Читать книгу: «Triggered», страница 3

“That’s Lily’s doll.” Kate flew off the porch and would have scratched the man’s eyes out if an arm hadn’t circled her waist and yanked her back.

“Go back to the house. Now,” Ben said into her ear, his voice tight around the command.

“But Lily—”

“Go.” He shoved her back behind him.

Kate hesitated.

The roar of engines rose to a crescendo. An army of bikes swarmed into the yard, stirring up dust where the grass had long since died.

Kate ran for the house. Before she could reach the porch, a motorcycle cut her off. There must have been twenty bikes racing around the yard in a tight circle, trapping Ben and Kate in the center. The dust rose in a cloud, choking visibility to everything beyond.

Beyond panic, long past frightened, Kate screamed into the smoke screen, “Where’s my child?”

Chapter Four

Ben had left his Glock on top of the refrigerator inside the house while they’d been working to unload the trailer. Now he wished he had it. Two unarmed people against a biker gang weren’t good odds in anyone’s experience.

A rider broke the ring, circled the pair and then swerved toward Kate.

Fear for her spiked his adrenaline and he lunged toward the motorcyclist. Grabbing the closest handlebar, Ben twisted it hard toward the man astride. The sharp turn on the forward-moving bike caused the bike to flip over, rider and all.

Ben snagged Kate’s hand and pulled her closer to him into the center of the circle.

The man he’d toppled pulled himself out of the dirt, his face bleeding from where he’d crashed into the gravel drive. He glared at Ben and Kate and roared, veins popping out on his forehead.

Kate shrank against Ben. “Oh, God.”

They had nowhere to go; the ring of motorcycles tightened. The man with the doll eased toward them, dark eyes glaring through the slit between his do-rag and bandanna. “You need to leave, lady, before it’s too late.” He ripped the head off the doll and flung it at Kate’s feet.

Kate reached for the doll, but Ben held her back. “When I make my move…run toward the house,” he said into her ear. Anger surged and Ben threw himself at the lead man, knocking him out of his seat.

Kate ran.

Ben got one good, hard punch at the man’s face before two goons ditched their rides and jerked him off their leader. Caught between two beefy Hispanic men, Ben struggled, twisting and kicking, determined to keep their attention long enough for Kate to escape.

Ben jabbed an elbow into the gut of the guy on his right.

The man loosened his hold.

Ben ducked beneath his arm. No sooner had he shaken free from his captors’ hold than he was slammed to the ground from behind, a bull of a man hitting him low and hard.

The wind knocked from his lungs, Ben lay facedown in the dirt, willing his body to move. A foot in the middle of his back kept him from doing anything, especially refilling his starving lungs.

Kate screamed.

A shot of determination rocketed through Ben. He rolled onto his back; at the same time he grabbed the man’s leg who’d planted his heavy boot into his back. With a hard twist, he sent the thug flying backward, landing hard on his butt.

Two more men grabbed him, hauled him up and yanked his arms behind him, hard enough that spasms of pain ripped through his shoulders.

The leader lumbered to his feet and stalked toward Ben. He hit him with a hard-knuckled fist, square in the jaw. Ben’s head jerked back, hazy gray fog encroaching on his vision. Another punch to his gut would have had him doubling over, if he didn’t have two big guys holding him up.

Through the torture, his gaze panned the yard, searching for Kate and Lily.

The bikers had broken the circle and raced around the yard, running over bushes, ramming into a rose trellis. One drove up onto the porch and ripped the porch swing from its hooks.

Another cut off Kate’s attempt to get to the house.

Kate shot a glance over her shoulder and dodged to the left.

The biker sped past her and spun to renew his attack.

Ben planted his feet in the dirt and struggled, twisting and turning in an attempt to go to Kate’s rescue, his mind conjuring his wife’s last minutes on the earth, fighting to protect their daughter.

