Page 21 of Sniper Daddy
My chest feels too full. I kiss her again, slower this time, letting it linger. “Then that’s what we will have. You and me. This cabin.This mountain. This family. No more running. Not for you. Not ever again.”
She smiles against my lips. It’s small and shaky, but it is real.
We spend the rest of the day wrapped up in each other. I make her lunch. She reads one of my bird books while I sit beside her. We talk quietly about the future. About what she might want to study if she goes to school in Timber Creek with Daisy. About how she wants to help people the way Eli helped her. About the kind of life we could build here together.
When the sun starts to set, I carry her to bed. I make love to her slowly, gently, whispering how much I love her with every kiss, every touch. She comes apart in my arms with my name on her lips, and I follow right after, holding her like she’s the most precious thing in the world.
Afterward, as she falls asleep against my chest, I make a silent promise to the quiet mountain outside.
No one will take her from me.
Not her father.
Not his hired men.
Not anyone.
She’s mine now.
And I protect what’s mine.
Always.
FOURTEEN
PIPER
The mountain air feels sweeter these days.
It’s been a few days since Eli removed my cast, and I’m healing faster than anyone expected. The pain in my leg has dulled to a manageable ache, and I can walk short distances now without the crutches if I’m careful. My ribs only protest when I laugh too hard or move too quickly. I feel almost like myself again.
Boyd and I are spending a lazy afternoon on our favorite flat rock overlooking the valley. The sun is warm on my skin, and a light breeze moves through the pines. Boyd sits behind me, his chest against my back, one arm wrapped loosely around my waist. His binoculars rest in my lap as I scan the trees for movement.
“There,” I whisper, pointing. “Is that the nuthatch you told me about?”
Boyd leans in closer, his stubble brushing my cheek. “Yeah. See how he walks straight down the trunk? Most birds donotdo that. They’re built different.”
I smile and adjust the binoculars. These quiet moments with him have become my favorite part of the day. No rush. No fear. Just the two of us, the mountain, and the birds. I have never felt this peaceful before. This… safe.
Boyd presses a kiss to the side of my neck. “You look beautiful in the sun. The light catches in your hair and makes it look like it’s glowing.”
Heat rises in my cheeks. I lower the binoculars and turn my head to kiss him softly. “You’re getting romantic on me, Boyd Walker.”
He hums against my lips. “Only for you.”
We stay like that for a while, trading slow kisses and quiet conversation. I tell him about the silly dreams I had as a little girl —wanting a house with a big porch and flowers in the yard. He tells me about the first time he saw a golden eagle riding the thermals and how it made him feel small in the best way. Every word pulls me deeper into him. I’m falling hard. So hard it sometimes scares me.
A low rumble of an engine cuts through the peaceful afternoon.
Boyd tenses instantly. He sets the binoculars aside and stands, pulling me up with him. “Stay close.”
We move behind a thick cluster of trees just as a dark Jeep comes into view near the main gate. Wyatt and Harlan are already on watch, rifles held casually but ready. Boyd positions me carefully behind a wide pine trunk, shielding me with his body.
“Stay hidden,” he murmurs. “Don’t make a sound.”
My heart pounds as two men climb out of the Jeep. They’re dressed in plain clothes, but they carry themselves like they’re used to getting answers. One holds up a photo. Even from this distance, I recognize it. It’s a picture of me from my driver’s license.
“We’re looking for a missing woman,” the taller man says loudly. “Piper Lane. Twenty-two. Dark hair. Last seen in this area. Her father is real worried about her. He’s offering a substantial reward for any information.”
