

Table of Contents

Books by Collette

Title/Copyright

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Epilogue

Coming Soon

About the Author

Books by Collette Scott

Forever Sunshine

Hannah's Blessing

If We Dare to Dream

Through Winter Skies

Eyes on Tango

Kat's Last Chance

Terri's Gift

Cooper's Choice

Sunshine Rising

Hope is Calling

A Blessing in Disguise

Destiny's Kiss

Saving Roxanne

The Coming Storm

Only for You

Five Minutes Sooner

By

Collette Scott

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Copyright © 2016 by Collette Scott

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters and incidents are the products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

For information address Marimay Publishing, P.O. Box 11821, Tempe, AZ 85284

ISBN-13: 978-1541241855

ISBN-10: 1541241851

ISBN – ebook: 9781370802791

Prologue

"Keep looking," Isabel hissed.

Ford Evans sent a sidelong glance in his wife's direction, his lips curving slightly in amusement. He rarely saw his wife in any other state than dignified outside of their bedroom, and watching her now, with her hands twisting nervously and her fingers gripped so tightly that her knuckles were white, made the more romantic side of him appear in an instant. His arm dropped around her shoulders, and he pulled her against his side securely. Bending his head, he inhaled the sweet perfume of her hair and let his lips brush the shell of her ear.

"Everything's fine," he said. "She'll be here any second."

A shiver coursed through Isabel's body from his touch, and Ford's smile broadened in satisfaction when he raised his head. His gaze landed upon his brother, Hayden, who was shaking his head with a knowing grin. Ford winked.

It was a silent communication full of meaning, and both men knew it. In much the same way, Hayden held his jittery wife, Dani, tucked against his side, and their daughter, Breelyn, was sleeping on Hayden's proud shoulder. Although the nervous wringing of Isabel's hands had loosened slightly, Ford took the opportunity to gaze around at the assemblage. The entire family had turned out, as usual, but it was a late hour, and Ford expected some of Isabel's angst was due to her lack of sleep. Her life worked entirely around his. He rose before dawn, and she already had coffee made, his breakfast on the stove, and his lunch packed. Once he was off to work, she would attend to their two children, and therein lay the problem.

There was only one now.

David hovered on Isabel's other side, standing at least a full head taller than his mother and showing little signs of slowing down. And, like his mother, he also showed signs of strain on his handsome young face, a face that remained distinctly Evans but with some of his mother's classic beauty as well. David's jaw was more square, his lips slightly fuller than his father's, and his hands longer and even larger than his father's. Although they shared the same hair and eyes, every time Ford glanced at David, he saw Isabel. The same was exceptionally true for Ana. She was her mother reincarnated; there was no sign of any Evans blood in her whatsoever. Not that it was a bad thing. His wife had been a model in Italy when he stumbled into her, and every day Ford gazed at her with sheer shock that she had fallen in love with him of all people, even after more than twenty years of marriage. Not only was she tall, lean, and graceful, but she was strikingly beautiful also. Not a single gray hair streaked the long, silky black tresses gliding down her back, not an ounce of age seemed to mar her smooth olive skin, and she remained as trim as when he first saw her on the cover of an Italian magazine all those years ago. All that after two children and years of marriage.

She was beautiful, and she was his wife.

He surmised that it was the managing of his family that had kept her so trim and youthful. As quickly as his own children had grown, his siblings began to have kids, and Isabel had started to keep busy watching the youngest members of the Evans clan. Although she was their aunt, she felt the fierce protectiveness of a grandparent, and in truth, she almost was. After all, no sooner had he managed to marry Isabel than his parents passed away in short succession, and he had bundled up his young Italian bride and brought her home to America to find his siblings mourning, scattered, and lost. Isabel had taken control immediately, gathering his randy brothers and little sister under her wing and helping him guide them on to their futures before they all fell apart.

It was especially true for Jamie and Hayden. The youngest and middle children had suffered the most, and Jamie had just been a teen, younger than David was now, when she slaved over the caring of her two parents. Then she watched them die, one after another, while her older brothers were scattered to the four winds. Jamie had been alone, scared, and devastated until she met Isabel.

Ford's arm tightened around Isabel's shoulders instinctively as his mind drifted back to that day so long ago. He had been living in Italy with Isabel when the news arrived, and Jamie had put on such a brave face at the first funeral that he had returned to his new life. Isabel had been pregnant with Ana at the time and unable to fly, and he had been in such a rush to return to her out of fear of missing the birth of his first child that he had not looked close enough to see the strain on his baby sister's face, the dark circles under her eyes, nor the thinness of her body from the agony of watching her parent die. In his eagerness to show his wife photos of his family, Ford had shot off a few before he left, and Isabel took one look at Jamie's image and knew. Her Italian temper had flared, and she scolded him fiercely for leaving Jamie behind. Then she promptly went into labor.

In the excitement of having a new beautiful baby, Ford had almost forgotten Jamie, but Isabel had not. She began emailing his little sister, and a bond was formed between the beautiful model and the distraught teenager. It was those early images of Ana that had kept Jamie focused enough to struggle through the loss of their second parent, but Isabel never shared what they exchanged in their emails. In fact, Ford had not even known they had gotten to know each other until the second funeral. When Isabel demanded they return to America – together, forever – Ford was amazed at the familiarity with which Jamie and Isabel greeted one another, and the way Isabel took to Jamie was Ford's first warning about the way women held their secrets close to their chest.

During that tumultuous time, Jamie had helped Isabel settle in to life as an American just as much as Isabel had tucked the baby of the family under her loving arm. Isabel became the matron with her gentle heart and firm resolve, and Ford scanned his siblings and their spouses and realized that they were now trying to repay her for everything she had done for them. When the email came that Ana was coming home before finals were done, it traveled through the family in minutes, and everyone had appeared – everyone. There was a good reason for this sudden return, and all of them knew it was most likely bad.

It was their turn to take Isabel under their arms, and they had shown up to support her in her time of need.

His chest puffed with pride as his gaze shifted from his brother Grady and his wife, Torie, over to Ian, Kat, and Dallon asleep in his stroller, then to Hayden and Dani with little Breelyn, to Jamie and Andrew, whose arms encircled her from behind with his hands protectively resting on her very round, very large belly, and finally to Grady's boys, Jon and Kyle, standing next to David. Those three boys had given Isabel a run for her money, but they had turned out just fine. Kyle and David were the same age and Jon a year younger. They were preparing their college applications now, and Isabel was not looking forward to losing another child.

Ford's arm tightened again. Isabel was trembling now, her entire body shaking as crowds of people swarmed them on all sides.

"It's all right," he whispered. "Relax."

"I can't," Isabel whispered back, her voice cracking. "It's just too much. I can't stand this anymore."

Almost instinctively, the family circle tightened around Isabel. Even though she had whispered, his astute siblings caught it all, and David surprised Ford by clearing his exceptionally deep voice and wrapping his arm protectively around his mother's waist.

"Mama." Even though he was Ford's height and looked to be a full-grown man, he still called her Mama. Ana did sometimes as well. "It's going to be all right."

"It's not all right," Isabel whispered, her eyes starting to shine with tears. "I can feel it, and I knew it as soon as I saw she emailed rather than called. My heart says there's something wrong. Something terrible."

Ian broke away from Kat and leaned forward to press a kiss on his sister-in-law's forehead. His eyes were as troubled as Isabel's, but he covered his concern with a charming smile. "We'll cross that bridge when we get to it. For now, let's just give her a warm welcome and put on a bright face."

No sooner had he finished speaking than Isabel went rigid. Everyone saw her stiffen and one-by-one followed the line of her gaze. There, in the back of the long line of passengers exiting the plane from Boston, a tall woman with long legs appeared last. She was dressed in fashionable jeans, a snug sweater of blue that hugged her trim figure too nicely, and a Pink backpack was slung over one shoulder. But her stylish appearance was not what held Isabel riveted.

Her glossy black hair was completely hidden under a black silk scarf and covered with a floppy hat, but Ford recognized his daughter. He would know Ana anywhere. He had watched her grow from a bright-eyed, chubby baby into a strikingly beautiful young woman, from a spunky kid who dogged his heels at job sites, to a mature young woman studying architecture in an Ivy League school back east. If any father could be prouder than him, Ford had yet to meet him. However, like Isabel, he stiffened. He knew with one glance that Isabel had been right. Something was terribly wrong.

There was no eager wave along with a brilliant and luminescent smile. In fact, there was no immediate sign of Ana's lovely face at all. His baby, his confident, mature, and fun-loving daughter was staring at the ground.

Not once did she look up to scan the crowds hovering around security anxious to greet their loved ones. Not once did she glance around to locate them. In fact, she seemed oblivious to everyone and everything, focusing solely on placing one foot in front of the other – slowly, almost painfully. But that was not what struck Ford like a horse's hoof to his chest. No sooner had he blinked once in shock than Emery Evans appeared like a wisp behind her, and she reached forward to take Ana's arm and lead her toward them with a hesitant smile.

Ford felt a hot flush of rage begin to burn his cheeks at the sight unfolding before them as jaw after jaw fell open upon seeing Emery leading a shocked and nearly lifeless Ana toward them. Forcing himself to inhale a stunned breath, Ford glared at his cousin-in-law, preparing to demand what the hell was going on, but Emery drew Ana up short several yards away when Isabel broke from the group and launched herself at her daughter. Ford watched in growing horror as Ana shrank away and made to flee from her mother like a skittish colt until Emery placed her arm around her waist with gently murmured words.

That was it for Ford.

He, too, plowed forward, thankful that the rest of the family hung back in astonished silence, and he reached Isabel's side in time to see her knees buckling when she saw Ana's face for the first time. He reached out hastily to catch her while Isabel moaned a heart wrenching, almost animalistic, cry before crumbling in his arms. Only then did Ford look at his daughter fearfully, afraid of what he would see, and he immediately wished he was dreaming. No, it couldn't be, he thought as another pain in his chest sliced through him so strongly that he could no longer breathe at all.

Ana's cracked lips were trembling when she met his horrified gaze with a single slitted eye, and one hoarse whisper of a word broke through the almost-unrecognizable swollen and bruised face. "Daddy?"

Daddy.

The last time Ana had called him Daddy with so much meaning had to be close to a decade ago. She had become too cool to call him that anymore as a saucy preteen, and he had been so hurt at the time, so pained to know that his baby was growing up. Grow up she had, from a lanky teen into a strikingly beautiful young woman. He had bitten back his frustration and watched her blossom into a brilliant and confident woman, and he had restrained his disappointment when she chose to leave Arizona for a school back east. He had hated the idea of losing his precious daughter.

Daddy.

The pain in her voice, the hesitation, the fear, and the agony was his undoing. He felt the sound throughout his body, as if a ton of rebar had been thrust through his heart.

_Daddy_.

That single word brought tears to his eyes; tears he had not shed in years. He had been blessed with a good life. Things had not always been easy, but his pride in his tight-knit family had made him thankful that he had survived. They had prospered together, grown together, faced life and death together. Everything had been calming down; life had settled back into a daily routine. The housing market had begun to pick up again, and he had been breathing easier.

Daddy.

His baby needed him, but so did his wife. With Isabel crumbled in his arms sobbing, Ford was at a loss what to do. He saw Ana's blackened dark eyes and felt his lips trembling with a helpless rage that still made it impossible to breathe. Yet he ignored the growing pain in his lungs and turned to David, whose mouth still hung open in unfettered surprise. In an instant, his son stepped forward, his hands desperately reaching for Ana, but Ford handed him his mother before turning to his baby... his firstborn... his little girl with his arms opened wide.

"Baby," he whispered, his voice choking on a sob. "Oh, my baby."

She stumbled forward, away from Emery's supportive grasp, and she collapsed against him like her mother had with her own small wail of pain. When his arms first surrounded her, he felt her recoil and shudder, and in that moment, he knew. He knew and he raged. No one had to tell him what had happened to his daughter. He knew. Even though he wanted to deny it, hated to think something like that could happen in their family again, he knew it had. Like Isabel, he felt it in his heart.

Fury like he had never felt before flushed his face and made the air trapped in his lungs exhale in a long whoosh that sounded like a whale surfacing. At first, Ana shrank away guiltily, but he refused to loosen his grasp. He held his little girl close, and his hands stroked her lightly while his hot tears fell upon her floppy hat. He became oblivious to the people around them, yet he was thankful of the protective circle his stunned family had formed around them. To others, it appeared to be a reunion, but Ford knew. His siblings were shielding Ana from prying eyes. They were trying to protect her in their own way. Ford knew without having to look that Hayden, Ian, and Andrew were already forming a plan for revenge. This time, he would not try to reason with them. He would give them full rein to do what they would. All he cared about was his baby.

"Oh, my poor poor baby," he whispered again.

"Daddy, I didn't know. I couldn't stop it," she said thickly, her husky words slurred as they escaped her broken lips.

She collapsed then, her pleas for forgiveness and apologies falling upon deaf ears. Now he understood what his brothers and cousins had been fighting for so vehemently in recent months. Now he fully understood why they were so adamant about risking themselves to travel around the country to find and liberate young girls. He could understand as a parent what it felt like to see the trauma on their child's face, and it was not anything he would wish upon anyone, not even his worst enemy.

"Nothing to forgive," he kept repeating whenever she pleaded. However, deep down, he knew that there was plenty to forgive. But not from Ana. Ana was the innocent here, and he would personally kill anyone who touched her. Though the questions were many, now was not the time to ask.

Heedless of the crowds, he bent and scooped his baby into his arms then headed straight for the elevators. His single thought was to get his little girl home where she would be safe. His siblings could gather her luggage and make sure it made it home. If it did not, he would not even care. All he cared about was getting his family away.

Ana needed him.

"Daddy, I'm so sorry."

Those heartbroken words would haunt him for the rest of his life.

Chapter 1

Austin Tanner sat across from Chuck Evans like a student who had been called into the principal's office. Although this was not the first time he had eaten dinner with his lieutenant, it was strange without Chuck's son and Austin's close friend, CJ, with them. It was also something that got him plenty of ribbing at work about. But, even without CJ, he and Chuck went back, way back, like back to childhood when Austin was little more than a redneck kid living out of a trailer in east Mesa, and Chuck Evans was a patrol officer often called to his house for a domestic disturbance.

However, talk was already spreading at the station that the Evans family had faced yet another trauma, and this time it had nothing to do with the cartels. There were no murmurs of the family going into seclusion or having a detail assigned to them. No, this was more... private. Austin suspected that was why Chuck had searched him out and invited him to dinner, and he could not help but shift in his seat uncomfortably under his mentor's intent stare.

"How was your vacation?"

Austin shrugged, his vest rising and falling over his tense muscles. "Cold, wet. It rained most of the time, and we had a foot of snow my first night."

Normally Chuck was easygoing and friendly – always ready to laugh. Not today. Today, he continued to study Austin over his fork, his graying eyebrows drawn together in a fierce scowl. Austin did not like the appraisal. It felt as though his old friend was staring straight into his soul. When he spoke again, Austin suspected he had.

"Why didn't you go somewhere sunny then? It's winter back east, remember?"

Austin found it almost unbearable to meet those intent Evans eyes, and he stared down at his fettuccine alfredo without making any attempt to take a bite. "Skiing," he mumbled, reaching for a bite of salad instead.

"Did you make it down to Boston?"

Although spoken questioningly, Austin stiffened. "I landed at Logan, picked up my rental car, and headed up north. I've toured Boston several times already."

Though he made a point to speak neutrally, he suspected Chuck was not going to let it go easily. He was still chewing the bland Caesar salad when Chuck pounced. "Yeah, you've been... what? Three, maybe four times since last summer?"

"I like it there."

Chuck harrumphed.

"The east coast is completely different than here. It's green everywhere, and not like up-north green either. You get out of the city, and all you see is trees lining the highways. The ocean is beautiful, and up north, like New Hampshire and Maine, the coast gets all rocky and the lighthouses are amazing. Down near the Cape, the beaches are long, sandy, the water is calmer than the Pacific, and it's..." His voice drifted off as a memory came unbidden into his mind. A vision of a young woman the previous summer strolling down the beach on the island of Martha's Vineyard and gazing out across Edgartown Harbor to the island of Chappaquiddick. His heart gave a little tug as he remembered that day. It was sunny and warm, with a nice sea breeze masking the humidity. He had watched her from the street, sitting on one of the benches outside the Harbor View Hotel for hours as she wandered up and down the beach. He would half-rise from the bench when she drifted out of sight beneath the dunes then relax again when she reappeared a little further away. He had lingered, enthralled with the sight, until she had turned around and climbed the steps of the lighthouse, pausing to read the names of the lost children on the bricks. One had stood out; he remembered it clearly. Its brick was almost white compared to the others, and it belonged to the family whose house she had stayed in while on the Vineyard. A lost child. The owners of the majestic house at the top of the beach had lost a child, perhaps even a dozen in the two centuries the family had remained on the island.

If she had not been around, he might have been one too, minus a brick of remembrance of course. However, she was there, and she had left her mark as surely as Chuck Evans had. Together she and his boss had shaped Austin into the man he was today, and he was grateful to have that memory at least, if not the entire vision, for himself. He blinked away the image of her black hair blowing in the sea breeze and grinned abashedly. "Beautiful."

For a moment, Chuck's humor reappeared, and he guffawed loud enough to draw the other diners' attention. He watched their waitress, a pretty girl of about twenty or so smile shyly at him, and when she caught his eye she began to head back to their table. However, he glanced away quickly, seeing no use in encouraging her.

"Are you going to pack up and move out there on me?"

Austin shrugged again. "I dunno. I'll see in a few years."

"Once you know if she stays or not?"

The waitress arrived in time to save him from having to respond to that question, and it was a good thing she had, for he choked on his half-swallowed bite of salad under Chuck's all-knowing stare.

"Ooh, are you okay, Officer Tanner?"

He nodded and waved her away, but Chuck saw the color rising in his cheeks. Of course, he could blame it on the fact that he was choking, but the humor in Chuck's eyes warned him that he would not believe his feeble attempt to lie. Pressing his napkin against his lips, he managed one last cough before he felt as though he could breathe again, and his blue eyes narrowed as he took in Chuck's amusement.

"Thanks a lot."

It was Chuck's turn to shrug, but the humor died from his eyes as he contemplated him more seriously. "The sergeant's interviews are done, and we've made a decision. Do you want to know how you did?"

His heart leapt again, but not from the thrill of knowing. No, it was for another reason altogether. Everything he did, he did for her. To make her proud and prove to her that he was not the slimy little boy she had once defended so heroically. Before he could comment, Chuck leaned forward with a ghostly smile.

"Too bad. You're in, kid. You're in."

Surprisingly, he was not as elated as he had hoped to be, and naturally Chuck noticed.

"Don't you want it?"

Austin was unsure what he wanted these days. Knowing how close he had come to losing the very thing he treasured most had been a severe wakeup call, and he had been walking, working, eating, and sleeping as if in a daze for days now... If he had been five minutes later... if he had not been there at all, his life would have been irrevocably changed forever.

However, it was not him he worried about.

"Congratulations, Austin. I'm proud of you, son."

Chuck was reaching across the table and pumping the hand Austin had unknowingly held out. He had little memory of smiling and nodding his head, but apparently he had since Chuck was beaming at him.

When he finally released Austin's hand, he grew serious again, and he crossed his arms over his chest authoritatively. "You need to go see her."

As quickly as he had flushed at the mention of her, Austin could feel his face pale. He shook his head. "No."

"She won't eat, she doesn't sleep much, and she rarely leaves her room. Isabel and Ford are near a breakdown, and neither of them can sleep. I've never seen David so upset; the kid walks around with tears in his eyes all day. No one will talk about it, no matter how hard Emery's trying to help. No one knows exactly what happened..."

Austin wanted to block out the words, and he slowly became aware that he was shaking his head vehemently.

"The family's convinced she was gang raped by the cartels in revenge."

"No," he said sharply.

A triumphant gleam appeared in Chuck's eyes, and his arms loosened around his chest so he could lean forward. "I knew it," he murmured.

"Knew what?" Austin snapped.

"I saw the police reports. The 'Good Samaritan' reported that he interrupted –"

"I don't want to talk about it," Austin growled, tossing his napkin down on his plate. His angry gaze scanned the dining area until it landed on the hopeful waitress. She set down the two plates she was preparing to bring to her other diners, broke away from the warming lamps, and scurried over to him, only to be disappointed again when he snapped, "Check, please."

With a disgruntled sniff, she returned to the plates she had left under the warming lamps and scooped them up then sashayed past their table to deliver the meals before she disappeared to ring up their bill.

"I won't tell anyone you've been stalking her –"

"Stalking her?"

The way he said it was almost accusing, and Austin grimaced. A stalker? Him? No, he never meant her any harm, and he was not obsessive. He just felt an overwhelming need to watch over her, and he had felt that way for years. Whenever he was able, he would check in on her, make sure she was okay, and leave her be. He was definitely not a stalker. No, there was nothing wrong with his mind. It was more of a brotherly thing, right?

"Okay, maybe that's a strong choice of words."

"Ya think?" Austin snarled.

Chuck shrugged. "If I thought for a moment that you didn't have her best intentions at heart, I'd snap your neck cheerfully, kid."

"Thanks for the overwhelming kindness."

"Stop being sarcastic. I believe that if anyone can draw her out, it's you."

"Not true," he said firmly. "Your family has everything she needs."

Their check was placed before him in a black sleeve, but when he glanced up to thank the waitress, she had already moved away. Apparently, she finally had gotten the hint, he thought with relief as he pulled out his credit card and placed it in the slot.

Chuck sighed. "Not this time. No one can reach her, not even Hayden."

"If Hayden can't, why would you think I can?"

It was no secret that Ana Evans adored her uncle, Hayden. In fact, the entire family revered the man as some sort of god. He was everything a man could be and then some. Happy, charming, easygoing, and smart as a whip. Combined with his good looks and intelligence, Hayden Evans could make any man jealous. Everyone wanted to be him, except for Hayden. So rather than flaunting his many talents, he remained self-deprecating and modest, and Austin shook his head regretfully. Hayden was not the issue right now, and avoiding the truth would not help.

Apparently, she had taken it worse than he thought.

"Because you're you. She needs you."

"She doesn't need me," Austin said with a snort, barely glancing at the waitress when she returned and snatched up the sleeve.

"Ah, but she does," Chuck murmured. "She does now more than ever."

"You're wrong. She needs her family, and she needs her mother. They love her and can care for her."

Chuck sighed heavily. "Yeah, but so do you."

Austin had no response for that.

****

Fifteen years ago

Austin Tanner was tall for a ten-year-old, and his lanky body looked awkward in the frayed cut-off jeans his mother had stolen from Goodwill. While the other kids in school wore basketball shorts with bright colors and team logos, Austin dressed in old jeans. At first, they were several sizes too big, and he spent his days trying to keep them from falling down around his knees to expose his yellowed and threadbare whitey-tighties to all his classmates. He wore them until they were so tight that they became unfashionably short, the cutoff edges far too frayed to stretch any longer. He had three wife-beater tank tops, also faded, threadbare, and well-worn, and a pair of rubber flip flops and sneakers. The sneakers were so old that his toes crunched up at the tops until they bent in two. When he would take them off at night, he would have to massage his toes for several minutes to make them straighten out again. His large feet were no better in his flip flops. For three years, he had superglued the flaps together, and his heels hung over the edges. It was a good thing that he had long, slender feet, for his toes would also hang over the edge.

He ignored the taunting his wealthy classmates subjected him to, and those persistent enough to press soon learned that he was not to be trifled with. The beatings he had taken at home over the years taught him how to fight well, and he also knew where to inflict the most pain without leaving obvious marks. By the third grade, he had earned a reputation for being a solitary, quiet, and surprisingly polite child among the teachers. However, to the kids, at best, he was loathed and feared; at worst, he was to be loathed and tortured.

He had his fair share of bullies ganging up on him, but he left those fights during his walk home bloodied, bruised, yet feeling triumphant for leaving a few marks at least. When he arrived home, his parents were usually too drunk to care, so Austin would wrap some ice in a greasy old rag and place it on whatever bruise remained – lip, eye, one time his throat, and another time his ankles and wrists where they had bound him to an old barbed-wire fence in the wash to beat him with a cholla cactus branch. Oh, how that had hurt. For months, the infected little spines caused him untold agony as sliver after sliver was expelled slowly after his infected skin exposed the nearly invisible thorns.

Austin hated life.

There were four boys, all in his grade but a year older than him, who made his life a misery during his elementary years, and they found it amusing to tie the "white trash" kid up in that damned wash. They loved donning their gloves and breaking off chunks of the doubly-damned cholla, knowing how much Austin had come to fear it after his first taste of a beating with one.

That was how Ana Evans found him.

He had just managed to throw off the two boys restraining him when the third landed a severe kick to his stomach. Austin had doubled over, wheezing and choking, and missed seeing the tiny raven-haired girl gasp as she ran from the nearby park to the wash to see what the shouting was about. It was her shriek that caught the older boys' attention, but she had shown no fear. Despite only being five or six at the time, she knew enough from the sight below to comprehend what they intended. She bent with a determined gleam in her eye and began scooping up rocks, throwing them with amazing accuracy at the boys. She had hit the two boys holding Austin in the head, earning sharp cries of pain in reward before the third began climbing out of the wash to catch her, but she held her ground. Still wheezing, his head swirling with spots and flashes of white, Austin was unsure if he was seeing a vision or reality. He realized it was real when a high-pitched shriek reached his ears, shaking him out of his dizziness, and he lifted his blurred gaze to see the third boy clutching the kicking and screaming girl, whose high-pitched shriek was cut short when his gloved hand went over her mouth.

"Shut up, you little brat," he snarled.

Austin did not hesitate. Seeing the fourth boy still clutching the cholla branch and advancing upon this little heroine, Austin dove for him first, shoving him face down upon the cholla in his hand. Then he kicked the knees out from the boy who held the little girl in his arms.

As soon as he fell atop her, Austin grabbed the back of his collar and held him up. "Pick on someone your own size, Carter," he snarled angrily.

Even though the girl had every chance to flee, she remained rooted to the spot, watching him with enormous eyes as he stared down Carter Birmingham, whose own wide eyes gazed around to see that his friends were down and out of the fight. Facing a brawl with Austin Tanner alone, Carter sneered. "Get your trailer trash, redneck slimy hands off of me, scumbag."

"Don't talk to him like that," the little girl said primly.

Carter sneered. "You need little girls to take care of you, Tanner?"

"You need a gang of boys to take me on, Carter. Want to try one on one?"

The boy pulled away from Austin with a snarl and made a point to wipe away any traces of where Austin's hands had touched him. With a final spit at Austin's feet, he ran off, leaving Austin to stare at the little girl who had saved him from a wicked fate. He crouched down, his breath still coming heavy, and was almost knocked over when her tiny arms went around his neck and clung to him.

"Are you okay?"

Her voice was small, high, but smooth and really pretty. When she loosened her tiny arms from around his neck, she studied him with eyes that seemed so much older than her size, and she frowned when she saw his bleeding lip.

The touch of her tiny finger gently wiping away the blood was the first gentle touch Austin had ever received, and he turned away in embarrassment when he felt tears pricking his eyes. No one had ever shown him that level of concern before, not even his favorite teacher, Mrs. Lawn, who was the first teacher to realize that he was smarter than he let anyone believe and had him moved up to the third grade when he was seven.

"They hurt you," she stated angrily. "Bad boys."

Even though she was little, he could see the fire in her eyes, and before Austin had controlled himself enough to speak, she narrowed her dark eyes and flung her last rock at Carter's retreating form, hitting him squarely in the back of his head. It was enough to bring the older boy to his knees, and Austin's eyes grew wide in amazement.

Her aim was true, as was her heart, and he was helpless to refuse her gentle smile when she placed her hand in his and drew him away from the other boys who were trying to stumble out of the wash.

"Come with me. Mommy will patch you up."

Austin hesitated, planting his feet into the hard-packed desert until she drew up short and glanced over her shoulder at him.

"What?" Her voice was so innocent, so sweet, and Austin glanced down at himself meaningfully. While he was in his cutoff jeans and too-small flip flops, this little girl was dressed in a stylish two-piece outfit of lavender and white, and her lavender sandals were as perfect as the pretty little face staring adoringly up at him.

"I can't go with you," he stuttered. "Your mom will get mad."

"Yes," she said firmly. "She'll be mad at those boys. Come on. Let's tell her."

Austin held firm, despite her insistent tugging on his hand. She was young, maybe in the first grade, considering this was the first time he had ever seen her, but surely she would have parents that warned her about boys like him – trailer trash, a boy who lived among the drug addicts, whores, and rednecks who spent their evenings getting trashed and lighting fires in the pristine desert while they crushed their beer cans and left them scattered in the washes. If this little girl's mother saw him with her, she would take one look and surely call the police.

"No. I – I have to go home."

"They'll be waiting for you," she said with a wisdom belying her age. "They're going to be mad, and they'll hurt you even more."

He fell silent, knowing that was the truth, and they would also be waiting for _her_. The idea of any of those boys harming her in retaliation was enough to make his hackles rise, and he nodded. "I'll walk you home and make sure they don't hurt you, but that's it. Okay, kid?"

She nodded. "Come on."

He stared into her eyes, feeling helpless, scared, and yet unable to refuse her and her pretty lavender outfit. He was as helpless to ignore her innocent sweetness as he was her adorable pudgy face that already showed signs of great beauty. Like a tamed puppy, he followed behind her to one of the new developments where Carter and the other boys lived on the opposite side of the park and the wash. Although it was less than a mile from his hovel, it was like another planet. The expanse of desert and the park around it separated the rich from the poor, the desert from the green, and Austin from the other kids.

With huge eyes, he gazed around at the glorious, brand-new houses. They were like nothing he had ever seen before, large, luxurious, and spectacular. At the end of a cul-de-sac sat the largest, a two-story adobe-style house with a metal gate and fountain. It was the prettiest house he had ever approached.

A woman stood in the doorway with a frown on her face, and Austin stopped again to watch the most beautiful woman he had ever seen plant her hands on her hips and scowl. She was not looking at him with her fierce frown though. She was staring at the little girl, and Austin felt a surge of protectiveness flare inside him as he realized she was about to get into big trouble – all because of him. Oh, no, he could not allow that to happen.

"I'm sorry, ma'am. It's my fault," he blubbered.

The woman glanced at him, her astute gaze sweeping him from head-to-toe, and Austin felt the heat of a flush rising on his cheeks. However, her flashing eyes turned back to the little girl almost immediately, and her frown was fierce. "I told you to stay on the street. One minute, you're there, and the next, you're gone."

"Sorry, mommy," she said with a shrug. "I heard a fight, and I found four boys beating him up. He's hurt. They hurt him bad."

At that, the woman turned back to him, her frown disappearing as she hurried through the gate. "Four boys?"

"Four, Mommy, and they were going after him with cacti."

Austin noticed immediately that she knew the plural for cactus and glanced at her in surprise. Smart kid, he thought. But then the beautiful woman was standing before him like a goddess, and her gentle hands were grasping his chin to inspect the blood around his lips. She clucked her tongue.

"Inside, both of you," she said in her strangely accented voice. It was not Hispanic, that much he could tell, but she was definitely not American. "We'll have Daddy get your bike later."

"Oh, I – uh, I should get home. I just wanted to make sure she made it home."

"And that was very kind of you..."

Her voice drifted off meaningfully, and Austin swallowed. Should she tell her his name? If he did, she would know who to call the police about. However, her smile held no malice, and she took his hand to see the rope still tied around it and frowned.

"Austin, ma'am."

"I'm Isabel. It's a pleasure to meet you, Austin. Thank you for making sure Ana made it home safely. Come inside and let me have a look at you."

"I really shouldn't."

"If he leaves now, those boys will be waiting," Ana insisted. "Don't let him go."

"You're absolutely right," she replied.

Austin flushed again under her scrutiny, but he managed to hold his head high. "I'll be fine."

"Why don't we call your mother? She can pick you up."

"No, she won't," he replied hastily. Later on he realized, too hastily.

A look of understanding crossed her face a split second before it turned to sympathy, but she did not question him further. After a moment of silence, she nodded briskly. "Okay, then. My husband, Ford, will drive you home," she announced. "Inside now, both of you. I'll make you a snack while we wait."

Without waiting for their response, the woman turned and strode back inside, and Austin glanced down at the little girl who was smothering a giggle behind her hand. Even though his lip cracked open and sent more blood into his mouth, he could not resist grinning back at her, and he watched her skip inside after her mother.

In that moment, Austin fell in love with the Evans family.

Chapter 2

Austin lay in bed, his arms crossed behind his head as he stared at the ceiling. Memories often invaded him when he tried to find sleep, but tonight they were exceptionally strong. He remembered his first introduction to the Evans family as if it was the day before, and he still treasured that first battle with Carter Birmingham's gang with Ana. Later that afternoon, he had learned of Ana's uncles and how her skill with rocks had grown from having a bevy of men to teach her how to throw. He liked to think that because of them, Ana had entered his life. When he later learned that Chuck was her third cousin, he was even more convinced.

That had only been the beginning of many wonderful things to come. Later that day, Isabel had instructed her husband, Ford, to drive him home, and he was not empty handed. When they left, he had a full belly from the most delicious meal he had ever eaten and was laden with a bag full of cast-off clothing from the youngest uncle, Ian. He was excited and believed that it was what Christmas felt like or perhaps a birthday party. He had treasured that clothing even though Ian was already grown and bigger than him.

Austin hid the bundle under the trailer out of fear that his mother would find it and sell the clothing. Therefore, he left for school quietly every morning in his old clothes and changed behind an old washing machine stacked in the back of the trailer in the semi-darkness. His mother never rose before noon, but he was not taking any chances. It was a fierce jealousy that made him hide those nice clothes, and having shoes that actually fit him made his chest puff proudly. For the first time ever, he felt like a human instead of a worthless dog.

He did not see Ana much over the next couple of months, but she had left her mark on him as easily as his mother had... and his father too. Ford Evans had given Austin a ride home in one of the nicest trucks he had ever seen, and the man was thoughtfully silent as he studied Austin out of the corner of his eye. Austin had shifted uneasily multiple times under his scrutiny, but Ford had finally pulled over at the end of his street without speaking a word.

Austin had fumbled for the door handle frantically when Ford put the truck into park and spun around to pin him with his dark gaze. "Those boys. They've given you trouble before?"

Austin was so caught off guard that he meekly nodded.

"If they do it again, I want you to let me know. Understand?"

Austin's mouth had hung open, and he nodded meekly again.

"Are you sure you don't want me to bring you to the door? Your mother must be worried about you missing dinner."

Austin shook his head. "No she isn't. Thank you, sir, for everything."

He had not mentioned that his mother never cooked dinner, that he sustained himself mostly on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and that the meal he had eaten with Ana and her family was the best food he had ever tasted in his life. He held his tongue and waited anxiously to be released by the elder Evans.

"Come visit again, Austin," Ford finally said.

Austin's head bobbed, and he dove for the door and ran down the street as if Carter's boys were hot on his tail.

It took his mother over two months to find the clothes, and she had sold them after whipping him soundly with a belt for not handing them over immediately. Following that beating, he missed several days at school. However, it was because of that incident that he saw Ana again when he finally returned to school. Having to check in at the office brought him by the smaller kids' classrooms, and he spotted her dark head among the sea of little people. When he hesitated outside the open door, she had glanced up as if she felt his stare, and when her face had brightened with joy while she waved exuberantly, he actually smiled through his pain...

Sighing, Austin sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed. Chuck's words continued to echo in his ears. He did owe the Evans family, but he had also repaid them many times over. He was unsure how much Ana had told her parents about his involvement in her life, but he suspected she had her fair share of secrets, just like he did.

A sergeant. He was to be a sergeant. It might not be the same money as a successful architect, but at least he had climbed out of the gutter. In fact, recently he had purchased a modest three-bedroom home in the same development Ana's family lived in, and he had hoped to show it to Ana someday. He was waiting, like Chuck had astutely picked up, to see where Ana settled. If she chose to stay back east, he would probably pack it up, sell it, and move out there too.

Sighing heavily, Austin drew his hands over his face. It would not be long before Ian Evans came knocking on his door. If Chuck already had suspicions, Ian certainly would, too. Granted, Ian was with the Task Force and did not see much of Austin, but they were sharp men. All of the Evans' were smart. They had taught Austin plenty over the years, and Austin had studied their every move. Because of them, his life had changed. If not for Ana and her family, he would have ended up living in poverty. He snorted. And if not for Mrs. Lawn, he never would have graduated high school.

Austin was on his feet in an instant, and he went through the motions of dressing without even realizing what he was doing. Maybe he was reassuring himself that Ana was safe. But he already knew she was. After all, he had been among the crowd on the flight leaving Boston. He had watched her fly home in her Aunt Emery's arms from his seat in the back row, keeping his Patriots hat low over his face the entire flight. However, he had been able to see Emery's dark head bent over Ana's the entire flight, and his jaw had clenched with fury as he wished over and over again that he had been able to kill those men rather than beating the shit out of them. In a flash, he had gone back in time to the days when Carter and his friends abused him, and the fury he unleashed had been so overwhelming that he had turned animalistic. If Ana had not whispered his name, he might have snapped that rich little snob's neck with his bare hands.

It was as if his feet were out of synch with his mind. He was running at a hard pace, his strong legs pumping furiously up and over the hills and valleys to the foothills of Red Mountain then further north to Ford Evans' sprawling custom home. The same home that had stolen Ana away from his everyday glimpses when he was twelve. As he ran, he drifted back to that day and realized just how much the little twit had wormed her way into his heart.

"Hey, twerp," Austin said.

Ana had pulled her bike up alongside him as he walked in the path beside the wash. It was the height of the monsoon season, and the air was thick with humidity on top of the sweltering heat. The sun blazed down in rays that bounced off the desert floor, making the ground emanate waves of unbearable heat and the promise of a storm to come. He could hardly believe Ana would be outside in this weather instead of swimming in her pool to cool off, but then again, this time of year meant the pool was as hot as the air. He had gone swimming in a few during this time of year to know that much.

He often hid in the desert to avoid everyone, and over the years Ana had learned that fact. Whenever she wanted to find him, she would ride straight to the desert, and he could never hide from her for long. New homes were sprawling up everywhere in the east valley, and he knew it was a matter of time before his little section of privacy was overrun with nice houses like the one Ana lived in. Big houses with shaded porches, swimming pools, and cool central air conditioning. The reminder of that made him glance at her, his eyebrows lifting in question.