Then, he hadn’t been there to help Julia. His job now was to protect Kate. If only he’d been more vigilant and not lulled into believing danger wouldn’t strike during the daylight hours.

Hell, the fight wasn’t over.

The gang leader swung again.

Ben jerked to the side hard enough that the guy on his left tripped. The leader’s blow hit his own man in the cheekbone. The man yelled and grabbed his face with both hands, letting go of Ben.

Using the weight of the other man’s body, Ben rolled into him and sent him flying over his shoulder.

Kate ran toward the road.

The biker who’d missed her straightened his bike and hit the gas. The back tire spun, then gripped the ground and shot forward.

Ben came at him sideways, plowing into the biker.

The bike and rider rolled over to the side, the rider moving sluggishly in the dirt.

One down, nineteen to go.

Kate ran on, but another bike raced after her.

Ben wouldn’t catch up before the biker reached her.

A loud air horn broke through the roar of racing motorcycle engines, followed by a cloud of dust storming toward them on the gravel drive leading to the highway. Another air horn burst and a truck swerved around Kate, aiming straight for the biker in pursuit of the fleeing woman.

A shotgun’s nose poked out of the passenger window and blasted a hole in the ground in front of the bike tire. As a result, the biker spun so fast, the back wheel whirled all the way around and out from under the rider.

The gang members Ben had thrown off caught up to him and knocked him to the ground. He came up spitting dirt and ready to tear into them. He swung again and again, pummeling one man in the face. When that one went down, he kicked out and sent the other sprawling on his backside.

Another shot rang out, peppering bird shot at the gang members.

One man yelped and sent his bike skittering out of the shooter’s range.

The leader of the gang yelled something and circled his hand in the air, then pointed to the road.

All of the bikers revved their engines and rode out, leaving a lung-choking cloud in their wake.

Their leader left the yard, shouting, “Dejar o te vas a morir!”

As the dust cleared, the driver and passenger of the truck dropped to the ground.

Ben laughed, the effort making his split lip and sore rib cage hurt. He leaned against the gnarled trunk of a live oak tree, his knuckles bleeding and every muscle in his body screaming.

The driver was an older Hispanic man with a decided limp. The passenger, the one holding the shotgun, was a woman who could only be described as grandmotherly. Thank the lord for help in all shapes and sizes.

Ben’s next thought went to Kate and Lily.

Kate rounded the back of the pickup and ran back into the yard, tears making muddy tracks down her cheeks. “Lily!” she cried out.

A whimper sounded from the tree branches over Ben’s head.

Hidden between the leaves was a little girl with a curly halo of hair, clutching a ball of fur to her chest, tears slipping down her cheeks. “Mommy?”

“Lily?” Kate skidded to a halt beneath the tree. “Oh, baby. I’m so glad you’re okay.” Kate grabbed a branch and started up the tree.

Ben snagged her arm. “Let me.”

“I can do this.”

“It would be better if I could hand her down to someone she knows.”

Kate backed away and let Ben take the lead.

He ducked beneath the low-hanging branches and climbed upward. “Hey, Lily. How’d you get all the way up here?”

She hiccuped, her bottom lip trembling as she clutched the fuzz ball to the curve of her neck. “I followed Jazzy.”

“Is Jazzy one of your toys?” He spoke in calm, soothing tones, careful not to grimace when a shard of pain rippled across his hands or ribs.

Lily shook her head. “No, Jazzy’s not a toy.”

A soft mewling erupted from the fur ball and little paws reached out to latch onto Lily’s shirt.

“Jazzy’s a kitten.” Lily’s eyes rounded as she stared down into Ben’s eyes. “Can I keep her?”

Ben chuckled, his body hurting with every breath. He wanted to crush the little girl and the kitten to his chest and hold them there for as long as he could. He couldn’t tell if the pain he was feeling stemmed from sore ribs, bruises or heartbreak. “You’ll have to ask your mommy.”

“Will you ask her for me?”

