Chapter 26
26
Noel let out a soft sigh, her lips curling into a smile as she shook her head. "He's… well…"
"Crazy?" Landon supplied, his brows arching playfully.
She chuckled, feeling her cheeks warm. "I was going to say intense. But also… honest. And he’s got this strange way of being caring. It’s a little… scary, but in a good way."
Landon shrugged, hands open as if to say it is what it is . "He’s a good friend."
She nodded her agreement, then blew out a long breath as nerves skittered along her spine. “So, um… I guess we should talk.”
“Yeah.” Landon’s voice softened, his gaze holding hers. "But first… I’m sorry it took someone like Devil to make you realize you shouldn’t feel guilty about what happened when we were rescuing the kids. I should’ve told you myself, and been there for you after."
Noel looked down, her fingers tracing an invisible pattern on her pants. “I don't know if that would have made a difference,” Noel admitted. “At the time, everything was so surreal. I was incredibly naive to insist on going with you to get the kids, but I'm glad I did. I got to see you in action… the way you handled everything. I was able to spend more time with you and ensure the kids were okay. And I now know I actually fired a gun toward someone and, by sheer dumb luck, managed to hit them—something I still can’t entirely process. But when I take into consideration what Devil said, I'm glad it was the bad guy who got shot.”
Landon leaned closer, his gaze steady, unwavering. "As straightforward as it sounds, Noel, he was the monster who took those kids. As you got them safely back to the vehicle, I took care of him and one of the other men inside, who pulled a weapon on me. I wasn't going to tell you this, but you need to know. In these situations, I have to make life-and-death decisions, and I have to make them in an instant. I'm always going to choose life for myself and for those I'm sworn to protect.”
“Thank you,” she whispered, feeling the weight of his words settle over her like a warm blanket. Her gratitude was simple, perhaps even understated, but she hoped he felt the depth of it. Slowly, she turned her palm up in silent invitation. Her stomach tightened, a blend of anticipation and nerves twisting within her.
He didn’t hesitate to reach over. His hand met hers, and their fingers laced together. She was stunned by the intimacy of how something so small could feel so monumental. Her heart thudded, and she drew a steadying breath, readying herself.
Inhaling another cleansing breath, she plunged ahead. “I feel like we should talk about last night. But… honestly? I’m terrified.” She let out a breathy laugh, shaking her head. “That sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it? I fired a gun and faced down people who wanted to hurt us, yet I'm afraid to talk about?—”
She paused, her eyes flicking to the kids sleeping nearby, ensuring they were undisturbed. When her gaze met Landon’s again, her voice softened. "About the… intimacy. Waking up with you. It doesn’t have to mean everything, but… for me, it meant something. And if… if it didn’t for you, that’s okay. I just needed to say it."
Landon’s grip on her hand tightened ever so slightly, his expression serious, almost vulnerable. "I hate that we didn’t get a chance to talk this morning. But I need you to know something, Noel… it’s been a long time since I’ve spent the night with anyone. I’m not someone who just… plays around. When I meet someone for…” He hesitated, then winced.
“Just sex?” she supplied, wanting to put him at ease.
He chuckled and nodded. “Yes, when I do meet someone just for sex, there is no cuddling or sharing a bed for sleep. So what we did last night meant something to me, too.”
A breath escaped her, long and trembling as if she’d been holding the air in without realizing it. The weight of wondering what he felt had settled over her like a storm cloud, and now, with his words, it began to lift. She glanced down at their entwined fingers, feeling the warmth of his hand that had held hers so tenderly, the same hand that had held her close in the quiet moments of the night, had traced over her skin with a tenderness she hadn’t expected—yet had also defended her, fiercely, even lethally. The realization stole her breath, igniting something deeper. His touch made her crave more, want more.
Gathering her courage, she looked up and met his gaze head-on. “We have to decide whether it means anything before we return to Montana.” Her words tumbled out quickly, the vulnerability almost overwhelming. “I’m not asking for a commitment,” she rushed to clarify, “I know it sounds… well, intense, given we’ve only known each other for a few days. But do you… want to see me again?”