"Hey, dork," she had replied easily.

"Why are you out here?" He watched her balance her bike between her legs with a wry smile. "And when are you going to stop following me around?"

"When Carter and his bullies stop bothering you," she said with a sweet smile.

He glanced down at her again, finding that she was staring pointedly at the bruise along his jaw and turned his face the other way. Even through the burning heat of the sun, his cheeks flamed, and he stared off at a distant mesquite tree in the desert with low branches that touched the ground. It had once been a coyote den, but more and more recently, he had been sleeping there at night. He would never admit to Ana that the bruise was not of Carter's doing but rather his mother's new live-in boyfriend, a beast of a drunk who battered him and his mother. Although he cared little for his mother, he still felt it was his duty to protect her from Mack's fists, and he had the bruises as a memory of getting his ass kicked the previous night.

"Carter's moved on to greener pastures," he replied with a shrug.

"Oh, good. I told Daddy about our last battle, and he went to talk to his parents," she announced, forcing him to meet her gaze.

"He did?" Suddenly, the flush Austin had been trying to hide from her was no longer important. He glared at her for the first time ever, angry and not afraid to show it. "Why would you let him do that, Ana?"

Her bike came to an abrupt halt as she stared up at him in hurt dismay. Her eyes began to glisten, and Austin immediately felt contrite for snapping at her. Overall, she was probably the closest thing he had ever had to a friend, even if she was four-years younger than him, and he truly did like having her following him all the time. She was always so happy and vibrant that she kept his loneliness at bay. All this time later and her mother still sent clothing to him, and the sneakers he wore then were a pair of Ana's uncle's cast offs. They had looked brand new to Austin when Ana delivered them, and he almost believed that Mrs. Evans had purchased them just for him during a recent shopping trip to the mall for a present for one of Ana's friend's birthday parties...

Ana went to a lot of birthday parties. It seemed as though she had a new invite at least twice a month. From the start, she had been a popular girl, and all the kids in her grade wanted her at their parties. Whenever she attended, she would save him cake and extra party favors. That had started the previous year after he had let his curiosity get the best of him and asked her what happened at birthday parties. He had never had one nor been invited to one, and she was aghast when she learned that. Ever since, she always saved him a slice of cake, claiming she was too full and asking whatever parent was there if she could bring it home. Oftentimes, by the time it reached him, the frosting would be flattened and yellowing in the sweltering heat, but he always eagerly accepted the treasured sweetness, savoring each bite and dramatically throwing himself on the ground with a moan of sheer delight that would draw out Ana's sweet laughter. He loved cake, no matter what kind. It was the most delicious and decadent thing he had ever tasted.

He realized the silence was extending and shook his head to clear it of the memory. There were more important things to think of, like Carter coming after him in a fury. Okay, so Mr. Evans had spoken to Carter's parents, and that meant Carter would be hot on his heels in revenge. But he had his new spot. As long as he could stay out of sight, he would be safe. Still, a shudder of fear raced down his spine. After his last fight with the four boys, his ribs had ached for weeks, and he even had difficulty breathing. He could only imagine how brutal they would be if they were truly angry.

When she continued to stare at him, blinking rapidly to hide her tears, he frowned.

Ana blinked even faster. "Why are you mad?"

He grimaced. How could he explain that irritating the boys would only make them angrier? She would never understand that. Not only was she a girl, but she was a popular girl who all the kids liked. She had no idea what it was like to be an outcast because she never had been one. "I don't need your father tattling for me. I can handle myself, Ana."

"He wasn't tattling. He just took Mr. Birmingham aside and told him that if he ever saw Carter harassing the neighborhood kids again, he would tell Uncle Chuck to get involved."

That was innocent enough, he had concluded. Chuck Evans was a regular in his school, and all the kids knew him – just perhaps not as intimately as he did. Also, it was true that Austin was not their only target. In fact, he had seen them try to go after Ana, too. He had put an abrupt halt to that, but bullies were always bullies. "He said that?" Austin asked dubiously.

Ana's head bobbed wildly, sending some of her long black hair free of her braid. As the wisps stuck to her sweaty cheeks, he caught a glimpse of her mother and knew then how lovely she would be. It was a striking moment, one he had never realized before. She had always been cute, ever since that first day when she bravely brought down those boys and saved him from a beating with a cactus. However, he had always seen her as a little girl, almost like a little sister... one he had never had. In that moment, he realized that she was a pretty girl now, no longer carrying the chub of childhood and growing into the lankiness of prepubescence. Her face had become more heart-shaped, her cheeks leaner, her tanned face making her olive skin even darker, and most shocking, her tank top clinging to the first signs of inevitable breasts.

Feeling like a pervert, Austin glanced away again quickly. It was wrong. Ana was... Ana. The little girl who for some odd reason dogged his steps almost every afternoon, even now when he was in middle school and she still in elementary. She was a proud third grader now, out of the lower classes of first and second, and almost in the royalty of fifth and sixth. He remembered the days when his classmates were feeling like the kings of the school, only to be knocked down again to the peasants of middle school. He wondered if it would be the same in high school and grimaced. Probably worse.

"Are you still mad?"

Her voice was barely more than a whisper, and Austin's voice was gruff when he responded. "Not at you."

"Oh, good," she breathed, peddling her bike to catch up with him once more. "Where are you going?"

He pointed to the other side of the shallow wash. "To the tree."

"That tree?"

When he nodded, she placed her foot on the kickstand and parked her bike. It was his turn to spin around. "Where are you going?"

"With you."

"I don't think so, twerp. It's getting dark. You should be home for supper."

"So shouldn't you."

"Nah. I'm going to hang out here for a little while."

Her eyes narrowed with suspicion. "What's in the tree?"

"Nothing."

"Don't lie to me, Austin."

He shrugged. "Okay, then. Dinner."

She laughed again and threw her shoulder into his, which did not do much aside from make him smile. He was still taller than most of the kids in his school, and he had even begun to grow hair on his face, much to his classmates' glee. Their newest form of torture was making fun of his cracking voice, which sent him withdrawing even deeper into silence. Ana had asked him when his voice first started to crack if he was sick, and when he scowled at her, she never mentioned it again. Even now, she did not ask about his facial hair or the widening of his shoulders, and he suspected she had spoken to her mother about him. His smile widened as he wondered what exactly the angelic Mrs. Evans told her about puberty. Truly, he wished he knew, too. At night, strange things would happen to his body, and he stared at himself one night, aghast when he saw he had stained his briefs. Even though he only had three pairs, he had buried the embarrassing ones in the desert and never looked for them again. He washed his other two pairs religiously, so often that the seams were separating from the edges, but he had no choice. It was either that or nothing. His shame overwhelmed his need.

"I can't stay with you for long. You were right about dinner," Ana was saying, once again drawing him away from his thoughts.

"What's up then?"

"I'll tell you when we get to the tree."

"You can tell me now," he said dubiously. If she saw his home under the tree's branches, would she tell her parents? If her parents found out, would they tell his mother? His steps faltered then stopped altogether, and he turned to stare at Ana again. Her face was downcast, and she was studying a large rock, half buried in the caliche. With one pretty flip flop-covered foot, she began to kick at it until it came loose and startled a scorpion out from his shady burrow.

As it ran toward her exposed toes, tail up in defense, Austin did not hesitate. He pushed her aside and brought his sneaker down on it hard, crushing it before it could sting her.

"What'd you do that for?" Ana demanded.

"It was coming after you, and you don't have any protection for your feet."

"It was probably going to hide under my flip flop, Austin. You didn't have to kill it."

"I wasn't going to take a chance. What if you were allergic?"

She shrugged. "I'm not."

He planted his hands on his hips and stared at her dubiously. "You've been stung before?"

Her little chest puffed out proudly. "I have. When I was in Kindergarten. It was in my bed, and Daddy said it must've fallen through the AC vent. I got stung right here."

She lifted up her shirt and twisted to show him a spot between her ribs and her newly budding waist. Austin glanced away quickly and nodded his acquiescence. "Still. You shouldn't antagonize them. They can be mean."

She nodded, smiling. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For taking care of me."

He rolled his eyes. "Don't be silly."

"Lead on, my dear knight."

He snorted, and she laughed.

Ana always laughed.

However, she was not laughing when he carefully spread the broken branches he used to conceal the entrance to his hidden home. Of course, there were plenty of homeless people who made homes under trees like his, using boards to shield them from the infrequent rain and taking cover under the thick, prickly branches. However, Ana noticed immediately that this was not just a hideout. Her smart little head took in the old battered cooler, the grocery bag full of clothing, triple-lined for protection, and the jugs of bottled water that he filled for a dime outside the dollar store.

She peeked inside the cooler to find a loaf of bread, a container of peanut butter, a plastic knife, a travel-sized tube of toothpaste, a toothbrush with bent bristles, and a bar of soap, and her lips grew tight. Then she sat on his bed of an old comforter under a sleeping bag, crossed her arms over her chest, and scowled fiercely. "What are you really doing here, Austin?"

"I like hanging out. It's quiet," he said evasively as he adjusted the branches to secure the entrance.

In the semi-darkness, it was almost cooler than outside, almost, mind you, but definitely not much relief. There was no escaping the heat of the desert, and he had realized that immediately. There was very little air flow in the steamy closure, but he dare not open the branches while the sun was still out. If Carter or his boys found him in there, he would never be safe.

Even so, with Ana's presence, the tight area filled with the scent of her fresh shampoo and the sweet smell of her cleanliness. It also reminded him of his own sweaty scent, and he made a point of keeping his arms close to his sides in case he had body odor.

He brushed past her, their arms touching, and he could feel the heat emanating off of Ana almost in waves. It bolstered his determination, even though she was angrier than he had ever seen her before. A part of him feared she would never speak to him again once she realized that he truly was what everyone called him: white trash, trailer trash, redneck scumbag, poor loser with a whore mother, bastard, and all those other names that he had grown so tired of hearing. When he handed her one of his water jugs, she took it dubiously, her frown never wavering. Nevertheless, she drank down a large gulp before handing it back to him and watched him take a smaller gulp. He would never admit it, but water was a precious commodity. He could not waste a drop. Sharing with her took a portion of his daily ration away, and somehow he would have to come up with a way to get more.

His milk carton at school. Duh. He should have thought of that. Smiling, he handed her the gallon container again, sitting back against the tree trunk to watch her drink her fill. After her steaming ride in the heat, he knew she was thirsty, and her water bottle remained with her bike, empty. He could only imagine how long it had taken her to hunt him down, especially since it was already so close to dinnertime.

"So what's up?" Austin finally asked when she lowered the container with her little arms trembling from the weight.

"Why are you living here?"

"I'm not," he replied defensively. "I just like hanging out here."

"Your clothes are here."

"Not all of them," he lied with a wink to offset the guilt of lying to her.

"You have your toothbrush and toothpaste."

"My... mother... let me camp out last weekend. This was what I left behind."

At the mention of his mother, Ana perked up. "I'd like to meet her."

"No."

"Why not? You've met everyone in my family."

"And they're all very nice."

"Your mom isn't?"

"No," he said sharply. "She isn't."

He had just replaced the lid when Ana launched herself at him, and he sat helplessly when she threw herself across his lap and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. "Come live with me," she cried, sniffling as tears began to drip down her face and onto his neck. "I heard my mom and dad talk about it once, and they wanted you to. Please, Austin, please. Come live with us."

Arms akimbo, heart racing, and sweat beading on his brow, Austin held very still while Ana clung to him. No one ever hugged him except Ana, and she was never afraid to show her affection. Even though he liked the touch, he knew it was wrong. He was twelve; she was eight. She was a little girl, and he was... an older boy, and a dirty, poor, white trash boy.

"I can't. My mom would never let me go. You know that."

"We're moving," she continued. "Daddy's house is done, and we're moving far away, up by the mountain. I won't be able to come see you every day anymore."

Feeling as if the world had dropped away from his feet, Austin finally allowed his arms to touch Ana. He was unsure what to do with them, so he awkwardly patted her back and found his hands touching her silky black hair. It felt so nice that his other hand began to stroke it, gently, since it was the softest thing he had ever touched before. Tears of his own pricked his eyes as he realized he was going to lose his only friend, but he managed to hold them in. He knew it would happen eventually. Ana had been talking about the grand house her father was building up at Red Mountain Ranch, and he knew it would be finished sooner rather than later. It was five miles away from their current home. Five miles.

"It's okay. I'm sure you'll love your new house. Remember? It'll be grand and beautiful..."

"If you would let me meet your mother, I could come for a playdate at your house," she moaned. "Why won't you let me come see you?"

"You don't understand," he whispered. "She's not nice like your mom is."

"But she'd like me, wouldn't she?"

"Everyone likes you, Ana," he replied solemnly.

"Then why can't I meet your mom?"

He didn't have an answer for that. After all, Ana had no idea how horrible some people in the world could be. But he did. His entire life was full of cruel people who cared only for the drugs or alcohol that invaded his neighborhood. Poverty kept them trapped in the slums, and drugs ate up all the public assistance they received. Drugs also ate up their humanity, and he had too many scars both inside and out to remind him of that.

So he had held his single bright light in his arms for the first time, feeling scared, alone, and sad. When Ana moved, she would change schools, and he never would see her again. It was bound to happen, and it had. Sadly enough, he did not want to lose her.

When he finally had walked her home and turned back to his house in the tree, forlorn tears had blinded him the entire way. He did not want to lose Ana. She was all he had in his lonely world.

Chapter 3

One thing Ana seemed to have inherited from her father's side of the family was a fierce determination to see things done. Not only was she determined, but she was also stubborn. Despite his warnings about his family, she had gone to visit his mother, and it was not the happy welcome she had hoped for. No, had Austin not arrived when he had, things would have changed for Ana in the deepest, most fundamental way. She would not have remained the cheerful, graceful beauty she had grown into. In fact, she would have changed the way Chuck was claiming she had now.

When Austin's pace slowed, he glanced up, unsurprised to see where he had ended. Had the light been on, he would not have hopped the fence. But the light was off, and the entire house was dark. He headed straight for the big old tree that Ford had planted the day they moved in and smiled when he saw how much it had grown in the years since he had climbed it last. Had years truly passed? He supposed it must have. So much had changed since Ana's 18th birthday, including himself. He was no longer the kid in worn-out, cut-off jeans with threadbare seams and faded wife-beaters.

He grinned as he swung up onto the lower branches. Although the tree was not too close to the house, Ford had trimmed it a little higher in lieu of the recent troubles that the Evans family had been embroiled in, but he was a good jumper. In college, he had played basketball, and he had learned to leap with the best of them. His best friend, Da'shawn, was now playing for the NBA, and Austin had ousted him a time or two. Maybe he should have gone pro...

Nah. He had always had one goal in his heart, ever since he had first awkwardly patted Ana's back when she was eight and he was twelve. That was the moment he realized how much he loved the little twerp, and he had based his life around hers, even knowing it was a shot in the dark. Unfortunately, since he did not know how, he never really communicated his deep love for her –

Well, that was not entirely true. There was her eighteenth birthday.

He snorted and shook his head. Perhaps she did not know, or maybe she did. Either way, he belonged to Ana Evans, and he had ever since she had thrown that rock at Carter Birmingham.

The balcony was another big jump, but he made it easily and almost silently. For a moment, he held his breath, knowing that if Ford woke up and found him outside his daughter's room he would not be happy. Or maybe he would. Chuck had all but insisted he visit Ana, and that was what he was doing.

Granted, it was the middle of the night, and everyone was asleep. Even so, Austin was nothing if not as determined as Ana, and he bent outside the door leading to her bedroom and sought out the key she had always left for him under the loose trim. They had cut the piece out together when he got his truck and began to drive out to visit the family, and she had made a point of taking one of her father's saws and making him choose the spot to hide the key. With bated breath, Austin tugged at the trim, praying she had not been so angry with him when they last spoke that she had taken it away.

With a soft grunt, he pulled the trim loose, and the gleam of the silver key glistened in the moonlight. A rush of air escaped his chest, reminding him of how much he had wished they had not parted on such bad terms that she would have felt the need to take it out. His fingers trembled when he picked it up, and he gripped it in his fist so tightly that the edges left an imprint in his hand. For a moment, his heart soared, and he wondered if maybe things between them were not as irreparable as he had believed. She had screamed at him, cursing him in Italian, English, French, and Spanish the last time they spoke, but the key remained.

Maybe she missed him as much as he had missed her.

Maybe he had not needed to watch her from afar all this time.

Although the room was dark, the blinds were open in the room. When Austin peered inside the door, he saw the shape of her body asleep in bed. She was lying her side, her back to him, and she was curled in a tight ball, almost a fetal position. Once again, he stiffened in outrage and fury. Five minutes. If he had been there five minutes sooner, none of this would have happened. She would not be like this. In five minutes, he had ruined their friendship. It was amazing how much could change so quickly.

His hand was still trembling as he lifted it to the lock, and he inserted the key and twisted it as quietly as possible. The door swung open on silent hinges, unsurprising considering Ford Evans' attention to detail. That majestic man took pride in everything he did, and he would never allow something as simple as a French door become squeaky.

However, now that Austin was inside, he was at a loss what to do. He had run hard, and his breath was even now coming in short gasps. Luckily, the winter air was cold, so he was not sweating much, but he felt enough heat radiating off him to make him want to stay away lest he wake her.

For a few minutes, he stood in the doorway, feeling the night chill blow past him until he turned and shut the door behind him. Her bedroom door was closed to the family, but he knew the layout of the house. David's bedroom was across the hall, and Isabel and Ford's master suite lay at the opposite end of the house. The remaining bedrooms were empty at present, but they remained ready for guests and family members. He had slept in the room next door to Ana's several times, and he flushed at the memory of how one of those nights had ended.

Grimacing, he set the key down on the dresser next to the door, where his eye immediately landed upon the medication bottles lined up there. Using the moonlight to guide him, he grasped each bottle and leaned against the glass to read them from the small sliver of light coming in through the blinds. An antidepressant, an antibiotic... Ambien.

No wonder Ana had not moved. Not even under the chilly breeze that had followed his entry. She was out cold.

Another wave of pure rage raced through him. Ana did not need those medications. She was tough, hard as nails, and braver than every woman he had known. As a child, she had shown a tremendous amount of courage, and even that night she had fought, clawed, battled, and given everything she had before they finally beat her senseless into submission. Six-to-one. Bad odds. It had taken him years and plenty of training to learn how to beat them, and he certainly could not expect her to have known, even with her uncles' tremendous skills. Especially considering one of them weighed the same as two of her. It had taken him hours to regain his breath after he subdued them and got Ana to the hospital. He had felt as though he had taken on a football team. Later, he learned that he had.

He was no fool. Over the years he had been in law enforcement, he had seen more than his fair share of assaults. Statistics proved that at least one-in-five women were sexually assaulted during their lifetime, and that number could be even higher considering those frightened women who refused to report their attacks. In the Evans family, the statistic was remaining true so far, and Austin winced as he realized that two of the lovely Evans women had been hurt at the hands of a violent group of men. Both beautiful young women had been attacked by a pack of dogs. What happened when men got together like that? Sure, groupthink was a possibility, and perhaps it was one angry man who altered the others, but why did it seem as though it was always negative? After all, he had suffered by that pack mentality men received when they were in larger numbers. Carter Birmingham had stirred up his friends to do negative things to him whenever the opportunity arose. Now it had happened to his dear, sweet Ana, and her attack was even worse. She almost died.

Shuddering, Austin set the last bottle down on the dresser and slowly approached the bed. His heart was still racing, and it was not due to his hard run now. No, he was back in Ana's bedroom, a place he never expected to gain entry to again. Not after her Italian temper had flared so heatedly. She had told him off soundly, crushing his heart and sending him into the shadows to watch her from afar. Of course, he had never been able to refuse her anything, and when she told him to leave, he had. But he could never really leave her. She was as much a part of him as his hand. In addition, she held his heart in her palms, and without her there to squeeze it periodically, he would cease living. He almost had when they took her from his arms at the hospital, bidding him to stay put as they cut away the tattered remnants of her clothing. Someone had returned his coat, and he had taken it numbly before they pulled the curtain closed, blocking the view of her bloodied face and bruised body. He had chosen that moment to sneak back into the shadows, but he adjusted his flight home the moment he heart about Emery Evans' arrival. He was not surprised when Ana asked her to come; he only wished she had asked for him instead.

That had been a blow, and that had been one of the reasons he had waited to come. However, deep down he knew that there was another Evans trait firmly entrenched inside Ana's heart, and it was also a part of Isabel, too. Ana's pride was famous. It was as deep seated and legendary as her Italian mother's temper. One he had felt the sting of many times, most painfully that morning after her birthday.

But here he was, as powerless to stay away as he was to stop breathing. Although the latter happened when he silently rounded the bed and stared down at the horrifically bruised face lying gingerly against the pristine whiteness of her sheets. His breath held as he slowly crouched down by her side, and his vision blurred when he reached out a trembling hand to touch the smooth skin of her neck. Police procedure would call for photographs of all of her injuries right after the injury occurred, but even now he could see the imprint of those meaty fingers surrounding her throat. They were dark-purple bruises, and broken blood vessels left hickey-like marks on either side as far as he could see.

His rage flared brightly again, and once more he wished he had done more than beat those "men" who had dared to attack her. Justice would not be served in the Boston courts. He knew that and accepted it. Chances were good that those boys came from wealth, far greater wealth than Carter Birmingham and his friends. Those boys had never received the proper punishment for torturing the poor white trash of their hoity-toity school. He knew that firsthand. After all, he was one of those poor kids in the wealthy neighborhood, trapped inside a boundary line that had come to be surrounded by the fancy houses that popped up everywhere rapidly over the last two decades. Even his desert home was gone now, covered by a 55-year-old-and-up-only community.

He was unaware of the tears stinging his eyes and blurring his vision, but he heard the sob escape, which he smothered with his free hand. Waking the entire household was not his plan, but neither was coming to see Ana in this state. Of course, he had seen the tangled mess of her hair at the time. The glossy silk tresses had been blood splattered and matted down to her head by mud, rain and slush, but he was unprepared to see the bald patch where one of the men had torn free a clump of her hair. The scalp was still red raw against her pale face, and his finger went up to trace the rim of bald spot lightly before he buried his face in his hands and cried like a baby.

He cried for the loss of her innocent view of life, her eagerness to do good in the world, and her optimism to face her future despite the hardships her family had endured. He raged for the five minutes he had lost; five minutes where he could have been there to stop the majority of her attack, all because of a woman who had insisted he share a beer with her. That damned woman, most likely looking for a nice tumble between his sheets at the Four Seasons, had cost him more than the price of a beer in the hotel. It had cost Ana her pride, her innocence, and her optimism.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered to her slumbering form. Of course he did not expect a response. She was so medicated that she would have as little memory of his presence as she did of what she admitted to remembering. Then again, she might have remembered it all and was refusing to speak about it. Saving her parents would be foremost in her valiant mind, just like it had been in his. He owed her parents so much more than that just for the gift of Ana. Her parents were like gods in his mind. A fierce Zeus and proud Hera. Two legendary figures who had treated him with nothing short of kindness and acceptance. This was how he repaid them? Sending their precious daughter home beaten, bruised, and a shell of her former self? He cleared his throat, his voice little more than a breath. "I'm so sorry I wasn't five minutes sooner..."

A soft murmur was her response, but her hand reached out to grasp his when he moved away. Her fingers were cool as they wrapped around his burning hand, one of the hands that wanted nothing more than to make the damage he had inflicted on those boys permanent. His fingers twitched with the need, making him stare down at them angrily. The bruises and scrapes on his knuckles were still red and swollen, and he had been unable to hide them from Chuck's knowing gaze. There would be no hiding them if Ford Evans stormed in, which Austin half-expected him to do. He was about to try to remove his hand from Ana's grip when she tightened it.

"Austin," she whispered hoarsely.

His ears burned as the weak sound of her voice echoed in the room. It could have been any word, but no, she spoke his name. Austin's ears rang with the sound, and it felt like a lifetime had passed since he heard her call him. As usual, he was just as unable to pull his hand free as he had been unable to erase Ana from his mind. It was useless to even try. Instead, he sank down onto the carpet beside her bed and leaned his head on the mattress next to her hand. Their fingers remained entwined despite the awkward angle of his arm, but until she decided to let him go, he was trapped, unable to leave.

As his eyes closed, he realized there was nowhere else he wanted to be.

****

"Don't," Isabel warned softly.

"I have to check it out." Ford replaced his cell phone on the nightstand and glanced at Isabel. Her eyes were wide and pleading, but he remained firm.

"Chuck said..."

"I don't care what he said. The alarm went off, so I have to check it out."

"We both know it's Austin."

"Maybe it is; maybe it isn't."

Ford slid from beneath the covers, ignoring Isabel's grasping hand trying to stop him. She sat up, her black hair spilling over her shoulders and framing her delicate face. It was a face he never grew tired of looking at even after over two decades of marriage. Idly scratching his head, Ford studied her in indecision. Her dark doe eyes were pleading with him, but he could not ignore the memories of recent years, days when Isabel had been pale with terror and their children traumatized by explosions and guns. They had men swarming their house, invading their privacy, and tormenting his family, and those memories lingered. Even if it was Austin, he had to be sure.

Sighing, he offered her a weak smile. "I'll be right back."

"If he hears you, he'll leave."

"I know," Ford said patiently. "I'll be quiet."

"But he's the only one..."

Isabel's voice hitched, but Ford knew what she was about to say. The entire family had their suspicions, and Chuck had confirmed it that evening. It was Andrew who first pointed out the tall young man mingling in with the other departing passengers to Ian. Ian then had nudged Hayden, who had nodded his agreement before the young man disappeared in the crowd. The family had been convinced, and Chuck had confirmed what they all believed. Isabel had tried to talk to Ana about it, but she continued to stare listlessly at nothing, her eyes watching the television in her room without comprehending it, her lips not moving, and her hands clenched into tight fists. After her heart wrenching apology Sunday night, she had refused to speak.

Like Isabel, Ford knew that Austin was their last hope to bring back their daughter, and he was as reluctant to frighten him away as Isabel was. For that reason, he moved as silently as a panther, hoping Austin would not hear his heavy tread and flee the way he had entered. Ford was not nearly as skilled in stealth as his brothers were. While they were trained to move silently when needed, he was a construction worker at heart. Silence was dangerous in those settings. After so long in the housing business, he did not know how to be quiet.

Sighing, Ford moved down the hall, hoping Isabel was correct that Austin had come in. If not, someone else was in Ana's room, and he was not prepared for his daughter to take another blow. She was too vulnerable right now, too weak to fight off another attack.

He hovered outside Ana's door, his ears straining for any sound. It seemed like an eternity before he heard a soft murmur, so soft he could barely make out the words through the thick door. "I'm so sorry I wasn't five minutes sooner..."

A low sniffle followed, matching the opening of David's door at the same time. Father and son's eyes met, and Ford noticed that David looked as though he had not gone to bed yet. He was fully dressed in dark sweats, with a black hoodie, and he clutched a baseball bat with both hands at the ready. Dark circles were evident even through the darkness, and the sight made Ford grimace. In all the stress over the past few days, everyone had forgotten about David. His son appeared alert, tense, ready for anything, willing and able to protect his sister, and Ford realized that his son was no longer a boy. Almost overnight, he had turned into a young man. After everything the family had faced, his son had matured with a speed that stole his breath away.

With a fleeting smile, Ford pulled David against his chest and hugged him tight. "It's okay," he breathed. "The alarm was nothing. I guess I'll leave it off for a few days. Go to bed and get some sleep. She's going to be fine."

David stiffened at first, but then he nodded, breathing two words in return. "Austin's back?"

Ford nodded as David stepped out of his embrace. Their eyes met again, and David smiled for the first time since they received the ominous email that Ana was coming home. However, he tried, but Ford's returning smile never appeared.

Chapter 4

Ana's eyes flew open in a rush, bringing with it a feeling that she was not alone.

Her heart began to beat quickly, so fast that she could not catch her breath. It hurt. The smell of alcohol was overwhelmingly repulsive, and the ruthless laughter rang in her ears, deafening her and smothering her screams as they taunted and groped her. The sound of her clothing being torn away piece by piece followed. First her wool winter coat, then her hat, with the chunk of her hair that was torn free when they caught her. Oh, how that had stung and burned. Her scarf became a noose to choke her, being pulled tight as she fought like a she-cat against the six men surrounding her. She was dragged, kicking and screaming, beyond the path into the trees while she cursed herself for cutting through the park at this late hour and in this weather. She should have known better. No one in their right mind would be outside on this cold, wet December night. What made it worse was that it was Friday night; of course these guys had been drinking – probably for hours already. While she was cramming for finals, they were celebrating. The library was open 24-hours for finals week, and she had stayed too late. Now it had come down to this.

As the only niece for a long time, Ana had her fair share of training from her overprotective uncles. Drawing on the lessons her uncles had given her pretty much since birth, Ana fought, but the men around her were too big, too many in number, and she suspected that even Uncle Ian would not have been able to shake them off. She screamed a final time, a long, ear-piercing shriek that echoed long after the breath left her lungs, and it was then two of them ordered the biggest one to shut her up. Like a rabid dog, his massive hands were on her, clumsily. Her scarf was yanked from around her neck and shoved roughly down her throat, but the reprieve did not last. Where the scarf was, his hands appeared, and they were so massive that his thumbs engulfed her chin.

Briefly, she thought about _Of Mice and Men_ by John Steinbeck. Lennie had not known his strength, and neither did this man. Spots appeared behind her eyes, she could not breathe, and she began to fade. After a moment, she was no longer aware of the pressing hardness of the man's excited arousal against her thigh, nor the two other men on either side egging him on as they held her legs trapped so she could not fight. The leader of the group was angry, and he repeatedly kicked her in the head, the face, the arm, and the shoulders, even hitting the other two men who held her arms. When they protested to no avail, she knew.

She was going to die, and there was nothing she could do about it except lament the horror her family would suffer. They had endured so much recently. Losing her now would surely devastate them. And Austin too. Would he be crushed? Probably. No matter how things had ended between them, there was no way he would not feel somehow responsible. That was how Austin was. Oh, how could she have lost her temper so badly? Why had she sent away the single person she loved with all her heart?

When those meaty fingers crushed her windpipe, Ana drifted back to that last argument with Austin. She had pushed him away, and she had not seen nor heard from him since. It was all so foolish – the entire argument. However, what was done was done. She knew it, no matter how much she wished it was not so.

In fact, she had chosen Harvard in the hopes of escaping all the memories – it felt like a lifetime, and it was – they had built together in Arizona. She had run away to the place she had once found solace, and she turned to the family who had so openly offered their home to her family in their time of need before. The McKays had welcomed her back and allowed her to stay in their big old house in Edgartown, but she was unable to escape the memories of Austin even that far away.

As she had walked down the beach, she imagined telling him of how beautiful it was, and when she rode the ferry back to the mainland to catch the bus to the city, she imagined telling him all about the seagulls that flew alongside them, begging for scraps of food. Every new memory she had, Austin was the first person she wanted to share it with. That included this final one.

As black descended over her eyes, she regretted losing her temper and sending him away. She had given him her most precious gift, and he had taken it. Granted, he had been reluctant at first, but they shared an even deeper bond of love after those special moments. That had scared Austin. He had insisted that he was not good enough for her, that she deserved better, and she had laughed. Of course he was good enough, but he never saw that. Worse, when she laughed, he had grown angry.

Even in anger, Austin was not cruel. He would never consider tearing off her clothing, stuffing her scarf into her mouth, and pinning her on the cold, slushy ground. Despite the crushing of her windpipe, her body trembled from the cold and fear. The pelting rain was a mixture of ice and water, and it soaked her exposed skin, making her increasingly slippery to the groping hands.

Why had Austin never thought himself worthy? He would be incapable of doing what these boys were doing. He would never try to snap her neck to keep her quiet or strike her with his fists to still her struggles. In fact, if Austin saw anyone being treated like that, he would intervene and stop it. That thought was cut short as one of the men's boots slammed into her head, and Ana used the last of her consciousness to fight to stay alert. But it was too late. The blows no longer hurt, the pain was easing, and she welcomed the beckoning darkness.

Her last coherent thoughts were of Austin, not coming to her rescue but staring at her with his face white with shock as she screamed at him to go away and that she never wanted to see him again. Why had she been so foolish? Of course she had not meant it.

Be careful what you wish for, a faraway voice said over the rushing and ringing in her ears, it just might come true.

Ana woke up screaming.

****

David Evans was the first to reach Ana's room, and the gray light of dawn made him appear even more frightening than her nightmare. Her screams were barely audible, more of a husky whisper than a holler, and his jaw clenched tightly knowing that those beasts who called themselves pillars of society had damaged her beautiful voice. Sure, the doctors said it was temporary, that Ana was lucky no bones were broken, and that her physical injuries would heal. However, David knew his sister. It would be a lifetime of misery for her. Her pride was damaged, and her trust in humanity shattered. If only he had been there. He would have shown them a trick or two.

He was by her side in an instant, his gaze searching the room for Austin. His dad said Austin had come, but the room was empty, the French doors securely closed and locked, and Ana was sitting up in bed with her sheet clutched tightly to her chest howling like a mute banshee. Her eyes were as wide as they could go, considering they were still swollen and bruised, and one of the cuts on her lip had begun to bleed from her hoarse cries.

David crouched down beside her, and his hand immediately landed upon a warm spot on the sheet. So Austin had been there. Sure enough, there was a wrinkle in the sheets where he must have sat by her side. Maybe his leaving had scared Ana. She must have heard him go and woke up scared.

"Dammit," he thought.

As soon as she focused on him, Ana shrank away as if he was one of _them_ , but David was ready. "It's okay, Ana," he whispered in Italian. It was the one thing they had learned would calm her down. Italian. His mother had crooned to her in her native language that first night when she had sat by Ana's side with silent and proud tears streaming down her face. David had never seen his mother so upset, not even when they were fleeing for their lives in Uncle Hayden's plane and the airport exploded beneath them. It was a sight he thought he would never forget, but seeing his sister now was far worse.

He climbed over the bed and pulled his sister into his arms. When they were little, they used to snuggle together during the more violent monsoon storms. When the dust blew in, followed immediately by crackling lightning and the deep, sharp rumble of thunder, David would flee into his sister's room and dive under her covers. They would hide together until the storm passed, with Ana's soft giggles calming him. However, he had long overcome his fear of storms. He was now graduating high school and following in Ana's footsteps with plans to attend university. Still, he was feeling that same terror he used to feel when a particularly fierce storm would come in. Seeing his sister so distraught, staring at nothing yet seeing sheer horror, made him want to cry.

Swallowing away his panic, David continued to hold her close. "I'm here, Ana. It's me, David."

Ana was gulping air, her hands clawing at her throat, and it drew his attention to the marks left by the men who had attacked her. He could see the thick fingerprints that remained as a sign of the pain she had endured, and even now he marveled at the difference between Ana's slender digits and the massive ones imprinted on her neck. He had overheard Emery and his father talking. There had been more than one of them? Ana never stood a chance.

Rage burned, but it was snuffed out almost immediately by his parents' arrival. His father entered first, his short hair in disarray, and his sweats twisted around his waist. David had never seen his father appear so old. Although he remained in good shape, with his broad shoulders still muscular and strong, the slight paunch at his belly had grown larger with age, and his spattering of chest hair was now turning gray. However, that was not all. His face seemed to have aged 10 years in the two days since Ana had come home, and the strain around his mouth made his face look ragged and old.

His mother, Isabel, brushed past her husband, the shoulder strap of her nightgown hanging midway down her arm. Like his father, Isabel was also beside herself. David was accustomed to seeing her poised to the point of being aloof, yet her eyes were again brimming with tears when she rushed to Ana and sat on the edge of the bed. Ford lingered in the doorway, his arms crossed over his chest and his lips tight with the same insane fury that was consuming David. Their eyes met in a silent communication – that longing to find the men responsible and kill them with their bare hands, but then Ford glanced toward the French doors. He strode across the room and checked the door, opening it the moment he found it securely locked. Without a word, he stepped out onto the balcony and bent to pry the small section of trim that Ana and Austin had cut to hide the key.

David almost smiled. Although they believed his parents never knew what they did, their father had found it almost immediately after they cut the hollow. Their father built houses, and he took exceptional pride in the home he had built for his family. When he saw the cut wood, he had spoken to Isabel. David had been young and curious and eagerly eavesdropped. Ford had been angry at the liberties they took, but Isabel had laughed it off. If nothing, she had said, at least they knew it was Austin and not some random neighborhood boy.

At the time, it had not affected him, but David was of an age now to wonder why they had trusted him so much. He knew what it was like to be a teen with raging hormones, and he suspected everything was not what it had seemed. But then, how would he know? The relationship between Ana and Austin had always been strange in his mind, different from anything he had experienced. It was like Austin was their older brother. Growing up, Austin had always been there, and he was never anything but kind and gentle. In fact, when David was four, he believed Austin was his older brother. However, even he noticed how Ana and Austin would go off together and talk like twins with their own language. David had been jealous of the pair, feeling left out and ignored even as he eagerly welcomed Austin's wisdom. Poor Austin might have been considered white trash, but he was easily as smart as any Evans. Too smart, Ford had once said. David agreed.

As he watched his father confirm that the key was still in the slot, David removed his arm from around Ana and disentangled himself from his mother's limbs as gently as possible. Ana had quieted, and her head was resting on their mother's chest. Seeing that, David came to his feet and wandered to the shelf above Ana's immaculate desk, where his gaze fell upon Ana's journals. There seemed to be hundreds of them, and he had always wondered what she wrote. Every evening as kids, Ana would be seen with one journal or another, and the large shelves their father had mounted on her wall contained different fabrics, sizes, patterns, and colors. He reached for one for the first time ever and glanced over his shoulder guiltily. Never before had he dared to touch them out of fear of Ana's wrath – and his parents, too, of course. That sort of privacy violation would have seen him doing all sorts of unwanted chores for months. However, no one made a sound when he removed that first journal, and he flipped open the leather cover to find Ana's childish handwriting with a date written in crayon. It must have been her first journal, and it was old, back when he was still in diapers.

