Page 19 of Sniper Daddy
Hannah reaches over and squeezes my hand. “You can have it here. If you want it.”
I swallow hard. “Do any of you ever think about leaving? Going back to the world outside?”
They all shake their heads almost at the same time.
“Never,” Fiona says firmly. “This is home.”
Daisy smiles. “I’ll go to school in Timber Creek, but I’ll always come back here. This is where my heart is.”
The conversation shifts after that, lighter again. They tease each other. They ask me questions about what I like to do, what I dreamed about when I was younger. I tell them about wanting to help people, about how much I appreciated the way Eli took care of me. Daisy’s eyes light up when I mention nursing.
“You should think about it too,” she says. “There’s room for more of us to help here. The compound is growing. We could use another set of hands at the clinic.”
The idea plants itself deep in my heart. Helping people. Being useful. Building something real here with these women and these men.
By the time Boyd comes back to get me, my mind is full and my heart feels too big for my chest. He helps me up and we walk slowly back to his cabin. The mountain air is cool and sweet. Stars are starting to come out overhead.
Inside the cabin, Boyd locks the door and turns to me. The look in his eyes makes my breath catch. He crosses the room and pulls me gently into his arms.
“I’ve been waiting to get you alone all day,” he murmurs.
He kisses me softly at first, then deeper, like he can’t get enough. I melt into him, letting him take my weight as he lifts me and carries me to the bedroom. He lays me down on the bed with so much care it makes my eyes sting.
We undress each other slowly. His hands are gentle on my healing body, but his eyes are full of heat. When we’re both bare, he kisses every inch of me like he’s worshiping. He spends longminutes between my thighs, licking and sucking until I come apart with his name on my lips. Then he moves up my body and slides inside me, slow and careful, watching my face the whole time.
“You feel so good,” he whispers against my neck. “This is real. You and me. I’ve been falling for you since the moment I carried you up that ridge. You’re mine now. All mine.”
We move together, sweet and deep. There’s no rush. Just love and trust and the quiet promise of something lasting. When we come, it’s together, wrapped so tightly around each other that I don’t know where I end and he begins.
Afterward he holds me close, stroking my back, pressing soft kisses to my hair.
I lie there in his arms, listening to his heartbeat, and let myself dream.
I want this. I want the cabin and the mountain and the big loud family dinners. I want to go to nursing school with Daisy and help Eli. I want to build a life here with Boyd. I want children someday. I want forever.
But doubt still whispers in the back of my mind.
What happens when my father finds me? Because he will. He always does. When that happens, will Boyd think I’m too much trouble? Will he decide I’m not worth the danger I bring?
I push the fear down and snuggle closer to Boyd’s chest. For tonight, I let myself believe that this could be real. That this strong, silent man might actually want me to stay forever.
Because I’m already falling in love with him.
And I never want to leave.
THIRTEEN
BOYD
The next morning arrives too quietly.
I wake with Piper curled against my chest, her breathing soft and even. The cast is gone, but she still favors her left leg when she moves. I keep one arm wrapped around her, holding her close while the first light filters through the curtains. She fits here. In my bed. In my arms. In my life. The thought settles deep in my bones, solid and certain.
I haven’t told her yet how much I want her to stay forever. I’m still waiting for the right moment. For her to feel strong enough to choose this without the shadow of fear hanging over her.
A firm knock sounds at the door.
I ease out of bed without waking her, pull on a pair of jeans, and grab my rifle before opening the door just enough to see who it is.