“You bet.” Ben settled on a thick branch and wrapped his legs around it before he reached out. “Come on. I think your mother wants to fix you lunch or something.”

“I’m scared.” She glanced around at the ground below her. “Are the bad men gone?”

Rage burned in Ben’s throat as hot as acid but he fought to keep it from his face and voice. “Yes, baby. They’re gone.” This child should not have been exposed to the violence of those men.

She leaned toward him and stopped, her arm around the kitten that clung to her, its blue eyes as big around as Lily’s. “You’re bleeding.”

“It’s okay. It doesn’t hurt, just a little cut.”

“I want my mommy,” Lily whimpered.

“I’m going to hand you down to her. Come on. You’re so brave to save that kitten. Now let me be brave and save you from falling out of the tree.”

Lily smiled. “Silly, I’m not falling out of the tree.”

“Your mother thinks you will.” He winked. “But I know better. You’re good at climbing trees, aren’t you?”

She nodded, then let him grab her around the waist and lift her onto the branch he sat on. He hugged her to him, relief washing over him in such a rush that his eyes glazed over and he couldn’t see.

“Give her to me, please,” Kate cried.

Ben blinked several times before he loosened his hold on the little girl and handed her down into Kate’s outstretched arms.

Kate gathered Lily into a hug so tight, Lily grunted. She sat on the ground in the dirt and hugged her some more, tears trickling from the corners of her eyes.

“I’m okay, Mommy.” Lily patted Kate’s face. “See?” Her empty hand pressed against Kate’s face, urging her to look into her eyes. “I saved the kitten.” Her smile broadened. “Can I keep her? Her name is Jazzy.”

“Sure, honey. You can keep her.” Kate dashed the tears from her cheeks and hugged Lily again. Then she climbed to her feet, lifting Lily to perch on her hip. “Come on, let’s clean up.”

Ben slid out of the tree and dropped to the ground beside the two, his hand going around Kate’s waist. “You two going to be all right?”

“I hope so.” Kate’s eyes widened. “You’re bleeding.”

Lily grinned at Ben. “Told you.”

Kate cupped Ben’s cheek. “Come in the house and let me take care of your cuts before they get infected.”

The light touch sent fire through his veins. Ben pushed her hand aside. “I’m fine. I’ll just stay out here and see what I can do to clean up the mess they made.” Anything rather than being close to Kate. She brought out too many feelings in him, feelings he’d thought long dead, emotions that made a man vulnerable.

The woman holding the shotgun waved her hands at them. “You three go get cleaned up and let us take care of the mess. Eddy and I can set things to rights in no time. Can’t we, Eddy?”

The short Hispanic man had wandered off, picking up broken bush branches. “Sí, señora.”

Ben stepped between the woman and Kate. “Could we at least know the names of our rescuers?” He tried to smile, his lip hurting with the effort. “I’m Ben Harding, Kate’s my…fiancée.”

“Oh, goodness, yes.” The woman shifted the shotgun into her other hand and gripped Ben’s hand in a firm, capable grasp. “Margaret Henderson. But most folks ’round here call me Ma or Marge. This here’s Eddy.”

“Mrs. Henderson, Eddy, glad to meet you.” Ben nodded at the gun. “Good shootin’.”

“No boys in my family, so my daddy taught all his girls to squirrel hunt.” She grinned. “And I make a mean squirrel soup.”

“I’ll bet you do.” Ben let go of her hand. “Thank you for showing up when you did. I think they were about to get the best of us.”

“I don’t know. You were holdin’ yer own pretty well.”

Ben didn’t want to argue with the woman. He’d gotten his butt whipped and Kate would be in a world of hurt had Margaret and Eddy not come along when they did. Guilt with a hint of heartrending regret tugged at his empty belly. What made Hank think a washed-up cop was the right man for this job? It had taken an old woman with a shotgun to chase off the latest threat. Some bodyguard he’d turned out to be.