Although he longed to read it, he merely flipped through the pages, seeing hearts in red, pink, and purple, childish drawings and handwriting, with blank pages in between. He flipped back to the front, where the crayon changed from red to pink and finally to a difficult to read yellow. He read that page first, smiling to himself when he saw his name: _"David said my name today!!!!!"_ The exclamation points seemed to grow larger with each one, and David grinned even as hot tears filled his eyes. He flipped through several more pages, discussions on experiments with her dolls' hair styles, and then almost midway through, he focused on a pair of sentences: _"I saw big boys fighting today. I was scared."_

He frowned, wondering if she had stumbled upon a fight between their uncles, but he scanned down a few lines with his brow furrowed curiously and came across more writing. It was the first time she met Austin Tanner. He was too little to remember, of course. Right from his first memories, Austin was always there. Although he did not live with them, he was present, popping in with Ana flushed from the heat, his sun-bleached blond and gold hair plastered to his head, and his raggedy clothing either hanging loose off his lanky frame or too small to be comfortable. After those visits, his mother would promptly go shopping and claim they were Uncle Ian's castoffs, yet it would not be long before he was back in his rags, a month or two at most. When questioned about it, Austin would promptly blush to the roots of his fair hair and turn his face away, but David remembered hearing his father saying that Austin's mother probably sold them... again.

There was a time when David was jealous of his father's  
affection for Austin. Although they did not share many words, David knew his father adored him. After all, it was Austin who Ford took out to home sites, and it was Austin who Ford brought into the garage to teach him how to repair things. However, as David got older, his father had done the same things with him, and it was then he realized that Ford was showing his love in the easiest way he could. He did it with all of his children; Austin was just the first. He was the oldest. Later, when David learned that Austin was not, in fact, his older brother, his curiosity piqued again, and it lingered even today. His father did not treat any of his friends the way he treated Austin. Nor were any of Ana's girlfriends included in the punishments, celebrations, personal moments, and praise the way Austin was.

David remembered Austin with awe and a little pity, but there was no doubt that his parents viewed him as another one of their children, a second son whom they loved as much as their children did. When David scanned his sister's frightened accounting of their first meeting, he understood why. It was well known that Austin was poor, that his mother was no good and unkind to boot, but David had never understood the full brunt of the cruelty Austin had faced as a child. They lived in a wealthy neighborhood, a new one that encroached upon the old neighborhoods that were filled with meth labs, prostitutes and, as Austin was called, "poor white trash." Austin was of the latter, and the rich kids reminded him of that daily. How they would torture him...

It made David furious.

He was in high school, he attended those same wealthy schools, and they had their fair share of poorer students from outside their development. He had seen how the rich kids made fun of the poor ones. It was like a rite of passage that the upper-class kids banded together to poke fun at those less fortunate. David never tolerated it, but he had seen his fair share of bullies in his day. In fact, he had been bullied once in eighth grade. That Austin had endured it for years made him understand more deeply why he had tolerated Ana as well as he did. Of course, when one viewed Austin and Ana together, it was very similar to his father and mother. Ana did most of the talking, and Austin would merely watch her and nod periodically. In that, they appeared normal. But there was one huge difference – their age.

David had never had kids four-years younger than him befriend him. Sure, he had his little cousins, Avery especially, but they did not hang out regularly. He was polite and courteous, but he was considered more of a babysitter than a friend. Austin did not have any friends. All he had was Ana. Later, it seemed that was all he wanted.

When David finished reading the account of the four boys trying to tie up Austin to beat him with cacti, he closed the book and met his mother's solemn gaze. Shrugging, he set the book next to Ana's hand. Maybe if she re-read her own words, she would forget her anger at Austin and welcome him back. They had parted ways after a blistering fight that had Ana in tears for months before they ran into their family troubles. David doubted Ana had spoken to him during that ordeal. Instead, she focused on her move back east. It was a shame. They had been close, even after they had moved into the house their father built for them. Granted, Austin would only make the five-mile journey once or twice a week, but their father always drove him home after his visits. He would have a good meal, some new item of clothing to hide from his greedy mother, and plenty of normalcy, laughter, and fun while he was there.

David understood what Ana had done for the boy. Four years might have separated them, but Austin never saw that. He saw a child who openly welcomed him when no one else would, and Ana saw a boy who was in desperate need of a friend. Ana had saved Austin from his traumatic youth; it was time for Austin to repay the favor.

No sooner had he set the journal on the bed than his father entered the room again with a brisk nod at Isabel. David pointed to the wrinkled sheet at his mother's feet, and a small grateful smile curved her lips. Ana might not have noticed, but they did.

Austin had been there. He had come back.

And Ana needed him more than ever. They all did.

Chapter 5

"A sergeant, huh? Congratulations, Tanner."

Austin glanced up from his locker, surprised to find Ian Evans standing proudly a few feet away. It was not easy for anyone to sneak up on him after a youth filled with stalkers eager to hurt him, and there were only a few men who could. Ian Evans was one of them. He stood tall and broad, with a small smile of greeting. His dark hair was trimmed perfectly, and his muscular form still showed no traces of fat, even as he pushed closer to the age of 40. Austin could only hope to look that good at his age, not that he considered him old, of course. Turning away from his locker, he gave Ian his full attention, holding out his hand in greeting. "It's good to see you."

"It's good to see you, too, kid. You're moving up in the world." Ian shook his hand warmly, but, like Chuck, his face showed a level of strain that was not easily disguised.

Austin did not take offense to his words as he would if someone from his past had said the same thing, for it was Ian's castoffs that were passed down to him. He appreciated the days when he could go to school in clothes that were fashionable, and he hated when his mother would find his stash and immediately bring them to the clothing exchange. She would purchase something for herself and send him back to his worn-out rags. The sneakers that he treasured so much had been the most painful to lose, but they brought in the most money. After two losses, his mother had figured out what was going on and began to meet him on the way home from school to catch him before he had the chance to change and demand right there on the street for his stash. After a couple of years of dealing with her sneaking, he had made his desert home, and he had managed to keep a pair of sneakers for nearly two years after that, storing them carefully in an old cooler he had found in one of the Evans' neighbor's recycle bin. He had taken it out of the bin on his way home one night, tucking it under the largest tree in the desert between his trailer and Ana's neighborhood, and he had built his little sanctuary bit by bit over a period of two months by scanning the neighbors' bins.

He found himself nodding his head even as he looked back. He had come a long way, and he was damn proud of himself. "Never could've done it without you."

"Nah, that's what family's for," Ian replied immediately.

Austin stiffened even though his heart overflowed with joy when he heard the words. It was true that they had treated him like a family member – for better and for worse. He had attended many of their barbecues, and those were the best childhood memories he had. Unfortunately, they were too few and far in between, and the bad memories far outweighed the good.

Change the subject, he thought. He found himself blurting out common everyday questions instead. "Speaking of which, how's everyone? How's Dallon?"

"Walking, talking... teething," he finished with a wince.

Austin laughed. There had been a time when he and Ana spoke about having kids when they were grown up. Actually, it was Ana who spoke about it. Austin had gone along with it to humor the bright-eyed young girl. He had indulged her crush on him the same way he had indulged her youthful hero worship. It was only later, when they were both young adults, that he realized she was serious – and that was when everything went to hell.

His laughter cut off abruptly at the memory, but Ian did not seem to notice. When he withdrew his hand, he was still smiling. "Kat's got number two in the oven. Did you know that?"

Austin's brows shot up in surprise. "No, I didn't. That's great news. Congratulations."

"Thanks. Due in April."

"You certainly haven't been wasting much time," he said with a grin.

When Austin clasped his shoulder, Ian grinned as well, but it was fleeting. Austin knew there was a reason Ian was at his station, and he was fairly certain it had to do with Ana.

As soon as Ian's gaze turned thoughtful, he knew he was right. Almost immediately, the hair on the back of Austin's neck began to prickle in warning. "Have you spoken to Ana?"

Austin's mouth opened and shut rapidly. How could he respond to that? For the past three nights, he had snuck into her bedroom and dozed on the floor beside her bed, but they had not shared a word. All he got out of his visits was a sore backside, an aching back, and little sleep. Ana was in a drug-induced slumber and never knew he was there – or did she? Somehow her hand always seemed to find his, and his arm ached from being bent awkwardly over his head while she hugged his hand to her chest. If only he could tell her how much he longed to actually hug her, speak to her, and feel more than just the curve of her breast in his hand.

Unable to speak, he shook his head.

Ian nodded with a sigh. "I thought so. At first, we thought it was because she was hurt, but now we're not so sure. She hasn't spoken to anyone since the airport."

That was not entirely true. She had spoken to him, albeit just his name. Three times, he had heard her murmur his name, and he could tell that her voice was healing, even growing stronger, so he knew she was not silent because of the pain from her injuries.

Austin could feel a lump forming in his throat. He cleared it away and glanced around to make sure no one else was paying them any attention, but it was a futile gesture. Of course they were. His entire team was watching them intently, wondering why another Evans was singling him out, especially the legendary Ian Evans, hero and victim at the same time. A man famous for his fearlessness as well as the attack that had the entire department up in arms to protect his family. Naturally, Austin had demanded to play a role during the attack, keeping his distance from Ana while hovering close enough to keep an eye on her. As a brand-new rookie, he had patrolled her neighborhood, parking at the end of her cul-de-sac and sitting in front of her house every night, even when she was hiding back east in that big old house she had grown to love.

Although he never remained far from her, she did not know how close he actually was. What had Chuck said? Stalking her? Well, maybe he was in his own way. However, he saw it more as keeping an eye on her, making sure she was safe – and happy. Even if it caused him pain. Yes, he had seen her go on a date, and he had gritted his teeth the entire time the man stroked her hand across the table while they were dining on the North End of Boston. When the grinning kid had escorted her to her dorm, Austin had swallowed back his fury and willed her not to invite him in. He had not taken a breath until he saw her shake her head and turn away from his sloppy kiss. It was then he let out the breath he held in a rush so loud that they had heard. Both Ana and her date had turned to scan the tree-lined avenue, and Austin had felt like a stalker then. In that moment, he knew he had it bad.

He would never get over Ana Evans. He might only be 25 and still have his entire life ahead of him, but his heart would always belong to one woman. She had stolen it from him when he was just a kid, and it was one item she never returned.

If there was anyone in the world who could understand what he was going through, it was the man standing with him now. Ian had met Kathleen Woods in high school, and they had dated off and on before separating for two years. Although he and Ana had not spoken for longer than that, he figured Ian would understand how tormented he felt. Perhaps he could give him some tips to help him move on.

"So can you do it?"

Austin had not realized Ian had been speaking to him, apparently asking him to do something. His head was so wrapped up in memories that he had not heard a word the older man said. Shaking his head to clear it, he frowned. "I'm sorry, what?"

"Damn these guys," Ian said shortly, with a pointed look at the eavesdroppers. "Don't you have anything better to do?"

Austin followed his gaze, and one by one his team returned to their lockers guiltily, leaving Ian to face him apologetically. "Stop by Ford's. Try to talk to her?"

"Oh," Austin replied, his hands beginning to tremble. He shoved them into his pockets to hide the obvious shaking and glanced down, his tongue feeling like a lead weight. "I don't know if that would do any good. We haven't spoken in a long time."

"I don't think she cares about your argument," Ian said pointedly. "Plenty of decent relationships get hung up on misunderstandings. Trust me, I've been there."

The corner of Austin's lips curved into a half smile. It was almost as though Ian had been reading his mind. Ian and Kat had been inseparable when they were together, but everyone thought it was over for good after Kat had broken off Ian's engagement. Somehow they had managed to get back together, and now they were married with a rapidly growing family.

"Misunderstanding?" Austin asked dubiously.

"Well, sure. You have an argument, she tells you she never wants to see you again, and blah, blah," Ian replied with a dismissive wave. "Trust me, kid. They never mean it, no matter how much we think they do. Women are just... ugh, women."

He followed up with a chuckle, but Austin did not see any humor in it. Although he assumed Ian was the closest guy he knew that could relate to how he felt, the fact remained that he was the one who had bolted. He had run away out of a fear of commitment to a woman who was far better than he could ever be, a young woman so precious that she deserved the best that life could offer. She would become a world-renowned architect, and he would remain a police officer of some capacity, doing his best to prevent spoiled rich kids from doing to poor kids what they had done to him.

"Will you at least consider it?"

There was a pleading tone in Ian's voice, and Austin could not resist. His head was nodding even though he knew it would not do any good. "I don't think it'll help, and the last thing I want is to see her hurt any more than she already has been."

"I don't think you'll hurt her, Tanner," Ian said shortly. "I think you're the only one who can help her."

Austin shrugged. "That's where you're wrong."

Ian bore a Mona Lisa smile that immediately made Austin feel uneasy. "I guess we'll see then, won't we?"

What could he say to that?

****

Carter Birmingham had taken an instant dislike to the little girl who had bested him by pelting him with a rock to the back of his head that left a lump the size of a goose egg and thwarted his plans for Austin Tanner's beating with a cholla branch. However, he took his time planning to retaliate. It was almost a full three months before he realized who the little girl was, but once he got Ana Evans in his sights, he put his plan into action.

They later learned that it took him several weeks to round up the bark scorpions and put them in a jar, which he carried in his backpack every school day until he thought the moment was right. Of course, some died, but he would go in search of replacements, and he kept them until he was able to find Ana alone on her bike.

Austin had warned Ana away from Carter after she pelted him and his friends with rocks, and she did take his warning to heart. Whenever she saw him and his friends wandering in search of Austin, she would watch from a distance, not caring how hot it was, to make sure they did not find Austin. If they did, she would immediately run for home, notify whichever parent was closest, and rescue Austin from their torment. Early on, he never knew how it came to be that Isabel or Ford Evans would suddenly be there, standing at the top of the wash, their hands on their hips and fierce scowls on their faces as they demanded the boys leave Austin alone.

Several times, Isabel had brought him home to tend to his bruises, bloody noses, and broken lips. She always offered to call his mother, and she gave him a Popsicle to help numb the pain and lower the swelling after he politely declined her offer.

When he once got a black eye, Ana propped herself up on the granite counter with tears in her eyes, and she reached out a small finger to lightly touch the puffy redness. He had drawn away with a hiss, but not because it hurt. No, her cool touch had felt good. He was too unaccustomed to gentleness, and instinct told him to flinch when a hand approached. When Ana had pulled back with a guilty cry, he offered her an apologetic smile immediately, hoping Isabel would not tell him to leave for upsetting her. At that, Ana had thrown her arms around his neck, sprawling fully across the counter until only her little feet dangled over the edge and apologized for hurting him.

Isabel watched with a frown but said nothing.

Austin flushed to the tips of his sun-kissed blond hair.

It was a little more than a week after that incident that Carter Birmingham finally caught Ana alone. Austin was home finding a new spot to hide the clothing Isabel had given him and had not expected Ana to be out. Isabel had made a point of reminding them that Ana had a dentist appointment that afternoon, so Austin had no reason to wander into the desert to wait for her, something he had been doing every day since he first saw her face brighten in her classroom.

However, for some reason, instincts told him to go. Austin had finished burying his clothes in the TJ Maxx bag Isabel had given him with the items, and he had sat in the shade of the old pickup truck his father had left behind – only because he could not get the thing running before he took off – listening to his mother's soaps blasting through the windows of their trailer.

The monsoon season was brutal, and it was oppressive without air conditioning. He was sitting in the shade of the truck with sweat trickling down his face, wondering what it would feel like being back in school or at Ana's house when the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. The sky was still a crystal-clear blue, but he saw the storm approaching from the south. It was probably raining in Casa Grande, and he was hoping it would not dissipate before reaching the Valley. They needed a good dousing. It helped cool off the trailer, and the evaporative cooler they had did not help in the humid weather. He wished they owned at least a window unit, but his mother had sold the one they had in her bedroom right after his dad had left.

A surge of anger rushed through him at his father's defection. Austin had cared for his dad. Although he drank too much and did not defend Austin often, he had still been the buffer between his mother and him. While Judy Tanner hated the fact that she was knocked up by a man who could not even fix an old truck, Austin had dogged his father's steps the way Ana dogged his. Why had his dad just up and left? No word, no goodbye. Not even the urge to take Austin along?

He had been so alone without his dad, but then Ana came along. They had become partners in recent days, and he could not help but smile at their awkward friendship. Sure, she was just a little girl, and she would be as ashamed of him as everyone else was once she grew older. However, he had a friend now, his very first friend, and he took advantage of that. She was his everything.

That prickling on the back of his neck began again, and Austin felt his frown turn into a scowl. It was not the electricity in the storm making his hair stand on end. Something felt wrong – off.

He came to his feet and glanced at the trailer. His mother had been quiet all afternoon, and he had already taken out the trash and washed the dishes. There was no reason for him to be hanging out anyway. He would take his chances in the desert and see if Carter was out. In this hot, humid, and miserable weather, no one should be.

In two steps, he was in the desert patch that separated his trailer park from Ana's pretty development. The desert patch was a mile square and the only thing separating the rich from the poor. Although the wealthy were encroaching on the poor people's land, Austin suspected it would not be long before some home builder bought up the block between their streets and developed that, too. He would be sad to see his private area disappear to construction, but while the houses were being built, he would have a place to hide from his mother.

He was nearing the wash when he heard the first high-pitched shriek. Instantly, he knew it was Ana. She was not frightened but angry, but his steps quickened as he rushed through the field in search of the sound. Dread began to fill his heart, for he knew it was Carter. Several times at school Carter had threatened to hurt her: "If I find her and you're not around..." "If I catch that little brat..."

Austin suspected he had.

He was running all out, heedless of the heat making his steps feel heavy and making his mouth dry. They did not have bottled water, and he never had a jug to carry around with him like the other kids did. He used the water fountain at school and tap water at home, but that did not stop him. All that mattered was reaching Ana; she was more important.

Elevated voices, jeers and taunts, were up ahead, and Austin hesitated long enough to grab a dead ironwood branch for defense. He did not care when its fierce thorns dug into his hand. This was it. If they touched a hair on Ana's little head...

Red flashed behind his eyes. Fury. Anger. A protectiveness so fierce he was almost blinded by it, and he continued forward with only one intent: to hurt anyone who dared to touch Ana.

They were behind a tall ironwood tree, their bodies half-shielded by the prickly branches. However, he could see three of the four. Carter was laughing as he pulled off the top of a blue plastic container while Tony and Cody held Ana's bike in place. She was trying her hardest to break their grasp, her little legs kicking out, her tiny jaw set fiercely in defiance, and her hands clutching the handlebars with intense determination.

"Let go of my bike," she hissed.

But Carter was not done with her.

Austin was roaring in anger when Carter tipped the container over, and a shrill shriek followed while the boys jumped back laughing. Austin did not immediately see what Carter dumped on her, but he reached the boy and socked him with all his might with the ironwood branch. Carter went flying, but Cody and Tony were already running away. Austin was so angry that he hit him two more times, feeling so much fury that he wanted to kill him for daring to hurt the only child brave enough to befriend him. He hit Carter again before Ana's shrill shrieks stopped him, and he paused to glance over his shoulder.

With a sneer, Carter wiped the blood away from his face. "I'm telling my parents you hit me with a tree branch."

"Go for it," Austin snarled, raising it threateningly.

He was prepared to have it out with Carter once and for all, but Ana's panicked shrieks echoed through his rage-induced haze and made him drop the branch and run to her instead.

Still sneering, Carter scooted backwards on his rump then jumped to his feet and took off after his friends, leaving Austin scrambling to Ana's side. Her bike was on its side, and she was prancing and screaming her heart out. "It hurts, it hurts!"

The ground around her seemed to be moving with a life of its own, and Austin's eyes widened as he realized what they had done. He was at her side, his arms reaching out to her. "Hold still. Stop moving."

His voice was still trembling with anger, but all he could think of was getting the nasty bugs off Ana. She was wailing loudly, tears streaming down her face, and he could already see two red welts on her arms. There was a small scorpion still in her hair, burrowing its way under her ponytail, and he reached for it before it stung her head. A zinger of pain followed as the agitated bug got him, but he flung it away and ignored his own pain to scan her for more. When he was fairly certain they were off her, he stepped back.

"I've got to get you home."

"It hurts, Austin, it hurts really bad."

He could understand. Already, his arm was going numb, and a pain like he had never known was radiating through his body. He reached for her bike, only to get stung again when a little one emerged from under the grip, but he gritted his teeth and mounted the tiny thing. "Come here," he ordered breathlessly.

She shook her head, staring at the ground around them as the bugs frantically tried to escape the blasting sunlight. Austin wheeled her bike out of the mass toward her then held open his arms. She ran into them like she would her mother, and he hugged her tight before setting her on the handlebars. The bike was far too small for him, and he never owned a bike before, let alone rode one more than a time or two, but it was the fastest mode of transportation. It was sheer luck that he was able to pedal it straight with her on the handlebars, but he somehow managed to race them back to her house, calling for help the entire way up the driveway.

As usual, Isabel came to stand in the front door, her hands on her hips and a frown on her lips. Austin dropped the bike and reached for Ana at the same time, carrying his little friend up the walk. "They dumped scorpions on her."

Isabel's lips tightened in anger, but she did not hesitate. "Stop right there and strip."

Austin's eyes widened. "What?"

"Both of you."

He glanced around frantically, but before he could speak another sting got him. Right on the chest. But how?

Ana's head had brushed his chest as he leaned over her to pedal the bike.

Without another word, he went to work shedding his clothing, his gaze averted from Isabel, who attended to a sobbing Ana. "Her hair," he croaked, his teeth gritting in pain. "He dumped them on her head."

Isabel nodded and plucked away the elastic holding back Ana's hair. It was the first time Austin had ever seen her with her hair down, and it was long, longer even than Isabel's hair, which was a silky black rope to mid-back. Ana's touched her pink panty-covered behind, but he looked away quickly without fully seeing how pretty it was. It was bad enough to catch a glimpse of her cute pink panties, and it made him very aware of his graying, too-tight briefs.

"In the house."

"Oh, I should go," Austin stuttered. Tears of his own were burning his eyes, but he did not want to cry in front of them. His pride demanded he hold them back.

"Not until I look at you, Austin Tanner," Isabel insisted.

He did not want the lovely Mrs. Evans to see his ratty clothing. He did not want to see Ana crying, and he certainly did not want to join her in tears over the excruciating pain radiating through his body. However, he followed meekly behind Isabel, who had swung Ana into her arms, and it was then he noticed he could not breathe well. He bent over, his chest heaving, thinking it was due to his wild run and frantic race to the house. He felt like his throat was closing.

When Isabel noticed he was not behind her, she spun around and immediately set a writhing Ana on the sofa. "Austin!"

Isabel was by his side in an instant, her gentle arms wrapping around his too-wide shoulders as she guided him inside, murmuring in Italian "mio caro ragazzo," words he had never heard before but found pleasant to his ringing ears. Ana's hand reached out weakly for him as she arched her back in agony, and he collapsed at her side and grasped her hand. She pulled it against her chest and held it tight, and he leaned his head back as he struggled to get air in his lungs.

"Please don't die, Austin," she whimpered. "Please don't leave me."

"I won't," he gasped. "I'll never leave you."

"Please don't die. Mommy, don't let him die."

Isabel was there, and she was smiling. However, her smile was not filled with warmth like normal. It was worried. Austin felt fear then, as if he really was going to die. He certainly felt like he was.

But then they heard sirens, and Ana's hand tightened around his. "Please don't leave me."

"What happened?" Isabel interrupted.

"Carter," Austin gasped. His voice sounded garbled, and his tongue felt like it was two-feet wide.

"Carter did this?"

He nodded weakly.

"How did you know?"

"I... felt something... wrong," he whispered.

She smiled, and her cool fingers smoothed over his hair and down his cheek. Austin was too weak to flinch, but he smiled at the gentle touch. "I'm glad you did. Thank you for bringing her home and taking such good care of her."

"Always take care... of her.... I... wanted... to kill them," he murmured, barely recognizing his own voice. It sounded thick, and his tongue could hardly move.

"I know," she replied. "You're a good boy, Austin."

Because of Carter Birmingham, Austin learned that he was allergic to scorpion stings. From that day forward, Ana was terrified of them.

Chapter 6

Austin's eyes opened with a snap, erasing the last tendrils of the dream. The clock beside Ana's bed said it was only 2 am, meaning he had only dozed for an hour, but that was not what stood out in his mind. He remembered the scorpion stings, the treatment in the ER, and the way the Evans' had taken him back to their house when he was discharged. Ford Evans had gone out that night, dispelling any excuses that Mr. Birmingham would have about Austin hitting their son with a tree branch when he showed up at the house with their blue plastic container and a hospital bill for the scorpion stings. Carter had kept his distance for a while after that incident, but within a year, he was back at his antics.

Men like that were despicable, Austin thought. He had done his fair share of domestic violence calls since he had joined the police department, and he thought of his youth every time he saw a battered face. It infuriated him.

However, he had been lucky. That afternoon, Ana had clutched his hand to her chest the way she was now, and their bond had deepened. Now they shared the abuse of Carter Birmingham, and now they both knew how vicious the boy could be.

There were too many men and women in the world like Carter. The six men who had attacked Ana were just one example. He glanced up and gazed at her profile in the darkness. Ian had asked him to try to talk to her, but he could not. Every night, she somehow found his hand like she had that day after the scorpion stings, but they did not share any words.

She did not even know he was there.

Sighing, he stretched out his long legs before him, feeling distinctly uncomfortable. This was his fifth night, and he was glad he had the day off, for he was damned tired. Twice he had almost nodded off at work, and that was not only foolish but dangerous as well. He needed some sleep.

As much as he loved being close to Ana and being able to relax with the knowledge that she was safe, he was tired. He slowly lifted his head from the side of the bed and rolled his neck. He had stopped by and stayed for an hour. The smart thing to do would be run home and sleep in his bed for a change. The exhaustion was catching up to him.

However, when he tried to extract his hand, Ana's grip tightened, and he was brought back to the day of the scorpions when Ana's small voice sounded in the silent room. It was thick with sleep and medications, but it was clear enough for him to understand. "Please don't leave me."

Oh, the excruciating pain of those scorpion stings, like nothing he had ever felt before. Bee sting, my ass, he thought wryly. It was no mere bee sting. Of course, Carter had collected bark scorpions. The little ones. They were known to kill people, and they had almost killed him. If Ana had been stung more than twice, she, too, could have been overcome by the poison in their stingers, or she could have been allergic like he was. Ford Evans had threatened assault with a deadly weapon charges against Carter Birmingham when his arrogant father suggested pressing charges against Austin because Austin had a branch in his hand. However, Chuck Evans had intervened and taken his cousin's side, claiming Austin's actions were purely self-defense, and that was the end of that.

At the time, all he could think of was saving Ana. Just like in Boston, his common sense had flown out the window, and he had acted out of pure instinct. Later, when Ford had brought him home from the hospital, he had asked Austin what he would do if Carter hurt Ana again. Austin had not hesitated in responding: "Kill him."

Although Ford had chuckled and reached out to ruffle his hair, there was pride and admiration in his eyes. Austin suspected he felt relief that Ana had someone who would watch out for his baby girl, and Austin had. Almost her entire life he had kept an eye out for her.

But he was tired now and really needed to sleep. Her fingers had tightened around his hand, and her murmur echoed in his ears. "Please don't leave me."

How many times had she asked that of him over the years? A dozen? Two dozen? Yet she was the one who said she never wanted to see him again. He had left her sight but never left her side.

Standing over her with a frown, he debated disentangling his fingers from her clutch. What if he woke her? She was clinging to him, probably half-awake, and if he tugged his hand free, she would awaken fully and find a strange man in her room. How would he explain that to David across the hall and her parents several yards away?

Although Ana was tall and lean like her mother, she was curled on the very edge of her bed. The remainder beckoned. The lavender comforter was pulled tight, and two fluffy pillows with matching covers lay untouched. Without moving his hand, Austin rounded Ana's body and slowly crawled up alongside her, his heart pounding nervously as he eased down upon the soft pillows. His arm hovered above her waist while he waited to see if she stirred from his weight joining hers, but when he felt her fingers relax, he finally lowered his arm to her waist. It trembled from the effort, just as his heart thrummed from being so close to her. Although the bedding separated him from touching her skin, he could feel her warmth, smell her fresh scent, and hear her soft breathing. Right there was everything he had ever wanted, and he was back where he had always felt he belonged.

Though it took a tremendous effort, he kept several inches between their bodies and closed his eyes. It was then he realized he was laying on something hard. With his free hand, he reached under his backside and pulled out... a journal. Immediately, his gaze went to the shelf, where the long lines of journals spread out before him as a taunting reminder of Ana's inner thoughts recorded on paper. He was curious, but unlike David, he did not open the journal. Instead, he set it between them and closed his eyes in an effort to relax. It was more difficult than he imagined when every nerve ending was alive with the realization that he was with Ana again. The last time they had shared a bed, youthful hormones and years of desire had exploded in a night so wondrous he had never forgotten it – or the aftermath.

Being there again brought back so many memories, and he immediately regretted climbing on the bed with her. How would he get any sleep when the woman he loved with all his heart was inches away? It was torture of the worst kind.

But the torture Ana had endured was far worse.

That bitter reminder cooled his ardor instantly, and he sighed in the darkness. The heat of his breath stirred some of Ana's hair, and it tickled his nose. Oh, how he longed to bury his face in it again, how he wished he could taste the skin of her neck right there at the base where he had felt her pulse racing as wildly as his. They had been kids, foolish and clumsy, but he had known then that there was magic between them. Theirs was not like Ian and Kat's wildly tumultuous relationship, or even Ford and Isabel's deep, abiding love. No, theirs was fated. They had been placed on the earth for one purpose: to be there for the other. He knew that now, but of course it was too late. How foolish he had been, was even still. As long as he could content himself with watching her from afar, he would survive. Ana would heal. She was tough as nails and prideful. She would come out of her shell and be fine, chalking her near-brush to a close call and a reminder to carry pepper spray. He had left her a package outside her dorm room the first time he went to Boston that contained a pepper spray bottle to attach with her keys, and he wondered why she had not used it that night. Had she realized the package was from him and threw it away?

Knowing Ana, probably.

He grimaced and tucked his bent arm under her pillow. She was inches away, and he could not do anything but allow her to cling to his hand. What did the damn Evans family expect of him anyway? He was young, virile, and eager. Being next to the woman he desired most was hell.

Even as he thought, he realized his thumb was lightly stroking the silken skin between her breasts. She was thin. Evidently, she was not eating well, for he could feel her ribs under his arm, and her sternum felt like only a small portion of silk covered it. Even so, his knuckles were very much aware of the firm breasts flanking his hand. She might be thin, but she still had beautiful breasts. When he closed his eyes, he envisioned them as he remembered them. As perfect as the rest of the beautiful woman. They were firm and round, with pert, kiss-me nipples in an exact fit for his large hands. For a moment, he wondered if anyone else had touched them since she had exiled him, and a wave of rage made him stiffen. He almost jerked away as he realized that Ana might have a boyfriend in college, someone he had not seen between visits. He knew she had been dating; he had witnessed her turning one boy away. Yes, a boy. He was nowhere near being a man, and if Ana had invited the kid up to her dorm room, Austin would have laughed. After what they had shared, no one could compare. He would know. He had tried.

Which meant she might very well be trying as well...

Well, if she was, it was his own damn fault. He had been the one to awaken her slumbering passions, and he had been the one who showed her how magical lovemaking could be. If she had tried to erase what they shared, he could hardly blame her. Clenching his jaw angrily, he glared at the back of her head. Good luck, he thought viciously, it'll never work.

He knew that, too.

Before he did something stupid and woke her up, Austin forced his eyes to close. He had the day off. He would sleep for a while, and as soon as her grip on his hand relaxed, he would go home and climb under his own covers. Then he would head out with some friends and burn off some of his raging hormones with one of the girls at Dos. That's what he would do. If Ana was dating, he had no reason not to himself.

Feeling satisfied despite knowing that he was being peevish, Austin closed his eyes, never realizing that no book would separate them for long. It was like they were two pieces of Velcro, incomplete without the other. No sooner had Austin drifted off than Ana scooted closer. His arm tightened, and she leaned back against his chest. When he finally woke before dawn, his legs were tucked between hers, her buttocks were firmly pressed against his hips, and her torso was cradled into his chest. His chin was resting on the crown of her head, and her fingers had loosened enough for him to have a hand possessively covering one breast.

He grimaced and eased away, every nerve ending alive with desire. So it was a really bad idea to climb onto the bed with her. He knew that now. It just was not worth it. He should not even be there. What had he been thinking anyway?

Damn, if only things were different. He could get used to waking up like that – too easily. However, Ana Evans was a beautiful woman with a heart of gold, and he believed strongly that she deserved so much more than the hand she had been given. If he could go back in time, he knew what he would do. No, he would not go back and beg his father not to leave. No, he would not avoid the fights with Carter Birmingham. He would not even return to that fateful morning when Ana told him to never show her his face again. He would willingly return to that moment when the boys left the party and distract them away from the sight of the tall, long-legged beauty striding across the deserted lawn. One nudge had all six of them in hot pursuit.

And Austin had been five minutes too late.

He cursed those five minutes as heartily as he cursed his own traitorously aching body, but it was done. He had failed her when she needed him most, and his nightly visits were not helping at all. They had asked him to come, and he had. They had asked him to speak to her, and he tried. His part was done. There was no sense in going back again. Ana was tough. She would come out of it when she was ready. It had only been a week since she had been brutally beaten, and no one could blame her for needing time to heal before she felt up to answering their probing questions. That's right, he thought smugly. She would be fine in another day or two. There was no reason for him to go back again, and if he was smart, he would stay away. After all, his heart was on the line.

He was so distracted that he missed a branch and almost broke his neck climbing down the tree, and it was not until he returned home that he realized he had kept the key. Dammit, now he had to go back.

****

"Was that Austin?" Isabel asked sleepily when Ford sat bolt upright beside her.

The thump was almost imperceptible, but Ford had not fallen into a deep sleep since Ana had come home a shell of the vibrant young woman she used to be.

Glancing at the clock, he noticed the time and nodded at Isabel. "It's four. It must've been."

"Bless him for checking on her."

"I wish she would talk. If she would just say something..."

He buried his face in his hands and sighed, and he did not move when Isabel reached out to lightly stroke his back. "She will when she's ready."

"I thought Austin would be able to help, but it's been several days, and I don't like leaving the alarm off like this."

"Austin's already done so much," Isabel murmured. "Think about it. What if he hadn't been there?"

"You really think he was the Good Samaritan?"

"Who else would it be? Everyone saw him at the airport, and Emery said that Ana was asking where he went in the hospital."

Ford sighed. "She was out of her mind then."

"Well, Chuck confirmed that he flew out of Logan."

"That could've been a sheer coincidence."

Isabel chuckled and tugged him back to her side. When his arm wrapped around her waist, she snuggled into his chest. "Do you really think it was?"

"If it wasn't, then I should be worried that he's stalking her."

Isabel's chuckle was low, throaty, almost mocking, and Ford stiffened self-righteously. "Austin stalking her? Please, _amore mio_ , don't be ridiculous."

"Then why isn't he stopping by during the day instead of sneaking in and out at night?" Ford demanded right back.

"They had a falling out," she replied, lightly stroking the tension out of his chest. "He's probably waiting until she's a little more... receptive."

Ford snorted. "That's the silliest thing I've ever heard."

"How many times have you come home with your tail between your legs after we've had an argument?"

He glanced down at the top of Isabel's head, a smile tugging the corners of his lips. "Point taken."

"She needs time to heal. He needs time to gather courage. We have to be patient."

"We're running out of time. The police are anxious to talk to her – and the Good Samaritan. Those guys won't be punished if she refuses to talk, and I don't want them to walk then later do it to another girl."

Isabel sighed at that, and Ford could feel her stiffen. A shudder raced through her length, and his arms tightened around her supportively.

"I wish I knew what happened," she whispered. "I see the bruises, the scratches, the marks, but I don't know what happened, and I can't help her until I know."

"I know what you mean," he whispered, pressing his lips against the top of her head. "Only Austin and Ana can tell us that, and we'll never know unless they start talking."

The room fell silent as Ford and Isabel pondered their own deep thoughts. Finally, Isabel propped her chin on Ford's chest and gazed into his eyes. "One more week, _cara_ " she said firmly. "We'll give them one more week. If Austin doesn't talk to her by then, I'll go see him."

"What about Ana?"

"Austin will always be the doorway to Ana. She'll open up through him. Once he gets her talking, she'll talk to us."

Hearing his wife speak so matter-of-factly was almost like a punch in the gut. The feeling that his own daughter would speak to another man rather than him was a blow to his pride. However, as always, Isabel easily read the direction of his thoughts and quickly put his fears to rest.

"If I went through something like this, I wouldn't be able to go to my parents first. I'd go to you, the man I love, and talk to you about it. Wouldn't you do the same?"

Ford's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Wait a minute. What's this about love?"

Isabel giggled, and her dark eyes glistened with mirth. It was a welcome sight considering how somber the family had been. "Come now, Ford." She lightly grazed her nails down his chest to his abdomen, where she began completing little circles around his navel. "They've loved each other their entire lives. You know that."

"Well, sure, but they're like brother and sister."

"One thing they've never been is brother and sister," Isabel corrected wryly. "Austin might've tried to view her that way, and I'm certain that was why they had that falling out..."

"But?"

"Ana's not Austin's little sister and never will be."

"Then why am I allowing him to sneak in and out of the house at night, especially her bedroom?"

"She's an adult now."

"But she's not married."

Isabel's smile was almost catlike, and it sent a shiver of unease down Ford's spine. He did not like it when Isabel smiled like that. It was a warning of something to come, something he was sure he would not like. "I'm sure she will be soon enough."

"She's only twenty-one," he growled. "Don't push her to the altar."

"I'd like Austin as a son-in-law. After all, he's been a part of the family for so long already, almost his entire life."

"Stop it," Ford said with a groan. "I've had enough strain on my heart this week. Don't add to it."

"Can you think of a finer boy for our baby girl?"

Ford winced. Isabel had a good point. Austin had been a major part of Ana's life, and he had displayed the intelligence, strength, and determination to overcome overwhelming odds, most formidable of which was his own mother. That witch of a woman had been a nightmare to Austin, but he had triumphed and done well for himself. No, he could not think of a more worthy man for his little girl. He just did not want her to have any man, and he said as much.