His fingers twitched. She held his gaze, watching for any hint of what he truly felt, needing to see it in his eyes as much as hear it.
“Yes, Noel,” he said, his voice soft but confident. “I want to see you again. There might be a few logistic challenges—since you live in Helena,” he added with a grin, “but a three-hour drive? We can make that work.”
"I actually live north of there, and I've also looked,” she admitted, her cheeks warming. “It takes about two hours to get to you in Cut Bank. I don't have to drive into Helena every day. I have a wide territory, which is from Helena to Great Falls. My apartment is about halfway between.”
His facial muscles relaxed, and his lips curved. “Two hours. That makes it even better. And since my house is south of Cut Bank, we can probably knock that down even more.”
She leaned forward, smiling as he did the same. “If we keep talking, we’ll get it to where we have no commute to see each other.”
He barked out laughter. “That’d be fine with me.” He reached with his free hand to grab his phone. “Can I have your address?”
She reluctantly let go of his hand to dig in her purse, then eagerly traded phone numbers, email, and physical addresses.
For the remainder of the flight, the conversation flowed effortlessly. She loved sitting in a seat next to him, close enough to feel the warmth of his arm around her, and to lean into him as the exhaustion from the whirlwind of this morning's events began to settle heavily on her. The idea of resting her head on his shoulder and drifting off, surrounded by his quiet strength, was tempting.
She was captivated by the subtle expressions on his face as he spoke of his family, his life back home, and his loyalty to his team. His dark brows framed his deep-set eyes, which shifted in color from a mysterious stormy gray to a soft blue-gray as if reflecting the depth of his emotions. The flight to Jamaica was enjoyable but filled with the unknown and being with someone she wasn’t accustomed to. Now, after only a few days—albeit action-packed and emotionally draining—he was no longer a stranger.
Her gaze would casually drop, wandering over his body. Having felt his strength last night, she knew exactly what lay beneath his clothes—a sculpted, powerful physique that still had her pulse racing. She couldn’t deny it; the thought of being close to him again, of feeling his skin against hers, stirred an ache of anticipation.
Tad, Penny, and Devil woke by the time they had a meal, and she was thrilled to see that the kids appeared more at ease after their rest and food. Now as they continued to the small airport near the ranch, she let out a long exhalation.
“What are you thinking?” Landon asked.
Her gaze jerked from looking out the window back to him, and she smiled. “Everything seems so surreal. It was just a few days ago that you and I met. And now, we're in a… um, new friendship… beginning of something.” She covered her face with her hands. “God, I sound so juvenile!”
He barked out laughter and nodded. “I'm not sure I can describe this any better than that.”
She smiled, nodding. “And everything else feels surreal, too.”
“Like what?”
“A few days ago, I was excited about flying to Jamaica. Knowing we would be there briefly, I hoped to appreciate its beauty and at least see the beach. Now, when I think back, I realize that the past few days have been wild. Crazy. Unpredictable. Unexpected. So out of the norm, it's tough for me to wrap my mind around it.”
He nodded again. “Again, you’ve hit the nail on the head. I'm not sure I could describe it any better. Whatever you're feeling, I think that's normal.”
Laughing, she said, “I have normal feelings about very abnormal events.”
“Exactly,” he said with a grin. “You’re handling it better than you think.”
“What about you? While this assignment didn't turn out how you thought it would, is this normal for you? And I know you can't talk about specifics, but I just wondered about the feelings.”
“As I told you, one of the things I like about my job is that every assignment is different. Some very mundane. Some are intellectually interesting, like when I go to a place and analyze what type of security system might work best. Sometimes, I'm tasked to accompany someone who needs extra security, and it may be to a boring conference or just for travel, and nothing unexpected happens. Yes, a few things go FUBAR.”
