Chapter Eighteen
“Relax, would ya?”
When Ty looked up, he found Cash frowning at him from across the table.
Ty realized that his fingers were drumming on the arm of his seat and his foot was tapping. He sat up straighter and looked out the window of the jet.
“How much longer?”
Cash laughed. “We only just took off.”
Ty gave him a rueful smile. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay. I get it. I’m kind of antsy to get there myself. But at least I managed to get ahold of Alma and tell her what the deal was before we left. And Shayna’s home safe with them.”
“Yeah, but …” Ty shook his head. “What if we can’t find him?”
Cash shrugged. “You know what I think, but it’ll be up to you to talk her into coming back with us.”
“I don’t know that she’ll do it.”
“I don’t know that Alma will go for it either. She might. It’s not as though I’m saying that I can keep Shayna safer than she can.” Cash chuckled. “There’s no way she’d go for that. But putting a thousand miles between your girl and this crazy bastard looks like the logical solution to me.”
“It’s more than just logical. There’s no way I’m going to be able to leave Shay there if … Tell me everything Amelia found on him again.”
Ty was still trying to wrap his head around what Amelia had discovered about the man who’d messaged Shayna on the dating site. In his mind, he’d been expecting Amelia to come up with the name and address of some creep who lived in Summer Lake – some small-time, small-town dickhead. Ty had thought that he’d be able to go and make clear that it was in his best interests to leave Shay alone.
It turned out to be more serious than that – the guy, Carey Duncan, was a convicted felon. He’d served time for a variety of offenses, including rape. He’d grown up in Summer Lake, and from what Amelia had found, was living right there in town.
Cash held his gaze. “You already know it all, Ty. He grew up in Summer Lake. He moved to LA. Worked his way up from indecent exposure to rape. Served time and was released a couple of years ago. From his previous addresses, it looks like he went back to LA first, and then moved to the lake again. I’m curious whether the address he gave is where he’s living.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s the same address where he lived with his parents when he was a kid. They died years ago, so either they left him the house, or it’s just a convenient address to use.”
“Yeah.” Ty ran his hand through his hair. “What did Alexis say?”
Cash frowned. “Oh, you mean, Alma. I can’t think of her as Alexis.”
“Whatever you want to call her, what did she say?”
“That they’ll meet us at the airport when we land. She was going to talk to her man, Davin. And they’re going to talk to Shayna, obviously.”
“Shit, I wish I could be there for that. She’s going to be scared. You should have seen her freak out when he messaged her in Salt Lake. I don’t blame her, it freaked me out as well.”
“With reason, Ty. What he said? That’s not just run of the mill rapist talk.”
Ty blew out a sigh. “It’s bad enough that there’s such a thing as a run-of-the-mill rapist. To think that whoever has his sights on Shay is even worse than that …”
“I know. That’s why I’m here with you.”
Ty sat back in his seat. “Shit! It didn’t even register. When you landed, and told me what the deal was … I … it didn’t even occur to me to question you coming with me. Thanks, Cash.”
“No need. It didn’t occur to me not to come. Trav wanted to come as well, but he had a bunch of appointments lined up.” Cash smiled. “I told him to stay and take care of what he needs to. We’ll have all the backup we need.”
“True. It sounds like there’s a whole bunch of guys who live there. You know some of the older SEALs, right? And there’s Xander.”
“I know a couple personally and a few by reputation, and it’s good to know that they’re there, but I wasn’t thinking about them. We have Alma.”
Ty stared at him.
“You know who I mean – Alexis.”
“Yeah, I get that. It’s just … I’m surprised that you have so much faith in her.”
Cash chuckled. “You’ll figure it out when you meet her.”
Ty shrugged. “All I know is that I’m grateful to her – and to Davin. They didn’t need to take Shay in like they did. And if it weren’t for them, she’d still be living by herself in a shitty little house in town. It would have been too easy …” He stopped, not wanting to think about what might have happened to her if Alexis and Davin hadn’t made her part of their family and rented her the apartment above their garage.