"I know how you feel," Isabel said softly. "But she's full-grown, a woman in her own right. What choice do we have?"

"I hope you're right," Ford mumbled halfheartedly, his hand entwining in Isabel's dark hair and holding her head close. "I mean about Austin's intentions. The last thing we need is for them to have another falling out. Not when she's so vulnerable."

Isabel's voice was muffled against his skin, and the movement of her lips brought gooseflesh to his arms. "Austin will never hurt her."

"He has in the past."

"And he's spent every day since trying to make up for it."

Ford's eyes closed when he felt Isabel's tongue lightly stroking his chest, and his voice was husky when he replied. "One more week. That's it."

She nodded. "Deal."

Chapter 7

Austin was staring thoughtfully into his beer when Takeisha approached and threw her arms around his neck. Even though he stiffened uncomfortably, she leaned forward and placed a lingering kiss on his neck right below his jaw. Her breasts pressed against his arm, but Austin did not feel the surge of desire he hoped for. The only surge he felt was irritation, which he covered by removing his arm and wrapping it around her waist in an attempt to hold her away rather than draw her closer.

"Hey, Keisha, how's it going?"

If Austin was anyone else, he would've been flattered at gaining the attention of the beautiful young medical student who hung out at the same bar he frequented with his friends. She was brilliant, beautiful, and had a body to die for... She would be an exceptional catch to whichever lucky guy she set her eyes on, but she had one fatal flaw in Austin's eyes. Takeisha Owens was not Ana Evans. However, he still liked her and considered her a good friend. Like him, she had overcome the restrictions of poverty and recently had been accepted to the University of Arizona's medical school. They had met right after Ana told him she never wanted to see him again, and he had spent the next few months jumping from every woman who vied for his attention before he realized that it was just sex, not the lovemaking he had shared with Ana.

Vowing never to do anything like that again, he had spent the following few months getting wasted instead, and he poured his heart out to her one evening as he swallowed away his woes in shot after shot of tequila until she led him outside to puke his intestines out. She had listened patiently, considerately, and kindly then put him in her car and drove him back to her apartment. When he woke up the following morning, she had laughed at his horror at finding himself in her bed and reassured him that nothing had happened. He had been too drunk for her to rape.

Since then, they had been friends, and he appreciated her for it. She was the only one who knew and understood the depth of his love for Ana, and he understood her insecurities about the color of her skin and her lack of wealth while she worked hard to become a primary-care physician.

She was a black beauty, and most of his friends called her that. Although she laughed off their teasing flirtations, she secretly despised it when they called her a dark Halle Berry. Even so, she was just that. Her bone structure was as flawless as her skin, her hair as sleek and short as the ageless actress' was, and her body too shapely to be anything but undesirable. Takeisha wanted to be known for her brain, not her beauty, but it was not meant to be.

Having a feeling that she was draping herself over him for a reason, Austin accepted her unwanted advances and pulled her onto his lap. Under the guise of nuzzling her neck, he murmured in her ear. "What's wrong?"

She smiled, revealing white teeth as perfect as the rest of her flawless beauty and lightly patted his chest. "Those guys at the booth in the corner. They've been at me all night."

Without glancing their way, Austin fumbled in his pocket for his wallet and pulled out a couple of 20s to throw on the bar. "Come on," he said, taking her hand in his. "I'll escort you to your car."

Her dark eyes widened in surprise. "Oh, you don't have to take me home, Austin."

With the memory of what had happened to Ana still fresh in his mind, Austin was not in any mood to take any chances. He said as much as he led her back to her table to collect her belongings.

"What's wrong? What happened?"

"Ana was attacked," he said shortly as he plucked her keys out of her hand as if he was going to be the one to drive her home.

Takeisha gasped in surprise. "But isn't she in Boston?"

"She's home now."

Takeisha followed behind him quickly, her steps faltering as she struggled to keep up with his longer stride. "What happened? Is she okay?"

"No," he said shortly.

Damn. All he wanted was to spend the evening getting tipsy enough to make an excuse not to go see Ana that night, and now this had to happen. He had not even had a chance to finish a single beer. What was going on? It was like the heavens were insisting that he go to her.

They had almost reached the front door when one of the men ogling Takeisha approached them. It was obvious that the late hour meant an excessive amount of alcohol had been consumed, for his words were as clumsy as his steps. "Hey, where are you off to?"

"I'm going home," she replied with a toss of her head.

"But we haven't had a chance to talk yet."

"That's fine. I'm not up for talking anyway."

Austin watched silently, his arms crossed over his chest in his best cop stance. After years of abuse, he was not afraid to fight, and his youthful height had not stopped at fourteen. At six-foot-three, he was intimidating to behold, and few men wanted to trifle with him. However, this guy hardly spared him a glance. He was focused solely on Takeisha and seemed not to even notice his presence.

"Okay, then give me your number. We can talk later."

"I don't think so," she replied.

"I'll call you."

"I'm good, thanks."

She began to turn away when the guy's buddy came up behind her, pushing Austin aside so he could wrap his arms around her waist and lift her off her feet.

It was like going back in time again. Austin barely had the chance to make eye contact with the regular bouncer, Fred, before he was intervening. A red haze of anger covered his eyes that yet another man would have the gall to manhandle an unwilling woman, and it blinded him to everything and everyone except for the two men flanking Takeisha.

His voice was like ice. "Let her go."

The man who had asked Takeisha for her number finally seemed to notice him and snorted in disgust. "Who's gonna make us? You?"

Austin's hands were balling into fists as he spoke. "I'm not going to ask again."

Takeisha threw him a thankful glance as she tried to twist out of the second man's grip. However, he was not letting her go easily. "My friend asked you for your number."

"And you think by grabbing me that I'll give it to you?"

Her scorn seemed to anger the man, for his lips thinned dangerously. "Give it to him, or it'll go much worse."
"You need to go home and sleep it off."

Out of the corner of his eye, Austin caught a glimpse of Fred weaving his way through the crowd to join them. At the same time, Austin's buddies noticed the commotion, and three of the guys were rising from their seats to come to his aid. Despite this, all Austin could see through the red haze covering his eyes was Ana being swarmed by a group of six young men taking advantage of an opportunity. His fist was drawing back in preparation to launch a blow at the man holding Takeisha when his friend, Logan, caught it and held him back.

"Don't do it, buddy," he warned. "You're up for a promotion. Don't blow it on a bar brawl."

Austin knew Logan was right, but the anger was pulsating through him like a second heartbeat. Why were there so many people out there who took pleasure in hurting others? It made no sense. He shook his head and struggled to relax, but Logan moved between him and the obnoxious drunk to make sure it did not escalate.

Glancing beyond him, Austin saw Fred intervening, and Takeisha was released quickly. While Fred escorted the two men out by the scruff of their shirts, Gray, Logan, and Dodd led Austin and Takeisha back to their table.

"Have another beer," Dodd said, shoving the pitcher toward them.

The moment was completely lost. Austin shook his head regretfully, but he saw Takeisha eagerly pour herself one and lift her glass with trembling hands. It almost sloshed out of the cup, but somehow she managed to gulp it down.

Austin watched, remembering the terror in Ana's eyes when she briefly regained consciousness. She had been wild after he pulled the last man off of her, and she had bit and scratched him before he was able to calm her down in the cab. He crooned to her during the ride as her eyelids fluttered open and closed, whispering some of their childhood memories and reassuring her that it was truly him, and it was only his words that soothed Ana as she faded in and out of consciousness while they raced through the city streets to the hospital. He had handed her off in the emergency room and spoken to the police officers stationed there before slipping away to a hospital bunk of his own where he changed out of his bloody and torn clothing. He was unsure whose blood was whose on his clothes, but he had watched them bagged as evidence and donned the paper bodysuit that offered no protection from the hail outside. When he had finally been released by the police, he was cold, wet, sore, and sick with worry.

That same feeling of helpless nausea was overwhelming him now as he watched Takeisha gulp down the beer. It eased slightly when he noticed that Dodd was rubbing Takeisha's back, and he met his friend's eyes with an understanding smile.

"Dodd, will you get Keisha home tonight?"

There was no doubting the thankful gleam in his friend's eyes, but both men were staring at Takeisha for approval. After giving Dodd a leery appraisal, Takeisha turned back to Austin with a short nod. "Go. Take care of your girl," she whispered. "I'll call you tomorrow and see how she's doing."

Ignoring Dodd's questioning frown, Austin pushed out his chair and rose with a gentle pat on Takeisha shoulder. "Be safe."

"You, too."

Almost as an afterthought, he bent and pressed his lips against her smooth forehead. She smelled so different from Ana, her musk unlike anyone he had known. He was so accustomed to Ana's light floral scent that Takeisha's heady one was almost too powerful for him. All he wanted was to curl against Ana's side and hold her tightly for reassurance that she was alive and safe even if it meant he would not get any sleep.

Another sleepless night was nothing compared to the cold emptiness inside his heart.

****

This time, Austin did not even go sit on the side of the bed. In fact, he tugged his sweatshirt over his head and lifted the covers to slide in beside Ana a few seconds after entering. The journal was in the same spot he had left it the night before, and he reached down to pick it up so it would not hit the floor before he escaped the chill of the night air.

Almost immediately, Ana's hand sought out his, and she pulled his arm close with a light murmur before she snuggled up against his chest. The entire time, Austin watched with his breath held while he waited for her to relax deeper into sleep. It took several minutes, but relax she did with her hand pressing his against her heart. He could feel the strong and steady lub-dub against his palm, but he wanted more. He wanted Ana to open her eyes and look at him. He wanted her to recognize him and welcome him. He was tired of sneaking in at night, and he wanted to stride up to the door like any proud boyfriend.

However, he was not proud, and he was not her boyfriend.

Although Isabel and Ford would certainly welcome him, Ana would not... But her body did. No sooner had he slid in behind her than her hips locked with his, her knees curled around his, and her head butted up against his chest. He was lying tense and still, tormented by her sweet scent as a constant reminder that she was right where he wanted her to be, yet he could not even speak without her waking up in terror.

Sighing, Austin closed his eyes and tried to relax, but his blood was still thrumming from the excitement of the evening. Takeisha's assault had made him relive the previous Friday night when Ana was attacked, leaving him far too wired to sleep.

Without even realizing what he was doing, Austin rubbed his chin against the top of her head to feel her silky hair. For a moment, he battled the need to wake her up and press her to talk, but he knew he was not in any mood to force anything. He would be too abrupt, too tense, and it would do more harm than good. Whatever bond still remaining between them would be irreparably broken if he confronted her like that.

Instead, his hand tightened around the book he held. Ana's famous journals. There was a time when he and David had threatened to sneak into her room and read them, but Ana's tears had shocked them both into guilty silence. Ana was not one given to tears, especially after she turned ten, and he had felt lower than low when Isabel had hurried in to see why Ana was crying. For a few seconds, he believed that he would be told to leave and never come back, but Isabel had only frowned at him and eight-year-old David then sentenced them both to weed pulling in punishment.

After five minutes in the sweltering spring sun, Ana had come outside with tall glasses of lemonade, and then she crouched beside him and apologized for getting him into trouble. She apologized to him! He was shocked but also thrilled that she was not telling him to go away and never come back.

Austin never minded receiving punishment from Isabel or Ford. In his mind, it was better than them telling him to stay away. He also believed that punishment proved they considered him to be one of their children. Therefore, in the early days he sometimes pondered getting into trouble just to be fined to weed pulling, garage cleaning, car washing, or some other random chore.

Holding Ana's journal in his hand now made him go back in time, and his gaze drifted to the shelves. Back when Ana was ten, there were only a dozen books. Now there had to be at least four times as many, and his curiosity was at an all-time high.

Holding the book over his head to catch the moonlight, he opened it several pages in and focused on the rough yellow crayon writing. _"I saw big boys fighting today. I was scared."_

Him?

Was she writing about him then?

His gaze returned to the shelves and all those multi-colored journals lining the wall like a testament to her life.

He scanned several more pages, seeing hearts and stars in various crayon colors until he reached the end of the first book. The final pages showed a change in the handwriting, but it was the content that caught his eye. It was a long, drawn-out account of the scorpion incident. _"Mommy said he reminded her of a golden adonis riding his magnificent steed. What's adonis? What's a steed?"_

Austin snorted. Isabel said that? He would have laughed if he was not lying beside Ana doing the one thing in the world she would hate for him to do, but he was as helpless to stop himself as he was that night they first made love. Back then, he could no more stop himself from kissing her than she could stop herself from removing his clothes. It had been a mutual thing; he knew that and had never doubted it. However, it was the ending that had been purely one-sided.

Feeling guilty for prying, he set the book aside and closed his eyes, focusing instead on the gentle beating of her heart under his hand. As he wiped away the memories of Takeisha looking pale and frightened and Ana's bloodied face staring up at him without seeing, he forced himself to relax and treasure the moment of the here and now. Ana was where she belonged, wrapped in his arms with her heart under his hand.

He was finally drifting off to sleep when he heard her soft whisper. "Austin?"

"Mmhmm," he replied softly.

"Don't leave me."

"I won't."

It was not until he woke several hours later that he realized she had spoken to him. Her voice had been its normal light and airy sound, no longer scarred from the brutal hands around her throat. Not only that, but now he was lying on his back, and she was curled into his side, her thigh thrown over his hips and her hand resting upon _his_ heart.

He immediately froze, his heart leaping in confusion and fear. What should he do? Should he sneak out or wait until she woke up? But what if she woke up, saw him, and freaked out again?

He lay as still as a statue, hardly daring to breathe as he pondered his choices until finally taking the coward's way out. Slowly sliding along the edge, he inched his way over to the other side of the bed. Her leg dragged against his eager loins and slowly came to rest on the warm mattress where his body heat remained. She sighed but did not stir, and it was all he needed to motivate him to get the hell out.

He ran home that morning like the hounds of hell were nipping at his heels.

****

Every night since her attack, Ana had awakened in the midst of the terror. The feeling of that man, the pain he inflicted, and then the roar of rage before he was pulled away by the reported "Good Samaritan" had invaded her slumber and left her waking in fear. However, when she woke up that morning, she was thinking of Austin. Sweet, golden Austin, her knight in shining armor, the boy she had adored her entire life – and the boy she had sent away in a fit of temper that had broken both their hearts. For some strange reason, she could feel him close, closer than usual, and the scent she connected solely with him seemed to be all around her. She inhaled it deeply, wanting to treasure it forever and wishing it would never go away. But Austin had gone away. She had asked him to go, and he never refused her anything. Oh, how she wished she had not been so dumb.

Even so, this morning she rose as the sun was rising, and she watched it through the open blinds. It was also the first time she had rolled over in her sleep, and she was facing the doors and able to watch the sun peak over the Goldfield Mountains.

Austin.

Her hand spread out across the sheet, as if searching for him under the flat expanse. There was nothing there. The sheets were cold, and the comforter pulled as tight as it was when she went to sleep the night before. Still. She felt as though Austin had been near. She could almost feel the rhythmic beating of his heart under her palm and the smooth hardness of his chest. In her dreams, he was thicker than he had been a few years ago, more muscular, more like the Adonis her mother had always playfully called him.

Austin. Adonis. Was it because they both started with an "A"? Perhaps she would never know, for she certainly would never ask. Austin had left, and for all Ana knew, he could have found a nice girl and settled down. He had told her many times that he wanted to have kids of his own so he could teach them how to treat others properly, without bias or prejudice. Had Austin married?

The thought caused a pain in her chest so powerful that she immediately felt the bitter sting of tears. Why had she been so foolish to send him away? She would give anything to have him back in her life. It had been hell without having him close. After all, since she was six, he had always been there. Her best friend. Her greatest confidante. Not even her girlfriends knew as much about her as he did, and she missed him desperately.

As her hand scanned the sheets, it bumped against the journal David had left there. She had awakened in the midst of the horror, and her brother had tried unsuccessfully to calm her down. Poor David. Like the rest of her family, they stood helplessly, watching her become a shell of her old self while her head screamed for Austin. If only he had been there. None of this would have happened.

She reached for the book and opened it, her gaze scanning the pages with a wistful smile. Ah, the innocence of youth. She was six when she first started writing, and looking back at her own handwriting was almost embarrassing. However, almost every page was about Austin. Austin did this. Austin did that. Those boys found Austin again, but he didn't cry when they gave him a bloody lip. Austin is the bravest boy I know... So on and so forth.

If Austin had been in Cambridge, she never would have been assaulted.

Dear God, what if she was pregnant?

Of course, her mother would merely shrug and say something like, "we'll cross that bridge when we get to it." But Ana was not so sure. What would she do? Was abortion an option? It went against every principle she had, but remembering that beast breathing in her face as he hurt her, laughing as he choked her almost to death made her shudder in distaste. How could she carry a child from a monster?

Reaching for a pen in a cup on her nightstand, she scribbled across the front page: "Please don't let me be pregnant." Then she threw the book aside, rolled into her corner, and closed her eyes against the tears streaming silently down her cheeks.

Chapter 8

Austin knew right away that Takeisha had something on her mind. She had only visited his house once, and that was when he threw a barbecue for the Fourth of July. She had come with one of her roommates at his insistence, and even then she had been reluctant to hang out with all the white and Hispanic police officers he called friends.

Therefore, he was considerably surprised when the doorbell rang, and he opened it to reveal Takeisha Owens. She began speaking immediately when he stared at her with his eyebrows raised in question.

"Are you busy? I need to talk to you."

She was pushing her way past him as she spoke, giving him the distinct impression that even if he was on his way out or busy, she would not care. He sighed and closed the door behind her then turned slowly and leaned against it. He had told himself that he was not going back to the Evans house anyway, so Takeisha was offering him an excuse not to go.

Then why did he feel that flash of irritation?

"So you remember the other night?" Takeisha paced the entry nervously, her hands fluttering in front of her and offering her something to stare at as she spoke.

For that reason, he did not respond.

"Dodd took me home, Austin."

He nodded, but she still was not looking at him.

"He spent the night."

At that, Austin's raised brows lowered over his eyes, and he began to frown. Had Dodd taken advantage of her? No way. Dodd and he had been friends since the academy, and he trusted Dodd completely. It had to be consensual. If not, well, Dodd would get a close up and personal taste of Austin's fury.

"Did he hurt you?"

His voice was icy, colder than she had ever heard before, and he watched her pause and focus on her hands intently. "Yes, no. Gosh, I don't know."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Her head whipped up, and she finally looked at him. Really looked at him. "How's your girl?"

Austin blinked at the sudden change of subject and shrugged. "Don't change the subject."

"I need to change the subject. Just for a minute." She sighed. "You didn't tell me everything when I called."

Austin's head cocked to the side, but his lips were moving automatically. "There isn't much to tell. Her physical injuries are healing, but she's not really speaking to anyone."

"Is she going to press charges?"

Austin shrugged. "I dunno, but the cops might even if she doesn't."

"She should. Campus attacks are rising in number, and more women need to come forward to send home the message that it's not cool. Alcohol doesn't give anyone an excuse to take advantage of another. Those college parties are getting out of hand, and no one is doing anything to stop them."

Austin agreed wholeheartedly. He had called the station as a cop rather than the Good Samaritan and received more details about the case. The boys had been identified, but only one of them was a student. The others were football players from a nearby university in the area for a party. Apparently, they left when they had drunk enough to get blasted and prowled the streets in search of a woman like Ana, and she had just happened to appear there. Unfortunately, the single Harvard student had recognized her from one of his classes, and that encouraged him to target her.

He had been one of the boys who fled, and Austin never had a chance to touch him. Even now, his fists clenched tightly with the need to do the same to him that had been done to Ana.

"When you do talk to her, try to encourage her to press charges. I know it's a lot to ask, but she's tough."

"Not lately," he murmured.

"Don't you dare insult her," she snapped with a scowl.

Austin's eyes opened wide. Takeisha had never even met Ana, yet she was criticizing him? Surely she knew by now how much he idolized Ana Evans. "I'm not insulting her. I'm just saying that she's not doing well right now."

"Give her time. She had her head bashed in, her jaw almost broken, and her lips have sutures. I'm not surprised she doesn't want to talk. Let her heal before you start getting critical."

"I'm not being critical." Was he?

"It sure sounded like it."

"I'm not. I'm just..." He sighed harshly and shook his head. He could not even verbalize how he felt. Concerned, frightened, angry, pained, frustrated, and most of all, heartbroken that someone had almost extinguished the bright light of Ana's spirit.

"I get it."

Austin's chin inclined. "I guess you would, considering you're losing it over Dodd. If he hurt you, I'll snap his neck."

"No, it's not that." Takeisha sighed and lifted her hands to her short hair, grasped several clumps in her fists, and gave them a tug. "He's white, Austin."

"So?"

"He wants to see me again."

Austin visibly slumped as most of the tension eased out of his shoulders. It was a deep-seated relief, for he really did not want to lose a good friend. He offered her a half-hearted smile. "So give it a shot."

"You don't get it. He's white; I'm black. It'll never work."

"That's not true," Austin insisted. "Plenty of biracial couples settle down together."

She sighed, her shoulders slumping almost as noticeably as his had moments before. "It doesn't feel right," she whispered.

Austin shook his head. His frustration was increasing, but he would never show her that. Although he was happy for the distraction, he could not help but feel irritated at Takeisha's stubbornness. It reminded him a little too much of Ana. He inhaled deeply and let it out through his lips, his cheeks puffing out as he hissed. Takeisha stared at him when he offered her a slight smile. "Dodd's been into you for a long time, Keisha. He really likes you."

"He's probably just playing... feeling a little bit of jungle fever."

Austin shook his head adamantly. "I can guarantee that's not what he's feeling."

Although he and Dodd had only spoken about Takeisha once or twice, Austin knew that Dodd had the same kind of attraction to her that he felt for Ana. Dodd had been just as confused about his driving need to look at her, touch her, and his longing to be with her as Austin was with Ana. In his opinion, Takeisha could do a lot worse. Unfortunately, it seemed as though she did not feel the same.

"Look, if you're not into him, don't lead him on. He's a great guy, and he really likes you. If you're against it, let him go now. He's been interested in you for a long time, Keisha."

Her head whipped up again. "He has?"

Austin nodded. "Since the first time he met you."

"Really?"

"I would never lie to you about something like that."

She nodded. "You wouldn't lie to me ever."

"That's true."

"But he's white."

"And he's a good guy."

She sighed. "Yeah, he is."

"So you do like him?"

"I do. That's what scares me."

"Then you should give it a shot and see what happens," Austin advised solemnly.

Spinning on her heel, Takeisha rounded his sofa and threw herself across the length with a frustrated squeal. Austin watched with a small smile. The action reminded him of Ana so much that he felt his heart lurch. He had watched Ana do the same thing a time or two, and a new rush of memories tickled his brain.

When Takeisha raised her head, she was scowling. "Like you have?"

Austin's mouth dropped open, but no snide comment emerged. She had a valid point, and unfortunately he had no comeback. After all, she was right.

****

Ana threw herself across the sofa, buried her face in one of the velvet pillows and squealed while her fists beat the side. Austin and David watched her with matching grins, but Ford remained unmoved. "Are you done?"

When her father snapped at her, she stopped pounding the sofa and raised her head with a scowl. "No, I'm not, Dad... Really, you're being so lame."

"So are you. Why are you insisting on tagging along with the guys? You'll be bored in an hour and want to come home, and I don't want you ruining it for everyone else."

"That's such a sexist, arrogant comment. I can't believe you even said that," she snapped back.

When her gaze drifted to Austin for help, he hastily looked at Ford, anything not to be dragged into this argument. Taking sides with either Ana or her father was not his idea of fun, and there was no way he was getting involved. He could almost feel Ana's narrowed eyes boring into his cheekbone, but he steadfastly refused to face her. Staring at Ford was much easier.

"I can't believe you're insisting on going on a boy's trip."

"David is going."

"David is a boy."

Her head tilted, and her face carried the sarcastic slackness that added venom to her sarcastic words. "No, duh, Dad."

Ford's lips tightened. "Watch it, Ana. You just turned twelve not twenty-five."

Hayden happened to enter then, and he came up short when he heard Ford's sharp words. The easygoing favorite uncle held a beer in one hand and a plate of food in the other, which he passed on to Ford with a curious, "what's going on?"

When Ford refused to look at him, Hayden turned to a still-grinning David and an obviously antsy Austin. "Well?"

Rather than answer, Austin took the cowardly route and stared at David, silently encouraging Hayden to do the same. When David saw both of them waiting expectantly, his grin faded, and he shrugged. "Why ask me? Why not ask them?"

Hayden glanced at a stony-faced Ana and equally frustrated Ford and returned his attention to David with a look that said "no way."

David sighed. "She wants to go with us to the mountains."

Hayden's cheerful smile returned instantly. "Oh, is that what this is about? That's fine. The more the merrier."

At that, Austin and David groaned in unison while Ford sighed heavily. Ana launched herself from the sofa with a triumphant cry. "See? Hayden doesn't mind."

"Why do you want to go so badly?" Ford asked again. "It's not like you enjoy outdoor stuff."

"How would you know?"

"Did you forget about our camping trip after your birthday?" Ford asked pointedly.

Austin bit back a smile. They had gone camping Memorial Day weekend, and Austin heard about Ana's complaining the entire time about the lack of showers. The family had returned home to find Austin sitting out front waiting for them, but he had not received the cheerful welcome he expected. David had unloaded the gear with his father, grumbling about girls, Isabel had lifted her chin to a haughty tilt and entered without her customary smile for him, and Ana stormed straight to him without helping either parent and asked him to go for a walk.

Some family trip.

"That wasn't entirely my fault," Ana protested.

Ford rolled his eyes.

Austin bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing. It was growing increasingly difficult to hide his mirth, for he knew already that Ana would be accompanying them. When she had her heart set on something, there was no stopping her.

"Come on, Ford," Hayden encouraged with a wink at Ana. "Look at everything that's been happening. I agree with Ana. She should practice too. There might be a time when she goes off to school where she might have to draw on her past training."

Hayden had made a good point, but both Ford and Austin winced at the reminder. Austin's gaze whipped back to Ana, looking at her for the first time since she had thrown herself across the sofa. She was staring at him, half-angry and half-begging, and he could feel his heart give a tug. If anything happened to Ana, he would certainly cease living. However, did they really want her up in the mountains with them?

Later, long after Ford had reluctantly relented, Austin and the rest of the boys realized how wrong they were. Ana had proven to be an excellent shot with the same good aim she had shown as a six-year-old when she pegged Carter Birmingham in the head with a rock. Her aim with a rifle was as accurate as it was with a handgun, and everyone had surrounded her with congratulatory words and praise. Even Austin. She was a natural.

Although the weekend had centered on the men's desire to practice their shooting and fighting, Ana had not complained. She did not take part in the sparring, but she watched Ian and Hayden teach Austin and Cooper moves that he knew she had learned at one point herself. Austin had loved every minute of it. Not only had they included him in their weekend getaway, but he also got to spend the weekend with Ana too, a thing he had not been able to do as frequently as they had in the past.

Ana had finally managed to sneak away with him alone, dragging him along behind her up a hiking path that led deep into the mountains. Although the rest of the uncles were still lingering near the cabins in the hidden mountain town, Ana had insisted on taking Austin away under the guise of wanting to take a walk. Ian had waved them off impatiently, stating that David and Cooper needed practice more than they did, and even now Austin could hear the sporadic gunfire echoing through the mountain valleys.

"Where are we going?"

It seemed like they had been walking forever, and the companionable silence that had fallen between them extended too long. It was Sunday and they would be going home in a few hours, but he knew that he never wanted this weekend to end. For the first time, he really felt like a member of her tight-knit family. Now being able to hang out with her was the icing on the cake.

The closer he got to age 16, the more he had been feeling their age gap acutely. She was growing into her lanky figure as she approached her teen years, but it was different. She was in middle school, and he was already in high school. People were no longer talking about drama and fights. They were more concerned with AP courses, college applications, and dating. The bridge between them had been growing wider – at least until the moment they entered the woods.

"Just up to the top of the hill. I heard Mrs. Jepson tell those bikers that the view is to die for."

She glanced at him over her shoulder as she spoke, and he lunged forward to catch a low-hanging tree branch that would have caught her in the face if he had not. She stopped and reached up to take the branch from his hand with a smile of gratitude, and he let it go with a gruff nod.

"Who's Mrs. Jepson?"

"Silly," she said with a grin. "She's the landlady. She owns our cabins."

He chuckled. He should have known that. After all, he had been right next to her when the chubby older woman rushed outside as soon as their convoy pulled up. After quick introductions, she had hopped into her golf cart and drove them down the dirt road to the cluster of cabins nestled deep in the woods. While he had never given the woman a second thought, Ana had evidently made friends with her. No real surprise there, he thought with a wide grin. Ana made friends with everyone while Austin focused on the scenery around him.

He had been born in Arizona, yet he had no idea this little town existed. Granted, there were several ghost towns like that tucked into the mountains of northern Arizona, but he immediately fell in love the first time he saw the tiny township. It was all forest land, but several families owned the rights to build, and they had full use of the land as well. Not only was the weather cooler, but the scenery was breathtaking. Trees that were hundreds of years old covered the hillside, hiding long-forgotten mines and wild animals.

"Have you ever come up here before?" Austin blurted to Ana's back as she hurried ahead with a quick step.

She glanced back with a shrug, but she understood his question easily. "Maybe once or twice. I'm not sure."

Austin smirked at her back when she faced forward again. He knew that if he had ever visited a place as beautiful as this, he would surely never forget. It was just another reminder of how different their lives were. Granted, things had been better for him now that he was in high school, but he still was painfully aware of his past even if Ana was not. It never ceased to amaze him how Ana had stuck with him as they grew up. He had waited every school year for her to look at him with disdain, but that day still had not arrived. However, now he was beginning to fear something even worse – Ana bringing home a boyfriend. He had watched the kids pair off in his school over the past three years, and he even had a few of the girls flirt with him. One pretty senior from his math class had asked him to her prom, but Austin had been too afraid to say yes. Fearing a cruel joke where he would be set up and laughed at, he had politely declined. For the rest of the school year, he regretted that decision because she had remained friendly with him. Aside from Ana, Austin had never had a friend before, but Olivia had turned out to be one. He only regretted that she had graduated.

His lips compressed. Strangely enough, he only thought of Olivia as a friend, and he never wanted more. Olivia was a pretty girl, but he never felt the urge to touch her the way he did with Ana, and that worried him. Ana was so much younger than him, and she should have felt more like a sister than a girlfriend. Besides, he knew he was attractive to the girls. He should go out and date one, yet he could not when he knew it would hurt Ana.

He cared more for her feelings than his own.

He was unaware that his steps had slowed until he heard Ana's cry from far ahead of him. His head whipped up, and he noticed right away that she was nowhere to be seen. Even before he registered that fact, his feet were taking off at a run to catch up to her. His heart was in his throat when he turned the corner and burst into a clearing, only to find Ana perched on the edge of a rocky cliff with her hands pressed together beneath her chin as she gazed at the valley below. "Oh, Austin, come look at this."

Austin took a moment to catch his breath, but it was difficult. Ana was too close to the edge, and he scowled as he waved her closer. Her breathtaking smile faded to one of worry when he bent with both hands on his knees to catch his breath.

Damn, she would be the death of him one way or another.

"Austin!" She was at his side in an instant, one soft hand rubbing his back as she anxiously hovered over him. He had broken the six-foot mark in the eighth grade, while Ana was still maybe five-foot-five. However, their height difference was less noticeable at the moment, and Austin felt like he was being swallowed by her warm dark eyes. "What happened? Did a bee get you?"

Leave it to her to think he was having an allergic reaction. Well, actually he kind of was. He was allergic to the thought of anything happening to Ana. He tried to shake his head, but it was weak. She crooned over him, and she laid her cheek against his back while he caught his breath. When he finally straightened, she moved her cheek to his arm, for she was too short to reach his shoulder, but she continued to stroke his back lightly.

After another moment, Ana wrapped both hands around his bicep, and she drew his arm to her chest tightly. Austin wanted to hug her back, but he forced himself to hold still. He was too old to crave a gentle touch now, no matter how much he longed for it.

Sensing his stillness, Ana lifted her head to gaze at him. "Are you okay? Please tell me you're not having an attack."

"No, it's nothing like that. I thought you were hurt," he mumbled.

She giggled, a light sound that made him feel heat rising in his cheeks. However, rather than gloat, she loosened her grip on his arm and used one hand to pat his bicep where her cheek had recently laid. "I love you too."

He glanced down at her, dumbstruck. No one had ever said they loved him before. No one. Not even his father when he was young. He could not remember a time when anyone cared enough to say they liked him, let alone love him. Immediately, he felt defensive. "What on earth are you talking about?"

Ana smiled primly. "What do you mean?"

"You just said you loved me."

"Of course I did."

"Why would you say something like that, Ana? It's not nice to throw around powerful words like that."

Her smile began to fade, and a confused look replaced it. For a moment, he truly believed she had no idea what he meant, but then a dull flush began to climb up her cheeks. "I wasn't throwing words around," she said stiffly. "I meant it."

Ignoring the feeling of sheer joy that threatened to steal his anger, Austin scowled. "No, you don't."

Exasperation replaced her confusion quickly, not that he was surprised, of course. Ana was a spitfire, and he knew that firsthand. "I wouldn't have said it if I didn't mean it," she snapped. "I love you just as much as you love me."

"I never said I loved you," he protested.

"You don't have to. I just know it."

The way she spoke, so matter-of-factly took the venom from his words. "But I don't."

She laughed then rolled her eyes. "Okay, dork."

Fearing an argument that would steal his warm fuzzy feelings that he wanted to treasure forever, Austin shook his head and tried to smile. "You think you know everything."

"Just everything about you."

At that, he did laugh. Deep down, he suspected she was right.

"It's okay. You don't have to say that you love me back. I get it, and I'm still so proud of you, Austin. I wish I had been born as smart as you."

He snorted, his suspicious side growing leery of her lavish compliments. On one hand, he wanted to hug her tight and tell her he loved her too, but on the other, he was afraid to speak the words, fearing she was going to disappear the moment he spoke or, even worse, mock him for believing her. "You're a lot smarter than me. You're the one planning to go to Harvard."

Ana's lips twisted sarcastically. "And you're gonna get a full-ride scholarship."

"Yeah, because I'm poor."

"No, because you're smart."

He shrugged, but Ana continued. Taking his hand, she led him closer to the edge, and he reluctantly agreed with her about the view. For as far as he could see, there was green everywhere, and it was as lovely as the girl beside him. He was acutely aware of her fingers around his, and he could smell her shampoo – yes, their cabins had showers. The floral scent tickled his nose and filled him with a strange feeling of contentment.

It blossomed when Ana's voice reached his ears. "Couldn't you just live up here forever? I mean, isn't it so beautiful?"

"Yeah," he murmured, glancing down at the top of her head. Even though he was thinking that she would have to have her showers – hot ones at that – he could see Ana hiking through these hills every day. No matter what, she would manage to fit in. He knew she could fit in anywhere she wanted to be.

"We could live up here together, have a few kids and raise them up here. They have buses that take the kids into school in the city. It would be perfect."

He was only half listening as his own dreams were taking form in his head, and he had no idea she really meant her words. Nor did he realize that his answer only encouraged her more. "Yes, it would."

"Let's come back here when we're older. We can live in one of the cabins, hunt for food, and have lots of babies to help us grow a garden."

Austin laughed, loving the way her eyes glowed with excitement. He caught a glimpse of the grown up Ana, and her beauty was breathtaking. As he gazed out at the town below, he envisioned them down there as she said, with a couple of kids in tow as they hiked through the woods in search of dinner. There would be no bullies up here. There would never be a threat of the rich kids against the poor. Everyone would be on the same page, finding food and making supplies to help them make it through the winter. His smile was wistful.

"If only..."

Chapter 9

Austin found himself staring at the tree in disgust. He had returned the key the night before as promised, and he had sworn he would not return again until he could walk up to the front door with his head held high. However, here he was like a thief in the night, ready to lunge for the higher branch and heave himself up to the balcony off Ana's door. What was wrong with him anyway?

He pondered that question as he let himself in, shucked his sweatshirt and lifted the comforter to slide under the covers with Ana. He had just slid into the middle of the bed when she rolled over to face him and threw her arm and leg across his body with a contented sigh. For a second, he went still, wondering if she was no longer taking sleeping pills. He fully expected her to raise her head and either scream bloody murder or smile and say hello, but she did neither. After her sigh, she went still, and Austin forced himself to relax after a few minutes. His head was still swirling with memories, and he was reminded of his mother's live-in, the one who had cracked his ribs. He had almost done worse to Ana when she was twelve. If Austin had not returned when he did, Mack might have attacked Ana first.

Austin had been called to a domestic early that morning involving a thirteen-year-old girl who had been assaulted by her stepfather. CPS had been called to handle the interview, but Austin had been a bit forceful when he took the stepfather into custody. He purposefully slammed the suspect over the hood of his car as more memories of the afternoon Mack had gotten a hold of Ana circled around his troubled and confused mind. It was beginning to concern him. All these memories were becoming more difficult to handle, and they were impacting him on the job now. Yet he was unable to make them go away, just like he was unable to stay away from Ana.

During the summer following their trip up north, he had somehow managed to get the truck his father abandoned running. With transportation and his learner's permit soon after, he was able to get a job by fall, and he went to work for the local gas station, one of the few Mom and Pop places left in the East Valley. Although they had few customers, the husband and wife team were kind, and they took him on without question. He learned about automotive repair and practiced on his father's truck, and they had a young kid eager to learn for little pay. It worked out well for both of them, so well that Mrs. Bartlett had taken him to get his driver's license the week before so he would have it in time to celebrate Christmas with the Evans family. He was officially a licensed driver.

However, Ana had grown intensely jealous of the time stolen away from her over the past few months. So jealous, in fact, that she had gathered the courage to go to his house to wait for him to come home. How she had managed the five-mile walk had never come to light, but he suspected she had claimed she was having a play date with a friend in her old neighborhood and walked across the desert patch to his trailer.

He could not even begin to count the amount of times he had warned Ana against coming to his trailer, but the stubborn twerp never listened. She always had a mind of her own, and he could hardly reason with her.

Even so, following the tongue lashing he gave her after he found her screaming inside his trailer, they developed an understanding. She feared his temper enough to nod meekly and never went back there again.

