“Kacey!”
She ignored him, skirting past his friend Miles, who turned at his voice. She pushed outside, gulped in the fresh air. Wow, did that go south fast.
Apparently, it still wasn’t over because Ian emerged through the doors right behind her. “Stop, Kacey.”
She rounded on him. “And now this is starting to get a little stalkery. What’s your deal?”
But the way he was looking at her, something like determination in his eyes… Now a little concern reached in, tugged at her. Her breath caught. “How do you know my name?”
“Take a breath. I’m not a stalker.” He held up his hands as if in surrender, his jaw tight. “But I’m right, aren’t I? You’re Kacey Fairing?”
She found herself stepping back, wishing she had a sidearm. She dropped her takeout bag onto a bench.
He noticed and softened his voice. “This is my fault. I should have explained myself better. I heard you mention PEAK and then figured it out when Gina mentioned the medal, which is, of course, exactly what Chet said when he told me about you.”
She took another step back. “Chet King told you…about me?”
Which would only stir up questions, she had no doubt. The last thing she needed was for her reputation to precede her.
“What did he say?”
“That you were exactly who we needed to take over flight ops for PEAK. Military hero…”
Oh. That. Still, that meant maybe she was safe from anyone grounding her based on false assumptions. Just because she was a little jumpy didn’t mean she couldn’t still handle a bird.
Ian lowered his hands but kept them out, away from his body, where she could see them. “You are the new pilot for PEAK Rescue, right? The one Chet hired to replace him and Ty?”
She nodded.
“Let’s start over. I should have introduced myself earlier.” He stuck out his hand, as if meeting her for the first time. “Ian Shaw. Local rancher and, well, founder of the PEAK Search and Rescue team.”
Founder.
She swallowed, wrapping her brain around his words, even while reaching out to take his hand.
He rubbed the other hand over his jaw, now red, even a smidgen swollen.
“In other words, I’m your new boss. Welcome home.”
****
Get Wild Montana Skies!
If Ever I Would Leave You
Montana Rescue Prequel
Published by SDG Publishing
Copyright © 2016 by Susan May Warren
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission of the publisher.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any similarity to actual people, organizations, and/or events is purely coincidental.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright© 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc®. All rights reserved worldwide.
For more information about Susan May Warren, please access the author’s website at the following address: www.susanmaywarren.com.
Published in the United States of America.
If Ever I Would Leave You: A Montana Rescue Prequel Page 11