She captured her bottom lip with her top teeth as she tried to remember what the letters stood for.
He must have recognized her confusion because he said, “Fucked up beyond all recognition.”
Now, laughter bubbled from her. “Oh my God! I think that describes how I feel about this trip perfectly!”
As they taxied along the runway, she added, “Except about meeting you. That may have been unexpected, but it was not fucked up.”
His grin widened. “Same here, Noel.”
As soon as they walked down the stairs from the plane, they were met by an SUV. Stan leaped from behind the wheel to rush toward them, radiating nervous energy.
“Dad!” Penny and Tad shouted in unison, their voices brimming with joy.
Stan opened his arms wide, pulling both kids into a fierce hug, holding them so close that Noel wondered if they could even breathe. The deep lines etched on his face seemed softened, a testament to the anxiety he’d carried these past days. Her heart swelled, knowing she had played a part in reuniting them. This was the moment she’d hoped for.
Then unexpectedly, Devil walked over to her, a rare softness in his usually guarded expression. “This is where we part ways for now, Noel,” he said. With that, he hugged her, his arms wrapping around her with surprising warmth, lifting her right off the ground.
“Hey, enough of that!” Landon’s voice cut in. He was half joking, but his tone showed a hint of possessiveness.
Devil just laughed as he set her feet on the ground. He whispered, “I like you for my boy here. It takes a strong person to be with a Keeper. I think you’re perfect for the job.” He leaned back and held her gaze. “And I think he's perfect for you.”
“Are you playing matchmaker, Devil?” she asked with a smile.
“If I can't do it for myself, I might as well do it for others,” he replied with a smirk. He bent to press a soft kiss to the top of her head before saying his goodbyes to Tad and Penny, who clung to him in heartfelt hugs.
Cole and Frazier were more reserved in their goodbyes. A round of handshakes and claps on the back later, they bid farewell to Landon and strolled into the small terminal.
Stan pulled Landon into a hug before moving over to do the same with Noel. She felt the rancher rarely showed such emotion, but a business handshake wouldn't do. She could tell he was a man who didn’t wear his heart on his sleeve, but today, the usual formalities were replaced by an overwhelming gratitude.
“Thank you,” he murmured, his voice thick. “Thank you, thank you.” As he stepped back, she noticed the glistening in his eyes, and her own throat tightened as she swallowed down a lump of emotion.
With their bags loaded, Tad hopped into the passenger seat while she, Penny, and Landon slipped into the back. Landon reached over, his hand finding hers, their fingers interlacing as they settled into the peaceful quiet of the drive. She watched the rolling Montana landscape unfold outside the window, so vastly different from Jamaica yet bringing a profound sense of peace. She felt as if she were finally home.
As they pulled up to the front of the ranch house, the kids barely waited for the SUV to come to a complete stop before they tumbled out, rushing toward the two elderly figures standing on the porch. Their grandparents enveloped them in hugs and kisses, the love spilling over. Noel felt the familiar tug of emotion, her heart warming at the sight.
“Come on inside,” Margaret urged gently, beckoning them all toward the house.
Noel glanced down and sighed. Seeing Landon's raised brow, she explained, “I'm grungy, never showered after everything this morning, and quite honestly would love to find my bed and sleep for about two days.”
He slung his arm around her shoulders and inclined his head toward the house. “First of all, you're beautiful, but I understand how you feel. We’ll finish this, and then you can get home.”
“Yes, but there's a lot to go over here, right?”
He looked down and held her gaze, then nodded slowly. “Yeah. I'm sure Margaret will have the kids, so be prepared to go over exactly what happened with Pamela and the entire last couple of days with Stan.”
She took a deep breath and plastered on a wide, deliberately exaggerated smile. “Oh, goody,” she said, feigning enthusiasm.
He laughed, pulling her a little closer with a gentle squeeze. Together, they followed the others into the warmth of the ranch house, ready to face the final pieces of this journey, hand in hand.