Margaret smacked Ben on the back. “Twenty-to-one odds needs a little more encouragement than bare fists. Don’t let it get ya down. Question is why they were here in the first place.”

Eddy stuck a long blade of grass between his lips and rocked back on his heels. “Their leader shouted ‘Dejar o te vas a morir’ as he left.” The man had a decided Mexican accent.

Kate shook her head. “I don’t know Spanish. What does it mean?”

Eddy’s gaze captured Kate’s, his lips tightening for a moment before he spoke. “Leave or you will die.”

KATE’S HEART SANK into her belly. Holy smokes, what the hell had she done to the bikers to warrant a death threat?

“Well, now, isn’t that a nice way to welcome the new neighbors.” Marge turned to face Kate, the stiff, tough persona fading with the softening of her eyes. “You must be Kate.”

Kate held on to Lily, refusing to let her child out of her sight for even a moment. Her legs still shook and she couldn’t keep her hand from trembling when she held it out to Margaret. “Should I know you?”

“Kate Kendrick—” the woman folded Kate’s hand in both of hers “—you’re the spittin’ image of your father.”

Kate shook her head. “I go by Kate Langsdon.” She gripped the woman’s hand with her free one. “Did you know my…Kyle Kendrick?” She still couldn’t manage to refer to him as her father. Throughout her life, her mother had told her that her father had died in a car wreck. Growing up without a father hadn’t given her any practice saying the word. And for the past four years, Lily had been without a father of her own.

“Know him? I worked for him until the day he was m—” The older woman’s eyes widened and she clapped a hand over her mouth. “Sorry.” Her glance moved to Lily, and her hand fell to her side. “I worked for Mr. Kendrick until he passed. He was a good man.”

Kate bit her lip, wanting to refute Mrs. Henderson’s statement. What man would willingly walk away from his daughter and never have contact with her? In Kate’s mind, that didn’t make a good man.

“Thank you for coming to our rescue.” Kate smiled and turned to Ben. “Now, let’s get you inside and doctored up.”

The kitten Lily had been holding mewed.

An answering meow came from beneath the porch and a brightly colored calico cat stepped out of the shadows.

The kitten clawed at Lily.

“Ouch.” Lily held the kitten away from her shirt.

Kate pointed to the cat. “That must be the kitten’s mother.”

Lily hugged the fur ball to her, her brows pulling together in a mutinous frown. “Jazzy is my kitty.”

“Honey, you have to let her go to her mama.”

“But I want a kitten.”

“Jazzy will be your kitten, but you’ll have to let her be with her mama until she gets bigger.”

“I want her to come in the house and sleep in my bed.”

“When she doesn’t need her mother anymore. You can come and play with her outside until then.”

The kitten dug her claws into Lily, scrambling to get to her mother.

“See, she misses her mother.” Kate leaned Lily away from her. “How would you feel if someone wouldn’t let you come to your mother?”

Lily stared at the kitten and the calico mother cat, meowing over and over. “I’d feel sad.”

“And the kitten is sad because you won’t let her go to her mother.”

Lily wiggled in Kate’s arms, so she set her daughter on the ground.

Plucking the kitten’s claws from her shirt, Lily settled the animal on the ground.

As soon as she was loose, the kitten ran for her mother, curling in and around the cat’s long, sleek legs.

“See how happy Jazzy is?” Kate knelt beside her daughter.

“Can I play with her after lunch?”

“You sure can.” If the bikers weren’t back or an intruder wasn’t rummaging through the only home they had to go to. Kate’s chest tightened. “We’ll bring food out for Jazzy and her mother.”

Lily slipped her hand into Ben’s and one into her mother’s. “I’m hungry. Can we eat now?”

Kate almost laughed at how quickly Lily forgot the bad men on motorcycles, all her concentration on eating and getting back outside to play with her kitten. How simple to be a child and forget about all the horrible things adults could do to each other.

Ben glanced over the top of Lily’s head. “She’ll be all right.”

