by Elle E Kay
"My ranch."
"Oh. What are we doing at your place?"
"You'll see."
"You say that quite a bit."
"I do. Don't I?" He grinned.
He opened her door and led her up the trail beside his old ranch house. "It's not really hiking, but it's uneven terrain, hence the request for you to wear hiking boots."
"I'm glad I listened." She breathed in deep, enjoying the earthy scent.
"Me too. Otherwise, we'd have been stuck at some stuffy restaurant on this beautiful evening."
A full moon gave them the light they needed to get there, but when they reached the pasture, he took her by the hand and led her to a blanket he'd laid out before going to fetch her. She looked around enjoying the mountain views all around them. A complete picnic dinner was set out, including a bottle of non-alcoholic sparkling cider.
"How did you know that I don't drink alcohol?" She sat down folding her legs under her.
"I didn't. I don't drink. And I love sparkling cider." He poured her a glass and handed her a piece of fried chicken.
"Really?" She took a bite of the chicken and reached for a napkin.
"Yes. I drank some when I was younger, but found it was rather unsatisfying."
"Same." A gentle breeze ruffled her hair.
When they'd finished eating, Justine let herself relax and lie down on the blanket. Looking up at the night sky she marveled at the beauty. She couldn't see the stars when she was home in Virginia. There was too much light. Seeing the sky lit up with millions of stars reminded her of her childhood. She'd missed it during the years she'd been gone. This was what life was supposed to be about, wasn't it? Moments like these.
"Can I ask you something?" she asked
He leaned down over her, and she met his gaze in the moonlight. "Anything."
"Do you believe in God?"
"Absolutely. How could anyone look at the beauty of a night sky and not realize it had been created by a master craftsman?"
"Good question. But, I was asking on a more personal note. Yesterday when you learned we'd diffused the bomb, you said 'Praise the Lord.' I wondered if it was just something you said or if you'd meant it."
"Of course I meant it. I'd been praying for your safety and you were safe. How could I not praise the Lord for answer to prayer?"
"Thank you. It meant a great deal to me."
"You're welcome. Now it's time for me to ask a question."
"Okay."
"Are you seeing that guy you work with? He seemed to treat you like more than a friend."
"We were more than friends, but we broke it off. I care a great deal for him, but we aren't meant for each other."
"Are you sure? I don't want to get in the way."
"I'm sure, but I don't know if it matters. It's not like you and I can make anything work with you living here and me in Virginia. I only have a couple more days. Not that I need to be thinking about making a non-existent relationship work after one date. I'll stop babbling now."
"God works in ways we can't always understand and if we are meant to become something more, He'll help us make it happen."
"Thanks, Brady. I like that thought. I'll leave it in God's hands and enjoy the time I have with you tonight."
He leaned down close to her, his lips a fraction from hers. "May I kiss you, Justine?"
Her breath stopped and anticipation coursed through her. "Please." It was a gentle kiss. A sweet kiss. It left her wanting more. She resisted the urge to pull him down to her.
They stayed there watching the stars for a long while before he stood. "I guess I'd better be getting you home."
"I suppose so. Thanks for this. I can't imagine a more perfect date."
"I'm glad you liked it. I'd love to have you come back in the daylight to meet the animals."
"That would be amazing."
"Are you free tomorrow?"
"You betcha."
"Then it's a date. I'll pick you up at eight o'clock a.m."
∞∞∞
The drive back to Justine's place was a quiet one. Brady wasn't sure if her silence was a comfortable one, a thoughtful one, or if he'd said too much. Maybe he'd moved too fast asking her to see him the following day. He clenched the steering wheel tighter and let his breath out slowly. He sent up a prayer asking for peace and acceptance whatever happened between him and Justine.
When they arrived at her driveway, he pulled in and parked. Justine looked over at him. "Do you want to come in for a cup of coffee."
"I would, but I don't want to disturb your mother."
"You wouldn't. She's a sound sleeper, but I do have to go in and send the nurse home."
"Okay. If you think it's all right, I'll join you for coffee."
Justine led him to a sunroom off the kitchen. He heard her as she spoke quietly to the nurse, thanking her for staying. A minute or two later, he heard the front door close before Justine reappeared with pastry on a plate.
"It's a day old, but it was the best I could do at such a late hour." She set the tray down on an end table.
"It's perfect. Thanks."
"The coffee will be ready in a minute."
"Are you nervous or something?"
"No." Her fingers twirled her hair.
"I'll behave. I promise."
She laughed that husky laugh of hers and he thought it might undo him ruining his gentlemanly intentions.
"The coffee's probably about ready. I'll be back in a jiffy." She hustled off to get it.
He watched her go, admiring the fit of her jeans. It would take a miracle for Brady to keep his intentions pure around this woman.
She came back with two steaming mugs. "Do you need cream and sugar?"
"Cream if you've got it."
Justine hurried off again only to return moments later with a ceramic creamer. So much more classy than a paper carton, but also completely unnecessary.
"You didn't have to go to so much trouble. I'm fine with the half and half container."
"The nurse puts it in that. I wouldn't dream of being so refined." She laughed again.
