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  He scrubbed a hand over his face. “Not as much as I’d like us to be. I’m seriously considering returning to North Africa to finish the mission I failed on.”

  She was shocked by his announcement. Traveling halfway around the world seemed an extreme response to their situation.

  “Can you do that?” She didn’t know how Special Forces worked, but she didn’t think he could just fly off to Africa because he wanted to.

  “I’d have to get permission from my CO to join the SEAL team that’s already in place,” he admitted. “But I think he’d grant it.”

  “Is that wise?” She was still reeling from his suggestion. “I mean, you could be hurt or…”

  His steady gaze met hers, and she knew she’d said the wrong thing. “I know how to handle myself on a mission, Mia. It’s what I do for a living, you know.”

  “I didn’t mean it that way.” She really hadn’t. He seemed so invincible, and despite her anger at him earlier, she was afraid for him. And herself and the girls. Afraid of what might happen to them if he left. “But I’d worry about you. And aren’t you needed here?”

  “That’s what’s stopped me from asking my CO. I don’t want to leave you and the girls under the protection of someone else. I made this mess, and it’s up to me to see it through.” His eyes strayed to the laptop screen where the image of the twins sleeping was displayed. “My actions have never put anyone else in danger before. Not like this.”

  Mia couldn’t listen to him beat himself up anymore, so she reached out, setting her hand on his shoulder, unsure if he’d accept her touch or bat it away. When he didn’t rebuff her, she mirrored the touch with her other hand and moved between him and his desk. “I’d be frightened here without you. I’m not going to lie about that. I know you trust your buddies, but it wouldn’t be the same.”

  He’d introduced Patrick and Anderson to her yesterday, and she knew that they and another man were taking shifts watching the house. It was a comfort, but it wasn’t the same as having Kenton close. Plus, she had her own selfish reasons for not wanting Kenton to put himself in danger. She cared for him. They had no future as a couple, she got that, but knowing it didn’t change how she felt.

  He let out a long sigh and rested his hands on her hips. “I’ll stay. It just… grates on me.” She bent closer and kissed him lightly.

  “Come on,” she said, drawing back. “Let’s hit the gym while the girls are sleeping.”

  He led her to the basement, where he had a mat already spread on the concrete floor. Over the next hour, he showed her several ways to break an assailant’s hold, whether she was approached from the front or behind. He made her practice the moves over and over. She didn’t know how effective her actions would be against a trained mercenary, but she tried her best to learn the techniques. Throughout it, Kenton treated her like a student, not a lover. That felt odd and unsettling.

  At the end of the session, he retreated to his office and left her to deal with the girls. She recognized that they were her nieces to raise, but having him as a sort of co-parent lately had made the awesome weight of her responsibilities seem lighter.

  Not meant to last, she told herself, as she headed to the girls’ room. Partway up the stairs, she got a call from her apartment complex’s office. She paused to listen to the rental agent. The refurbishment of her apartment was ahead of schedule, and she would be able to move back in as early as the following week. Good news, of course, and Mia thanked the lady on the phone. The question was, would she be able to move out of Kenton’s home so soon?

  She hesitated with her hand on the doorknob, trying to get her emotions in check. Part of her was desperate to move on and be free of the threat that hung over their heads. But part of her would miss being here, would miss Kenton.

  15

  “All better,” Mia said as she kissed Emma’s boo-boo and put on a Band-Aid. They’d been in the backyard having a scavenger hunt when the girl took a tumble and skinned her knee. Mia had brought them both inside so she could patch up the injury.

  Like her, the girls had been reluctant to go in, since it was the only outside time they were allowed. Kenton had kept them locked down for the past several days, to the point where Mia was just about ready to barge out the door and make a break for her car. Kenton wouldn’t even allow her to go to the grocery store. He’d had food delivered based on a list she provided. This was no way to live.

  “Hungry,” Ava said with a tug on Mia’s sweatshirt.