Taking a deep breath, Austin tried to force his tense body to relax, and it took several tries before he was able to erase that day from his mind. Nevertheless, it weighed so heavily on him that as soon as he drifted to sleep, everything came back again.

****

"They're saying snow tonight at 5,000 feet, kid," old Mr. Barnett said as Austin started up his truck.

He glanced up at Superstition Mountain and nodded. "It'll be pretty as a picture."

"Yep. Sure will."

Austin stared beyond Superstition Mountain to Four Peaks, which was 2,000 feet higher and would have snow cover longer. Although the majestic peak was pretty to look at, it did not have the same mysterious beauty of Superstition Mountain. Everyone in the area adored that sight, and it was rumored to be the second-most photographed spot in Arizona after the Grand Canyon. Unsurprisingly so.

"Well, I'm off," Austin said with a wave.

"Get those wipers of yours fixed tomorrow, boy."

Austin nodded. He had suspected the snow comment had already been a hint, but now the older man was making sure he got it. Grinning, Austin put the old truck into gear and pulled out of the station. Gosh, how he loved being over sixteen. Having his driver's license gave him a whole new level of freedom, and his mother did not care if he was around, as long as his paycheck went to her. He handed it over happily, saving only enough to purchase gas, make the repairs on his truck, and pay his insurance. He had even managed to sneak a few bucks to buy clothes, too. He no longer had to accept Ian Evans' cast-offs, and it was just as well considering he had grown a couple of inches taller than Ian in the past year.

He had pulled down his dirt road leading to the trailer when the hairs on the back of his neck began to prickle, and he scanned the area to see if clouds were building to the south. Only blue skies greeted him as far as he could see, but that uneasy feeling remained. There was only one other time the hairs on the back of his neck rose like that without a storm. That was when Ana was in trouble. He slammed on the brakes and backed up the truck to scan the field between her old neighborhood and his, but the desert was empty. Of course, that did not mean they were not in the wash, and he pulled forward with every intention to hike out there to make sure she was not there. Why would she be? She lived miles away now, and he usually went her way rather than the other way around.

Still, he felt nervous, tense, scared. Something was wrong; he could feel it in his bones.

He was proven right when he shut down the engine. As soon as it fell silent, he heard the outraged scream, and he was out of his truck at breakneck speed, leaving the door ajar and the keys in the ignition. He raced across the weed-filled yard, jumped over the old tires, and clamored up the dry-rotted wooden steps before the shriek even ended, and he put his shoulder to the locked door, almost tearing it off the hinges in his haste.

There, in the middle of the room, Mack lay sprawled on top of Ana. She was fighting and clawing at the drunken slob, and Mack was struggling to capture her flying hands. Even so, Austin could see that her shirt was torn in the scuffle, revealing a sports bra that covered her budding breasts, and it was obvious that Mack had done it in his attempts to hold the little vixen down.

Although having a hard time accepting that it was truly Ana inside his dingy trailer, let alone with Mack on top of her, Austin did not hesitate. He moved without thinking. As always, his instincts kicked in where Ana was concerned, and he pulled Mack off with a strength he never knew he possessed. The older man was large, beefy, fat, and a disgustingly cruel drunk.

"Are you insane?" Austin had shouted. "She's just a little girl."

"This is between me and her," Mack said angrily. "She crossed a line and needs to pay."

"Like hell," Austin growled.

Mack tried to swing at Austin, but he easily ducked the punch. Although Mack had learned in recent days to avoid Austin, his anger was potent. However, Austin was no longer a lanky boy that Mack could use as a punching bag. No, Austin was growing up fast. Still lean but strong and healthy. He was a full head taller than Mack now and no longer feared him the way he used to. Especially at that moment.

"I'll show you what happens when you get into my business, pathetic piece of trash," he growled, hunching over to plow Austin down.

He did manage to get Austin to the ground, but he was too drunk to inflict much damage. Austin wiggled out from under him and planted several kicks to his meaty stomach until the older man began to puke all over the threadbare carpet. It was then that he felt Ana's small arms around his waist, hugging him tightly from behind and crying at him to stop.

Still furious, he spun on her, easily breaking her grasp as he planted his hands on his hips and yelled at her for going there to begin with. Hadn't he warned her enough?

She was trembling from head-to-toe, but she managed to raise a shaky hand and point to the floor by the sofa. There was a huge, brightly colored gift bag there, and tufts of blue and navy tissue poked out of it. She threw herself into his arms again, crying hysterically. "It was your birthday, and I didn't get to spend it with you. I wanted to bring you your present. He said you were going to be home any second, and I should come in and wait. I didn't know..."

Grasping her thin shoulders, Austin held her away from him and scowled. "Never come here. Ever."

Her head bobbed up and down several times before he pulled her back into his arms and squeezed her tight. His heart was racing from fear, anger, and dread. Now that Ana knew how bad things were at his house, would she never want to see him again? The thought was almost unbearable, especially after spending that glorious weekend up in the mountains with her uncles when she verbalized how much she loved and admired him. She had said she loved him. No one had ever said that to him before, and he cherished those three words as the most magical moment in his life.

He stared down at the top of her head, seeing her braid half-undone and long strands of hair dangling loosely over her shoulders. The sight was enough to send his rage burning throughout his body, but he restrained it under a tight rein. The seam of her zippered sweatshirt was torn, and the zipped side was hanging open along with her long-sleeved shirt. That it was just her clothing torn and not her body was a relief, considering how many injuries Austin had suffered at Mack's hands, but he still breathed a sigh. Her sports bra was twisted, and one of her young breasts was half-exposed, so he set her away from him long enough to crouch down before her and gently tug it back up, all the while burning with intense fury.

For the first time in her life, Ana had blushed in front of him, but he glanced away quickly. Unfortunately, his gaze landed on Mack, who was now on his hands and knees trying to rise. Despite Ana's pleas to stay with her, Austin strode back to Mack, and hauled him up once more by the collar of his shirt. Before he could stop himself, he planted three knuckle-breaking punches in his face. By the third one, Mack had gone limp, and Austin ignored his throbbing hand as he allowed him to fall to the ground, half-on, half-off the sofa. With a final look of disgust, he turned back to Ana. "Get in the truck. I'll bring you home."

His voice was still tight with rage, but Ana's head bobbed quickly as she raced past him, pausing only long enough to grasp the gift bag. Austin could feel his shoulders sag. He had always known this day would come. The day Ana would see the real Austin Tanner instead of the dream boy she had grown up thinking was the best thing since buttered bread. Now that she knew the true extent of his poverty, it would be too much for her.

With Ana cowering safely in his truck, Austin took a few moments to go to his room and gather his meager belongings, which he threw in his backpack before he followed her into the chilly night air outside. He inhaled deeply, allowing the cold air to cool down his raging anger. The urge to kill Mack once and for all was a powerful force inside him, but he knew it would not be worth it. If he could tolerate the pain Mack had inflicted on him, he could control his wrath. It raced through him so strongly that sweat had broken out all over his body, and he accepted that as he strode to his truck. All too soon, he would be shivering away in his sleeping bag, but first he had to get Ana home safely.

She was silent when he climbed in beside her, and she did not say a word when he started the engine and backed out of the driveway. It was not until they reached the light at Power Road that he heard her muffled sob, and he glanced over to see both hands pressed tightly against her mouth as if she was trying her hardest to stifle the sound. Muffling a curse, he pulled over into a dirt lot, but she was across the seat before he even put the truck in neutral, throwing herself at him with all her might. Her thin arms clung to him tightly, and her warm tears dripped down his neck.

"I'm so sorry. Please don't hate me," she sobbed.

Hate her? Was she nuts? He cleared his throat and awkwardly patted her back. "I, uh, I don't hate you, Ana."

"Are you sure? You're so mad at me. I've never seen you that mad before, and never at me."

"I'm not mad at you," he insisted. "I'm angry that you came to the house. You shouldn't have gone there."

"I know," she moaned. "I didn't listen to you, and I'm sorry. I was jealous. You're always at work now, and you told me about that girl who wanted to take you to prom, so I thought you had a girlfriend too. I really wanted to share your birthday with you, but you never came."

He had never had a birthday party, never had presents, and he hardly even remembered when his birthday was. That Ana had remembered and even brought him a present took the sting out of her appearance at the trailer, and he regretted shouting at her so fiercely. How could be blame her for taking her present away? "I'm sorry I yelled at you," he whispered. "I was scared... Did Mack hurt you?"

She shook her head. "My clothes tore when he tripped on me."

"Did he do anything else?"

Even asking the question made a lump rise in his throat, but Ana was shaking her head no. As innocent as she was, Austin knew that she would know and admit it if Mack had done anything truly inappropriate. He inhaled shakily. "He ruined your sweatshirt."

"It's okay. It was from last year anyway."

Austin snorted. Some of his clothes were decades old.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I didn't mean it like that."

"It's okay," he admitted. It really was. Their lives were different; he knew that as surely as she did. If she had not realized how different they were before, she certainly did now. "What about your shirt?"

She loosened her grip enough to stare down at herself and then raised terrified eyes up to his. For a moment, they were inches apart, eye to eye, and Austin stared into her dark eyes as if he could see her very soul. She was on the cusp of puberty, but even then she was still so gorgeous – the image of her stunning mother. For an insane few seconds, he wanted to kiss her, and his jaw clenched tightly. Now who's the pervert, he thought angrily.

"When do you have to be home?"

"Dad was going to pick me up at seven."

Austin glanced at the clock on his dashboard. It was only 5:30. He had saved money to purchase new windshield wipers. It was not much, but he could take her to the mall, buy her a new shirt, and then drive her home before Ford even left to get her.

"I'll buy you a new shirt and take you home to tell your parents what happened," he said softly.

That was it. The second Ford and Isabel found out that Mack had attacked their daughter, they would never allow him to see her again. Once more, that piercing pain lanced through his heart, and it was almost like Ana felt it, for her arms tightened around his neck. "Please don't tell them," she pleaded. "Please don't tattle."

"Ana," he said patiently, but his voice was thick with regret and fear. "What Mack did was wrong, very bad, and your parents need to know."

"He was drunk. We fell."

"That's no excuse."

"But nothing happened. He asked for a birthday hug and got mad when I said no, but all he did was tear my shirt when he grabbed me and fell."

"What if I hadn't gotten there when I did?" He shuddered at the thought. "What would've happened then?"

"I would've kicked him in the balls," she said bluntly.

He could not help himself. He was so caught off guard with her honesty that he let out a sharp bark of laughter. Ana lifted her head from his shoulder and smiled at him, and her tear-streaked face was the most beautiful sight he had ever beheld. He suspected she knew how affected he was, for she blinked her eyes several times and allowed her fingers to toy with his overly long hair. "Please don't tell, Austin. Please. It'll be our secret, forever and ever."

"Stop it," he growled. Her flirting was affecting him, very much so, and he was certain in another second she would know just how much.

"Say yes," she insisted.

"Fine. Okay. It's a deal, but if anything like that ever happens again, you swear to me that you'll tell me right away. Got it?"

"I promise," she said with a hint of triumph.

She was twelve, and already she knew how to wrap a guy around her little finger. Austin huffed gruffly as she pressed her lips against his cheek then scooted off his lap. His heart was racing like it had been when he dashed up the stairs to the trailer, but this time for an entirely different reason. Ana was too young, and he was no better than Mack for thinking and reacting the way he was now.

He was about to pull out of the dirt lot when her little hand reached out to cover his hand on the gear shift. "Wait," she said.

He glanced at her again, unable to take his eyes off the gaping shirt and destroyed sweatshirt. Sighing heavily, he put the truck back into neutral and set the brake before reaching behind her for his backpack. He unzipped it and found one of his T-shirts, which he handed to her. "Put this on, okay?"

Her eyes widened as if he had given her the most precious gift ever, and she pressed the shirt to her nose and inhaled deeply. "It smells like you," she said, her eyes glowing.

"I don't stink," he said defensively.

She laughed. "I didn't mean that in a bad way. It was a good way, honest."

With no signs of modesty, she tugged off her broken sweatshirt and the torn shirt followed, leaving her in her white sports bra. He looked away hastily, his eyes scanning the street for any cops who might think they were up to no good while she pulled his shirt over her head. "We don't have to go to the store. I'll just wear this home."

He frowned. "Are you sure? What will your mom think?"

"I'll tell her I spilled some fruit punch on my top, so you gave me one of yours. Mom always complains about red dye #5. The stains never come out."

He nodded slowly, absorbing her logic as if through a haze. "Fine then. I'll take you home."

"But wait. I want you to open your presents."

He stared at her blankly. "Presents?"

She nodded, and Austin felt the remaining anger drain away to be replaced with excitement. That she was not taking back the gift was the first surprise, and that she said presents indicated that there was more than one. He did not know whether to grin or cry.

He had known her for more than six years, but it was only that year that he admitted his birthday. Since it was right before Christmas break, she had never noticed. At least until the Christmas before. That was when he gave in and told her that his birthday had come and gone, and she had been furious that he did not share it with her. When she reached down for the bag at her feet, his heart had swelled so much that he felt the sting of tears. It was almost like she had put six years' worth of presents together for him as item after item was presented in colorful "happy birthday" wrapping paper.

Austin's hands were trembling when he began opening them. A brand new sweater, two pairs of jeans and two shorts, two designer shirts, a new sweatshirt, a package of boxers and socks, which she admitted were from her mother, and an insulated water bottle. All brand new. He had never owned anything brand new. Never.

"Wow, twerp, I don't know what to say," he mumbled as he gazed at all the new finery.

"Don't say anything. Just give me a hug and a kiss." When he glanced at her dubiously, she grinned. "That's what we do at home."

He nodded his head slowly and leaned across the seat to give her a hug and kiss her cheek, but she turned at the last minute and planted her mouth against his. He jerked away as if she had just placed a burning hot rod against his lips, but Ana continued smiling up at him while he resisted the urge to explore his lips where they had touched.

"Happy birthday, Austin," she murmured, nestling her head into his neck and inhaling deeply. "I hope you have many more good ones ahead."

Austin was not so sure about that. That birthday had lingered in his memory for a long time. It ended up being not only his first but also his best birthday celebration. His first birthday party with the Evans' immediately became a family gathering. As soon as he arrived with Ana, Isabel asked why Austin was the one driving her home, and she insisted that they go out to eat to celebrate as soon as she learned the significance of the date. Not only had he received brand new clothes for the first time, but he ate out at a restaurant, had a birthday cake, and his first kiss – all on the same day.

Austin drove to his little home in the desert that night feeling as if he was walking on air, and he doubted he would ever have as special a day as he had then.

Chapter 10

When Austin woke from his dream, his first thought was wondering if Ana had ever told her parents about Mack's sloppy advance. Somehow, he doubted it. It was another one of their secrets that was never revealed. However, now that Ana had a taste of what could have been the outcome if Mack had not been so drunk or Austin had not arrived in time, he wondered if she would tell.

She should. If he was a parent, he would want to know. Of course, Mack had long ago disappeared. In fact, less than a week after he attacked Ana, he had packed his crap and taken off. Austin assumed he was tired of waiting for the cops to come knocking on the door to arrest him for assaulting a minor and decided to flee instead. Either way, both Austin and Ana were happy to see him go, and Mack's attack became another memory that they stored away between themselves.

His gaze drifted to the shelves of journals, and he wondered if she had written about it in there. As he was thinking about it, he stretched out his long legs and bumped the journal he had picked up before. It was a bit of a reach, but he was able to grasp it with his free hand without disturbing Ana, who was still huddled against his side, her lips slightly parted and her thick dark lashes resting against her pale cheeks.

The bruises had faded, but her flawless olive skin was still a sickly shade of gray. He wanted her to open her eyes and smile at him the way she had after she kissed him on her birthday. Damn, if that had not been one of the greatest shocks in his life. Actually, every shock in his life had something to do with Ana.

If only he knew...

Book in hand, Austin fumbled to find the page he had left off on the night before, but it fell out of his fingers and lay open beside him. It was too dark to decipher, but he noticed right away that there was black ink where only crayon had appeared the night before. Someone had written on the first page, and it did not take a genius to know who.

Curiosity piqued, Austin grasped the book and angled it to catch the moonlight, only to have it fall back to his side as he felt the blood leave his face in a rush that left him feeling lightheaded and dizzy.

No. It couldn't be. No. He had seen the whole attack, hadn't he? No. It wasn't possible.

"Please don't let me be pregnant."

No...

Austin swallowed away a lump the size of a watermelon and forced himself to go back to that night the previous week. From across the lawn, he had seen them surround her and watched them grab her arms and legs and drag her into the darkness. He immediately had given chase, racing across the street, through the park, and into the fray. There were six of them, and he had pulled off two while two others ran. There was the man choking her, laughing stupidly, his massive hands wrapped around Ana's neck... and his jeans around his knees.

Had Ana truly been violated completely?

He thought he had stopped it in time. He had dragged the guy off of Ana and beat him senseless with a tree branch from a rotting tree they had dragged her under. He had knocked him so hard that the branch had broken in his hand.

A sickening feeling of dread began to suck Austin into a vortex of pain and agony, and he blinked back the sudden rush of tears. It could not be. He had been there. Always, he had been there to save Ana from trouble. Never had he failed her. Not once.

Until now.

Apparently, he had failed her. At least to the point where she feared she might have gotten pregnant. Who else would know besides the victim? She would know if she had been raped, far better than him. He had arrived in time to pull the man off of her. What if he had been too late? No, not what if. The fact was: he had.

Without even realizing what he was doing, his hands balled into tight fists as he let out a low moan of regret. Tears streamed down his face – again – like a silent waterfall of remorse and guilt. He had failed the woman he loved above all else.

He wanted, no needed, to make things right. But how? What could he do? He was just a man. He could not make any decisions like the ones she would be facing if her fears turned out to be true. But... he could help her. If she was pregnant and accepted her child, he would stand by her. If she would have him, he would marry her, and he would help her face her future with a child not born of love but of drunken violence.

The one thing that had broken them apart was the one thing he eagerly accepted now. Who would've thought, he wondered as he slowly slid away from her side and reached for his sweatshirt. It was amazing how Ana had sat in a bed like this one, her legs crossed as she perched in the center and smiled at him while he stared at her blankly.

"When we get married, we'll have a dozen kids..."

She had spoken so innocently that Austin had stared at her, slack-jawed and stunned. When he had spoken in a panic, telling her he was not marrying her, everything had gone downhill until she had screamed at him to leave her alone and never return. Now here he was, ready to march her down the aisle, despite his vow otherwise. He always wanted the best for Ana, and he never considered himself high on the list. That was what he had meant then, and he still felt that way. However, if she was caught in a bind, nothing would stop him from trying to make things right for her.

Austin slipped out the doors and climbed down the tree, this time not falling from the lowest branch on his backside and probably waking the whole family. No, he made it down safely despite the whirling in his head. If he was going to encourage Ana to marry him, he had a lot of work to do.

****

Wake up. Rise. Take medication. Shower. Brush teeth. Comb hair. Put on clean pajamas. Climb back under covers. Sleep.

Wake up. Refuse food. Try to smile at David when he comes in and reads out loud. Refuse lunch. Let Mom rock her in her arms. Sleep. Refuse dinner. Allow Dad to bring up toast and nibble on that. Take medication. Sleep.

Ana's routine had become so regularly boring that she did not immediately notice the package on the dresser. She opened her eyes with Austin's scent in her nose again, but as usual the comforter was pulled tight, the pillows properly fluffed, and no sign of him anywhere.

Except for that morning.

She had heard her parents whispering the night before that they were sure Austin was going to come to visit sooner or later, but Ana was not as confident. She had been pretty adamant, and poor, dear Austin had always waited for the day when she would turn against him because of who he was. As soon as the moment arrived when she sneered that he was nothing but white trash, she had sealed their fate and made sure he never came back.

Gosh, how she regretted those words. If only she could take them back.

She missed her golden Adonis. She missed his smile, his laughter, his patience, and most of all, his companionship. He had always tolerated her, even when she was at her most obnoxious, and he never yelled at her. Well, only once. Looking back, she definitely deserved it. In fact, she deserved more than him yelling at her to never go to his house again. She should have been smacked around a little the way his mother and her boyfriend smacked him around.

Poor Ana. She was attacked by six men. How many times had Austin been attacked by almost the same amount? How many times had he been beaten up? Far more than her, and yet she was lying around in bed, refusing to talk to anyone, and hiding from the world because of her shame.

Well, shame on her.

She was tougher than that. If Austin could have lived through years of abuse and fear and still turned out so well, she could survive one incident without him there to save her.

Or was he?

Would she ever know if it was really Austin who had come to her rescue with that bellow of sheer rage? Was it him as she thought, or was it a Good Samaritan who had humored her on the taxi ride to the hospital to keep her calm? She would probably never know because she had sent Austin away.

Ana pushed herself into a seated position, and her gaze landed on the dresser. That was when she saw it. A single red rose wrapped in the leather tie of a brand new soft leather journal embossed with a heart. There were three words inside it that almost brought tears to her eyes.

"Love always wins."

Thinking her mother was trying to draw her out, Ana climbed out of bed and reached for it, lifting the journal to her nose and inhaling the fresh scent of leather. It was heavy, with thick pages and gold trim, but the red silk bookmark was seated two pages in rather than midway through the book.

Ana returned to the bed and sat down in the middle, gently loosening the rose from the tie before unwrapping the journal and opening the cover. There was no dedication. She flipped through the pages, finding that most of them were still stuck together, another sign of its newness. But the bookmark...

She reached for the bookmark and opened it to the page it marked, gasping when she saw the neat, block-capital handwriting.

That was not her mother's elegant script. Nor was it David's scrawl or her father's square writing. No... it looked like Austin's.

Although excitement battled with the fear of raising her hopes too high, Ana eagerly read what was written. It was only a few sentences, but it was enough to bring a smile to her dry lips.

"What I love about you," it began. Then two more sentences. "I love your spirit." And "I love your innocence."

No signature. No more writing. She knew that because she flipped through several more pages before impatiently exploring the entire book. Nothing.

Ana studied the journal intently, wondering what to do with it. She had not written in one since she began to study for finals, and that journal was still in Boston. Looking back, she had filled that journal with pages of immature whining after Thanksgiving. There had been a rumor that Austin was seeing a woman, and Ana had been devastated even though she knew it was bound to happen sooner or later. She had not been able to move on without Austin, and every private thought recorded had lamented what she had done. Now it all seemed so foolish. Had she known what would happen that cold, rainy night, she would have focused more on her studies instead of wallowing in grief.

She would have to decide soon what she was going to do. Of course, the school had given her an extension on her finals due to the "special circumstances" of her situation. God forbid anyone mention the "R" word on campus. No university wanted to admit that a sexual assault had happened. It was not too late to salvage her grades, and she had been on track to do so. However, she was undecided as to whether she could return or not. She had two years under her belt. She could transfer her credits back to Arizona and kiss her Ivy League education goodbye if she chose.

Was that what she wanted?

Ana threw herself back against her pillows and groaned. She did not know what she wanted. All she knew was that every time she closed her eyes, memories of those boys chasing her and tackling her to the ground filled her vision, and she could still feel those strong hands around her neck, their laughter, the pain of the punches, the dizziness and nausea when they slammed her head over and over again, and the humiliation of having her clothing torn off.

Then there was the furious roar, animalistic, primitive, violent, and angry. One by one, the men were picked off of her, and when she started to regain consciousness she heard them pleading for mercy before gentle arms surrounded her. She was shielded from the icy rain with a coat that smelled so much like Austin that she had clung to him and called his name through her oxygen-starved dizziness.

Reaching for the pen on her nightstand, Ana scribbled several lines below his: "What I love about you." After tapping the pen against her chin, she too wrote two sentences. "I love your bravery." And "I love your decency."

She wrapped the journal back up, minus the rose, and returned it to the dresser where she found it. Then she tackled her morning chores. Shower. Brush teeth. Put on new nightgown. Comb hair. Etcetera, etcetera.

When her mother poked her head in for breakfast, Ana accepted a bowl of oatmeal sprinkled with blueberries and managed to get a few bites down before she set it aside.

When David came along, she handed him the journal that he had tossed on the bed several days before and nodded, and he curled up alongside her so they could travel back in time to when he was recently out of diapers, and she was an idealistic child with an Adonis hero.

She had met Austin when she was in the first grade. David was attending preschool for three hours a day, three days a week. He was still a baby in her eyes, but in reality, he was four. It all seemed so long ago, especially when she listened to her brother speaking in Italian, his deep voice as gentle and romantic as the language itself. She settled alongside him, not flinching when his arm surrounded her shoulders. Lying side-by-side, she allowed him to read to her about meeting Austin, Carter Birmingham, and the bullies that had taunted Austin for his entire youth.

Sunday had passed when David reached the day of the scorpion attack, and Ana shuddered with the memory.

"Did that really happen?" David asked.

"Don't you remember going to the hospital with us?"

It was the first full sentence Ana had spoken since returning home, and David's eyes went wide at the sound of her voice. He smiled then, and it was so full of relief that Ana felt tears rise in her eyes. How selfish of her. Her family was falling apart out of fear for her, while she shriveled away inside herself and wallowed in self-pity. Her facial injuries had stopped hurting when she spoke several days before. She could have been talking; she just had not wanted to.

Her own eyes filled with tears, and she swallowed back a lump forming in her throat. "I'm so sorry for scaring you."

"You have nothing to be sorry about," he replied gruffly.

"Oh, but I do," she whispered. "I have so much to be sorry for."

"Not with me you don't."

"Maybe not with you, but with others."

Austin.

Oh, how she owed Austin such a huge apology.

If he gave her the chance, she would apologize, even if she had to drop to her knees and kiss his boots to express how sorry she was.

And she would.

****

With his heart in his throat, Austin went straight for the journal rather than the bed. He noticed that the rose was missing and knew someone had found it. Glancing around the darkened room, he found the rose in a narrow glass vase on her nightstand and smiled. At least it was in water and not thrown out the window.

He opened the page marked by the bookmark, and little ripples of pleasure raced down his spine. His note had been answered, and it was more than he had hoped for.

That entire day he had sat at home watching football, counting down the minutes when he could sneak into the Evans' home and see if his gift was noticed. It had been a torturous wait, so long that he could not even remember who won the day's games.

However, now he was here, and there was a response to his note. He read what she wrote back and smiled. Surely she knew it was him. She must have. Bravery and decency. Certainly not anything he would have considered of himself, but if that was what she thought, then so be it. Perhaps she believed it was her father? Austin was unsure, but he pulled his pen out of his pocket and wrote again, three lines on a new page. As soon as the ink was dry, he reset the bookmark and wandered over to the bed.

Should he stay or go?

He shook his head wryly. Like he had a choice in the matter. One look at Ana's classically beautiful profile was all it took for him to tug his sweatshirt over his head and pull back the covers.

Just a few hours, he thought.

But then Ana was there, in his arms, her hand finding its favorite spot above his heart, and this time he reached for it and held it there the way she had clutched his hand. Perhaps after work he would go to the front door and visit her outright. She had responded to his note, so she knew he was near. Maybe it was time to come out of the shadows and show himself directly to her.

His eyes drifted closed as the warmth of Ana's body slowly relaxed him. Tomorrow seemed so far away when she was sleeping peacefully by his side. He could feel her warm breasts pressing against his side, and her long leg straddled his hips. The more selfish part of him treasured these stolen moments, for this was the closest he had been to her since that final blowout. It had been a long time since he had been able to show her the depths of his love, only to be pushed away when he denied her ultimate dream.

This was their test. If they could make it through this, then perhaps things were not as bad as he feared.

He was holding his breath as he relaxed into slumber, fearing she would not answer him the next morning when she realized it was not her father writing to her, but him – Austin Tanner. The straggly boy from the gutter, the swarthy skinned, tow-headed giant who had nothing to offer her except memories of their youth.

The boy who had protected her, and the man who loved her.

Chapter 11

"What I admire about you."

Two sentences: "I admire your intelligence," and "I admire your optimism."

She had written back: "I admire your ambition," and "I admire your tenacity."

She was breathless when she hopped out of bed the next morning as the sun was rising, excited to see what he had written. However, when she opened the journal, her heart sunk and excitement dimmed.

"What I fear about you."

Oh, crap, she thought. Her gaze remained glued to the spot, too frightened to glance down and see what was written. She was convinced that it was Austin. Only he would be clever enough to draw her out of her slump like that. While her family wrung their hands and stared at her in silent helplessness, Austin had come up with a witty idea to draw her back. Until now.

She stood frozen, too afraid to look. What had he written? Was he afraid that she had been violated, shamed, scarred for life?

Inhaling deeply, Ana compressed her lips and forced her gaze downward. Two sentences. Like the others.

"I fear your smile."

Huh?

"I fear your strength."

Double huh.

Of all the strange things to write; he had to choose those two things. Why her smile? Was he saying she had somehow led those men into attacking her? If so, he was sorely mistaken. She had made the error of remaining at the library too long, walking home by herself, and crossing through the dark lawn deserted because of the icy rain. They had come up behind her, not even seeing her face until they had her on the ground. She did not smile. Oh no. There was nothing to smile about. She had not smiled. Not once.

Strength? She had none. She was sitting alone in her room, refusing to eat, sleeping her day away and taking pills at night to keep the nightmares at bay. If that was not the most cowardly thing to do, she did not know what could top that. She was a wimp, pure and simple.

Picking up her pen, she began writing. If he wanted to know what she feared about him, she would be honest. She was not going to lie or skim the surface of their deeper issues. No way. He started it; he could finish it.

She set the pen down and returned the journal to its spot, gathered up the two-dozen red roses, and hummed lightly as she skipped down the stairs to find a larger vase. She greeted her amazed mother with a small smile and set the flowers on the counter, ignoring her gawking stare while searching out yet another vase.

After a long silence while Ana was bent over looking through the cabinets, Isabel Evans crossed her arms over her chest and frowned thoughtfully. "Is he going to spend his entire life's savings on flowers, or will he just come to the front door and take you out of here?"

"I dunno," she replied honestly.

"Those are prettier than the ones yesterday," her mother continued, uncrossing her arms so she could unwrap the flowers. "I wish he would give them to us straight away instead of sneaking in at night and leaving them to wilt."

"Maybe he works days."

"He does."

Ana glanced up sharply. "How do you know?"

Isabel wiggled her eyebrows mysteriously. "You might not be talking to him, but we are."

Ana harrumphed, telling herself she would not dare to ask what they knew about his current activities and instead dug into another cabinet until Isabel reached above her head with a patient sigh. "Here."

Ana rolled her eyes. "You could've told me."

"You could've asked."

Ana opened her mouth to respond, but her mother was right. Unable to come up with a snippy response, she took the vase her mother handed her and reached for the scissors. There were two pairs, and she wordlessly took both out. Her mother's eyes were gleaming with joy when she took the extra pair, but Ana averted her face from the sight. One step at a time. That was the key.

****

Mother and daughter stood together, their heads close, as they trimmed the ends of the roses and organized them into the vase. That was how Ford found them when he came down for breakfast, and he stopped short when he saw Ana standing with Isabel, dressed in jeans and a snug red sweater. His relief was so powerful that he felt lightheaded, and he reached out to grasp the counter to keep from falling. It took him several moments to realize what the two women were doing, and when he saw the flowers, he smiled. So, they were right. Austin was the only one. Lord knows, they all tried.

Austin Tanner.

When Ana was little and brought that scraggly kid home with her, he never expected a bond that tight to form. After all, Ana was a little six-year-old, and he was a gangly 10-year-old. They had absolutely nothing in common except for some pretty vicious bullies. However, even after they moved, Austin continued to visit. He would walk five miles even in the 114◦ weather to see Ana, and Ford had grown to admire the kid's loyalty. Ford never complained when Isabel went shopping for the boy, and he never complained when Austin's damned mother stole everything she had bought. Together they held their tongues and got him new items under the guise of handing down Ian's castoffs, for they knew he tried his best to hide his treasures from his mother.

Ford realized exactly what the boy dealt with after he was stung by the scorpions. When he had driven to their trailer, his mother had yanked open the door angrily, yelling even before she saw Ford standing there. She never batted one blue eye when Ford told her how close to death her son had come. When he finished explaining the incident, she had not asked how her son was doing but rather complained about the late hour and large hospital bill. Austin was on state health insurance, and Ford had put his name down as the responsible party, but he understood then that Austin had very little love in his life.

Ana had brought home a beaten and bruised puppy in Ford's eyes, and Austin had never left.

At first, it was hard for Ford to comprehend why Austin held Ana in such high regard, and it took several years for him to understand that the boy was lonely. Ana would bring him home after he had been attacked by that Birmingham brat and his friends, and Ford finally realized that Ana was his only friend. Perhaps because of Ana, Austin had broken the cycle and made a good life for himself. Maybe it was because of Ana that he had turned out so well. He and Isabel could hardly accept the praise, and Ford knew it was not the kid's mother. He had never met a woman so coldhearted and selfish. No, it was all Ana. She had bravely accepted Austin for who he was, and the boy was so desperate that he clung to the single person who cared for him freely. Just like a lost puppy.

He could not contain the smile that curved his lips at his last thought. No one would call Austin a puppy now. The gangly young boy had turned out to be all man, a true Adonis as Isabel had called him. Not only was he tall, fair, and handsome, but he was smart. When Mrs. Lawn found him in the third grade and noticed how brilliant he was, an entire band of teachers surrounded him like overprotective mother hens, ensuring that he was placed in the most challenging courses and pushing him to his limits. He had gone to middle school with the highest recommendations, and Ford suspected Mrs. Lawn had personally spoken with the principal about him. Once again, he was challenged to his capacity.

When Austin reached high school, his first and only thought was to finish as quickly as possible. He took all AP courses and dual-enrolled while working to support his mother. By the time he graduated, he already had two years of college complete. When he finished the police academy, he had his bachelor's in criminal justice and was on the fast track to upper management.

A sergeant.

When Ana was attacked, Austin was in the process of applying for a position as a sergeant. He had returned from Boston to find a new position waiting for him. Chuck had warned them that Austin had a lot on his plate, but somehow he still managed to weave his magic on Ana.

She stood next to her mother, and they worked in tandem, appearing so similar from behind with their long, silky black hair, small waists and trim hips. While Ana's waist was narrower than her mother's, Ford still was proud of his wife. From behind, it was almost impossible to tell who was mother and who was daughter; they were so alike.

Deciding he had stared for too long and did not want to shatter the tenuous truce between Ana and life, Ford made his presence known. "More flowers?"

Both women jumped guiltily, and Ana's hand snaked out to grasp her mother's. Isabel glanced over her shoulder with a smile, but her fingers entwined with Ana's reassuringly. "Shame on you, _tesoro_ , you startled us. What would you like for breakfast, _amore_?"

"How about my two favorite ladies?"

"I don't think we'd taste well enough. Too bony and too much grizzle on me," Isabel replied with a wink at Ana.

Ana smiled.

Ford's heart leapt.

He swore right then that when he saw Austin Tanner next, he would grab the boy and hug him tight.

"How about two fried eggs with sausage and bacon?"

"Not with your heart, _mio amore più caro_. Oatmeal with strawberries it is."

Ford groaned out loud and scowled at Isabel's back. "If you already knew what you were going to force me to eat, why did you ask?"

"To remind you what you're missing," she replied lightly.

Ford continued scowling. "My heart's fine."

"And I'd like to keep it that way."

Although Ana remained focused on her task, Ford noticed that she was listening to their exchange carefully. It made him wonder if she was envisioning herself with her future spouse. What had Isabel said? Tanner would make a great son-in-law.

The idea made him shudder. He was not ready for Ana to marry. She was only twenty-one. Legally she might be an adult, but she was still his baby. Besides, she had to finish university and graduate school if she chose. Then she would establish herself in her career before she settled down and had babies...

The thought of that happening almost made him ill. She was far too young, and he was not ready. After all, he had been lucky. For the most part, his siblings had waited to marry. While Grady had married soon after Ford, the rest of them, except for Jamie's brief marriage straight out of college, had waited until their thirties to settle down. In Jamie's case, it had been a blessing. She was far happier with Andrew than she ever was with her ex-husband. Clay was like Jamie's attempt at rebellion. None of them had approved of the man, so she had run off and married him, only to return a few years later in the midst of a bitter divorce. Now she was settling down with her first child on the way, and the idea of Ana having babies the same age as her cousins made him sick to his stomach.

Turning abruptly from the sight of her arranging flowers, he reached for a mug to pour himself some of Isabel's Italian coffee. As soon as he poured it, he noticed Ana's gaze and raised his eyebrows in question. When she nodded, his heart soared, and once again he vowed that he would hug Tanner the moment he saw him.

Grandkids be damned. He wanted his little girl back, no matter what happened.

He slid his mug toward Ana and poured himself a new one before spinning around to watch the two women flit around in the kitchen. This was more like it. Although no one spoke, he was pleased to see Ana up and about, and he could not help but break the silence as Isabel doled out a serving of oatmeal.

"What are you ladies planning to do today?"

Isabel smiled brightly. "Well, I'm feeding you breakfast at the moment. After that, I'm free for the day. Did you have something in mind, my handsome love?"

He chuckled. "I have to work. You know that." He turned to Ana, who was watching their teasing eye contact. "What about you, Peanut?"

"Oh, I, uh, I need to study for my finals."

He nodded his approval. "Good idea."

When he did not elaborate or press her further, she smiled slightly again. Ford reached out and gave her upper arm a squeeze then turned to Isabel.

"You're really forcing me to eat oatmeal?"

The whining tone in his voice made Isabel laugh lightly. "If you weren't always sneaking out to eat all that fried food with Andrew, I wouldn't make you eat so healthy in the morning. You're not getting any younger, you know."

"Trust me, I know," he grumbled, remembering his thoughts about Ana and grandchildren.

He strode up behind Isabel and planted a warm kiss on her neck, and she leaned against him with a sigh. He could tell by the slight tremble in her limbs that she was as aware of Ana's observation as he was, and she was just as determined to remain happy as he was. Ana had made a large step that morning, being up bright and early, showered and dressed, and ready to face the day. Their daughter was down but not out, and pride filled his chest at her display of inner strength.

When he lifted his head, Ana was sipping coffee with a thoughtful expression. The bruises that had marred her face had faded to a dull brown and yellow, but they were still there in stark contrast to her flawless skin. She had inherited her mother's light-olive complexion as well as her ebony hair, but both lacked the gleam of vitality usually present in both women. Ford was eager to see its return.