“I know you’re grateful that they took her in, but it might turn out to be an obstacle for you, you know that, right?”
“I do.” He held his brother’s gaze. “I know it makes the most sense to bring her home with us, but I don’t know that she’ll do it. Even if she’s okay with leaving all her jobs and working around the ranch … she’s not going to want to leave them and Booker. And … If she’s not going to come back with us …”
Cash held his hand up. “Don’t say it, squirt. We’ll find a way to make it okay. We can fly her back here to visit them as often as she wants to come. I’m happy to send the jet whenever I can, but … I don’t want you to move away.”
“I don’t want to do it, but …”
Cash nodded. “I get it. If it turns out that way, then we’ll have to fly you home as often as possible, but I’ll tell you now – I’m going to do my best to persuade her that she should come home with us – and stay there.”
“You know that’s what this freak who’s after her said, don’t you?” The words of the message Shayna received were etched into Ty’s memory.
It’s almost time for you to come home with me.
“Yeah, but that’s different.”
“I know that, but there’s enough similarity to make it feel weird. If we were in Davin and Alexis’s shoes – if it were Laney or Janey in this situation, are you telling me that we’d be happy for them to leave us and go with some new guy? To go a thousand miles away with a guy who wants to take her home with him ? When that’s exactly what the message said?”
Cash shook his head. “You know my answer to that – there’s no way I’d let them go. All we can do is play it by ear.”
~ ~ ~
Shayna stared out through the windows at the runway. Her emotions were all over the place. Of course, she was excited to see Ty again, but she was nervous about it as well. She didn’t think she’d feel nervous if it were just the two of them – but it wasn’t. Davin and Alexis had come with her, and Ty’s brother, Cash was with him. It wasn’t just that their reunion would take place in front of their families that had her nerves on edge. It was the reason that they were all there that had her worried.
She startled when Alexis touched her arm.
“Try to breathe, sweetie,” she said with a smile. “They’ll be here in a few minutes.”
“How do you know?”
Alexis held up her phone. “Flight tracker. They’re three minutes out.”
Shayna looked up at the sky. If they were that close the plane must be …
“That way.” Alexis pointed in the opposite direction to where Shayna had been looking. She smiled when she spotted the plane. Then her smile faded when her mind latched back on to the thoughts she’d been trying to stay away from. The man – Carey Duncan – it sounded like such a normal name, but from what Alexis had told her, he was far from normal. She shuddered, and Davin came to stand on her other side.
“You’re safe, Shay,” he told her. “We’ve got your back.”
“I know. Thanks.”
Alexis scowled. “And we’re going to get him. Soon.”
Shayna couldn’t help smiling. “If he could see your face right now, he’d leave town without a second thought and never look back.”
Davin smiled at her and nodded, but Alexis pursed her lips. “If I were close enough to him that he could see my face, he wouldn’t get the chance to leave town.”
Davin gave Shayna a wry smile. “No, she’s not joking.” He turned to Alexis. “But you have to remember you’re back in the civilian world now. He’s not a target you have permission to eliminate.”
Alexis stared at him for a long moment before turning away with a shrug. “Look, they’re about to land.”
Shayna turned back to the window. She’d much rather get excited to see Ty in just another minute or two than worry about whether Alexis might actually eliminate this Carey person.
“I had a word with Smoke, and he said we can use one of the briefing rooms when they land,” Davin told her. “We’ll have a chat with Cash first – give you a minute with Ty before we leave the airport.”
“Oh! Thanks!”
Alexis smiled, seemingly recovered from her darker thoughts. “Perhaps we should give the two of you the briefing room and we can talk out here.”
Shayna felt the heat in her cheeks as she waved a hand at them. “We’ll be fine. We can just say a quick hello and then join you. I want to hear what you discuss – and I know Ty will, too.” She frowned. She was thinking that she and Ty would have plenty of time alone when they got back to the house and she took him up to the apartment, but … “Where’s Cash going to stay?”