  Without thinking, Mia consulted the clock. Morning snack time was still five minutes away. She caught herself before saying that, because what difference did it make if they ate a tiny bit ahead of schedule? She’d been adjusting to the more rigid schedule that Kenton imposed, and even liked parts of it, but enough was enough.

  “What would you like?” she asked Ava with a smile.

  “Cookie,” Ava answered.

  “Nice try, kiddo, but we have to eat something healthy. How about apple slices instead? And then maybe a small cookie,” Mia said.

  She got the girls settled at the table and sliced up an apple into bite-sized chunks suitable for toddlers. Mia had learned so much about raising children in the time she’d had guardianship of her nieces. At first she had just been trying to make it all work. But now she was feeling more comfortable with that aspect of her life. Maybe it was the structure that Kenton felt was necessary; maybe it was just the motherlike figure she was becoming. Either way, it felt good, which was a blessing, considering the threat against them. It was important that something felt good.

  Outside, she heard the mower start. Much of the lawn was already covered in leaves from the two large maple trees in the backyard. She didn’t see why the grass needed to be cut, but if it kept Kenton’s mind occupied, it was fine with her. He’d been on edge, unwilling to play with the girls and willing to snap at her. The previous evening had been spent in silence, and at bedtime, she’d retreated to the guest room that she’d used when she first moved in. She missed his warmth and strength wrapped around her, but a distance was growing between them. Silence had continued at breakfast, and she felt her nerves were stretched thin. She was tired of trying to dance around his ill humor.

  “Done with your snacks, girls?” she asked, keeping her tone light. They’d eaten their apples and an oatmeal raisin cookie each. “Let’s take our coloring books to the back deck. The sunshine is so beautiful today.”

  Mia gathered up the crayons and books and got the girls situated on the deck. When she sat down next to them, she turned her face upward, enjoying the warmth on her skin. Autumn was coming on fast, but days like this reminded her of all the beauty of the season.

  “I want blue,” Emma said, bringing Mia’s attention back to the girls. Emma clutched the midnight blue crayon in her hand, holding it out of her sister’s reach.

  “We have to share. You use it for a minute, and then it’ll be Ava’s turn,” Mia told the girl, who thankfully complied without a fight. With order restored, Mia looked to where Kenton was mowing toward the rear of the property. “Oh, no,” she said when she saw Kenton headed straight toward an old ball she’d left in the yard, mostly hidden under a clump of leaves. It was one of the items the girls had been scavenging for. They’d gotten distracted from their game by Emma’s skinned knee and hadn’t retrieved the rest of the hidden toys.

  She winced when he ran over the half-deflated ball and it got jammed in the underside of the mower, stopping it.

  “What the hell?” he yelled as he flipped the mower over and saw the ball. “Son of a bitch.”

  Before he could swear any more, Mia sprinted across the lawn toward him, knowing the girls were safe on the deck.

  “Kenton,” she said, but he rounded on her before she could get anything else out.

  “I’ve told you and the girls that cleaning up toys is important. Now look what’s happened.” His voice was raised, not quite yelling but close.

  “Emma hurt herself, so we went in without picking th
ings up,” she said, trying to explain. “It’s just an old ball.”

  “I’m not worried about the damn ball.” He kicked at the mower. “The mower’s jammed, and I’ve got the rest of the yard to do yet. This’ll put me off my schedule for the day.”

  She held her peace for a moment, knowing that his reaction was about more than the toy. It was about the horrible situation imprisoning them.

  “It’s not that big a deal,” she said, trying to reason with him. “The important thing is—”

  “Save it,” he said. “I don’t want your excuses.”

  “What is that supposed to mean?” Her hands went to her hips. “My excuses?”

  “You make excuses for why the girls don’t do well. If they have an accident, you blame it on something other than them.”