Her laugh would be his undoing.
"Thank you for the coffee. Will you sit down and relax now?" He added the cream to his coffee before leaning back and attempting to make himself comfortable on the wicker loveseat.
"I'll try. I don't have a lot of men over. Especially not at my mother's house."
"I don't bite." He smiled. "Unless of course, you ask nicely."
Another laugh. He reached for her hand and held it while they sat quietly and drank their coffee.
Twenty minutes passed in silence. He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her palm. His eyes searched hers for an answer to an unspoken question. Leaning over he waited for her lips to part and he kissed her. It started out controlled, but soon his fingers were tangled in her hair and he was kissing her with a passion he knew could get them both in trouble.
He broke off the embrace and held her at arm's length. "As much as I want to continue this, I'd better go before I lose control. Are we still on for the morning?"
"We are." She cleared her throat and tried to smooth down her hair.
∞∞∞
Justine watched as Brady pulled out of her driveway. Her fingers moved to her lips. She still felt a tingling sensation. It was something she'd never had with Marc. Electricity set her body on edge with anticipation. She stood there at the door for several minutes after his taillights had disappeared from sight.
She slowly made her way up the stairs to her childhood bedroom. After brushing her teeth and dressing in comfortable pajamas, she picked up her Bible to read a few chapters before going to sleep, but thoughts of Brady's lips on hers kept her from concentrating on the words. She laid her Bible back down on the night stand and tried for prayer instead. "Lord, I don't know what's going on here, but I lift it up to you and ask for your will to be done. Father, please help me do what's best for Mom. You know her needs far better than I do. If I'm wrong about t
he home, would you help me figure it out. In Jesus' precious and holy name I pray. Amen."
Even though she didn't know how God would answer her prayer, she felt better having talked to Him. He knew what was best for her life and her mother, so she would trust Him with it.
Lying down, she drew the covers up and snuggled into her pillow. Thoughts of Brady's kisses filled her head as she attempted to fall asleep. After twenty minutes of tossing and turning, she finally turned on an audio book to distract her mind and keep her from focusing on the sexy trooper.
Chapter 4
He was impressed when Justine was waiting at the door. He'd arrived promptly at eight o'clock. He was used to dating women who believed men should have to wait for them while they finished getting ready.
She jogged out to the truck. "Is it okay if Lindy joins us?"
"Of course. Blitz will be thrilled for the company." He looked back at Blitz as if to confirm.
Justine hurried back inside and came back out with Lindy in less than a minute. She had the speed of someone who had trained with her dog for countless hours. Once outside she waited for Brady to come around and open the passenger door.
A woman who was prompt and appreciated gentlemanly gestures. What more could he ask for? Would it be pushing his luck to hope she didn't mind getting a little dirt on her clothes and hay in her hair? He laughed to himself at the picture he had in his head of her feeding the animals. He'd find out soon enough how she felt about getting a little crud on her jeans.
The drive back was passed with small talk. When they pulled up at his ranch house, he parked by the barn. He'd unloaded the bales of hay from the trailer earlier, but hadn't fed the critters yet. He'd waited, so she could see all his animals as they fed them. He thought they'd start with the rabbits and end with the horses. His usual routine.
"You ready to meet everyone?" He asked. Blitz jumped down and ran up to her. He was ready to show her his domain. When Justine let Lindy out of the truck, Blitz forgot all about Justine and ran off with Lindy.
"I'm ready, but I think Lindy and Blitz have ditched us."
"Good for them. It's their day off too."
He took Justine by the hand and led her to the rabbit hutches. "Meet my bunnies, Scarlet, Sarah, and Skye." He took a bag of vegetables from his pocket and put some in each cage. "We'll get them some hay and fresh water, but we need to go inside the barn. Do you think you're ready for that?"
"Sure. Why not?" She shrugged her shoulders.
He laughed out loud knowing what was about to happen. He opened the gate and led her into the barn.
Three goats jumped on her before she took two steps. As she walked past the horse stalls, Bella grabbed a hold of Justine's hair. She looked up into the deep brown eyes of the Chestnut mare and grinned. Stroking the mare, while trying to knock down the goats, she turned back to face him. "It must be gratifying to have so many friends to visit with every morning."
He chuckled. "It is. I grew up near the city. There were ordinances that prevented us from keeping livestock. When I moved out here I purchased the ranch, I can't run it myself and work full-time, so I have some help, but I love it. This life is refreshing."
"What brought you out here?"
"The Arizona Department of Public Safety stationed me out here. It became more of a home to me than Phoenix ever was. I'm happy here."
"That's obvious." She bent down to play with a goat and another one jumped on her back. The sound of her laughter filled the barn.
His relief was palpable. This girl was what all the others hadn't been. She wasn't afraid of animals or getting dirty. He'd brought her here last night to test her. Another relationship with a prima donna was not something he wanted. He needed someone real. Who wasn't afraid of a little dirt or a little bomb for that matter. The woman couldn't be more perfect. God would find a way to work this out. If she was the woman for him, God would make a way.
