CHAPTER EIGHT
Kit
Men can be idiots. That goes without saying. But some days their idiocy hits harder than others.
In his fumbling way, Luke is pulling back. He appreciates me, values me. That’s what a boss says when he’s handing out an employee of the month award. And it hurts.
I get it. Intense situations lead people to do crazy things in the heat of the moment. Luke’s craziness was kissing me. Now he wants to make sure I don’t read anything into it. I guess being it for him was a temporary affliction.
I give the emotions a hard push back and straighten my spine before opening the front door with its taped window.
Beckett stands there with two men, both wearing US Marshals stars attached to their belts. A fleeting thought crosses my mind that being gorgeous must be a job requirement for the Marshals Service.
Beckett makes the introductions.
“Kit, this is Chief Deputy Seth Jameson, and his brother, Deputy Marshal Linc Jameson.”
They nod. I offer my best hostess smile. “Good morning, gentlemen. Come in. There are muffins and coffee in the kitchen if you’d like.”
Briggs chooses that moment to start complaining loudly.
Seth Jameson’s cool gray eyes sweep the room before landing on Luke, who’s come to stand beside me. “You look like hell, Elliott.”
“I feel like hell,” Luke mutters.
“How bad is it?” Linc Jameson is similar in height to his brother, but with a tough muscular frame rather than Seth’s rangy build.
“Not as bad as it could’ve been,” Luke says. “Kit stopped the bleeding. Made sure I didn’t die.” His gaze finds mine, troubled and intent.
An ambulance crew arrives, medical bags slung over their shoulders. Gideon Donovan and Officer Julissa Romano follow them in, Gideon lifting a hand in greeting.
Beckett assigns Gideon and Julissa to sweep the perimeter. “We assume Briggs was on his own, and we’ve got officers checking out neighboring cabins, but I want the grounds and outbuildings checked for evidence.”
“Shots were fired around the clearing on the north side,” Luke adds. “Casings will be buried in snow.” He sways, bracing a hand on the desk.
“We’ll keep an eye out,” Gideon says before heading back outside.
Seth directs Linc to deal with Briggs, then turns to Luke. “Once EMTs confirm you’re stable, getting you to the hospital is our priority. Everything else can wait.”
Luke nods, but when Seth’s attention shifts, he crosses the room, grabs my hand, and pulls me into the hall.
“Luke, what are you doing? The EMTs—”
“They can wait,” he growls. “You can’t.”
Scruff shadows his jaw, his hair sticks up in all directions, and frustration lines his face. In a word, he’s perfect. I force myself to face reality. He already started distancing himself.
My guess is that before he’s taken to the hospital, he wants to make sure I’m not expecting anything from him. My experience with my ex-husband makes me wary of trusting men. I know that. But my feelings for Luke have hit like a thunderbolt—hard and unexpected—and I’m emotionally reeling.
“Kit, look at me.” His voice is rough, expression determined.
I do, and my gaze is snagged by the dark stain spreading across his shoulder. “Luke, you’re bleeding again.”
He stays upright through sheer will. He frowns fiercely. “I need to talk to you.”
He sways and braces himself against the wall. “Fuck.”
I call out and the EMTs rush in just as Luke’s eyes roll back. They catch him before he hits the floor.
I resist dropping to my knees beside him. I want to cradle his head in my lap. Hold his hand. Instead, I stand frozen as they work. In minutes Luke is strapped onto a gurney and he’s wheeled outside.
Seth and Linc seem to be making a decision, then Linc climbs into the back of the ambulance to accompany Luke. My throat tightens. I want to chase the gurney, demand to go with him. That’s something a girlfriend could do. Not a woman who shared a bed with him for one strange night.
When the ambulance disappears around the curve in the drive, Seth walks with me to the kitchen.
“You okay?”
“I’m fine,” I lie.
He flashes a fast grin. “I’ve learned from my wife that ‘I’m fine’ rarely means she is.”
“Let’s say I’m working on being fine.”
He nods. “Fair enough.”
Seth pours coffee for us both. I add creamer and take my cup to the table. He puts a slice of orange and a muffin on a plate and sits across the table from me.
After a sip of coffee, he says, “Thanks for this. It more than makes up for missing breakfast this morning.” His expression turns thoughtful. “Luke’s a good man. He’s upfront and honest. You can trust him.”
I shift uncomfortably. “Thanks.”
He breaks off a piece of muffin. After swallowing, he says, “Can you walk me through what happened?”
I do my best, and when I finish, respect gleams in his eyes. “Luke is a lucky man, Kit. He’d be dead if not for you.”
I shake my head. “Maybe, but so might I. Briggs would’ve broken in if Luke hadn’t been here. I’m glad I could help.”
Seth stands. “I’m heading to Reno and I’ll be in touch. Word is you’re staying with friends nearby.” At my nod, he continues, “Chief Donovan will get you where you need to go. The inn is a crime scene. You won’t be staying here.”
Seth drives away in a big black SUV, and I return to the kitchen. Beckett’s taken his spot at the kitchen table, sipping from a steaming cup. Gideon and Julissa, snow melting on their beanies, help themselves to coffee and muffins.
I let Penny out and sink into a chair. I could use a shower. And sleep. And answers.
“Tough twenty-four hours for you, Kit,” Beckett says quietly. “How you holding up?”
“That’s one way to put it.” I give Beck a wan smile. “It’s been pretty intense and I’ll admit to being exhausted.”