“I’m sure he’ll have arranged something,” said Alexis. She jerked her chin toward the window. “Here they come.”
Shayna’s hand came up to cover her heart when she spotted Ty. How had she gotten so lucky? Well, she knew the answer to that – it was all thanks to April! They’d have to stop by the bakery to see her and thank her.
Ty looked just as gorgeous as she remembered, maybe more so. He was wearing the same bright blue jacket and brown cowboy hat that he’d worn in Salt Lake. He was … breathtaking. She took hold of the beehive charm on her necklace and moved it back and forth along the chain as she watched him walk. When she’d told April that she liked cowboys, it had just been an idea – a type. Now? Now, she had her very own cowboy. Tall, dark, built, handsome and such a good guy. He might be a little rough around the edges, but that just added to his charm as far as she was concerned.
It took her a while to even notice his brother walking beside him and … holy smoke! She’d bet that it wasn’t often that women failed to notice him. He was a silver fox if ever she’d seen one. She glanced at Davin, feeling guilty. He was a great guy – and good-looking, but to her, he was just one of the group of older guys in town. He was a sweetheart, and there was definitely something about him that said you shouldn’t mess with him, but …
She looked back out at Cash. He was the kind of hot that finally made her understand why some girls went for older men! He was about the same height as Ty, and he was just as broad-shouldered and muscular. He wore a brown leather jacket, and a brown cowboy hat and …
She turned when Alexis chuckled beside her. “I told you they were a good-looking bunch.”
Shayna could only nod. She shot a glance at Davin, wondering how he’d feel about Alexis saying that. He didn’t look fazed in the least. Alexis stepped around her and Davin slung his arm around her shoulders.
“Go on,” Alexis told her. “Go and meet Tyler at the doors. He can introduce you to Cash, and then we’ll have our chat.”
Shayna took a step forward just as Ty and Cash reached the doors from the tarmac. As soon as they stepped inside, she broke into a run. She didn’t care who was here with them, or what they might think. All she knew was that Ty was here – and she needed to feel his arms around her again.
He grinned when he saw her and dropped the duffel bag he was carrying. He held his arms out, and she threw herself at him. He staggered back a step and swung her around as he grinned down at her.
“Hey, Shay.”
“Hi, Ty.”
They stared into each other’s eyes for the longest moment. They didn’t need words, or even a kiss to convey how they felt. She could see it in his eyes – he’d missed her just as much as she’d missed him. And … her heart thudded to a halt. He loved her – just as much as she loved him. She tilted her head to the side, wondering if that was really what she saw in his eyes or just what she wanted to believe.
Her heart felt like it filled up and overflowed when he nodded.
Cash broke the moment when he laughed and said, “Either kiss her or put her down and introduce us, squirt.”
Shayna laughed out loud. “Squirt?”
Ty gave her a rueful smile. “Yep, ‘fraid so. I was the smallest when we were kids.”
“Aww! I think that’s awesome! I call Booker squirt.” She smiled at Cash. “It’s a term of endearment, right?”
Cash nodded. “It is.” He winked at her. “And it’s good to remind this guy sometimes that no matter how big and tough he is these days, he’s still just squirt to his family.”
Shayna nodded happily as she turned to smile at Ty. “I’ll have to remember that if you start getting too big for your britches, squirt!”
Ty cupped his hand around the back of her neck and narrowed his eyes at her, but he couldn’t hide his smile.
“Never mind all that. Shayna, this is my big brother, Cash. Cash, meet Shayna.”
She felt a little awkward holding her hand out to shake with him, it seemed a bit formal. Apparently, Cash thought so too. He took her hand and pulled her in for a hug. Wow! It wasn’t like one of Ty’s hugs, those were special, but there was something about Cash – he felt so solid, so … reassuring.
He smiled down at her as he let her go. “You have no idea how pleased I am to meet you, honey.”
“Same! Ty’s told me a lot about you. Thank you so much for bringing him and …” She frowned when she remembered why he was here. “And for everything.”