The biker’s warning echoed in Kate’s mind. “I hope so.”

Chapter Five

Kate led the way into the ranch house. As soon as she passed through the door, Lily shook her hand free and ran to the bathroom. Kate and Ben followed, filling the tiny room.

Lily stood on a small plastic step, just the right height to boost her little body up to the sink. She pumped liquid soap onto her hands and turned on the faucet, splashing water over her arms and shirt. “Do kittens like milk?”

“I suppose they do,” Kate replied, her voice soft, reassuring and less shaky than it had been in the yard after being terrorized by the biker gang.

Ben’s gut clenched. He should have been ready—he could have handled the situation better. He reached out and grabbed her hand. “I’m sorry.”

Kate’s brows wrinkled. “For what?”

“Letting it go that far.”

She dragged her hand out of his, closed the toilet lid and pointed at it. “Sit.”

Obediently, he did, amazed at the strength in her tone.

While washing her hands, she chewed on her lip, tears welling in her eyes. She dashed them away, apparently not wanting him to see them. Tough tone and tears didn’t add up. Ben’s chest squeezed. This woman had been scared out of her mind, but she refused to show it.

Lily climbed into Ben’s lap. “You have a boo-boo on your mouth.” She poked a finger at the drying blood.

The child felt right, her legs dangling over his knee, her feet swinging in and out. As quickly as she’d come, Lily slid off his lap and left the bathroom.

“Stay in the house, Lily,” Kate called out.

“I will. I’m going to my room to play with my dolls.”

The sound of footsteps on the stairs echoed through the old house.

Kate snatched a clean hand towel from the shelf over Ben’s head, leaning so close, the scent of herbal shampoo wafted over him.

Her breasts brushed against his shoulder and he gasped.

Kate jerked back, towel clutched in her fingers. “Did I hurt you?”

“No,” he said through clenched teeth. The pain she’d caused had nothing to do with flesh wounds. She’d stirred his heart to life and that was more painful than a broken bone or knife stabbing. He’d thought his heart was firmly locked away after the deaths of his wife and daughter.

Now he sat at the tender mercy of a woman and her daughter, reminding him with every move, every touch and soft word of all he’d lost.

She dampened the towel in the water and touched the cloth to the corner of his lip, dabbing gently to remove the dried blood.

“Lily’s a great kid,” he said.

“I know.” Kate’s gaze focused on his wounds, one hand steadying herself on his shoulder. Warmth filtered through his chambray shirt to his skin. Ben’s jeans tightened and his pulse quickened.

“Some bodyguard I am,” he said.

When he glanced into her eyes, he caught her staring down at him.

“You were outnumbered. You couldn’t fight them all.”

“I should have had my gun on me at all times,” he countered.

“And they might have used it on you or Lily.”

“Or you.”

“I’ll make an ice pack for that jaw. Any other injuries?”

The longer she stood there close enough to touch, the harder it was not to reach out. “No.” He shook his head and stood, wincing, his hand automatically rising to press against his ribs.

Kate’s brow furrowed. “Liar. Let me see.” She pushed his T-shirt up, tucking it beneath his arms.

A bruise the size of a grapefruit was making its dark purple appearance against his skin and everything beneath the mark ached.

“Damn, Ben, you could have a broken rib.” She dipped the towel beneath the faucet again, wrung it out and pressed it to his side, her fingers sliding over the bruise. “Does that hurt?”

Ben grasped her fingers and held them away from his skin. “Yes,” he lied. Her touch wasn’t what hurt, it was the effect she was having on him. If he didn’t get away soon, he’d be hard-pressed to walk away without kissing her.

“Let me take you to the clinic in town. They must have an X-ray machine.” She tugged her hand free and pressed the cool towel to his side, all her focus on his injury.

Past his level of endurance, Ben tipped her chin up. “I don’t need a doctor. I’m not going anywhere.”