Beckett swallows a bite of muffin and gives me a searching look. “Luke’s a good man.”
“That’s what Seth said.”
“A blind man could sense there’s something between you two, and I like that idea.”
I shift uncomfortably. “I don’t know what’s between us. Or if it’s anything at all. I thought there was something. But I don’t know.”
“You met only yesterday, and not under ideal circumstances. Give yourselves a chance.”
Wanting to change the direction of the conversation, I say, “Luke said you were college roommates.”
Beckett nods. “He was serious about school, but we had a lot of fun together. The man’s wicked smart. His parents were self-absorbed, but he pulled himself through it.”
I want to ask him more about Luke, for any tidbits of information that would fill in the vast void in my knowledge of him. I don’t though, because while I thought we shared a connection, I’m increasingly unsure if he’d felt anything beyond thanks for helping him when he needed me.
“You ready to go?” Beckett asks. “Wren says you’re staying at the farm. I can give you a ride over there.”
I shake my head. “You don’t need to wait. I don’t want to be without a vehicle so I’ll drive myself. Plus, I want to take a shower and need to pack.”
Beck shakes his head. He scoops a delighted Penny onto his lap. “Beyond this being a crime scene, Luke would have my ass if I left you here on your own. I’ll wait while you do what you need to do. If you want to take your truck, I’ll lead you out.”
Well then.
After a quick shower, I pack a bag and gather what I need for Penny. My mind is jumping from one thing to another, all centered on Luke Elliott. Will he need surgery? Is he in pain? I’m positive he’ll be admitted to the hospital, but for how long? Will I see him again?
Snow falls as we pull up to Peace & Love Farm and stop in front of the farmhouse. Beckett is out of his SUV when Wren and her sister Fallon step out onto the porch.
Beckett’s family lived down the road from Peace & Love Farm. The Cooper and Donovan kids had grown up together. Unlike her sister, Wren doesn’t have any hang-ups about Beckett.
She gives her future brother-in-law a fierce hug, saying, “I’m glad the fugitive was arrested and you’re all safe. Gideon says the marshal who caught him is injured though.”
Beckett glances my way, then nods. “It’s Luke Elliott, my college roommate. He was shot. Kit kept him alive through the worst of it. I’m guessing he’ll be in the hospital for a couple days, but he should be fine.”
Wren’s brows nearly disappear into her hairline as she sends me a look. I’m in for some questions later.
She picks up Penny and kisses the top of her head. Beckett takes my bags and I gather Penny’s things.
A creak on the porch alerts Fallon to another visitor. “Police Chief Donovan, so nice of you to visit,” Fallon says. Her tone lacks her usual snark, and there’s relief on her face. She’d been worried about Beckett too.
“Now’s not the time to poke at me, Fallon.” Despite his tone, Beckett’s gaze travels over her, all-encompassing. Tension eases in his shoulders, like he needs to know Fallon is okay for everything to be right in his world.
“What’d I say?” she asks innocently.
Wren tips her head to indicate the door before leading the way. “Come on in, Kit. We’ll leave these two to their foreplay.”
I stifle a laugh because it’s true. At some point all that bottled up emotion will erupt and Fallon and Beckett will end up in bed together.
After leaving my bag in the guest room, I return downstairs.
“Can Penny stay with you?” I ask my friend.
“Sure. You’re not going back to the inn, are you?”
“No. I’m going to the hospital.”
Wren’s brows rise. “Are you okay? What’s going on?”
“I’m fine. I want to check on Luke.”
Wren’s lips form a perfect O of surprise. “The marshal who was shot?” At her nod, Wren continues, “How bad is it?”
“He was shot in the shoulder and is still in a lot of pain.”
“He spent the night at the inn, right?” She taps her chin. “Wait, you threw out all the old mattresses, and the new ones haven’t come in yet. That means…” Wren reaches the obvious conclusion and cackles with glee.
“Tell me you two shared a bed.” She points a finger at me, eyes gleaming with delight. “I love when that happens in rom-coms.”
Memories from that morning flash in my mind and I’m sure I turn beet red. I fan my face with my hands.
“Oh my god, Wren. It’s been crazy. Yes, we slept in the same bed. Nothing happened. Or mostly nothing happened.”
She grins. “I want to know about the ‘mostly’ part.”
I shake my head. “Nope, not gonna talk about that. What I will tell you is that he kissed me, I mean really kissed me. And told me I’m it for him.”
Wren squeals and puts Penny down so she can strangle me with a hug. “I’m so happy for you. Now we can marry our hot boyfriends because I’m positive Luke is hot. Then we’ll have kids at the same time and raise them together so they can be besties.”
She takes a breath, and something in my expression has her narrowing her eyes.
“I really jumped ahead there, didn’t I?” At my nod, she says, “Tell me how you feel about him.”
If I can’t talk about him to my best friend, who can I talk to about him? So I spill. “I fell for him the moment I saw him, and it scares me to death.”
Wren sighs. “Love at first sight is so romantic, and loving someone, trusting him with your heart, is damn scary. No getting around it. But if he loves you too? Nothing is better in this life. Give yourselves time to get to know each other and it won’t be so scary.”
“That’s sound advice. I need to go before Beckett leaves me behind.”
“Go. Penny will be fine.” She walks with me to the door. “But call me if you need anything.”
“I will,” I promise.
I head back out into the snow, following Beckett toward town.
Toward Luke.