He shook his head with a smile. “We’ll get to all of that later, and I’m telling you now – you’re going to be just fine. Right now, I’m going to talk to Alma and Davin. You two have a minute – say hello properly before we dive into the other stuff.” He met her gaze and held it. His light green eyes seemed to shine from within, and they held a whole bunch of questions as he asked, “Okay?”
“Okay. Oh, wait.” She turned to Alexis and Davin. “Guys, this is Ty. Ty, meet Alexis and Davin – the awesome couple I told you were my parents.”
She watched them all shake hands, and relaxed when it was obvious that they liked him.
“It’s a pleasure,” he told them. “I knew you guys were special from the way Shayna talked about you – first as her adopted parents, and then when she told me about how you guys took her in. And then when I found out who you were …” He grinned. “I was grateful that she had good people looking out for her, and when I knew it was you …” He shook his head.
Shayna was relieved when Alexis smiled at him and said, “I have to tell you that I wasn’t thrilled when we learned that Shayna was talking to someone online. But I was more than relieved when I found out who you were.” She cocked an eyebrow and added, “But that doesn’t mean I won’t be keeping an eye on you.”
Davin chuckled. “And she isn’t joking.”
“And if you get on the wrong side of Alma, I won’t be able to help you,” said Cash.
Shayna loved the way Ty met Alexis’s gaze and nodded solemnly. She knew there was nothing he’d be able to say that would make Alexis stand down.
He came as close as possible to doing just that when he said, “We’re on the same side; I’m glad you’ll be watching.”
He wrapped his arm around Shayna’s shoulders when Alexis returned his nod. Then she stepped toward his brother.
“Cash, you old devil!”
He chuckled as he wrapped her in a hug. “Alma, it’s been too long.” He turned to Davin. “It’s good to meet you.”
“And you. I heard a lot about you guys over the years, but our paths never crossed.”
“Heard good things about you and your buddy, Adam. You guys had an impressive record.” Cash laughed. “Although, what impresses me the most is … this.” He gestured between Davin and Alexis. “A man worthy of Alma, is a man worth knowing.”
Alexis rolled her eyes. “Enough with the bullshit, Mac.”
Cash grinned at Davin. “I might have said worthy of her, but we both know I meant strong enough to handle her.”
Davin laughed with him, and Alexis simply shrugged. “Are we done here? Let’s go and talk.” She smiled at Shayna. “And give these two a minute.”
Cash winked at Shayna. “Take your time – I’ll just be wherever she orders me to – doing as I’m told, like a good boy.”
Alexis laughed and pushed him toward the briefing rooms. “You wouldn’t know how to be a good boy if your life depended on it. Go!”
~ ~ ~
Ty kept his arm around Shayna’s shoulders as they watched them walk away. As soon as the briefing room door closed behind them, he turned to face her and crushed her to his chest.
“I missed you so bad!”
Her eyes sparkled as they looked up into his. “I missed you, too!”
He dropped a peck on her lips. “I can’t do it again.”
He knew he’d said the wrong thing when a look of panic crossed her face.
“I can’t go for another whole week without seeing you,” he explained.
“Oh! I don’t want to, either. It’s been the longest week ever, Ty. I …”
He could see the moment that she figured out that he’d said couldn’t do it rather than he didn’t want to. He should have started out slower – eased her into the idea, but that just wasn’t his way.
“What do you mean?” she asked.
He pressed another quick kiss to her lips. “I’ll tell you – I will, but first …” He glanced around. There was no one around, but he didn’t want to embarrass her.
He needn’t have worried – she was already rolling up onto her tiptoes. “First, you need to kiss me,” she said in the moment before their lips met.
He closed his eyes and held her close. She felt so right in his arms. He got lost in her kiss, so sweet, and yet strong. She was it for him, no two ways about it. Now, all he had to do was keep her safe. Sure, he wanted to take her home with him. But what he wanted most was for her to be safe and happy – whatever that looked like.