Austin had done or said something, and Ford suspected it was not just leaving a few flowers. Ana was thoughtfully silent, but she joined her parents at the small nook off the kitchen and even ate a few bites of oatmeal. Ford wanted to encourage her to eat more, but he held his tongue and kept the conversation on normal day-to-day activities... which inevitably led to the upcoming holidays.

"I'm doing my Christmas shopping at lunch," he mentioned between bites. "Do you have a list for me?"

Isabel raised her head and clucked her tongue. "When have I ever given you a list?"

"Good point. Shall I surprise you again?"

He reached out to cover her hand with his, and her smile reappeared wider than ever. "I love surprises."

"Then make sure you're not at the mall when I am," he replied, lightly squeezing her hand.

"I'll go this morning."

"I know what that means. I'll turn around if I see you this afternoon," he warned with a wink.

"Of course you will." She shifted her glance toward Ana. "Would you like me to pick anything up for you?"

Ana's head slowly cocked to the side as she thought about it, but then she shook her head. "No," she said in a small voice. "But would you mind if I tagged along?"

"If I take you, David will insist upon coming."

She nodded her understanding. From here on out, she would have a guard – a self-appointed one. Ford knew that Ana and David were close, but the appreciation in her eyes showed him just how much she loved her brother. She was nodding her head when she replied. "That's fine."

"Good then. I'll make sure he's up by nine. How's that?"

"That's good. I'll get some studying done before then."

Ford sat back in his chair with a heavy sigh. Could things get any better?

****

Austin leaned over the passenger window, his hat pulled low over his eyes as he stared at the middle-aged woman who had tears glittering like crystals in her eyes. Ignoring the slight pleading look, he spoke automatically. "License, registration, and proof of insurance, please."

The woman was shaking noticeably, a not uncommon sight, but he remained unmoved. He had a job to do, and he was determined to do it right even though he was tired from his sleepless nights added to his stupid idea of pulling an overtime shift. She meekly held out the required information, stumbling and fumbling so much that her wallet dumped all over the passenger seat. Austin's gaze landed upon a family photo exposed among a group of receipts from various grocery stores. Her, her husband, and a brood of three children all smiling and happy – at least when the photo was taken.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," she mumbled, rapidly scooping up the contents.

He nodded briskly and returned to his patrol car, gripping her license in his hand. "Anna MacDonald."

Anna. Ana.

The two women could not be any more different, with Ana being dark and mysteriously beautiful and that woman blond and thickening at the waist, but her name still brought with it memories. He was anxious for night to come and eager to read what Ana had written. He had been bold the night before by exposing his fears, and he wondered what she had written in response. Or maybe she had grown tired of the game and did not respond at all. That remained to be seen. Either way, he was anxious to finish his shift and get home to shower and wait for everyone to go to bed.

He ran the woman's plate and information, seeing that she had not, in fact, had many violations. No wonder she was just about in tears, he thought in amusement. At least she had not tried to sway him with a hint of leg or a deliberate view of her cleavage, or even most blatantly, a flat-out offer to do anything to get out of a ticket.

He was feeling a little more indulgent than usual, and he raised his gaze to stare at the SUV thoughtfully. Just then, another SUV came toward them on the opposite side of the road, and Austin recognized it immediately. Although the Evans' were well-to-do, Isabel Evans had driven the same SUV for years. He recognized the small dent in the front fender that David had put on it when he was learning to drive. It had happened the day before he and Ana had their falling out.

He scanned the occupants and sat back with a hissing breath. Right there next to Isabel was Ana. Fully dressed, her hair hanging like a silk curtain over her shoulders, and staring straight ahead. It was just a glimpse as they drove past, but it was enough for Austin to feel as though a ton of bricks landed upon his head. His heart stilled first then began racing wildly, and his palms grew moist at the realization that Ana was out of bed, dressed, and even had left the house.

His writing hand was shaky, but he managed to fill out the form, and he approached the waiting SUV with a little bit lighter step. He even allowed himself to smile as he bent to lean into the window.

"Slow down, okay?"

"I will," she said instantly.

He handed her the paperwork, her license, and insurance card and finally her registration. "You've done well so far, so keep up the good work."

"Do I have to go to court?"

That was when he chuckled. "No. This is a written warning. But keep it under 65 on the roads."

She reached out and gripped his hand, her cold fingers clinging to his clammy ones. The tears she had so far managed to hold at bay began to stream down her face, unchecked and uncared for. "Thank you so much. Oh, thank you."

He plucked his hand from her grip. "It's no problem. Just watch your speed."

"No, you don't understand..."

She drifted off when Austin made to straighten, but he raised a questioning brow.

"My mother's dying. I'm on my way to hospice now."

Once again, Austin felt as though he had been hit in the head, this time by a stubborn ol' mule. Wincing, he straightened. "Why didn't you say something?"

"I don't know. I was just..."

"Where is she?"

She rattled off an address, and Austin nodded. His overtime shift was almost done. When he was finished with this motorist, he would be able to go home, have some dinner, maybe pump some iron, and wait until he could see Ana again. However, he found himself leaning back into her car. "Follow me."

He knew what it felt like to lose a parent before Christmas, and it was not a pleasant feeling, no matter how old. First, his father had taken off when he was in the third grade, three days before his birthday. When he turned twenty, his mother had passed away of breast cancer. He was an orphan to the best of his knowledge, with no relatives on either side.

His heart was aching for the poor woman as he led her through the growing rush-hour to her mother's side. At least that was one thing he could do to offset keeping her on the side of the road for fifteen minutes. She was still sobbing when she thanked him at the hospice center, but Austin merely nodded. "Good luck, ma'am."

"Bless you," she replied.

Chapter 12

Austin felt a strange numbness, like he was floating above his body and viewing the scene below when the doctor approached. "Is there anyone we can call for you?"

Was there anyone to call? He could not think of a soul, but his lips were moving and rattling off a number. Fifteen-minutes later, Ana was running toward him as if the devil was pursuing her, and through his blurred vision he could see tears streaming down her face.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Ana cried, throwing herself at him and clinging to him tightly.

He had completely broken down in front of Ana maybe once in the ten years he had known her, and that was the only time. There was no love between his mother and him, but that did not mean he did not feel her loss acutely. He was now truly alone in a big world, with no one to yell at him, berate him, tell him he was worthless, and mock him for attending college when he should be working fulltime to give her more money...

Even so, she was his mother, and now she was gone.

It had been quick. A month maybe. First she complained about a pain in her chest, which he had shrugged off. His mother always had some random aches and pains. However, when she continued to claim the pain was getting increasingly worse, Austin had forced her into his old truck and had driven her to the doctor.

The news was grim.

The cancer had spread from her breast into her lymph nodes, which spread to her liver, and into her spinal cord. Worse, it had attached to her bones, and spread from there, too. They gave her six weeks; she made it a month.

He was slow to become aware that Ana was stroking his hair and holding his head against her chest, crooning softly to him and asking over and over again why he never told her. When he was able to catch his breath, he finally managed to mumble. "You were mad at me."

"Mad at you? What for?"

"Homecoming."

Oh, that stupid homecoming dance. She had asked him to be her date, and he had refused, feeling foolish for escorting a 16-year-old when he was a whopping 20.

She made a strange garbled sound, sort of a groan and sob at the same time, but her arms tightened around him. "Silly, silly, boy," she crooned as he sobbed into her firm little breasts.

They remained locked together for a good fifteen-minutes before he realized that Ana was there, her lips pressing little kisses on the top of his head, one hand smoothing his hair from his tear-streaked face, another hand stroking his back lightly. When he finally composed himself, Isabel was there too, and together, the two ebony-haired beauties had taken him from his mother's side and brought him back to their house. While the funeral arrangements were made, Ford Evans helped him settle his mother's measly estate. He sold the land and the trailer to pay her bills, and Ford guided him through the process step-by-step as he numbly went through the motions.

He was alone but not alone. He had the Evans family there to help him.

And he had Ana.

He tried to hide his grief under a hard shell of words like, "She never cared for me," and "I'm better off without her." However, Ana knew him better than that after all those years. Isabel had placed him in the bedroom next to hers, and she went to him every night when everyone was asleep. Three nights in a row, she arrived and climbed under the covers with him, and he buried his face in her neck and held onto her as if he feared losing her, too. He had feared losing her. There was nothing keeping him in Arizona. He could go anywhere in the world he wanted to go now that he no longer had the guilt his mother heaped upon his shoulders. But leaving Ana was out of the question. Even then, he knew that he could never leave her behind.

Although just a teenager, and a gangly one at that, Ana was more like a mother to him than his own had been. She cradled him in her skinny arms and held him close, crooning softly and stroking his hair as he wallowed in self-pity. Why couldn't he have had a family like Ana's? Why had he been born by a woman who hated her son as much as she hated her life? When he said the words out loud and punched the mattress next to Ana's hip, she replied softly without fear of his anger. "So you could meet me."

The reply was so shocking that he had raised his head, and he gazed into Ana's almond-shaped black eyes. Even through his blurred vision, he admired her beauty. She was going to be even lovelier than her mother; he saw it then as clearly as if his eyes were not brimming with tears. How could he deny such a simple statement? It was true. If she had not stumbled upon Carter Birmingham and his friends beating him up, they never would have met. She was so much younger than him, and they had only spent a year in the same school.

If his mother had not been so horrible, he never would have known Ana. He would not be there with her then, allowing her tender heart fill his with love and her sweet touch soothe his aching soul.

As he was pondering her statement, she reached up and cupped his cheeks in her hands, her thumbs lightly stroking his cheekbones. Then she did something completely unexpected. She lifted her head and kissed him. Her lips were the softest thing he had ever felt, and they burned him like they had when she had kissed him on his birthday. He tried to pull away, knowing in his heart that it was wrong, but Ana held his face trapped in her gentle hands as she experimented and memorized the feel of his mouth against hers. All thoughts of his mother rapidly disappeared, and he became acutely aware of Ana's presence in his bed with only a tank top and sweatpants between her and his hormones. His mind began to scream at him that she was only 16, but her lips were moving over his with a skill that was both teasing and infuriating until he wondered who the hell had taught her how to kiss.

When her tongue slowly slipped between his lips, his hand gripped her hip, more to anchor himself than to touch her. His head was spinning, and his imagination was running rampant with thoughts of disappearing clothing, skin against skin, and easing the pain building in his groin. It was wrong. If Ford or Isabel walked in and saw them, he would be kicked out... or worse.

However, it felt so natural kissing Ana. Their tongues parried, thrust, chased, and swirled around each other until he was sweating from the force of need building inside him. It was like her mouth was made specifically for his kisses, and he was helpless to stop her curious exploration because he was just as curious himself.

At college, he no longer carried the stigma of being the "poor white trash" kid in the neighborhood. He was lost among a sea of students on the huge campus, and everyone looked like everyone else. He had grown into his height, and he knew he was considered a handsome young man. Certainly he was better than average. After all, he was openly pursued by several girls, and many others covertly tried to gain his attention. He had even considered asking one girl out, a Hispanic young woman also majoring in criminal justice. He was about to agree to her request to join him for dinner when he realized the only reason he was talking to her was because she reminded him of Ana.

When he realized that, he had turned her down flat.

Now, after watching his mother waste away as the cancer consumed her, he was in Ana Evans' house, a guest of her family's, and he was making out with their daughter. He knew it was wrong, but Ana's hands had left his cheeks and were roaming down his back, pressing him closer and closer –

Until his eyes snapped open and he pulled away with a groan. "What are you doing?"

"Making you forget about your mom for a while."

"I can't kiss you."

"Why not?"

"You're sixteen," he said, rolling onto his back and throwing his arm over his face. He could taste her, and she was as sweet as he suspected she would be. His body ached to roll over, cover her with his length, and show her just how much he wanted her, but he could not. He would not.

Her voice was a lot calmer than his. "So?"

"Oh, that's great. Your parents walk in and find me kissing their daughter. Goodbye college; hello prison."

"They would never," she said sharply. "We've known each other all our lives."

"That's an exaggeration," he snapped foolishly.

"All right. Almost all our lives."

She had rolled onto her side, and her hand came to rest upon his racing heart. He flinched when she touched him, but he allowed her to spread her palm over his heart. He was wearing a T-shirt, and it was a harmless enough touch. If she dared moved lower to the spot that ached the most for her, then he would stop her. The last thing he wanted was trouble with the Evans'. They were all he had, especially now that his mother was gone.

"If I was pretty, would you love me, Austin?"

Her voice had grown soft, small, hesitant, and Austin raised his arm enough to peek at her through a cracked open eye. "What are you talking about?"

Surely she was joking, right?

But he realized she was not when she spoke again. "Why don't you like me?"

"I like you a lot," he replied honestly. "More than anyone else in the world."

"But you don't like kissing me."

"You're too young."

"So you'd kiss me if I was older?"

"Damn right I would." She smiled then, and he almost returned her smile, but he was too angry that she had kissed him so skillfully. "But obviously others will, too. Who's been teaching you how to kiss anyway?"

At the unexpected question, Ana turned a deep red, and Austin's jaw hardened as a powerful jealousy stole his breath away. He began to sit up and demand she skedaddle right out of his room when she rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling. "I looked it up online so you wouldn't think I was an idiot."

He snorted. The last thing she had felt like was an idiot. Every nerve ending in his body was alive and screaming for him to reach for her, and it took every ounce of strength and self-restraint that he possessed to keep his hands away. "Online? Seriously?"

"Well, I wasn't sure who you were kissing..."

"That's none of your business."

She gasped. "So you've been with other girls?"

Before he could respond, she was rolling away, tossing back the comforter and preparing to rise. When he realized she was going to leave, he reached out and wrapped his arm around her waist, dragging her back down onto the bed as easily as if she was a pillow. "Don't go," he whispered.

She succumbed reluctantly, her body rigid with anger, and she crossed her arms over her chest with a harrumph that once more almost made him want to laugh.

He stared down at her, trying to determine what she was thinking before finally concluding that she was feeling the same jealousy that had stung him. Briefly, his heart soared, but then that painful, bitter bite of reality sunk in again. He could look but not touch. Ana was a princess of the finest kind, a rare treasure to be cherished and honored by only the best of the best. He had no rights to her, no matter how much he loved her.

When he drew his arm away from her waist, her low voice broke the silence again. "If I was older, would you make love to me?"

He snorted. "When you're eighteen."

At the time, he was making a joke about Arizona's legal age of consent. He had no idea that she took that as a promise, and he was completely unprepared when she came to him after her 18th birthday party. He had been as helpless to resist her then as he was when she had kissed away his sorrow. His first kiss was from Ana, and his first experience with sex was with Ana. All of his firsts seemed to come from Ana.

But why?

****

"I fear your shame," and "I fear losing you."

Austin stood at the dresser, the journal opened to the page, but he made no move to write in it this time. In fact, his hands were balled into such tight fists that he surely would have snapped the pen in half had he held it. Shame? How could she ever think he would be ashamed of her?

He glanced over his shoulder at the curled form under the covers. It was exceptionally chilly tonight with a frost warning, and he had adjusted the towels thrown over the Evans' bushes out front before he climbed up the tree. His hands were so cold at the moment that he could not climb into bed with her without his freezing fingers waking her.

When people thought of Arizona, they thought of desert heat. However, the city had its fair share of cold days, and recently, the nights below freezing were becoming higher in number. Was that global warming? He could not say, but he knew it was 28◦ that morning when he left for work.

Work.

He had become a sergeant, and Ana had her heart ripped out. It reminded him more strongly of the time when his mother passed away. Ana had passed her driver's license test, and he lost his mother. Isabel had insisted in her gentle yet firm way that he stay with them over the holidays and beyond, and he had been in no condition to refuse their act of kindness. However, after the New Year, he had put his foot down and refused to take advantage of their generosity.

With the family's help, he located an apartment close to campus, and he lived there while he finished his degree and attended the police academy. Finally, he moved when the house went up for sale in their development. Even though Ana had told him that she never wanted to see him again, the urge to remain close to the family was too strong to resist. He bought the house fully understanding that he might one day see Ana return home from college with a boy fit to marry his little princess. Not once had he considered her coming home believing he would be ashamed of her.

He inhaled shakily. In his heart, he already knew it was time, but her words only reinforced what he knew he needed to do.

Without glancing at her again, he closed the journal and wrapped the leather binding around it securely. Then he strode to the door, pulled it open, and exited the way he came.

He needed a good run, and he raced home as if trying to run from the memories. While he ran, he made plans. It was a vital time for him and his career, and acting foolishly would not do him any favors. However, Ana was more important than a promotion, and he would lose the position willingly over losing Ana. She was all that mattered to him, and he did not hesitate to make the call and claim he was sick. The note he wrote was brief and to the point, and he tucked it into his pocket before completing his other tasks.

Then he was at his computer, once again spending an outrageous sum of money on ridiculous floral arrangements which he knew she enjoyed. Every flower he had given her so far had been artfully placed in positions of high honor in her bedroom. Chuckling to himself that she was running out of space there, he grasped his keys and strode to the garage with one purpose in mind.

It was time to get Ana.

His mind was hesitant, but his heart was resolute. It was her fault. If she had written something different, he would not be as determined as he was now. As it was, he could not allow her to feel an ounce of shame or regret. What happened to her was not her doing. Now he had every intention of beating it into her stubborn little head that she had nothing to feel ashamed about.

He was back at the tree in less than an hour, and he lunged for the branch with a burst of energy born out of anger. The door was locked behind him, and the key was left atop the note on her dresser. Then he was back at Ana's side. Without a word, he pulled back her covers, barely receiving a response when he draped the blanket from his house over her and scooped her into his arms. Her head rested against his chest, but she continued to sleep soundly as he stole through the house, down the stairs, and to the front door. Ana did not stir when he adjusted her weight to reach for the door handle, nor did she stir when he pulled the door closed behind him and returned to his waiting truck. He was cursing those damn sleeping pills when he lowered her gently onto the reclined passenger seat, but he assumed it was just as well considering he was kidnapping her in the middle of the night.

As he drove home, he wondered what would happen when the Ana woke and found herself in his room, in his bed, with his arms around her. Would she immediately demand to go home, or would she sob in his arms the way he had sobbed in hers when his mother had died?

Snorting lightly, he freely admitted that there was only one way to find out. Morning was only several hours away.

Chapter 13

Ana knew immediately that something was different. It might have been the different feel of the sheets, or maybe the newish firmness of the mattress she was lying on. One thing she knew for certain was that her pillow was not that hard, and there was no doubting the warm skin under her cheek and the steady lub-dub of a heartbeat beneath her ear. When she stiffened in awareness, the once regular beating became a rapid pitter patter, and a very firm, very strong male arm tightened noticeably around her waist.

Deep down, she knew it was Austin. She would recognize his scent anywhere. It was as much a part of her as it was a part of him, and it was as familiar to her as the sight of her face. Even so, waking up with him so close was startling, and her heart began to match his in tempo as she realized that this was no dream.

Before she could go into a full-blown panic, Austin was there, swiftly pressing her back into her pillow and rolling onto his side to face her. He propped himself up on his elbow and grinned at her sleepily. "Hi, Twerp."

She blinked once to confirm that she was not dreaming. Then she blinked a second time to confirm that her golden Adonis was truly there and smiling at her no less. However, before she could blink the third time, the tears came, a long river of salty water that poured from the corners of her eyes down into her hair. Austin stared at her with a grim look on his face, but he made no move to touch her until she inhaled on a sob. Then it was as if he turned from a golden statue into a flesh and blood man. A strong one.

He sat up and lifted her as if she weighed no more than a feather, settling her sideways on his lap. His hands were awkward at first with one hand curling around her waist and roughly patting her back while the other reached up to press her face into his chest. However, when her hand wound its way around his neck, he became more confident, more self-assured, and more animated. His lips spread little kisses on the top of her head the way she had once consoled him, and his voice was easily heard over the sound of her sorrow-filled sobs.

"How could you ever think I would be ashamed of you?"

His voice was almost accusing, and the pain was obvious. Not knowing how to respond, she merely shrugged one shoulder.

"I fear your shame?" He was almost mocking her words, throwing them back at her bitterly, and she stiffened with the realization that he did not understand. No one understood her or what she was feeling, and that was almost as painful as the horror she had endured.

When she tried to pull away, his grip around her tightened. He was not done, and his words were even gruffer when he spoke again. "I could never be ashamed of you, Ana Evans, and you have nothing – absolutely nothing – to be ashamed of."

He spoke so vehemently that she forgot to breathe for a moment. When she inhaled, it was shaky, a sob and a cry at the same time, but Austin was there pressing his forehead against hers and staring deep into her eyes. "Nothing, Ana, nothing," he whispered.

She opened her mouth to tell him that he wrong, but his lips tightened threateningly. The sight of his indignation was enough to make her hold her tongue, but she also held his gaze. His eyes were storming like the sea during a hurricane, but there was also admiration and perhaps even love. Oh, how she wished it was true, but she dared not speak of it, not after the last time she had blurted foolish words like forever and babies. Because she had stupidly jumped to conclusions back then, they had not spoken to or seen each other since her 18th birthday.

Even as he stared into her eyes, his thumb reached up to brush away her tears. Then he sighed and pulled her close to his chest again, and he held her tightly with his chin resting on the top of her head while she released her pain and sorrow. Surely he knew the details. Her mother had told him what happened if her uncles had not already. Someone had informed him that she had come home shamefully, not even finishing the semester.

How much did he know?

"Austin, I –"

"Shush," he murmured, squeezing her tighter. "We'll talk later. Just let it go."

She had no idea how long she remained there, but Austin's hands began to move more confidently and more comfortably. Her eyes felt gritty and swollen when she finally settled down, and she closed them with a sigh when she realized that the sun had begun to rise. With her ear pressed against Austin's steady heart, she fell silent and listened to it and his soft inhale and exhale. It was difficult to imagine that he was there holding her after so long. She had sent him away in a fit of temper, throwing harsh words at him and claiming she never wanted to see him again. Oh, how she had lied. Right there was where she wanted to be, had always wanted to be, and she did not want to leave – ever.

Of course, that was not her choice. For all she knew, Austin merely wanted to repay her for the kindness she had shown him, but why had he taken her from her home? Her eyes opened again. The scents surrounding her were full of Austin, and there was no lingering trace of her roses. With the shades securely drawn, the room was too dark to view, but rather than feeling fear at her new surroundings she felt secure, safe, warm, and content. It was the first time she had felt so wonderful since... well, the last time Austin had held her.

Having spent her tears, Ana was too exhausted to ask the questions that were burning in her mind. So much needed to be said, yet Austin was there, in the flesh rather than in her dreams, and he was holding her as if she was a china doll. The way he eased her back into an uneasy sleep was almost magical, but she drifted back into her dreams. This time, they were not the nightmares of men tackling her to the ground, of the pain they inflicted upon her body, nor the fear of feeling the man's hands around her neck and his unclothed loins violating her. Instead she saw Austin, his shaggy golden locks now trimmed short and neat, his stormy blue eyes changing from blue to green and back again as he stared at her and reprimanded her for feeling even a hint of shame.

Austin was back.

When he lifted her off his lap and placed her back on his mattress, she reached for him desperately. "Please, don't leave me," she pleaded, and not for the first time.

Yes, she had pleaded with him plenty of times over the years, and he had never denied her anything she asked. Including when she said she never wanted to see him again. As always, he had given her what she asked for even though she really never wanted him to leave. He had not hung around long enough for her to take those hurtful words back, but he was here now. Before they parted ways again, she would apologize profusely and make it clear that she had never meant to say what she had said that fateful day. She had been mean, pulling out a level of cruelty she had never considered before. It was the first and only time she said something to hurt another person deliberately, but she had been in agony, filled with a pain that not even her scorpion attack could compare to. The sting of rejection had been worse than those scorpion barbs, and she had lashed from her humiliation, speaking words she had regretted every second since.

However, he came back when she needed him, and she would make amends no matter what it took. Even her attack meant nothing compared to missing Austin and not having him a daily part of her life. In fact, she had ceased living when he left.

When she felt him sigh in resignation, a small smile of relief curved her lips. As she drifted back to sleep, his arm, no longer long and gangly but now thickly muscled, strong, and warm, settled around her. He curled his length alongside hers, and she scooted closer to him until they touched from head to toe. His other arm slid under her head, cradling her tightly. She was safe. For now, at least.

****

Although Ana was able to sleep the rest of the early morning away, Austin lay awake, painfully aware of her presence in his bed and in his arms. He was no longer sneaking in and out of her house like a thief in the night. Now she knew that he was near. In fact, she welcomed him and curled onto his lap, sobbing out her agony like she had when she was a child. But he knew damn well that she was no longer a child, and he had placed himself in a bind that would not easily be broken. What would happen now that he was there openly? They could not return to the morning after her 18th birthday when she had thrown him out of her life and told him never to return. However, he was right where he wanted to be, where he felt he belonged, and that was a problem.

He shifted his hips away from Ana in case she awakened and realized how aware of her closeness he truly was. That would be just great, he thought, angry at himself. The poor woman had been attacked, and she would wake up feeling his body's eagerness and freak out. That was no way to make amends.

Even so, it hurt to be so close to her. In his heart, he had never doubted his attraction to Ana. It remained as potent as it had been since she had given him his first kiss. Oh, he had gone home and wished she was his age then, and he had called himself a pervert for even enjoying that birthday kiss. For a long time, he believed himself no better than Mack, but his attraction to her had only grown stronger as they grew up, and it culminated into a heated youthful love that exploded in a passionate exchange that broke them apart.

Nearly three years.

During that time, he had been unable to stay away, but he had watched Ana from a distance.

Here she was now, and he was bursting with the need to talk to her. He wanted to put her fears to rest and vow that she would never have to worry about being alone if she faced an unwanted pregnancy. If she would accept him, he would never leave her side again, no matter how unworthy he was.

He closed his eyes and buried his face in her hair. Sure, he had come far from his days of being the poor kid that she pitied, but he still believed she deserved better than what he would be able to offer. If he had his way, she would marry the finest prince in the world and live the life of royalty, with an heir and a spare within the first three years of marriage.

Then he grimaced.

His head was as full of dreams as Ana's had been that day, and if he blurted out what he was thinking and feeling at the moment another argument would surely follow.

When he lifted his hand to touch her hair, it was trembling violently. Still he reached out and stroked the silken strands, loving the feel of it sliding through his fingers and over his hand. The thick ebony strands were so soft that he longed to wrap himself in it, but he did not. Rather than focus on his growing desire for Ana, he forced his eyes to close. They both needed sleep, and he knew he would have to be rested to face Ana.

Despite the belief that he would never be able to relax, he was wrong, and when he next opened his eyes, the sun was poking through his light-blocking shades, and a slice of sunlight was illuminating Ana's profile. Once again, he propped himself on his elbow and stared down at her. He was apprehensive, wondering what would happen when she opened her eyes next. Would she break down again, or would she ask to go home? He felt a sharp pain at the possible rejection. More than anything, he wanted to put an end to her imposed exile. They needed one another. Like twins, they were incomplete without the other; a puzzle missing a piece. He was tired of being forced to watch her from afar.

His gaze scanned what he could see from that small sliver. It rested along her cheekbone and the edge of her eye, and he could see the final remnants of a bruise where one of the men had socked her face.

She had been lucky, he concluded. Those guys had not been small, and had they hit her a little harder or even one more time, she could easily have suffered from broken bones. The bruises were bad enough, but having physical scars on top of the emotional ones would certainly sap what was left of Ana's confidence.

Then he thought back to Zach Evans' wife, Emery. Although he had not known her then, he had heard about the lovely half-Mexican, half-Native American's attack when she was fifteen in a horrendous gang rape and torture that had erased her from the family for ten years. Had Zach not arrived home when he had, Emery would have died. Those men had sliced her throat open, just barely missing her jugular vein.

He shuddered at the thought. If that had happened to Ana...

Perhaps that was why Ana had asked for Emery at the hospital. At first, he had been crushed that she had not rattled off his number the way he had when he lost his mother, but he understood that the two women now had an experience in common, had become a statistic that was frighteningly accurate, and had endured something that only they would be able to understand. He had seen it on the family's faces when they watched Emery lead Ana past security at the airport. Although no one had spoken, each face had paled when they saw Emery at Ana's side, and Austin had realized then that she had not called anyone after it happened.

He had gone home that night wondering if he should have called Ford and warned him, but he maintained his silence instead. If he had openly admitted to being there and being the "Good Samaritan" Chuck suspected he was, Ana would know he had been watching her all along.

As if she felt his stare, Ana shifted slightly, and her hand slid behind her in search of him. When her fingers grazed his stomach, he felt his muscles contract painfully, but she drew her hand away and sighed. He watched her relax again as an idea blossomed in his mind. All his recent trips down memory lane came together, and they all pointed to the same thing. Of course, it would take some work, but he suspected Isabel would approve, if not Ford as well.

He rolled away as quietly as he could and reached for his phone before he slipped out of the bedroom and closed the door behind him. After a few phone calls and a favor or two, he would erase every bad memory Ana had and replace them with good ones. She just did not know it yet. But Austin was a determined man, and he knew exactly what to do.

****

Austin had expected Isabel, but it was Ford standing outside when he pulled into the driveway a half-hour later. Surprisingly, Austin felt fear. He had expected Ford to be gone, but there he was, waiting outside for Austin to arrive. He hoped he had not frightened the family when they woke to find Ana missing, but apparently Ford was concerned enough not to leave for work at the crack of dawn. Briefly, Austin felt guilty. The last thing he wanted was to place further stress on the family.

Ford greeted him without a smile, but Austin saw the bag at his feet and relaxed slightly. At least Ford was not going to demand that he bring his daughter home.

As he stopped alongside the older man, Ford approached his truck, speaking even before his window was fully down. "You're taking her away?"

Okay, so he could hardly blame Ana's father for his disapproval. If Ana was his daughter, he would feel the same. Nevertheless, he could not help but feel intimidated when he nodded briskly. "Yeah. Just a couple of days."

"Austin," he said with a sigh. "I know you mean well, but I don't know if it's a good idea. She's been having nightmares..."

Feeling his heart begin to pound rapidly in his chest, Austin blurted out in a panic. "I'll handle it."

"And she's been eating poorly."

"I'll work on that, too," he insisted. No, they could not refuse him this. He knew in his heart that if they went away together, Ana would be able to forget, or at the very least stop focusing on what happened every minute of every day. She needed this. She needed the distraction.

"I'm not so sure she should be far from home."

Austin nodded. Isabel had voiced the same opinion, and he had a reply readily available. "I think a few days away will be good for her, give her something else to think about instead of dwelling on what happened. If she wants to come home, I'll bring her right back."

Ford nodded thoughtfully, his gaze drifting to the bag at his feet. "They gave her an extension on her finals, but Isabel put her books in there, too. Maybe she can get some studying in."

Austin smiled. "I'll help."

Ford glanced up sharply. He was not seeing any humor in the situation, and Austin was immediately contrite.

"I'll tell her," he said more solemnly.

"What about you? What about work? Can you afford to take time off now?"

"This is more important," Austin replied, his jaw set tightly in determination. "If I lose it, so be it. There'll be another job down the line, but there's only one Ana."

He watched Ford's jaw clench like he was forcing himself not to speak and stiffened again. They were not strangers. In fact, Ford was the closest thing to a father Austin had ever had. He admired Ford tremendously, and he had tried to take lessons from the older man on how to act and behave. There was no other man that Austin respected as much, and he wanted his approval more than anything.

"What is it?" Austin finally asked.

Ford shook his head with a sigh. "You've come so far, Austin, and we're all proud of you. I don't want to see you lose everything you've worked so hard for because of Ana."

"She's more important than a job," Austin insisted.

Ford reached out and clasped Austin's forearm. "I know how you feel, and I only want what's best, but I can't help but worry – about both of you."

Austin glanced at the hand clasping his arm warmly then at the older man, whose eyes were troubled. Realizing that his concern was for him made Austin's heart sing, but he was still going forward with his plan. "Thank you for the concern."

Ford gave him a squeeze before allowing his hand to drop to his side. "I'll give Chuck a call."

"Don't worry about it."

"I do, Austin. More than you know," Ford said softly.

Austin tried to look away, but when he turned his head to face forward, his gaze landed upon Isabel. She was striding toward her husband, her steps determined as she moved with the lithe grace he remembered so well. When she reached Ford's side, she scolded him instantly. "Stop giving Austin a hard time. If Ana wakes up alone, she's going to be scared."

Ford nodded shortly and stepped away from the truck, and he was already bending to load Ana's belongings in the back before Austin had a chance to open his door. He pulled it shut when Isabel approached with a smile. "Is there anything you need?"

He shook his head. "Just her stuff. I'll pick up food on the way."

"It's isolated up there. Will you have range?"

"I think so. Of course, the cabin has a landline, too."

She nodded and handed him a winter coat. When his hand clasped the black wool, a flash of that night returned with full force. Ana had been wearing a high-fashion fitted wool coat that had ended up ruined in the slush-filled park. He inhaled shakily as he thrust it away from him. "Is there another one that isn't so similar?"

Isabel and Ford exchanged a knowing glance, and Austin compressed his lips. Dammit. He had slipped and pretty much given himself away. Crap.

With an "I told you so" look at Ford, Isabel reclaimed the coat. "Give me a second. This one's mine, but I think Ana might have the one she came home in upstairs."

"Don't," Austin said hastily, not wanting that reminder either. "I'll just get her one on the way out."

With a lovely Mona Lisa smile on her face, Isabel clutched the coat to her chest and leaned in through the window to kiss Austin's cheek lightly. "Good luck, _mio figlio_ ," she whispered.

Ana had taught Austin enough Italian to know that Isabel had called him "my son," and his smile was not forced when she withdrew. "Thank you. I'll take care of her."

"I know you will."

He was about to pull away when suddenly David appeared in the door dressed only in sweats and a T-shirt, and he ran barefoot to catch Austin's truck. When he reached the passenger side, he threw himself at the window. "Wait."

Austin jerked on his brakes and rolled down the window, his brows arching in question.

"Here," David said, tossing the leather journal down on the passenger seat. "You might want this."

Austin stared at it in surprise, and David smiled when he finally raised his shocked gaze.

The handsome teen stepped back, hugging himself from the chill, and grinned. "You never know."

Austin chuckled. Smart kid. "You're right."

"Good luck. Have a safe trip."

"Thanks, David."

He pulled away knowing he was going to need every ounce of luck that he could get.

Chapter 14

Austin was pulling the case of bottled water down from the top of the fridge when Ana finally appeared, looking dazed and disheveled as she wandered down the hall into the great room. Even with her eyes swollen and bloodshot, she was a sight to behold, and Austin froze with the case hovering over his head perilously while her gaze scanned the room with more than a little interest.

When she felt his stare, she finally turned to face him, her arms hugging her waist the same way her brother had that morning. His gaze scanned her from head-to-toe, taking in the way her top twisted around her middle, leaving a patch of smooth skin around her tiny waist open to his hungry eyes. Her breasts were compressed together, and a hint of cleavage appeared near the rounded neckline. There were goosebumps on her arms.

Damn. He had shut off the heat in preparation for their departure, and it was nearly as cold inside as it was outside. He had not noticed, for he had already showered and dressed in jeans, boots, and a long-sleeved jersey T-shirt, but his failure made him instantly contrite. Setting down the case on the counter, he rushed past her to the thermostat.

"Sorry it's so cold," he mumbled. "I shut off the heat since we're leaving."

She watched him with a frown settling on her beautiful lips. "Huh?"

He had never felt shy with Ana before, but his heart was beating nervously, and his palms felt moist and clammy. Unsure what to say or how to react, he glanced at her uneasily. "I guess I should explain."

She nodded. "Where am I?"

"My house."

Her perfect eyebrows shot up in surprise. "You have a house?"

He watched her face uneasily as she looked around with a new appreciation, and he held his breath as he waited for her approval. Although it was not large, it was his. When he was a kid, he never expected to own his own house one day, but he did, and it was not bad. Three bedrooms, two and a half baths, and every piece of furniture he owned he had purchased new. There were no hand-me-downs in his house. He had worked for it all.

His heart soared when she turned back to him with a nod of approval. "It's really nice, Austin."

"You like it?"

The mocking look she sent him reminded him of how much he disliked being fair. Although his torturers used to taunt him with racial slurs about his golden-colored skin in contrast to his fair hair, it was still easy to tell when he blushed. As soon as she stared at him that way, a dull flush began to creep up his neck until the corners of her lips curved up in amusement. Even though it was just a hint of a smile, Austin froze, and he stood beside the thermostat like a dumbstruck fool staring at her. She returned his stare hesitantly, almost fearfully, for several long, agonizing seconds before her lips parted with a slight tremble. As if by magic, his arms were lifting of their own accord, opening wide, and she raced into them with a small cry.

Fearing she would begin to sob all over again, Austin began to talk rapidly. Words were tumbling out of his lips before his arms even surrounded her, and the breathless sound of them was only partially due to his nervousness. Her arms gripped his waist so tightly that he could hardly breathe. "I bought this place last year, and it's not far from your parents... I only brought you here last night because of what you wrote... Of course, I wanted you to see it one day, Ana, but I didn't expect it to happen like this... I had thought you could come by and – I'm glad you like it."

"I love it," she replied, her voice muffled against his chest.

His shoulders sagged in relief, and he was certain she felt it. Though her face was buried deep in his chest, he felt her arms tighten even more when she sensed his reaction.

"I talked to your parents this morning, and they know you're here. But I was thinking of taking you away for a few days. You know – just to escape from here for a little while. Would you go away with me, Ana?"

As soon as he spoke, he wished he could take the words back. He was sounding like a bumbling fool rather than the self-assured, arrogant cop he had become. However, Ana was nodding her head quickly, almost eagerly. "Yes. Yes, I will."

When he exhaled, he heard and felt the tremble within. A surge of relief followed, and he was about to take a step away to tell her to get ready to go when he realized that somehow his hands had worked their way up under her tank top and were stroking the smooth skin of her back. He snatched them away with a shaky laugh and took a step backwards to put some space between them. "I've already showered and was loading the truck when you came out. Your mom packed your stuff for you, so if you want to shower and dress, I'll finish loading. We can stop somewhere on the ride up and get you a coat."

While he was rambling, she stared up at him with her almond-shaped dark eyes studying him carefully. "Are we going somewhere cold?"

He nodded but did not elaborate.

Her lips twitched again. "So, it's some sort of surprise?"

He nodded again.