∞∞∞
Justine relished the sensation of her hand in Brady's as they relaxed on the swing and watched Lindy and Blitz take turns chasing each other. It was a hot day for early March, having already hit ninety degrees. Earlier in the week they'd had beautiful seventy degrees temperatures. The weather had been fickle since she'd arrived in town. Her phone buzzed in her pocket, so she pulled it out to see who was calling. Marc. She would ignore it, but it might be work-related.
"It's Marc. I have to answer in case it's about work." She got off the swing and walked a short distance away, so she could concentrate on the call.
"What's up?" she asked.
"I'm rejoining you in Arizona, doll face."
"Why? Another bomb threat?"
"Apparently, yes. A school this time. Reed thinks it's a credible threat."
"He wants you on it now."
She sighed. So much for her time off and the hope of spending some time with Mom. "Why didn't Reed call?"
"He's planning on it. I wanted to give you a head's up, so you could be on top of it when he does call. He's currently coordinating with state and local authorities."
"Okay. Thanks for letting me know. Would you email me the file? I'll get right on it." She disconnected the call and hurried back to the swing.
"It looks like we're going to have to bother you for a ride again." Justine lifted an arm and Lindy came running. "Apparently there is another bomb threat in the area and since I'm already here, I've been assigned to work it."
Her heart was heavy. Normally she loved the excitement of her job, but today, she wanted to live. To sit here another hour with Brady and then spend a quiet afternoon with her mom.
"You're going to spend your life running off into dangerous situations, aren't you?" Brady's voice was barely a whisper.
She muttered back "That's always been the plan." For the first time ever, she wondered if the plan needed some adjustments.
Brady got to his feet and called Blitz back from herding the goats. A moment later they were taking off in the truck.
∞∞∞
Justine's hopes that the bomb threat was a hoax designed to provoke an early dismissal on a Friday vanished when Lindy hit on explosives within minutes of entering the building. After a visual inspection, she determined it wasn't safe to wait for back-up and for Stan the robot man to arrive. She was going to have to go in, unless they were able to coordinate with well-equipped local authorities. Her best hope lay with DPS bomb squad, they'd already provided her with the EOD suit she was wearing. It was slightly lighter than her usual one, making walking somewhat easier. She hoped they'd have a robot and some personnel available to assist in bomb disposal. There wasn't time to wait for Marc to arrive.
Picking up the phone, she dialed SSA Reed and apprised him of the seriousness of the situation. After confirming the area had been evacuated, she was instructed to stay back and await further orders. He would touch base with the Arizona Highway Patrol and get back to her.
She hadn't been waiting long when she was knocked off her feet. The explosion was deafening, shaking the ground with violent force. She tried to sit up, but felt like something was sitting on her chest. Her movement was severely restricted by the weight of the bomb suit and whatever was holding her down. Her ears rang and her vision faded around the edges.
∞∞∞
Brady lifted the flag pole off of Justine and dragged her from the rubble. He removed her helmet and leaned close to feel for her pulse.
"She's alive!" he yelled to Fitz, who'd arrived in time to see the explosion.
Fitz hollered into his phone. "Where are those paramedics? They should be here by now."
Seconds later, Brady heard the sirens. "Hang in there, princess. The cavalry is on their way." The paramedics pushed him out of their way as they removed her bomb suit and loaded her into the ambulance. He hopped inside the ambulance to ride with her.
Fitz walked up to the back of the ambulance. "Where are you going? I need you here."
"She needs me more than you do. It's still my day off."
&
nbsp; "You've got it bad for her, don't you?"
"I'm quite fond of this woman. Her mother has dementia, and as far as I can tell there is nobody else who can drop everything and be there for her."
"Fine. I'll call you if we need you. FBI will be lead anyway, if they ever get here."
"Marc and Bruce will be here soon, not that they're needed now, I'm sure they'll be calling in another unit since the bomb exploded."
"Not before they check to make sure there aren't any more of them." Fitz stepped back from the ambulance doors to allow the paramedics to close them. "Keep your phone on, Hall. I don't care what the hospital staff says."
∞∞∞
Justine's head felt like it was being crushed in a vise. She slowly opened her eyes, but the brightness caused her to close them again.
"Hey, my super special agent, are you awake?" he whispered.
"Where am I?"
"In the hospital."
"Which one?"
"Abrazo West Campus."
"What happened?"
"You may know the answer to that better than I do."
"I don't remember."
"It happened so fast, you were on your phone, presumably with your boss. The next thing I knew an explosion rocked the area and you were pinned under a flag pole. Give it some time. It'll come back to you."
"An explosion." Her hands reached for her head. It felt like the throbbing intensified, though she doubted it was possible. "Is everyone okay? Were they evacuated in time?"
"Don't you remember? They evacuated immediately when the threatening call came in." He reached for her hand.
"I can't recall any of it."
"You will. Give it time."
She wondered why he'd come. It wasn't like they were a couple. He'd only been out with her twice. They'd shared a few kisses, but he didn't owe her anything. She tried to search his eyes for answers, but came up empty.
He squeezed her hand. She'd take it. It felt comfortable for him to be there. She couldn't explain it, but he belonged by her side.
"Can I get you anything?"