When her green-eyed gaze met his, he realized his mistake. Her lips parted, and what she might have said next faded away on a sigh.

Ben bent and brushed his lips across hers. He’d only wanted a taste. But like water to a desert flower, the more he tasted the more he wanted.

His fingers curled around the back of her neck, tugging at her hair, tipping her head back, giving him more access to her lips, her throat and the pulse beating wildly at the base. She leaned into him. Her fingers pressed against his chest, the tips curling into his skin, not enough to hurt, but enough to ignite a flame he’d thought long burned out.

As fire spread through his veins, his arms tightened around her, his lips going from soft and gentle to crushingly hard, desperate to wipe out the stab of guilt that ravaged him from head to toe.

“I’m sorry, Julia,” he said against her lips. “I’m so sorry.”

The woman in his arms stiffened, her mouth moving away from his, her hands pressing against his skin.

“Let go of me,” she said, her voice ragged, her tone strained.

Ben backed up, his hands dropping to his sides. “I’m sorry. That shouldn’t have happened.”

“Damn right, it shouldn’t have.” Kate’s hand shook as she swiped the back of her hand over her bruised lips. “I don’t know who Julia is, but I’m not her.” She turned to walk out of the bathroom.

Ben caught her hand. “You’re right. I had no business kissing you.” Not when he still had feelings for his dead wife. Feelings that amplified his guilt for having kissed this stranger. “It won’t happen again.”

Without facing him, she jerked her hand free. “I don’t think this arrangement will work after all.”

“I understand. I’ll talk with Hank about a replacement this afternoon.”

“Please.” Her shoulders rose and fell as if she sighed deeply, then she left the room.

Ben’s fists balled. He wanted to hit something, but his knuckles were already like raw meat. He wasn’t sure he could handle any more pain, both physical and emotional.

Too much about Kate and Lily reminded him of Julia and Sarah. The sooner he left the Flying K Ranch the better off they both would be.

Images of the intruder on the first night and the terror of the motorcycle gang nagged his conscience. Would Kate’s next hired gun take better care of her? Would he try to kiss her and forget why he’d come?

KATE RAN UP the stairs and peeked in at Lily. Her daughter sat at her little table with her miniature tea set laid out. A teddy bear and two dolls occupied the other seats.

Satisfied Lily was okay, Kate slipped past and into her own room, closing the door behind her. She leaned against the panel and pressed her fingers to her burning cheeks.

He’d kissed her. Her bodyguard had kissed her.

What had her running scared was that she’d liked it. So much so that she’d kissed him back, practically crawling up his body to get closer.

She covered her softly swollen lips and moaned.

It had been four years since she’d known the touch of another man’s kiss, the feel of big, strong hands on her skin.

Her body burned with a need she thought had been buried with her husband. Kate squeezed her eyes shut and tried to picture Troy’s face, a sob rising up her throat when the only face she envisioned was Ben’s.

Kate opened her eyes, her gaze darting around the bedroom to the framed photograph of her and Troy on their last vacation together. They’d gone to the coast, playing in the sun and sand as if there’d be no tomorrow. Tomorrows for Troy had ended with an improvised explosive device that detonated beside his convoy. He’d been killed instantly. One week before he was due to come home. One month before his daughter’s birth. Two days before their third anniversary.

Troy smiled back at her from the photograph, his light gray eyes and sandy-blond hair so different from the dark hair and stormy-blue eyes of the man downstairs.

Kate hugged the frame to her breast, again trying to recall Troy smiling down at her as he’d kissed her goodbye. Even holding Troy’s photo, Kate couldn’t see him. Her mind fixated on the dark-haired, brooding man who’d come to help her keep Lily safe in their new home.

Kate set the photo on her nightstand and hurried into the bathroom. She didn’t have time to worry about why her memories of Troy were fading. She had a daughter to take care of, one who needed her to make lunch.