When her dainty chin lifted regally in acknowledgment, Austin turned away. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, and even after everything she had been through, all he wanted to do was hold her in his arms and kiss her over and over again.

He was saved from further embarrassment by the ringing of the doorbell. Ana startled violently, and all thoughts of desire were replaced by the need to protect. He reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder, giving her a gentle squeeze and smiling shyly. "That would be for you."

She blinked several times in confusion. "For me?"

He nodded and gave her slight nudge toward the door. "Go ahead. It's okay."
She reached up and clasped his hand, entwining her fingers with his before she moved toward the door. The doorbell rang a second time, and she gave his hand a tug before she reached for the lock. Although he was feeling like a dog on a leash, Austin remained by her side when she opened it.

A delivery man stood on the other side with two bouquets in crystal vases and an electronic clipboard balanced between them. A pockmarked face with watery green eyes appeared between the floral arrangements, and an impatient voice broke Ana's shocked silence. "I have a delivery for Ana Evans."

She glanced at Austin with wide eyes before mumbling. "That's me."

"Here you go," the delivery man said, thrusting his clipboard at her. "Sign the bottom line, please."

Austin was hiding his smug grin as he reached beyond Ana to take the unwanted burden from the impatient deliveryman. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the tremble in her hand as she scribbled her name and thrust the clipboard back at the man with a mumbled thank you. She closed the door before he could reply and leaned against it with her hands behind her back.

"More flowers?"

Austin shrugged. "I wasn't happy when I read what you wrote, Ana. I guess I'll keep buying new flowers until you get it through your head that I'm not ashamed of you and never could be."

After he set the flowers down on the counter, he turned around to find tears swimming in Ana's eyes. He shook his head firmly. "Why don't you go get ready so we can hit the road?"

Her breasts were already thrust forward as she leaned upon her folded hands, but when she inhaled deeply, the round peaks strained against her tank top until the fabric molded itself to her body completely, leaving very little to the imagination. Not that he needed imagination. He remembered all too well what they looked like, tasted like, felt like in his hands...

His mouth went dry, and it took every ounce of power he had to look away. He felt rather than heard her move, and it was only when he heard her in his bedroom again that he let out the breath he was holding in a long exhale. Maybe taking her away to a romantic cabin in the woods was not such a great idea. He had a distinct feeling that one of them was going to return home hurting, and this time he suspected it would be him.

****

Although the heat was running inside Austin's new truck, Ana snuggled deeper inside Austin's bulky sweatshirt. Although she was a tall 5-foot-8, she was still swimming inside his hoodie, and he had even laughed when she insisted upon wearing it instead of purchasing a new coat. The truth was that she wanted a piece of his clothing, even if it did go down to mid-thigh and the sleeves had to be rolled up multiple times until they were a bulky encumbrance. For the first time in so very long, she felt content.

An uneasy silence had fallen shortly after she climbed up into his shiny red F150. When she had asked him what happened to his old white truck, he had replied that he traded it in for the new red one, and neither spoke after that. They had now turned onto the I17 north, and she assumed he was heading either to Sedona or Flagstaff. She contented herself with staring out the windshield and risking subtle glances at Austin periodically along the way.

He had changed a lot since she had seen him last. Although he had not grown taller, he had filled out. The once lanky youth was now a man in every sense of the word. When they were children, Austin's hair had been bleached almost white by the sun, and he had overly long, shaggy curls constantly plastered to his head from the heat. Now it was a dark gold color, and it was cut in a short fade the same way her uncle Ian kept his. Although his arms were covered by the snug, long-sleeved green shirt, his large hands were as thickly muscled as his arms and chest. In a way, his build was similar to her cousin Zach's, and Ana wondered if they were the same height now.

Austin had showered and shaved before she woke up, but she remembered the feel of his beard against the top of her head during the night. He was no longer a boy. Beside her sat a real man, and he was even more handsome now as he had been adorable as a child.

It had always been an unspoken agreement that the Evans typically stopped in Anthem before heading up into the high country, and Austin seemed to have adopted their tradition as well. Prior to running in to the grocery store for the essentials, he insisted on stopping for food, and Ana had not flinched when Austin's hand settled around her waist when he led her in. In fact, she stood a bit taller and prouder when the young hostess openly gaped at him. In typical Austin fashion, he was oblivious to the girl's admiration and hovered over Ana cautiously instead. After a quick purvey of the other diners, he focused entirely on her. It was a quiet time, with only a few elderly couples scattered in the dining room, but Ana did not look at any of them when Austin tucked her into the booth and slid in beside her.

The hostess had been in the process of laying his place setting across from them, but she hastily slid it in front of him when he sat beside Ana. Biting back a smile, she asked them for their drink order then wandered off.

Ana sighed.

"Are you okay?"

She nodded and reached for her menu even though her stomach churned at the thought of food. She stared blankly at the photos in the menu, seeing pancakes and syrup, sausage and bacon, and felt bile rise in her throat. She began to swallow reflexively, afraid that she would make a fool out of herself in front of Austin by tossing up the coffee he had served her before they left. But then Austin was there as if sensing her distress, and his hand landed upon her thigh with a reassuring squeeze.

"You had coffee on an empty stomach," he murmured. The sound of his voice was like a deep rumble emanating from his chest, and she could almost feel it where their arms touched. "If you eat something, you'll feel better."

"I'll try," she whispered. When she lifted her gaze to meet his, her lips parted on a gasp. He was so close that their lips were only inches apart, and she saw his gaze lower to her mouth as if he wanted to kiss her. As she watched his eyes turn stormy, she waited breathlessly for him to close the gap, surprised to realize that she wanted him to. Time seemed to stop, and everything faded away until it was just Austin and his multicolored eyes. He was still staring at her lips, but she searched for any indication that he would kiss her of his own accord.

However, he grinned at her, and his entire face lit up happily. He was so perfect that she forgot to breathe, and she was disappointed when he pressed his warm mouth to her forehead instead. "That's my girl," he said proudly.

When their waitress returned, Austin straightened, but his hand remained on her thigh. It was then that Ana realized she no longer felt nauseous, and her stomach growled for the first time in days when Austin ordered pancakes, eggs, English muffins, bacon, and sausage.

The waitress wrote it all down and scurried away while Ana shook her head. "You ordered enough food to feed an army."

Austin nudged her lightly with his shoulder, and she could hear the smile in his voice. "I am an army."

"You sure are," she said wistfully. "Do you think you'll ever stop growing?"

The sound of his chuckle sent warm tingles all the way down to her toes. "Height, yeah. Now the only growing I do is around my tummy."

She snorted. "What tummy?"

The hand on her thigh tightened reflexively, and she could feel the heat of his stare on the top of her head. "You've noticed?"

"How could I not, Austin? You're, you're... beautiful," she blurted.

Feeling embarrassed over her outburst, Ana focused on her hands. After she returned her menu, she had clasped them together on the table, and she began to pick at her nails nervously. However, Austin leaned in close, and she felt his breath on her ear.

"You're beautiful, Ana. I'm just, uh, good looking, I guess."

The huskiness in his tone was unmistakable, and she felt a shiver race down her spine. Austin surely felt it too, for he straightened with a smug grin.

Feeling a change of subject was in order, Ana scrambled to think of something to say. There was no sense in bringing up their past, not in a public dining room, and she definitely did not want to bring up what happened in Boston. They had years of catching up to do, but even that subject was taboo at the moment. Although Austin was acting as if nothing had happened, it remained a red herring around her neck that she wanted to clear up as soon as possible. That left only one thing: Where were they going?

She cleared her throat to indicate the change of subject, but she kept her gaze facing forward, cowardly avoiding looking at him. "Are you going to tell me where we're going?"

"Nope." He gave her thigh another gentle squeeze, and she glanced down at it only to realize how large his hand was. His palm alone covered almost half of the length of her thigh, and his pinky finger was only a couple of inches away from the juncture of her thighs. Another shiver threatened, and she glanced away quickly as he continued to explain. "I'm going to show you."

A rushing sound like the ocean had started in her ears, and she almost did not hear his words. Yet the pride in his tone was almost as strong as the promise, and she had the distinct feeling that he was going to bring her someplace very special.

Tears pricked her eyes. How could such a wonderful man have endured so much pain in his life and overcome it with such a gentle and forgiving heart? She glanced up then and watched his eyes widen in surprise when he saw the tears shining in hers. Her lips trembled when they parted to speak, and a lump formed in her throat so large that it almost choked her. "Oh, Austin, I –"

Love you so much.

However, she was unable to finish her declaration. The waitress reappeared with efficient speed, balancing their plates on both arms and skillfully setting them down before them with a cheerful, "can I get you anything else?"

Austin somehow managed to drag his gaze away from Ana long enough to mumble a response. "No, thank you. We're fine."

Once she wandered away, Austin's hand disappeared from her thigh so he could spread his napkin over his lap, and Ana felt a cold emptiness settle where his warmth had once been. However, it returned to its spot after he picked up his fork, and it remained as he ate, leaving him only able to use his knife periodically.

They fell silent again, but Ana could feel Austin watching her when she began to pick at her food. In an effort to please him, she forced down a bite of her pancakes. Her stomach was churning again, but she focused on the warmth of Austin's hand on her thigh. As she finally swallowed, his fingers tightened reassuringly, and she reached under the table to cover it with hers. When she finished her second bite, he tugged his hand out from under hers then covered it and entwined their fingers.

Two parts of a whole, she thought as she squeezed his fingers. It was awkward to eat single-handedly, but neither made any attempt to break their connection. When Austin finally sat back with a contented sigh, Ana glanced down at her plate and realized that she had eaten more than half of her meal, too.

"Feel better?"

There was no gloating in his voice. In fact, his words sounded genuinely interested. When she raised her head, the amount of pride shining in Austin's eyes brought a smile to her lips. A true smile. "I do, thank you."

"Good," he replied honestly. "I really didn't want to have to bring you home."

The idea of going home without Austin was too frightening to consider. She wanted to be with him and see this special place he was taking her to. If he turned his truck around and brought her back, she would surely burst into tears all over again. Maintaining her smile, she shook her head quickly, vehemently enough to make him laugh. "No."

He picked up their bill, slid out of the booth, and smiled broadly. "You have no idea how happy I am to hear you say that."

Her returning smile did not waver. "Yes, I do."

Chapter 15

For as long as Austin had known Ana, she had a strange fascination with mountains. While most people gravitated to sunny beaches on vacations, she preferred to look at jagged peaks, some snow-covered, others tree-lined, and of course her favorite view outside her family's home: Red Mountain, Four Peaks, and Superstition Mountain, with its eerie hoodoos and deep canyons. As kids, they had hiked there often, visiting the massive cave and having lunch there after exploring the shallow mine. They lamented the ever-growing graffiti that marred its majestic entrance and promised to do everything they could to preserve it for the future.

Naturally, like the hundreds of people before them, they also made plans to locate the Lost Dutchman's Mine until Austin took a geology class and learned that there was "no gold in them there hills." The volcanic rock that comprised that beautiful mountain was not gold-bearing, and Austin had just about broken Ana's heart when he staunchly claimed that almost every mountain range in the U.S. had some sort of lost-mine legend and the Superstition Mountains were no different.

This time, he wanted to make up for shattering her dream.

He did not take offense when Ana remained silent as they continued driving north, watching the saguaros grow sparser in number before disappearing altogether. In their place, long fields of grass and rocky outcrops lined the highway as they climbed further north. Then, finally, patches of snow.

He risked a sidelong glance in her direction once they made it through the pass, hoping that the sight of snow did not break the fragile excitement he had seen in the restaurant. It had been slushy when those men attacked Ana, and she had been cold and wet when he lifted her into his arms and hurried back to the cab.

Ana was still staring at the mountains in the distance, but she glanced at him with a slight smile when she felt his stare. "How much further?"

"A couple of hours." Her eyebrows shot up in surprise, but he shook his head. "Nope. I'm not telling."

She huffed and crossed her arms over her chest, and briefly Austin wished she was not hiding under his sweatshirt. Then he wished he _was_ his sweatshirt and envied the silly piece of cloth that enveloped her beautiful body.

She fell silent again until they approached the exit, and when he pulled off the highway, she turned to him again. "Not Sedona or Flag?"

He shook his head. "Nope."

The pavement was gone, turning to a well-maintained dirt road, but it was slow going. Ana stiffened in awareness and nervousness, but Austin reached across the center console to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear. "Trust me."

"I trust you more than anyone else in the world."

Austin felt as though she had socked him.

He focused on driving through the winding mountains on the narrow dirt road while she twisted, turned, and leaned forward to gaze at the views. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her fumbling inside the pocket of his hoodie, and then her phone appeared, and she began to snap photo after photo, even zooming in on his profile until he turned to face her and stuck out his tongue.

Her eyes went wide, and then she did something that made his heart overflow with joy. She laughed.

He almost drove off the road as he stared, riveted to the sight of her perfect white teeth flashing against her olive skin. The urge to stop the truck right there and kiss her was so overpowering that he felt his foot slip off the gas pedal, and the truck slowed.

"Watch it," she warned.

He turned his attention back to the road in time to see two approaching ATVs and swerved back into his lane with a penitent chuckle. "See what you do to me?"

She snorted. "I didn't do anything. You're the one sticking your tongue out."

"But it made you laugh."

"That it did."

There was still a hint of a smile on her face, and he was content with that. Although it was hard to focus on the road instead of the woman seated next to him, Austin pressed his foot down on the gas pedal a little harder than necessary in his eagerness to get to their final destination. If she was pleased now, just wait until they arrived...

It took another hour of winding down the dirt road, but civilization finally began to appear through the towering ponderosa pines, and Ana stared around her in excited glee. It was a thrilling feeling to see that this adventure had made her forget about her worries, and he was even more excited than she when he pulled in front of the stone cabin outside of town.

"This is it?" Ana asked, her dark eyes wide and confused.

"Yep."

He shut down the engine and unbuckled his seatbelt, his heart in his throat when she did not move. Suddenly feeling fearful, he swallowed and placed his hands on the steering wheel, almost expecting her to demand to go home. Had he been wrong in believing she would love the cabin nestled in the mountains on forest land? Had she forgotten all about that trip eight years before?

"Do you want to go in?"

"Are you crazy? Of course I do."

He exhaled heavily. Sooner or later, this woman was going to be the death of him; he just knew it. He had not realized how desperate he was for her approval until that moment, and he found himself unable to move or even remove his hands from the steering wheel while he regained control of his nerves.

If Ana had any inclination of the fright she had given him, she did not show it as she tugged on the door handle and slid to the rocky, uneven ground. She closed the door behind her while scanning their surroundings. Meanwhile, Austin took several deep breaths and clutched the steering wheel for a few seconds before plucking the keys out of the ignition. His head fell back against the headrest and he gazed at the ceiling of the truck, wondering again if he was making the biggest mistake of his life.

It was too late now. She was here; she knew his secret, and what would happen next was beyond his control.

Ana had already wandered off a few steps, so Austin began unloading the truck, and he mounted the stone steps to the front door without waiting for her. She would do her own exploration, and it would give him a chance to get the fireplace going and make sure the house was in good repair.

He had purchased the cabin before he bought the house in Red Mountain Ranch. In fact, it was the first thing he had ever bought for himself outside of the necessities. One of his friends had mentioned this hidden little gem in the mountains being available, and after his youthful discussion about future children with Ana during his visit to the town, he had longed to have a piece of it. When the cabin went up for sale, he had snatched it up with a five-year mortgage, and he had worked plenty of overtime to pay it off in two so he could purchase his house in the Valley. However, Ana did not know that. He never had the chance to share the decision with her.

It was not a large home, nor was it extravagant. But it was his, and it brought back plenty of pleasant memories. Wooden beams lined the ceiling, making it more comfortable as a summer home, but there was a large fireplace and space heaters in the bedrooms to keep them somewhat warm in the winter. He had spent a few nights up there the previous winter, so he knew it would be satisfactory. If anything, maybe Ana would want to snuggle.

That idea made him shift uncomfortably.

How the hell would he survive being the perfect gentleman? They were here for Ana, to get her away from everyone so she could come to terms with what happened. He wanted to draw her out of her shell, not send her deeper into it.

He stormed back to his truck in time to see her appearing from the rear of the cabin. There was a screened porch in the back with a small dinette and chiminea, and she was brushing off her hands as if she had tried to enter through there. He kept all the doors locked when he was not there, but he smiled at her eagerness.

"Do you like it?"

"What I've seen so far, yes. I'm dying to go in."

"Go on ahead. I'm just grabbing the rest of the stuff here."

"I'll help."

He shook his head. "No, go on. I've got it."

She frowned hesitantly, so he waved her away with an impatient flick of his hand. Her eyes were shining, and that was reward enough for him. As the screen door slammed behind her, he grinned. A second later, he heard her delighted gasp and chuckled. Perfect.

He was lugging in the cord of kindling he brought and found her with her hands clasped under her chin. She was turning in slow circles, her gaze lifted to the wooden beams above her head as she scanned the small living room and kitchen. After a moment, she drifted to the stairs leading up to the loft, and her hand glided up the polished carved wooden banister as she mounted each step.

"I feel like I've traveled back in time a hundred years," she called down to him from above. "This is so rustic."

He knelt before the fireplace and began stacking wood to get the fire going, but he chuckled at her words. "So you like it?"

"I think it's perfect. How did you ever find this gem?"

"Friends," he replied simply.

He was bent on his task and missed her frown, but he heard her descending the stairs and coming to stand behind him. "So you come here a lot?"

"As often as I can."

"And you bring all your girlfriends here?"

He stiffened, almost burning his finger as the match he held trembled precariously in his hand. Tossing it into the center of his fire, he slowly stood and turned around to face her. "Nooo," he answered cautiously.

Would he ever understand women? Hell, would he ever understand Ana? One minute she was like a child, and the next she was looking perilously close to tears again. When she went to turn away, he reached out and caught her arm to draw her close and wrap his arms around her waist.

"You're the first person I've ever brought here, Ana," he whispered solemnly. "And you're the reason I bought it. You might not remember coming here with your uncles, but I do."

"When we were kids?"

"Yep."

"You remember that?"

"Like I could ever forget it. It was the first time I left the Valley."

She blinked rapidly several times before she met his gaze, and her eyes scanned his face eagerly, searching for something, but he had no idea what. When she stepped closer, his hands tightened around her waist in warning, but she ignored him and placed her arms on his shoulders. "Austin?"

"Yeah," he replied warily.

"Would you kiss me? Just once?"

"Excuse me?"

"Every time we've kissed, I've always been the one to initiate. Would you ever kiss me of your own accord?"

She was right even though he thought about kissing her all the time. He thought about kissing her, making love to her, finally admitting how much he loved her, and even wishing he could beg her to stay with him. However, he withheld his desires, and apparently, she had noticed.

"I have kissed you before."

"My cheek, my forehead, the top of my head..."

He inclined his head in acknowledgement.

"Would you?"

"Of course I would. I'm only human."

"Then why don't you?"

Why didn't he? There were thousands of reasons why. However, one single reason burst from his lips before he could rationalize his thoughts. "Because once I started I wouldn't be able to stop."

"Oh."

Her hands fell away from his shoulders, and his hands dropped away from her waist. He felt as though he made a mistake somewhere when she turned around and scanned the house.

"Where do I sleep?"

"Wherever you want."

"Would you mind if I stayed with you?"

"Of course not."

Her head inclined again, and she wandered to the master bedroom behind the kitchen. He heard her soft "ooh" and smiled again, slowly relaxing all the bunched up tension that had built inside him.

Now that they were here, he had so many things he wanted to show her and tell her, but he busied himself by putting away the groceries he brought and listened to her unpacking her belongings. She spoke only once. "Do you have wifi?"

"Yep." He rattled off the password and returned his attention to dinner, whipping up a light meal after their large breakfast. By the time he had finished, the sun was setting rapidly, but the cabin had warmed up. He loved watching the sun set off the screened-in porch, and he set the table there after turning on the small space heater. It would offer only a little protection from the chill, but the view was worth it.

"Come eat," he called once he set their places at the table.

She appeared in the open doorway, and her eyes went wide. "Wow, it's just..."

He grinned. "Awesome?"

"Absolutely."

He tucked her into her chair, his chest again filling with pride. This little piece of heaven was his, and he was sharing it with the woman he adored. Though he fully intended to broach every subject hanging between them, he was not going to do it yet. Not this first night. He wanted it to be special, and so far he had done well. Now if only he could make it through the night without shattering her mood, he would be willing to tackle the world.

He had no idea that Ana had her own plan in motion, and she was a formidable opponent.

Chapter 16

Ana deliberately had ignored her sleeping pills out of fear that she would wake up humiliated for keeping Austin awake all night by snoring heavily or talking in her sleep. However, she had a terrible time trying to settle. She could not relax, no matter how still she became, and every time she closed her eyes, she saw Austin's smiling face staring back at her under the dim light of the small lamp on the table. Although his little cabin was rustic, she loved it, and she considered that single meal of broiled chicken and a salad one of the most romantic moments in her life. In her opinion, it far surpassed the glorious flowers he kept sending her. She was in awe of him more than ever before.

He remained still, and his breathing had evened out hours ago, but when Ana shifted again, he finally let out a disgruntled, "what's wrong?"

His voice was not drowsy, indicating that he knew very well that she was wide awake. "I should go upstairs, huh? I'm keeping you up, too."

His arm immediately tightened around her. "Don't be silly."

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For keeping you awake."

"I'm fine. We can sleep in as late as we want."

At that, Ana propped herself up on her elbow and gazed at him. It was darker there than in the Valley, and millions of stars lit up the night, but there were no street lamps outside to illuminate him. All she could see was the light glow of the whites of his eyes. "What about work? Won't you get into trouble?"

"I'm sick," he replied then coughed weakly.

When Ana smiled, he grinned at her, flashing his strong white teeth.

She studied him in silence for several minutes until he finally sighed. "Do you want to talk?"

"About what?"

"Whatever you want to talk about."

She fell silent, her mind drifting back to Boston, to that night. Even now, she felt as though Austin had been there to save her. She swore she heard his angry bellow before everything went black, and she was certain it was his arms that had cradled her on the way to the hospital. But that was not what she wanted to talk about. Not now. For the first time since it happened, Ana had been able to go for an hour without thinking about it, and the last thing she wanted was to drudge it up and break that feeling of peace she was experiencing.

"I'm sorry," she blurted.

He chuckled. "Why now?"

She reached out to cup his cheek in her hand and turned his face toward hers. "I'm serious. I'm sorry for what I said to you. I didn't mean any of it. I was angry, hurt, embarrassed, whatever you want to call it, and I lashed out to hurt you back."

He stiffened as she spoke and threw his free arm over his face. "I wanted to let it go, not bring it all back, Ana."

"I know. You've been acting like nothing happened, but you need to understand how sorry I am for hurting you."

"No more sorry than I am for hurting you. That was never my intention."

"It wasn't?"

"God, no." His arm lifted away from his face and reached over to tug on the chain dangling from the small bedside lamp. Almost immediately, the fluorescent bulb came to life, and Ana squinted against the light. She hissed and drew back, earning a chuckle from Austin. "Vampire."

"Spoilsport."

"You prefer the darkness?"

"When we're talking about something serious, yes," she replied honestly.

"Coward."

"Beast."

He snorted as he propped himself up on his pillows and stared down at her. "You brought it up."

"I just wanted to apologize."

"Can't we forget about it?"

"Now who's the coward?"

He reached for a lock of her hair and drew it to his nose, inhaling the scent deeply before rubbing it between his fingers while he tried to decide what to say. She waited patiently yet ready to burst at the seams. Finally, he laid her hair across his chest and reached out to lightly stroke her cheek. It was eerie how he seemed to know where she had been punched, and she almost turned away.

"You're the most special person in my life, Ana. You always have been. Nothing's going to change that."

"Even after all those horrible things I said?"

"I deserved it."

"No, you didn't," she said vehemently. "What I did was despicable."

"I could say the same." He chuckled. "Your father would agree with me on that. So would your uncles and cousins..."

She felt a smile tug at her lips. "If you don't think they already know, then you're dumb."

"Thanks."

"Do you regret it?"

He grinned. "Not on your life."

"Pig."

"I'm a guy. I'm just being honest." When she scowled, he cupped her cheek in his hand. "The only thing I regret is what happened after. All I've ever wanted was to see you happy, and I didn't believe I could ever make you happy."

"You're the only one who does, Austin."

"Even now?"

"Most especially now," she said fiercely.

The hand cupping her cheek flinched when she spoke, and he sighed heavily. "You're so smart, beautiful, and kind, Ana. You deserve the best in all things, far better than anything I can offer."

"That's what you think. Doesn't it matter what I think?"

"We were young, we're still young. You have your entire life ahead of you. Harvard, Ana, Harvard."

"And look at what that gave me," she replied bitterly.

His arm tightened. "Don't go there. Not yet."

Nodding weakly, she scooted closer to him and laid her head on his chest where he had spread the lock of her hair. "I don't think I could ever be with anyone else, Austin. I love you too much."

"How can you possibly know that if you don't give someone else a try?"

She stiffened. "You have?"

"Haven't you?"

"Don't ignore my question."

"Answer mine."

She sat up and stared at him skeptically. "We'll answer together. On three. One... two... three..."

"Yes."

She howled in outrage, grasped her pillow, and pounded him with it several times before he caught her wrists in his. It took her a moment to realize that he was laughing – yes, laughing – at her, and it made her even angrier. "You are a beast," she growled.

"No, I'm human," he corrected solemnly. "I was hurt. You did, after all, take a huge bite out of my confidence, and I –"

"Needed to whore around to make yourself feel better?"

He shrugged. "Something like that."

She jerked free of his hold and reached for the pillow again, but Austin easily read her intentions and grabbed her around the waist. Before she knew what was happening, he had her lying flat, and he was on his elbows leaning above her, his blue-green eyes dancing with mirth. "Get off," she hissed.

"I love your temper, Ana. You're like a light switch; one flick, and you're on fire. Is it your mother or your father? Maybe a bit of both. Your father is a brooder, and your mother is passionate. Together they made you, a passionate brooder."

"Thanks for the psychoanalysis."

"Well, it's not like you haven't dated," he shot back.

"How would you know?"

All traces of humor seemed to evaporate from his face like a drop of water on the summer pavement, and he reached out with his thumbs to lightly stroke her jawline. "I just do."

"You told me I was the only person you've ever brought here."

"That's the truth."

"But then you admitted that you've slept around."

"That doesn't mean I've brought anyone here."

His voice was calm, too calm, and her anger was dissipating, making her grow aware of him, their position, the fact that they were in bed together, and the reminder of what happened the last time they had been like that. She reached up and grasped his cheeks in her hands, forcing him to look at her without amusement. Almost instantly, his eyes began to swirl and churn like the ocean they so looked like, and her voice was small, almost childish. "Would you make love to me?"

His face went slack with shock. "Huh?"

"Please?"

His entire body went rigid as if she had struck him with a 2x4, and all traces of humor left his face. "I don't think it'd be wise."

"Why? Because I was raped?"

She saw his jaw clench, and his lips tightened so angrily that they turned white. "Don't say that."

"It's the truth."

"No," he said adamantly, fiercely.

What was wrong with her? Where was her pride? Once again, she was throwing herself at him, begging him to do something he did not want to do, yet she could not stop herself from pouring out her soul. "I want to forget, but every time I close my eyes... I see their faces, Austin... I hear their laughter, I feel the pain –"

His lips covered hers then, cutting off the rest of her words, and they were almost as punishing as the men who had tried to take her by force. However, when he slid up her body, she felt the effect she had on him and realized that he was nowhere near as immune to her as he claimed to be. He might be a guy, but he still found her attractive enough to be straining against his sweats. The eagerness of his body pressed insistently against hers, and she arched into him, earning a ragged groan in response. His lips became less punishing, tender, and he teased hers into parting for his entry. She welcomed him enthusiastically, angling her head to grant him deeper access, and he plunged forward.

If he had any misgivings, they disappeared as quickly as their clothing.

His hands were everywhere at once, and his lips followed. In the curve of her hip, pressing her against him, covering her breast, massaging it until she was arching back with a low moan of her own, and sweeping down the outer length of her legs, reaching all the way to her toes before returning upward on the inside. His light, feathery touch left a trail of goosebumps in its wake, but she welcomed him, opened for him, and explored him as intently as he memorized her.

Deep under the covers, sweat broke out on her body. She needed this, needed him, and she was gasping from the sheer pleasure his touch elicited. She no longer cared who he had practiced on or with but welcomed his skill, for he was teaching her how magical lovemaking should be. Austin was easily as strong as the clumsy men who attacked her, perhaps even stronger, but he touched her with so much tenderness she thought she would die of pleasure. He revered her skin, her nerve endings, and her sensitive spots. Then he brought her to the edge too many times to count. It was everything she dreamed of, not the nightmare she had endured.

She had a taste of that magic with him before, but it was nothing like now. Her first time had been exciting, thrilling, but also painful and clumsy as she struggled to figure out what she should do and how she should act. However, her instincts were alive, and they guided her hands and body.

She gasped when they finally became one again, and Austin froze above her. "Am I hurting you?"

"God, no," she lied, for he was hurting her. She was engulfed in a pain so precious she felt as if she would be torn apart by the tension building inside her. Little splinters of ecstasy continued to grow until she was so tight she thought her muscles would spasm. With a final thrust, she did explode with a sharp cry that he captured with his lips, and he accepted it the way he accepted her, content with the knowledge that they were whole again. They were together, joined, and one.

"Austin," she gasped when he tore his mouth away to arch above her.

A full-body shudder rolled through her, and she felt herself clamping down on him, squeezing him, and holding him as tightly as she could until he returned to her, capturing her mouth and kissing her with all the love, fear, and desire he had withheld for so long.

In those moments of mind-blowing desire, Ana forgot about everything. Their argument, those harsh words she threw at him, and even her attack were only little tiny blips of a lifetime of memories with Austin. If she loved him before, she worshipped him now, and nothing would ever change that fact. She was more convinced than ever that she had been placed on the earth to be with him, and she was determined to prove it.

When he finally collapsed atop her, Ana's arms cradled him close. In the past, she toyed with his sun-kissed hair, but it was gone, trimmed short and neat now that he was a serious policeman. Ana smiled when he landed face-first on the pillow next to her with a shaky inhale. Rather than toy with his hair, she began to lightly stroke his back, tracing the outline of his muscles until he caught his breath and lifted his head.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"For what?"

"For giving me a memory I can cherish forever. Now every time I think of the bad, I can draw on this and think of you."

"If I could give you a memory for every time I've thought of you, you'd have a lifetime full of them," he admitted.

She smiled at him, a brilliant smile that made his eyes turn stormy. Her heart was jumping and fluttering in her chest over his revelation, and joy lit up her eyes. "Are you teasing me?"

His smile was self-deprecating. "I wish I was."

"Oh, Austin," she whispered, hugging him tight. "Why did you ever leave me?"

"I didn't."

"I went back east."

"I know."

"I wish you hadn't listened to me. I wish you hadn't believed what I said." Her voice grew smaller. "I wish I never hurt you. I wish I never said those awful things."

He sighed. "I wish I was there five minutes sooner."

Chapter 17

Austin realized he was alone when the chill began to seep into his bones. There were no light-blocking shades on the windows in his cabin, but the gray light offered no heat on that chilly morning. The small space heater in the corner offered some warmth, but it was nothing compared to the heat that had emanated off of Ana the night before. He had slept in the buff with his limbs entwined with hers, but now he was cold. Bone cold.

A moment of panic shook off the last traces of sleep when he opened his eyes and realized that Ana was not in the room at all. As he threw back the covers, he strained to hear any sounds of her presence – the shower, perhaps the coffee maker – anything. But all was silent.

Before she had the chance to ask him what he meant about the five minutes sooner comment, he had kissed her again, and he had made love to her a second time and later a third time – he supposed it was his body's way of making up for lost opportunities – before she finally curled against him and fell asleep. However, now he wondered if she had figured it out and bolted for home, leaving him stranded without his truck.

He was pulling on his sweats without focusing on his task, and his sweatshirt was on inside out as he hurried into the kitchen to look out the door. He literally sagged against the counter when he spotted his truck, and once again he had to take several deep breaths to calm the racing of his heart. Damn, the woman would be the death of him one way or another.

Feeling bolstered that she had not taken off, he fixed his sweatshirt and started the coffee before donning his boots to go in search of her. He had a sneaking suspicion that she went out back, and he was right. She had pulled the blanket off the sofa in the living room and draped it over her shoulders, and she stood in the back yard, watching an elk graze nearby. Her long ebony hair drifted down her back, sending little ripples of pleasure through him as he remembered the feel of it grazing his chest, and he leaned against the door jam to gaze at her for a few moments quietly.

A part of him still had not come to terms with the fact that he had made love to Ana again. He was still trapped in the feeling that it was all a dream. However, when he blinked, she was still there, poised slightly behind a tree watching that bull elk munch at the scrub close by. As much as he hated to turn away long enough to pour the coffee, he trusted Ana to know not to challenge the elk. Of course, it was not only concern keeping him rooted to the spot. It was also his own longing to stare at her, burning memories of his own into his brain the way she wanted to do the same.

Sighing, he did move from the doorway, and he added wood to the fireplace and poured out two mugs of hot coffee before carrying them out to join her. He moved as quietly as possible out of fear of startling her and the elk before stopping at her side. "Morning."

She beamed up at him. "Good morning. Did you sleep well?"

He grinned. "Did I sleep at all? I kinda remember being up all night with a vixen."

She accepted the mug and smiled at him over the brim while he drew her close. In return, she wrapped her arm and a corner of the blanket around his waist, leaving them snug together. The elk lifted his head and stared at them then moved a little further away. He did not appear fearful, so they watched him graze in silence until Ana held out her hand. "It's snowing."

"I see," he said, staring down at the top of her ebony head. Little white flakes were landing in her hair for a moment before melting. "It's a shame. I had hoped to take you to the mine today."

"A mine?" Her eyes lit up. "For real?"

He chuckled. "Yeah. It's not far. Do you remember when we took that trail up to view the town? It's only a quarter mile past that spot we stopped..."

Her lips parted as it finally clicked, and her eyes lit up with excitement. "I'd love to go."

"We should check the weather first. If it's going to dump a foot of snow on us, we don't want to get trapped five miles out."

She nodded. "Then I better get ready pretty quick."

In a flash, the blanket was gone, and Austin noticed that the elk had enough of their presence and trotted off in the opposite direction. He was shaking his head as he followed her inside, but he prepared them a hearty breakfast while she showered.

Although the kitchen was small, it had everything he needed: an oven, stove, microwave, toaster oven, sink and dishwasher. In fact, he could live there permanently and be perfectly content with Ana by his side – just like she had promised all those years ago.

Snorting, he shook his head. They would last a month at best. While he grew up with nothing and frequently slept under a roof of stars, she was accustomed to her palatial home, a huge family that hung out regularly, and a bevvy of close friends who stalked her social media constantly. That was one thing he had held out on. Social media. He did not even have a Facebook account, let alone Instagram and all those other new means to connect. When Takeisha once asked him to Snapchat, he and Dodd had laughed out loud. Takeisha had called him a dinosaur, and Dodd had egged her on.

His dreamy thoughts came up short when Ana emerged from the bathroom, looking less pale, more vibrant, and angelic with a halo of steam surrounding her. She was toweling her hair as she approached, and she smiled so beautifully that he closed his eyes to memorize it. "Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could stay here forever?"

His eyes snapped open, then he blinked, and finally his lips parted in surprise. It was almost an exact replica of her words the last time they were up here.

"You know, you could work for the county or even DPS. I could work from here; maybe design a few mountaintop houses up north..."

As much as he loved the idea, he forced himself to laugh. "You wouldn't last a month," he said, pushing a plate of eggs, bacon and toast toward her.

"Why do you say that?"

"Your family."

"They wouldn't be that far. Sheesh, Cooper and Brianna were in San Diego for years. Even Jamie went away. She was in Vegas."

"And all of them came back to the Valley."

"The Valley's only a few hours away."

She took a seat at one of the wooden stools behind the counter and reached for the napkin he slid toward her. As she stared at her food, he went to sit beside her.

"How much land do you own?"

"It's forest land. I have rights to it."

"How much?"

"A half-acre."

"I could design an expansion, have it insulated, and my dad could do the work."

"What were you doing in the bathroom? Showering or planning a remodel?"

"Both," she said with an impish grin. "I adore it here."

Although he did not want to raise her hopes, he could not help himself. Reaching over, he covered her hand with his and gave her a squeeze. "Why don't you focus on finishing school before you consider remodeling my house?"

With a dramatic sigh, she reached for a piece of toast. "Fine," she muttered.

He contented himself with that for the moment. She was smiling, laughing even, and she was eating. That was more than he originally had hoped for. He would not push her, not today, and probably not tomorrow. For the time being, he wanted her to heal and look toward her future rather than the experience that had left her shaken and fearful.

Bullies were one thing he understood well. He had lived in fear of Carter Birmingham for years, and that kid had made his miserable life almost unbearable. If not for Ana coming to his rescue, who knew where he would be now. He might have ended up as bitter and spiteful as his mother or as drunk, fat, and lazy as Mack. Because of Ana, he had found a place in society, and he would not steal her hopes now.

"No matter what, Ana, this place is yours whenever you want it."

She made a little squealing sound and leaned over to press a warm kiss on his cheek. "Only with you here with me, Austin."

He snorted. "We'll see."

"Don't be silly."

****

The air was thinner in the higher elevation, and Ana was huffing and puffing as she struggled to keep up with Austin's longer strides. She understood why he was rushing, but she kept pausing to glance behind her, an old tracker's trick of marking a trail but also a way to see the scenery around them. They had left the truck on the side of the narrow forest road, finding a spot where it was wide enough to pull over, but half the truck was in a ditch, and they could get trapped there if the snow continued falling in heavy, wet flakes that made her cheeks burn from the cold.

As if sensing her falling behind again, Austin paused and glanced back, her golden Adonis scanning the trail with concern marring his brow. She ducked behind a tree at the last minute, wondering how he would react if she was not within his sight. Sure enough, a look of panic appeared, and she almost felt guilty when he began to hurry down the trail in search of her.

When he rushed up alongside her, she reached out and grasped his arm. "Boo."

"Dammit, Ana," he growled, his gaze scanning her from head to toe. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine. I just stopped to look around. Isn't it pretty?"

