.

  Her breath ghosted across his lips as she moved up onto her toes to get closer. His body tightened in anticipation of her touch, all too eager to resume where they’d left off last night. She placed her palm against his chest, the contact arcing through him like lightning. Did she feel the sparks, too, or was it all in his head?

  He lifted his hand to trace the angle of her jaw with his fingertip and was rewarded with a small shudder. He smiled at her reaction. So she wasn’t immune to him. That was good to know.

  “Ridge,” she murmured, her eyelids drifting down in preparation for his kiss.

  I should stop this, he thought. It’s a mistake. But no matter how many times he thought it, he still found himself leaning down, getting ever closer to Darcy’s waiting mouth.

  He had just brushed his lips across hers when Penny started to bark, a deep, frantic sound that made his blood run cold.

  Darcy drew back, frowning. “What—” she started, but Ridge took off for the house before she could get the rest of the question out.

  Penny made that sound only when something was terribly wrong, which meant either she or the baby was in danger. He snagged a branch to use as a club, then ran as fast as he could in the mud, slipping and sliding as he moved. The dog kept barking, but now there was a new note in her voice: fear.

  Oh God, he’s back. The realization slammed into him and Ridge kicked himself for having left the baby in the house. He’d never forgive himself if something happened to her. He took the porch steps two at a time and lunged for the back door, his heart in his throat.

  Please, don’t let me be too late.

  * * *

  Darcy stood frozen in place for a moment, still adjusting to the fact that one minute Ridge had been about to kiss her and the next minute he was gone, racing into the house as though it was on fire.

  What is going on?

  It took her a second to register Penny’s bark had changed, going from low and menacing to something more frantic, as if she was being backed into a corner against her will.

  The intruder! He must have come back—that was the only explanation for Penny’s behavior.

  Ridge had already made it to the porch, branch in hand. Darcy grabbed a branch of her own and took off after him, ignoring the ache in her lower leg. No way was she letting him face this guy down alone. He hadn’t had a weapon last night, but what if he’d come back with a gun? The thought made her fingers go numb. Ridge could be walking into a trap and not even know it.

  She heard a muffled shout from inside the cabin, but couldn’t tell if it was Ridge or the intruder. Please don’t be hurt, she thought, equally scared for both Ridge and the baby. She was so tiny and fragile and the thought of that little baby in the arms of the intruder made her stomach revolt.

  Darcy bounded up the stairs and burst into the cabin just in time to see Ridge charge across the room, the broken branch held high above his head. He let out a yell that would have done a banshee proud and swung the branch, aiming for the stranger’s head. The man stayed in place and Darcy held her breath, thinking he was going to submit to the blow. But at the last second he dodged, lunging forward and striking out at Ridge with his own baseball bat.

  The bat struck Ridge in the stomach and the breath left his body in a sickening wheeze that made Darcy’s lungs ache in sympathy. He stumbled back, his face going a deep shade of red as he fought to inhale. The intruder took a step forward, intent on finishing him off, but Darcy darted in to distract him, holding her own branch at her shoulder like a baseball player ready to swing.

  The man glanced from her to Ridge, who
had now recovered enough to take aim at the man again. Apparently deciding he was outmatched, the stranger backed quickly toward the door and darted out.

  Ridge made to follow him, but Darcy grabbed his shirt and pulled hard to keep him in place. He whirled on her, his expression so fierce she took a half step back.

  “Let me go! I have to follow him!”

  “No,” she said evenly, glaring up at him. “I’m not going to let you run off by yourself. Who knows what’s out there?”

  “This is my best chance of catching him,” he said, the words coming out clipped and harsh.

  “Oh, please,” she snapped back, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. “The whole world is covered in mud right now. Even I could track the guy!”

  “Darcy,” he said, a note of warning in his voice.

  “Don’t be an idiot, Ridge,” she said. She softened her tone, knowing it was the only way to get through to him. “This is the second time that man has forced his way inside your home in an attempt to get the baby. What if he’s not working alone? What if he’s acting as bait, to draw you out and away from the baby so someone else can sweep in and take her? It’s not worth the risk.”

  She watched the words sink in and could practically see the adrenaline drain out of his body as he relaxed his muscles. “I suppose that’s a possibility,” he said grudgingly. He walked over to the baby, his features softening as he looked down at her. Moving gently, he picked her up and walked over to the couch. “Are you okay, sweetheart?” he murmured. “That bad man didn’t touch you, did he?”

  “Okay,” Darcy said softly, exhaling in relief. She knew how stubborn Ridge could be, but the fact that he was now holding the baby meant he wasn’t going to chase off after the man. Not right now, anyway.

  “Why don’t you call your brother?” she suggested. “Now that the storms have passed, he might be able to get some officers out here.”

  “Let’s hope so,” Ridge replied. He dug his phone out of his pocket and dialed, updating Sam in a few short sentences. After a moment, he hung up. “He’s going to come out himself.”