She stared into the mirror and almost cried of fright. Her face was smudged with dirt, her eyes red-rimmed and puffy from tears of joy at finding Lily safe in a tree.

Kate scrubbed her face with cool water, brushed her hair and secured it in a ponytail at her nape. Clean-faced and refreshed, she took a deep breath and resolved to act as if nothing had happened. No more kisses would be exchanged and life would go on as usual.

When she passed Lily’s room, her daughter no longer sat at her table, the tea set abandoned.

Her heartbeat quickening, Kate hurried down the stairs.

A quick perusal of the living room found it empty. Only Mrs. Henderson in the kitchen.

Fear pushed Kate out the front door.

Ben was hanging the porch swing that had been knocked down by the gang.

As soon as he settled the chain on the hooks, Lily climbed up on the swing and patted the seat beside her. “Will you swing with me?”

“I don’t know.” Ben glanced out at the dry Texas landscape, only his profile visible from where Kate stood. The dark circles beneath his eyes and sad, faraway look tugged at Kate’s heartstrings.

“Please?” Lily batted her eyes like a pro.

Ben chuckled and smiled. “When you put it like that…sure.” He settled on the swing beside Lily and looped his arm over the child’s shoulder, pulling her close.

A lump the size of a grapefruit lodged in Kate’s throat and she backed away, racing for the kitchen and a hand towel to dry quickly forming tears.

Marge stood at the kitchen counter, adding lettuce and tomatoes to thick slices of bread layered with lunch meat. “Ah, there you are. I hope you didn’t mind me barging in and jumping right in. I worked here so many years, it feels more like home to me than my own house. I’ve missed coming out.”

Kate’s mouth watered. “Where did you get all that food?”

“I was the cook and I handled the grocery shopping for Mr. Kendrick. I figured with you just having moved in, you probably hadn’t had time to visit the store to stock up. Eddy’s a ranch hand. He wanted to check on the horses and cattle, so I asked him to bring me out after stopping for a few things at the market.”

“A few?” Kate opened the pantry doors and checked in the refrigerator and gasped. “This isn’t a few.”

Mrs. Henderson blushed. “I’m sorry. It’s kind of pushy of me, but I’ve been beside myself staying at home since Mr. K. passed. My husband retired last year and we just bump into each other too much. I need to work outside the home.”

“I’m not sure I can pay you, and I don’t expect you to work for free.”

“Now, don’t you worry none. Consider this a welcome home gift. And once Eddy gets the cattle rounded up and the fences mended, he’ll give you a better idea of what this place can do to support you and your little one.”

Tears filled Kate’s eyes. “Why?”

“Like I said, Mr. Kendrick was a good man. Many times he’d spot me my mortgage payment when my man was out of work.” The older woman sliced a sandwich in two and laid it on a freshly cleaned plate. “Now, you just sit right down there and have yourself a bite. You could stand to gain a pound or two.” Marge patted her rounded figure. “Not that you want to put on as many as I have.” She laughed and moved around the kitchen like one very familiar with its contents.

Ben entered, carrying Lily on his arm. “Someone is hungry. I wonder who it is.”

Lily’s hand shot up. “Me!”

He swung her up in the air and caught her.

Kate’s heart warmed at her daughter’s giggles. Oh, to be young enough to forget so easily. Today could have turned out very badly. Any one of them could have been hurt or killed. Thank God Lily had been climbing a tree, although Kate wasn’t all that comfortable with a four-year-old climbing unattended. What if she’d fallen?

If the impact on the ground hadn’t hurt her, the biker gang could have.

Ben set Lily on her feet and laid a hand on Kate’s shoulder. “She’s all right. I won’t let anything bad happen to her.”

“I know that.” Kate’s gaze followed Lily around the kitchen, but her mind was on the hand warming her shoulder. “I was just thinking that I should be mad at Lily for climbing a tree, but I can’t find it in my heart to be. If she hadn’t…” Kate glanced up into Ben’s eyes.