Present Danger Elizabeth Goddard (most inspirational books .txt) 📖

the facade of professionalism that had been required to work this case with him.

Did he know how he affected her? Did he understand how deeply she cared for him, despite her efforts to move on? Jack had been her world back then. And if she wasn’t careful, he might become her world again. She could see it happening so easily, feel it happening when he held her like this.

“I’m holding you close, that’s what. I’m holding this moment close. I almost lost you out there. I can’t let that happen ever again.”

“Me? You were the one who was shot. If anything, you almost lost yourself. What happened to you? I mean, before you came back to Montana. Don’t hide it from me. I saw how haunted you were that first day we met again.”

A few breaths passed, then he said, “I lost someone close to me. Someone important. I failed them.”

“Who did you lose?”

“I can’t talk about it yet. Not until . . . just trust me, I’ll tell you someday. Maybe soon. But in the meantime, I want you to know that I don’t want to lose you again.”

He spoke in the language of hearts, and deep inside, she understood all too well that he was still emotionally connected to her. Jack gently touched the back of her neck and drew her closer . . . closer. She lingered near his lips, waiting for him.

But Jack waited on her, his way of asking permission.

With her heart calling the shots, her mind had no control to stop what came next as she closed the distance. Tenderness surged between them while a whirlwind of past and present emotions swirled in her mind. Their hearts connected, touched, entwined. Jack deepened the kiss until he left her breathless. Terra broke away to catch her breath but lingered near, her heart beating erratically.

“We have unfinished business, you and I,” Jack said.

Did they?

The tenderness, longing, and desire pouring from him could draw her deeper, if she wasn’t careful. Putting up the wall required to walk away would take every ounce of her strength.

She eased away, her heart cracking, breaking all over again as the whirlwind of their past died down, leaving her with the memories of brokenness. “I’ve lost people too, Jack. Whether by an avalanche or by choice, people I love have left me, and I don’t have it in me to set myself up to feel that pain again. I’m sorry.” Owen, Gramps, Alex, and Erin made up the small circle of people she could trust. But as far as giving over her heart like she once had to Jack? No.

I can do this. I have to do this.

She took a full step back and stiffened her backbone. “Now that I know you’re going to be okay, I should go. Our business, Jack, our personal business, is finished. It’s over. You left me, walked out on us before, and I won’t let you do that again.”

Terra gathered her bag and headed for the door.

“You don’t understand. Terra, wait—”

In the predawn hours, Terra sat in her vehicle, Jack’s last words to her as she walked out of his hospital room still echoing through her mind and heart. What had she done? Had she just wanted to be the one to walk away this time?

She swiped at the tears. She had plenty to distract her from the pain. Staring at her grandfather’s ranch house, she tried to work up the nerve to go inside. Worry had kept her company through the night while staying in Jack’s room. She had also wanted to head to Gramps’s house to speak with Owen. To warn them both. Terra believed that Owen had nothing to do with his friend’s crimes. What’s more, he had to be devastated at the news.

Owen . . . was a hero.

She was half surprised no law enforcement vehicles were at the house now. She’d known the sheriff’s department would want to talk to Owen because of his association with Leif. Maybe he had opted to answer their questions at the county offices rather than upset Gramps. Or bring potential issues into a political campaign that was only beginning.

So, she sat in her vehicle, helpless to fight the uncertainty that had settled in her gut. Her superior could very well remove her from this investigation completely now.

Regardless of what happened, how did she approach Owen? He would feel betrayed if she didn’t talk to him about Leif, yet how did she tell him those sordid details? Did he even know that Leif had been killed? This incident could crush him when he was beginning to build a new life here.

Her throat tightened. She had the distinct impression the world was closing in around her.

No lights were on in the house yet.

Oh, Owen. She wanted to reach out to him.

But she couldn’t face him. Not yet. Now was as good a time as any to head back to her apartment for a few days, if not giving up her temporary stay at Gramps’s entirely. To think she’d only recently decided to move into the ranch house permanently. Life kept changing the rules on her.

She started the vehicle. God, help me. What do I do?

Someone pounded on the passenger-side window, and she yelped.

“Owen?” She unlocked the door.

He got in. “Can we just drive?”

“Why? What’s going on?” Dread flooded her.

“I need to get out of here.” His eyes were pleading, his tone desperate.

“I don’t know if we should.”

“Terra, I’m your brother. Please . . . just drive.”

His own vehicle was parked there—why didn’t he take that?

“Okay, then.” She steered from the house, down the long drive, and stopped where the drive intersected with the county road.

“Drive away from town, please,” he said.

You’re scaring me. “What’s going on?”

“Two deputies came by the house last night really late. I was up, so I stepped outside. I didn’t want to wake Gramps.”

“And?”

“Don’t act like you don’t know. They were looking for Leif and wanted to know if I knew where he was. Why don’t you tell me