  “They’re children. Young children,” she argued, her temper rising. “And you know what? They are mine. I’m their guardian, and I’m sick of your trying to dictate and control what we do. I’m leaving.”

  “You can’t leave,” he said flatly.

  She knew his blunt statement was no more than the truth. She couldn’t leave because her apartment wasn’t ready yet, but she’d be damned if she was going to stay here and listen to him snarl at her. “I may not have anywhere to go, but I can at least take the girls for a walk while you cool off.”

  “Don’t.” His voice was full of warning.

  She turned away from him and walked rapidly back toward the girls. “Come on, girls, we’re going to take a little stroll around the block before lunch. Maybe we can collect different kinds of leaves while we go.”

  The girls, excited about some freedom, both hopped up and took her hands. Rather than going through the house, Mia led them out a gate and headed for the front sidewalk. She was so done with the forced confinement and done with Kenton, too.

  She glanced back as she closed the gate and saw him standing where she’d left him. His eyes were focused on her, but his expression was almost sheepish. Did he feel bad about jumping down her throat? He might, but that wouldn’t prevent her from taking her walk.

  “This way, girls.” She kept their hands held tightly in hers as they walked. By the time they reached the first corner, each girl had picked up leaves in their free hands. “That’s a sycamore leaf. Look what a pretty shade of yellow that one is.” She kept up a dialogue with the girls. This was what it should be like, she thought. She should be taking nature walks with them and encouraging them to respect the world around them, not hiding from it as they had been doing.

  “Mia.” Kenton’s voice boomed down the quiet street, but she didn’t bother to turn around. She couldn’t deal with him right now. “Mia, on your left!”

  She spun her head in that direction and saw a white van speeding toward her from the cross street. Oh, god. She froze for a second and was just leaping into action when the van squealed to a stop at the curb next to her. The side door opened and three men launched out, headed for her and the girls. Before she could react, one man grabbed Ava and another snatched Emma away. The last assailant went for Mia, taking hold of her arms. She broke his grasp using one of the techniques Kenton had taught her. As she whirled around to try to rescue the girls, Kenton charged in with Anderson, who’d been on patrol outside the house.

  “Get back,” Kenton yelled to her.

  Everything after that happened lightning fast. Kenton and Anderson subdued the men who had taken the girls and set the girls free. They raced toward her on their short legs, and she opened her arms to them, lifting them both and backing away as fast as she could. She sat on the steps of a nearby house and held them, keeping their little faces against her so they didn’t see the conflict that ensued. She couldn’t take her eyes off it.

  Kenton and Anderson yanked the driver and another man out of the van, tossing them on the grass beside their companions. She watched as Kenton lifted one man roughly by his shirt and spoke to him. Even though she couldn’t hear the words, she saw Kenton’s fierce expression and the man’s belligerence. He worked his way down the line, questioning each man. She clutched the girls closer, thankful that Kenton and Anderson had been watching out for them… and ashamed that she’d put the girls in danger by taking them for a walk.

  Soon, police cars pulled up and officers took the men into custody.

  Kenton approached her then. “Take the girls back to the house,” he said. “I’m going to be a while cleaning this up.”

  “Is… is there anything I can do?” she asked. Part of her wanted to apologize to him, but she couldn’t find the words, not when he was looking like a warrior.

  “Just keep them safe,” he said and was gone.

  It was hours later when he returned home, and the twins were sound asleep. Bedtime had been rough, as they worked through the trauma of being grabbed by unknown men. That had brought back Ava’s ordeal at the festival, and the girls had sobbed until they were too tired to keep their eyes open.

  After she was sure they wouldn’t wake again, Mia had made her way downstairs and started a fire in the hearth. There was something soothing about it that she needed. Maybe it was the memory of the evening when the power was out and the closeness she’d felt with Kenton then. She was sitting on the couch with Eliot curled up at her feet when she heard the front door open and close. A few seconds later, Kenton came into the living room, looking exhausted.

  She immediately stood up and moved to close the distance between them. He stilled her with a dismissive wave. “Can I get you a beer or a glass of wine? Have you had dinner?” she asked.

  “No, thanks,” he said, dropping onto the couch. “Come sit with me.” He held out a hand to her, and she hesitated only a second before joining him. He laced their fingers together and rested their joined hands on his thigh. His action seemed intimate, but she couldn’t read the vibe he was putting off.

  “We’re safe,” he said after a minute of silence. “The guys who attacked you today were guns for hire, but they led us back to who hired them. It was Ocampa, the leader of the child-trafficking ring I told you about. Surprisingly, after a little persuasion, one of them confessed to knowing where Ocampa is hiding out.”

  Mia didn’t want to ask what “persuasion” meant exactly. “So it was what you thought? This was left over from your last mission.”

  “Yeah. I spoke with my CO. The SEALs have a tactical team in the area where Ocampa is hiding, so they’ll be dispatched to bring him in.”

  “Will they be successful?” she asked. A hard stare was her only answer. Of course they would, the look said. “So it’s over?” She wanted to be sure of this.

  “Yep. No more threat.” Eliot had risen to rest his head against Kenton’s knee and beg for attention. Kenton ran his hand over the dog’s head and stroked his ears.

  Mia sat back, feeling relief and something more complicated than that. The threat had kept her at Kenton’s house, had kept her and the girls close to him. She’d chafed against the restraint, especially during the past few days. Without the threat, she could resume her normal life. That was good, right?

  So why did she feel hollow inside?

  16

  The next day Mia hung up the phone after the second of two very welcome calls. Both had brought good news. The first came early in the morning and had been a complete surprise. The bakery’s owner was so pleased with her work that he was offering to bring her on full time. When she’d taken the job it had been for the summer season, from April to October. Staying at a position longer than six months was new for Mia, but the bakery suited her, so she gladly accepted the offer.

  Then the apartment complex called and said she could move back in immediately. They even emailed her pictures of her redone place. Before the fire, the apartment had been adequate, nothing special or fancy. The rebuild had added windows for more light, and somehow, they’d reconfigured the floor plan to accommodate a second bathroom as well as a larger kitchen. The new setup would suit her needs so much better as the girls grew.

 
; Now, with a permanent job and an all-new apartment, she was ready to resume the normal life that had been interrupted by the fire. To celebrate, she decided to make a special lunch for her and Kenton. Kenton was busy throughout the morning and early afternoon with calls, not taking a break to eat, so when she got the girls down for their nap, she tapped lightly on his office door.

  “Lunch, Kenton.”

  “Be right there,” he said, so she walked back to the dining room by herself.

  She’d set the table in the formal room, spreading a tablecloth on the shiny mahogany surface and using nicer plates and glasses that she’d found in a cabinet. The lunch was only salad and sandwiches, but she placed the food in pretty serving dishes and fussed with how everything was presented.

  When she stood back and surveyed it all, the same hollow feeling from the evening before struck her. She was leaving, probably soon, but the thought didn’t have the appeal it once had. Her apartment would be lovely, but she’d miss Kenton, even if he had been difficult lately. That had been the stress of the threat, so she was hoping things would be better now.

  Dare she hope that they could be a family as, for a brief while, it had seemed like they were? The day of the drive and fall festival came back to her. The afternoon, before the attempted kidnapping, had been perfect. She’d fallen a little in love with Kenton that day. More in love, really, she admitted to herself. It had been coming on since the night of the power outage, when he’d kissed her so lovingly.

  She sighed and sank into her chair. Was it too much of a leap to think he’d want to continue the life they’d had for the past weeks? Maybe over their luncheon she’d find the courage to ask him. The more she thought about it, the more she thought she could do that. He wanted a family. His mother had told her that, and why else would he own such a large home? So maybe it could work, and she and the girls would be his family. The thought sent a happy glow through her.