"You won't think it's pretty if we're trapped out here all night," he muttered. "Do you want to keep going, or should we head back?"

"I'm coming," she said with a sigh. "You just move faster than me."

He scanned her again then nodded briskly, but when he began to head uphill again, he held her hand. She noticed how cold his fingers were and scanned his garb. Like her, he wore a sweatshirt with a long-sleeved shirt underneath it, but her sweatshirt almost reached her knees and had a hood while his did not. His ears were turning pink from the cold, and his cheeks were ruddy. She wondered if he wanted to turn back.

"Are you cold?"

He nodded. "Freezing."

"Do you want to go back?"

"Not unless you do."

She smiled. Typical Austin. Always putting her needs above his own. She wanted to show him that he did not have to be that way all the time – that he did have a say in the matter – but before she could open her mouth, the opening of the mine lay ahead.

"Oh, my," she gasped, charging past him.

His arm snaked around her waist and pulled her up short. "Careful. This mine isn't sealed off. There's no knowing if it's dangerous or not."

"I'll be careful."

His lips compressed. "I'll go first."

"If you get hurt, I can't carry you down the mountain."

He rubbed his knuckles along her cold cheek. "You'd be amazed at what you can do in a panic."

He was smiling tenderly as he released her. Then he spun around and disappeared inside the mine, leaving Ana to ponder his words. That was the second time he had hinted to something elusive, something she could not put her finger on but was growing more and more suspicious of. The sheer absurdity of it was what made her hold her tongue, but she was tempted to ask despite earning a scornful laugh out of it.

She followed him inside, taking several steps into the pitch-black darkness. Within three steps, she could not see her hand in front of her face, and there was no sight or sound of Austin anywhere. "Austin?"

No answer.

Fearing there was a hole somewhere ahead, a sheer drop that had consumed him while she was lingering outside, Ana fumbled inside her pocket for the flashlight Austin had given her. She was reaching for the button to turn it on when an arm went around her waist from behind.

"Boo."

"Austin!" He was laughing at her this time, and she reluctantly admitted that she deserved it. Nevertheless, her heart was racing from where it jumped up into her throat. She scowled fiercely even though it was too dark to see. "I thought you fell down a hole or something."

"Payback sucks, doesn't it?"

"Yes," she said grudgingly. "It does."

She wriggled out of his arms and turned on the flashlight, shining it in his face once in revenge. He tossed up his hand to shield his eyes, but she spied his grin before she scanned the passage ahead.

Just like when she entered the cabin, she felt as though she was going back in time. Rotting wooden beams supported the rock above their heads, and she reached out tentatively to see how sturdy they were. She was acutely aware of Austin tensing up behind her, prepared in a moment's notice to snatch her out of the way, but they seemed solid enough for her to continue moving deeper inside.

"You can see where they followed the vein," Austin said, his deep voice echoing down the cavern and warming her heart. It was damp but slightly warmer than the outside temperature, and Ana swung her flashlight from left to right as far as the beam would travel. When Austin pulled out his, they moved deeper inside, and he gave her a brief history lesson of the mine.

"This one was dug out by a single miner in the late 1800's," he whispered. Despite the low timbre of his voice, it still carried down the mine, and she shivered at the sound. It reminded her of pleasant things, most recently from the night before. "Did I hurt you?" "Do you like that?" "How does this feel?"

"The miner went in about thirty feet before the vein ended. He moved on, and some years later, they found Crown King, Jerome, and of course the Mule Mine. The Bradshaws were loaded with gold. If this old miner had hung out a little longer, he might've found more."

"Poor guy. Maybe if he chased his mule, he would've found the mother lode."

Austin chuckled, but his gaze focused on her. "Sometimes the best things in life are right there before your eyes."

She did not doubt that for an instant.

Chapter 18

Austin sat on the wool rug, his back propped against the sofa with Ana sitting between his thighs. His hands were snugly wrapped around her waist, and she was leaning against his chest as they watched the weather. Two feet of snow. Typical.

All those plans he had made were going to hell, and he had called in sick for one day. So much for his promotion. However, he had plenty of sick time, and the only vacation days he had used were to fly east and check on Ana, so he was due. Besides, he was content right where he was, and all he needed to do was make a single phone call and explain now that he was trapped at his cabin for an unknown amount of time. The forest roads were always the last to be plowed, and even chains would do him little good in two feet of snow.

"So we're trapped here?"

"Looks that way."

Instead of panicking, Ana snuggled deeper against his chest, and Austin grinned.

"I'll study for a bit, so I don't get in your way."

"Gee, thanks."

"What?"

"Is that your way of saying you're tired of me already?"

"I could never grow tired of you."

"I should've checked the weather before I brought you up here. They must've known there was a storm brewing."

"Who's tired of whom here?"

In response, he tightened his thighs around her, making her look up at him questioningly. "What if we miss Christmas?"

"Would that be so bad?" She pointed to the wood box and then the load outside. "You have wood for the fire, we have food and water... We could hike out a ways and cut down a tree."

"Knowing our luck, we'd end up like Chevy Chase and bring home a squirrel in it."

She laughed. "You're right. Remember those awful scorpions?"

"How could I ever forget?"

"That was awful. Whatever happened to Carter Birmingham anyway?"

"Serving thirty for attempted murder."

"Why am I not surprised?"

Her voice was bitter, but no more than he was. Carter had been the bane of both of their existences, and it was because of him that Carter had targeted Ana. Despite her father speaking to his parents multiple times, the kid had a cruel streak that was miles thick.

He thought of the serial killer triad. Bed wetting. Animal cruelty. Fires. Carter had probably been on a path to that; had he not been foolish enough to be caught after his first attempted murder, he just might have done worse. Of course, Austin had no way of knowing if that was his first. For all they knew, there could have been other victims that no one knew about. What mattered more was that he was behind bars where he belonged.

"Do you know the details?"

How could he explain to her that he had searched every database he had access to in order to track his most-hated bully down? Plain and simple, he could not. Would not was more like it. Shaking his head, he shrugged. "Only that he's in Florence."

She snorted. "It really doesn't surprise me. I've never met anyone as cruel as him."

"What about all those troubles your family faced?"

"That was different," she replied thoughtfully. "I was scared then, but not terrified like I was of Carter. He used to hurt you all the time." As she spoke, her hands stroked his thighs. "I wished you were there."

He snorted, knowing exactly what she meant. "I was."

Her head twisted as she turned to look up at him. "You were? Where? When?"

"I patrolled your neighborhood," he admitted. "When that FBI agent shot the guy, I was first on scene and secured it for the detectives."

"I wasn't there then. I was in school."

"I know."

"I meant before, when Mr. Woods..."

Her voice drifted off as they thought back to her aunt's father, the man who worked with the Mexican cartels storing and distributing thousands of pounds of drugs. To think that Ian's high-school girlfriend and now wife had such a close tie to that underground world was shocking and embarrassing. The only thing that had kept the Evans' from being scrutinized was the way Woods had treated his two children. Now there was a bully.

"I was there then, too," he admitted.

"I'm surprised."

"That I was there?"

"Well, yeah."

"I could say it was my job to be there."

She chuckled softly. "I guess."

"But I couldn't lie to you, ever." He smiled bashfully. "I was a rookie when Woods charged into your house, but I was there. And later, I stayed a few cars behind your mom's, but I did follow you to the airport."

"Oh, Austin," she breathed, spinning around and rising on her knees. When she cupped his face in her hands, he stared deep into her eyes. They were warm, full of adoration, and he had never seen so much love shining back at him. Selfishly, he wanted to cherish that moment, but he could not be selfish, not with Ana.

"You would've done the same for me."

"Because I love you, and you love me."

"We have history. We grew up together," he rationalized.

"You can preach that all you want, but the truth is that we've had something special since we were kids."

He sighed. "I want you to be happy."

"We talked about that last night, and I already told you that you make me happy."

"What about four years from now? What if you meet some great guy in Boston?"

"I doubt that'll happen. I've yet to meet anyone who makes me feel the way you do, Austin."

He opened his mouth to deny it, but he could not. He had not either. The last woman he dated had once again reminded him too much of Ana, and he quickly extracted himself when he realized that was the only reason he asked her out.

Ana smiled triumphantly and released her grip on his face. She spun around again and settled back between his legs, and silence fell as he tried his hardest to formulate the words he wanted to say to Ana. He wanted her to give up on him, explore the world a little, and then make a decision.

"Why did you say you feared my smile?"

"Huh?" He was so caught off guard that he did not immediately remember what she was talking about. When it occurred to him that she was referring to the journal, he chuckled.

"I wrote back something serious, and you were funning me."

"Funning you?" He wrapped his arms around her waist again and pressed his cheek against hers. "I wasn't funning you. I was being honest."

"Why do you fear my smile?"

"Because when you smile, I can't refuse you."

She laughed then. "So I'll just smile while I beat it into your thick head that we need to give us a chance."

"You can try."

"What about my strength."

"You already answered that yourself." He grinned. "You're so damned stubborn."

"Only when I'm trying to make you realize that you're being silly. You're the only man for me, Mr. Tanner."

"That's because you've never given anyone else a chance."

"Are you ashamed of me, of what happened?" He went still, and she twisted in his arms again. "Is that why you're being so adamant?"

"You know the answer to that," he said tightly. "Don't push it."

"I just don't understand why you're so determined to push me away. Losing you was the hardest thing I've ever had to face, and I don't want to go through that again, Austin. You're my life."

Her eyes appeared suspiciously moist again, and her lips trembled when she spoke. Feeling guilty, Austin reached up to stroke her hair. "You're so beautiful," he said with a small smile. "Probably the most beautiful woman I've ever met."

"Thank you."

"I want you to have the best of everything," he continued. "That's why I push you away. Think of it more as a nudge. I want you to look at other people. You're going to be a grand architect one day, and I'll be here, a cop."

"My uncles are cops."

"You know what I mean."

"No, I don't. I'm no better than you."

"You're far better than me."

"You say that because I grew up in a bigger house than you did, but that means nothing to me. It's what's inside that counts, Austin, and you're a fine man. You're tough yet gentle, honorable and honest. What more could a woman want?"

"Money, fame, stability."

"Money is the root of all evil," she shot back with a bitter laugh. "Money creates greed. I'd be perfectly content right here where I am, in this small cabin in the woods, as long as you were with me."

"You say that at twenty, but what about when you're forty?"

"I doubt I'll change."

"You're still young. You have your life ahead of you."

"And you're stubborn and won't even give me a chance."

"Don't fear losing me," he said abruptly. "I'll always be around."

"Lurking in the shadows, watching from the end of my street?"

"If I have to."

"I don't want you to."

He did not want to either. He had sat in the back of the stadium during Ana's graduation, so far away that he wished he had binoculars to see her accept her diploma. Worse was after the ceremony, when her entire family had surrounded her, giving her hugs and kisses before they went back to the house to party. He had watched from afar even though their fight had been that morning after her eighteenth birthday, and he had felt so raw that tears had streamed down his face.

Once again, he was at risk of saying or doing something stupid to break them apart, and that was the last thing he wanted. He cherished Ana more than anyone or anything; she was all that he had in his life.

"I don't want to either," he finally admitted.

She leaned forward and kissed him, and he sighed in resignation. When Ana had her heart set on something, there was no stopping her. Right now, her heart was set on changing his mind. When her nails grazed his chest, creeping ever lower to the waistband of his jeans, he decided he was not strong enough to deny her. He made love to her on the fluffy wool rug in front of the fireplace, drawing the blanket she had wrapped herself in that morning over them, then kissed every inch of her body.

Flashes of men grabbing at the same skin he now worshipped appeared behind his lids, but Ana's soft sighs and low moans somehow replaced the images with new ones. When her body melted against his and when they were one again, he felt complete, whole.

A long time later, he cradled her in his arms and began to think about her words, really think. Maybe there was something there after all.

****

Ana watched Austin enter, shaking snow off his boots and shivering from the cold. She greeted him with a mug of hot cocoa, which he accepted with a thankful smile, and she helped him tug off his sodden coat before she led him to the recliner closest to the fireplace.

"It's wetter, huh?"

"Damn heavy, too," he grumbled.

Every hour, Austin was back outside, keeping the path to the truck clear while Ana watched from inside. She had offered to go out and help, but he was adamant in his refusal. When she proclaimed that a hundred years ago the woman would be out there, he rolled his eyes as he donned his wet coat.

Now that he was sitting, she carried it to the fireplace and hung it on a hook out of reach of the flames. "I guess there's one vital piece of modern amenities this place is missing."

"What's that?"

"A washer and dryer."

He glanced up at her and grinned. "I thought you liked it rustic? Already missing having clean clothes?"

"Actually, no," she sniffed. "I was thinking of drying your coat for you."

He smiled as his long fingers encased the warm mug. "Oh."

"Oh well. It might still be wet, but at least it'll be warm inside."

He shrugged, and Ana watched him stare deep into the fire. Although the caveman in him would not allow her to go outside with only a sweatshirt, he would allow her to tend the fire. She had added several logs, and it was nice and toasty in the living room at least. While he admired her skill with the fire, she admired him. He was so handsome with his broad forehead and large blue-green eyes, and he looked older and wiser when he stared thoughtfully into the fire. Then she remembered his birthday had passed the week before, and they had yet to celebrate it. When she went to the mall with her mother, she bought him a present, just like she had for the birthdays and Christmases she had missed celebrating with him because of her childish outburst.

Spinning on her heel, she retreated to the bedroom, wondering if her mother had packed it in one of the pockets of her bag. Knowing her mother, she suspected she had.

Sure enough, the blue-and-white wrapped box was tucked in the corner pocket, and she pulled it out with a relieved sigh.

"You okay?"

She smiled. Austin was always looking out for her, even when he appeared lost in his thoughts. "One second."

She grasped her gift and held it behind her back, smiling when she found him peering at the doorway as if expecting her to have broken down again. His eyes widened when she reappeared with a secretive smile on her face, and a dubious look replaced the concern on his. "What are you up to?"

"Believe it or not, I didn't forget your birthday last week. I'm just a little late in remembering to wish you one."

He waved a hand in dismissal. "I hardly remember when it is."

"And that's not right." She ground her teeth together in frustration, wishing she had been old enough to give his mother a stern talking to before she passed away. Ana would never forget Austin's grief when that horrible woman died. He had actually sobbed in her arms the way she had in his many times. It was the only time she ever saw him cry. He never did, not even when he had been stung three times by those horrible scorpions. He never even shed a tear after the beatings Carter gave him. Austin was, and probably always would be, the toughest man she knew.

However, something niggled in the back of her mind. That night in the cab she had been barely conscious after the boys' beating to her head and that big boy punching her silly then strangling her, cutting off the oxygen flow to her brain while he fumbled to rape her. In her half-crazed mind, she remembered Austin's tears, asking her to forgive him for not arriving in time.

Then a flash in her bedroom. Her head cocked to the side, and her eyes narrowed as she paused in the kitchen. Before the journal appeared, she had a dream of when they were kids, when she was writhing in agony on her mother's sofa and Austin was turning blue around the lips as his throat swelled dangerously. The scorpion's venom had worked quickly, and his head had lolled against the side of the sofa while she clung to his hand and begged him not to leave her. However, it was a deep voice that answered – Austin's adult voice.

"Did you come visit me when I got home?"

"You know I did," he said, his astute gaze peering deep into hers.

He glanced away quickly when her narrowed eyes opened wider. "I mean before you left the journal."

The fire seemed to suddenly be of great interest. Austin set aside his mug of hot cocoa and knelt before it to poke the logs until they fell. A flash of fire and sparks lit up his face, and Ana swore he was blushing.

"Maybe," he said with a half-shrug.

"You did, didn't you?" Ana demanded.

"Why do you ask?"

"I just remembered something. I thought I had dreamed about the scorpions, when I was so scared you were going to die, and I held your hand while you were sitting next to the sofa."

He glanced at her over his shoulder. "The key was still where we left it."

"I never took it out."

His chin inclined in acknowledgement.

"Neither did my parents."

That got his attention, and he whipped around to find her grinning at him. "They knew?"

"Of course they did. You don't think we could make a mark on my father's house without him knowing, do you? That's his pride and joy, and he lectured me for hours for cutting the trim."

Austin threw back his head and laughed. "I swear, you have the smartest parents on earth."

"Tell me about it," she muttered.

He shook his head. "All right. If you must know, Chuck took me out to dinner the night after you came home. I went then."

"And slept on the floor?" Ana gasped and almost dropped the package she held. "Why didn't you wake me?"

"I wasn't sure what kind of reception I'd get, and you were pretty out of it. Whatever pills they gave you are pretty strong. I'd like to try them myself."

"Oh, stop it. Like you would," she teased.

He grinned that magical grin of his, the one that always made Ana's heart do little flip flops in her chest. When she smiled back, he took a step toward her as if a string was drawing him closer, and she met him halfway. When she thrust the box at him, he paused and stared at it hesitantly.

"Happy late birthday, Austin."

He glanced at the box then at her, and it was a stark reminder of all the missed birthdays he had. Although she had always made a point to celebrate once he confessed when it was, and her family took it upon themselves to throw him a party every year after his first one, he never had experienced a birthday party with kids wearing hats and blowing little horns. He never had a birthday cake with his age on a candle. He never had friends thrusting presents at him and begging him to open theirs first.

Ana closed the gap between them and placed the box into his hand. "Please open it."

Instead of grasping the box, he claimed her wrist, and he drew her to the sofa and onto his lap before he reached for the box she held. Although she was bursting with the need to explain herself and feeling embarrassed, she held her tongue as he carefully plucked the tape away from the paper and opened it slowly. It was almost as if he wanted to savor the moment – and the paper – as he carefully spread the edges to reveal a simple black box. It was on hinges, and he opened it slowly, inhaling sharply when he spied the watch.

"Every cop should have one," she said hastily.

He nodded absently, but she saw how wide his eyes were, how they glistened with excitement as he pulled it off the display and studied it.

She had worked all throughout high school and during the summer for her father. Although her parents had been wise and set up college accounts for both her and David, she had a little money of her own, spending money for school, and she spent almost every penny she had left on Austin during that trip to the mall. The watch was sturdy but subtle, no flashy diamonds, but rather functional with a night vision option, LED strobe lights, and a compass. Now that she knew he came up to the mountains frequently, she was glad she had chosen it. Almost like she knew instinctively...

She held her breath when he finally tugged it free from the box and held it up, and she watched his eyes when he spied the inscription on the back plate. Without looking at her, he flipped it over and read:

"Our words may break, our hearts may too, but no matter what, I love you – Ana"

He studied the script for an eternity, seeming to read the words over and over again until he cleared his throat. Without looking at her, his thumb ran over the words, lightly stroking it as his jaw worked. "Oh, Twerp, I –"

She quickly reached out and covered his lips with her fingers. "Don't be a dork, Dork," she said. "Just put it on."

"It's snowing," he began, his lips moving against her fingers.

"It's waterproof. Well, up to two-hundred meters at least."

She felt him kiss her fingers and stared at him. He was studying her with his eyes churning again, that intense look that she knew meant he was at a complete loss of words. Smiling, she withdrew her fingers and plucked the watch away from his, holding it away when he reached for it desperately.

"Which wrist?"

The corner of his mouth lifted into a half-smile as he held out his left wrist, and Ana pushed back the sleeve of his sweatshirt to tug it over his hand.

"It's a good thing it's big," she commented as she flipped his wrist over to secure the clasp.

Once it was on, he lifted his hand and stared at the shiny silver face, turning his arm this way and that as he studied the look and tested the weight. Finally, he lowered his arm to her waist and pulled her near. "A hug and a kiss, right?"

She grinned, easily remembering the last time she had given him presents for his birthday alone. At twelve, she had no idea how much a single kiss could impact her, and she had never considered kissing another boy after that one brief peck. The way Austin was staring at her made her wonder if he had felt the same. Certainly, when it happened, he had jerked away from her as if he was some kind of pervert, and she wondered if he had felt that same spark of electricity even back then.

"That's right," she said, nodding briskly.

"With pleasure," he murmured, his eyes burning with intent.

Ana went willingly.

Chapter 19

The Eighteenth Birthday

As soon as Ana stepped outside, she felt as though she was stepping inside an oven. It was oppressively hot, and she cursed having a summer birthday for the umpteenth time. Why did she have to be born in May? It was during the brutal desert heat, and her birthday was exceptionally hot. The temperature had been steadily rising all week, and that evening was topping off at 117˚. It was a dry, miserable heat with a steady wind that blew her carefully curled hair, threatening to ruin all the work she had done.

In the past, Ana had always had a pool party for her birthday. It was easier on her parents, and her friends loved the hidden grotto beneath the waterfall. Many secrets had been exchanged in that recess, and Ana knew that just as many kisses had been shared by her uncles, cousins, and even her parents. She had begged Austin to swim in there with her the previous summer, but he had refused to kiss her and tugged her under the water instead until she resurfaced shrieking in self-righteous anger.

Not tonight, though.

She had planned her birthday carefully. Actually, she had planned it for two full years. The minute she turned 18, she belonged to Austin. He had promised, and she was finally ready.

When her gaze first landed upon the silk dress earlier that week at the mall, her jaw had dropped open. It was perfect, and she had not hesitated to snatch it up and try it on. As expected, it fit like a glove, and she had hardly glanced at the exorbitant price tag before she marched to the saleswoman and bought it. The dress was lovely, but she earned a fierce scowl from her father when he watched her descend the stairs. She watched his eyebrows draw together in a frown and responded with a sweet smile. She was an adult now, and he had no say. Tonight was her night, and she wanted it to be special.

She understood why he was unhappy with it. Normally she dressed modestly, and this was a mini sundress, with only a short zipper in the back to hold it in place. Not only did it end at mid-thigh, but it was also strapless. Even so, her father's disapproval would never sway her decision to wear it. She had chosen it because it was, well, perfect. The white silk with pale pink slashes was soft and airy, and the darker-pink sash belt satiny smooth. She knew the minute Austin saw her in it, his jaw would hit the floor faster than hers had when she spotted it.

"You're wearing that?"

"Stop it," Isabel chided. Turning to Ana, she smiled indulgently. "It's beautiful. Where did you find it?"

"Nordstrom."

"I think you look stunning."

"Me, too," her father growled. "That's why I don't like it."

Ana giggled and rose on tiptoe to kiss her father's cheek. "Thank you, Daddy."

"At least I got a Daddy out of it," he muttered, but he smiled and gave her a wink.

Holding out both his arms, he waited until Ana and Isabel slid their arms under his before bellowing upstairs. "David! Are you coming?"

"Yeah."

David ran down the stairs, but he too froze when he spied Ana. He scanned her from head-to-toe before whistling low. "Wow, sis, you look nice."

"Thank you."

She released her father's arm and joined David, who offered her his in her father's place. The four of them walked across the driveway and climbed into Isabel's SUV. As Ana was securing her seatbelt, Ford spun around. "Is Austin meeting us there?"

"Yeah," she replied, feeling her heart flutter nervously at the sound of his name. "He had to work."

Ford nodded briskly and started the engine, and the family drove to the restaurant chattering happily amongst themselves. Ana continued to smooth her dress over her thighs, feeling excited, nervous, and happy all at the same time. Tonight was it!

It seemed like the entire family was there, and they had a room all to themselves. The long table was littered with brightly colored gift bags and even a few small velvet boxes holding jewelry, but Ana hardly noticed. She greeted everyone with smiles, politely accepted their birthday wishes and her uncles' disapproval of her dress, but she was distracted.

Where was Austin?

They had all seated and placed their order, but the seat beside Ana remained empty when the drinks and appetizers arrived. Ana ordered for him and waited, responding automatically to the questions about her college plans and when she was leaving. Luckily, her mother began to dominate the conversation with talk about her upcoming graduation party, and Ana took the opportunity to excuse herself and go in search of Austin.

She was weaving through the crowd of diners waiting to be seated when she felt his hand wrap around her arm. "There you are," he said with relief in his voice. "I've been looking all over."

Ana scowled at the busy hostesses. "They were supposed to tell you where we were."

The moment was ruined. The entrance was so busy that she doubted Austin had even seen her dress. However, she was not that easily discouraged, and she wrapped her fingers around his and scanned him from head to toe. "You look nice," she said, nodding her approval.

From the light scent of his aftershave and the dampness of his hair, Ana could tell that he had gone home from work and showered. He was dressed in crisp black slacks and a white button-down shirt with a red tie – a power tie. She smiled.

"I'm sorry I'm late," he said as she led him toward the back room. "I was in such a rush that I forgot your present."

"No worries," she replied flippantly. "We can get it after if you want."

He nodded, and Ana caught him staring at her legs when she turned to lead him to their table. So he had noticed after all. Good.

When she returned with Austin in tow, a new round of greetings rippled down the line as uncles, aunts, and her family all welcomed him warmly. She could feel Austin's tension radiating off of him and patted his thigh under the table to help him relax. He reached down and squeezed her hand.

"I ordered for you."

"Great. Thanks."

When the attention immediately turned to Austin, Ana sat back proudly. Her uncles were exceptionally interested in his career choice, and Ana could not help but send him surreptitious smiles periodically as he squirmed in his seat.

Comments came in quick and hard: "I was at the academy last week. They're still raving about your work there."

"Your squad thinks very highly of you."

"Hey, I heard you graduated magna cum laude. Great job."

And, "You look real handsome tonight, Austin," from Jamie.

How he hated all the attention, but she was so thrilled that he had come. Her family was trying their best to make him feel at home, when in fact they were embarrassing him.

She finally put an end to the torture when their plates were cleared. Despite dominating the conversation, Austin had eaten every bite of the chicken and spinach manicotti she ordered for him, but he nursed his wine and drank water instead as the drilling continued. She could feel his tension brewing with every passing minute, and she had only one idea how to ease it. It was a selfish move on her part, but she was growing desperate. The last thing she wanted was Austin's mood ruined because he was so miserable. Luckily for her, her family was indulgent when she leaned forward eagerly. "There are so many presents here that I feel like a little girl all over again."

Her hint was met by an understanding smile from her mother, and she inclined her chin in acknowledgement as she slid them toward Ana. "That's right. We can't allow the little princess to wait, or she'll turn into a bumpkin by the stroke of midnight."

Austin turned to her. "A bumpkin?"

"She meant pumpkin," Ana said with a giggle.

Later, she went through the cards that came with the gifts to write out her thank-you notes, but at the time she hardly paid any attention to the presents she opened. Her greatest memory was her mother's insistence that she make the transition from silver to gold, and there were two dainty gold chains with pendants, a couple of earrings, some scarves and tops, and a filigree bracelet from her mother made of Italian gold.

Zach's wife, Emery, painted her as a small child in oil using one of her baby photos, and her mother made her swear to hang it in her room when she went to college. Uncle Hayden, always the prankster, wrapped a box of condoms with a note not to use them all at once and a card with three hundred-dollar bills along with a promise to fly her home anytime she wanted to visit. Her father and Austin had reached for the box with matching scowls, and a round of catcalls and whistles made the room burst into laughter while Ana and Austin blushed at the same time.

Her heart was racing when the waitresses returned with their coworkers in tow, and the small room burst to life with song. Hayden clapped in time, Ian began to sing in his deep voice, a little off-key with the restaurant's jingle, but everyone was smiling at her. She had felt like a princess in that moment, with her pretty dress, matching sandals that took her three stores to find – and also cost her a fortune – her hair in perfectly arranged curls falling down her back, and her makeup applied with the help of YouTube. She was finally eighteen, and she and Austin had plans for the evening.

All too soon, her father was drawing Austin aside, and she strained to overhear their conversation as her aunts and uncles gathered to say their farewells. It was awkward to smile and laugh with them when all she could see was her father frowning.

"If you have anything to drink, let Ana drive home."

"Of course."

"It's a far drive..."

"If it's too late, I'll just bring her to my place."

"You have suitable arrangements?"

Austin chuckled. "She'll be safe with me, sir."

He clasped Austin on the shoulder. "I know. It's just..."

"I get it. I do." She looked away quickly when he glanced over his shoulder at her. His voice was lower, but her heart jumped in her chest when he scanned her with a light shake of his head before speaking wistfully. "It's like she grew up overnight."

"She did," her father muttered.

Her father and Austin shared a grin before they were waylaid by her uncles. Then it was Ana's turn to wait impatiently, and it took every bit of her strength to not reach out and touch his arm or hand. She waited, doing her best to plaster a smile on her face and stand demurely when that was the very last thing she wanted. Her mother gathered her presents and promised to take them home, and she was so distracted that she waved her hand impatiently.

A bratty move for sure.

However, her mother's eyes were twinkling with amusement when she nudged Ford. "If they're going, they should leave now. They still have to get into the city, find parking, and Ana's shoes weren't made for walking."

Her words drew Austin's attention to Ana's blush pink sandals, and he was frowning when their gazes met. Ana's heart sunk. Did he not like her outfit? She had spent so much money on it, and she purchased it just for him.

"I'll drop her out front if it's bad," he replied to her mother with such an impassive look that Ana almost pouted.

Isabel leaned forward and hugged Austin tightly while he stood as still as a stone statue. "You're such a good boy, Austin. I hope you two have a great time."

Although Ana's girlfriends had scoffed at Austin's idea to take her to a ballgame for her 18th birthday, she was excited. Sports were a large part of her life, and her uncles were always down at the park near their house playing football and baseball with the girls. She could swing a bat as good as her Uncle Brian, who was actually her father's cousin, but she preferred to call him uncle since it was easier. He had played pro before some guy slammed into him at home plate and ruined his shoulder. Even so, he taught her all the tricks when she was little, and she could hold her own.

That Austin had suggested it sent her over the moon, considering he had been holding her at arm's length for so long. Now they were alone, and she could barely contain her excitement. Instead of shorts and a Diamondback's T-shirt, she was wearing her beautiful silk dress, and Austin looked nice as well. They might stand out in the crowd, but she did not care. She just turned 18, she was graduating high school, and she and Austin were going on a date. What could be any better than that?

"You had a really nice party."

She was so lost in her thoughts that she had forgotten they were alone, and she immediately spun in her seat. "Thank you for coming."

"I wouldn't have missed it for the world," he said with a grin. "Dinner was awesome."

"Of course all you think about is food," she returned.

She smoothed down the skirt of her dress, trying hard not to wrinkle the delicate silk. It had bunched around her waist at dinner, and it had clung to her when she broke out in a sweat upon seeing Austin in the lobby. Still, she was proud of it, and she hoped he liked it, too.

"You look nice tonight, Ana," he said a little slowly when he noticed her actions. "Did you get that for your party?"

She beamed. He had noticed! Nodding, she glanced down at herself. "I saw it in the store and had to get it. It cost a fortune, but I thought it was perfect."

"It is," he said gruffly.

Ana's heart began to flutter like a hummingbird's wings. "Thank you. I was hoping you'd like it."

"It's not exactly great for a ballgame, but it's perfect for a birthday party."

"I don't mind."

"We don't have to go to the game. If you'd rather not ruin the dress, we could do something else."

"Like what?"

"I dunno. A movie? A comedy club? You're eighteen now, so we could do a theatre showing."

Austin was always thinking of others, and that was what made Ana adore him so much. She reached out and placed her hand on his arm, feeling the muscles contract and flex under her fingers. Although it was not the first time she noticed, she realized that touching him brought a warm feeling to her loins, and this time it was stronger than ever.

"I'm excited to go. Let's do it."

He nodded, and a small smile appeared on his face. "I'll give you a piggyback if you can't make it in those shoes."

With a light pat on his arm, she sat back in her seat and folded her hands in her lap contentedly. "I'll be fine."

The nod he gave her in return was skeptical, but he held his tongue and found the closest parking available. Then he held out his arm for her to lean on as he guided her into the stadium. He remained attentive the entire time, but there was an underlying tension inside him that seemed to radiate all the way down the row. It lasted until the final inning, when he nudged her and pointed to the jumbotron above the field. Suddenly her graduation photo was plastered there with a single sentence: "Happy 18th birthday, Princess Ana, Love, Austin."

Applause rang out when the cameras zoomed in on her surprised face, and Ana was so touched and amazed by his thoughtfulness that she threw her arms around his shoulders and did what the crowd expected. She kissed Austin.

A hug and a kiss. That was her family's way of saying thank you when they received a gift, and it was perfectly normal to do so. However, when Austin's hands surrounded her and drew her close, it became anything but normal. At the time, she had no way of knowing that he was putting on a show for the crowd. All she knew was that he was kissing her like he had never kissed her before, and she went from throwing her arms around his shoulders to clinging to them when he bent her over his arm and ravaged her mouth with his.

Her first kiss had been with Austin, and she had thought it was magical. However, it was nothing like this. Nothing. This time, he deepened the kiss as if they were alone, without a crowd of 50,000 people watching them, and she was wide-eyed and breathless when he raised his head and grinned at her, looking so boyishly handsome that she wanted to cry. "Happy birthday, Twerp."

How could he remain so calm and collected when she felt as though her legs were going to buckle at any moment? The camera had moved away already, focusing on some wildly dressed fans, and Ana sank down into her seat while the other people in their row and around them wished her a happy birthday. She accepted their thanks and the T-shirt one fan had caught from the air cannon, but her head was spinning from Austin's kiss.

Once the birthday wishes passed, Austin was far more relaxed, and he even appeared happy. He was almost dancing in his seat during that final inning, but Ana remained subdued, longing to press her fingers to her lips to confirm she had not imagined the entire scene.

In the final minutes, Austin leaned close. "Do you want to head out now before it gets too crowded?"

She nodded weakly and came to her feet, and Austin held out his hand politely. They walked back to his old white truck with their fingers entwined, a companionable silence only broken by random comments about the game.

When he had her tucked into her seat, he glanced over. "Do you mind stopping at my place so I can get your present?"

"Oh," she stammered, her heart racing in her chest all over again. "I thought that was my present."

He winked. "It's your eighteenth birthday. I bought you a gift. Remember? I told you I was late and forgot it?"

He had said that, but she thought he was waiting to surprise her. Feeling as if this was the moment she had been longing for ever since he had pushed her away and told her he would kiss her at eighteen, Ana's head began to bob eagerly. "That's right. Let's go."

He nodded briskly, and after two tries, he got the engine running. She teased him about the truck during the short ride back to his apartment in Tempe, but inside she was shivering with excitement.

This was it.

She was eighteen now, and she was going to give her virginity to Austin.

Chapter 20

There was no doubt in Austin's mind that Ana was up to something. From the moment he saw her dressed in that tiny little silk thing, he felt as though he was teetering on the edge of a deep precipice from which he would not be able to climb out easily. Even so, he was excited, too. Ana had received many nice presents from her family, but he had topped them when he bought her that spot on the jumbotron. He saw it in her eyes when he kissed her. She was dazed, definitely shocked into silence, and she remained quiet during the drive to his apartment.

The small unit was not much to look at, but it had been his home ever since he left the Evans' after his mother passed away. He had finished school and attended the academy from the small single-bedroom apartment, and he was far more comfortable there than he had ever been in his mother's trailer, or worse, sleeping out in the desert.

Since he lived on a tight budget, he had picked up furniture piece by piece with Ana's help scouring yard sales, and the sofa she found on Craig's list remained the nicest thing he owned – except for his bed. That he had purchased new, a queen-sized headboard of solid oak and a memory-foam mattress that curved around his body. That had been a worthwhile investment, especially during his days at the academy. Some nights, he had come home exhausted and had fallen across the comfy bed, instantly falling asleep without taking his boots off.

Not liking the direction of his thoughts, he fumbled for the key and swung the door open before standing aside to allow Ana enter first. She smelled really nice that night, and he inhaled again when she passed. He was unsure if she was wearing perfume or if it was her soap, but something was different. Normally, Ana went about her day to day life without dressing up, wearing makeup, or styling her hair. She had done all three tonight, and she looked so beautiful that he had been dumbstruck when he first spotted her searching for him in the restaurant. He had merely stared at her while she scanned the crowd, his gaze riveted to her ebony hair carefully curled and dangling down her back in ringlets that he wanted to wind his hands in.

When he finally approached her, it had taken every ounce of strength he had not to touch them.

Now they were alone, and he was shifting uncomfortably. Her parents were not expecting him to bring her home, but surely they were not expecting him to do anything untoward with their daughter either. They trusted him to keep Ana's best interests at heart, and he would not fail them. Not willingly.

The apartment was dark, but Ana moved forward confidently. She had been there too many times to count, helping him stock up with plates, cups, eating utensils, even towels and sheets. They had decorated the space together, and he had welcomed her experience. He had grown up eating with his hands and drinking from a tap, so his knowledge was rudimentary at best. However, as always, she was there to guide him, and they did everything together.

"Hold on a sec," he mumbled as he flipped on the light switch. The light in the ceiling fan turned on above her head, casting its warm glow on her.

She was so beautiful that it hurt to look at her, and he forced himself to glance away. On this night, she was every much the princess her family called her. That dress – good lord – fit her like a glove, and it showed off her long legs, tiny waist, and firm breasts perfectly. The shiny pink bow seemed to be the only thing holding it in place, and he admitted to staring at her cleavage multiple times during the game when she leaned forward to cheer for the home team. Every time she crossed her long, glorious legs, he imagined what they would feel like locked around his hips.

Fearing his thoughts again, he brushed past her with every intention of snatching up the gift-wrapped box he left on his bed and returning to the living room to have her open it. However, when he spun around, Ana was there, her long, lean figure backlit from the light in the living room, and he straightened slowly, exhaling in a rush.

"I was coming," he whispered.

Why was he whispering? Just because the room was dark did not mean he had to whisper. Perhaps it was because he could not find his voice. They were alone, just the two of them, and Ana was standing in the doorway, an arm's length away from his bed.

Don't go there, he warned himself.

It was harder than ever not to go there, not when she looked so blindingly beautiful that he could hardly stand to look at her, and the birthday kiss he had mentally prepared himself for had nearly found him ripping that pretty dress off at the game in front of thousands of people.

His hand tightened around the box. The Evans family had a ritual of a hug and a kiss in return for a gift, and he was going to be due a second one the minute she opened the box. Had he subconsciously left it behind on purpose so he could steal another taste of her lips privately instead of in front of every one of her threatening uncles?

Although he planned to take her arm and lead her back into the relative safety of the living room, instead he reached out with the hand holding the box, and she took it from him with a shy smile. "You've spoiled me tonight, Austin."

"No more than you did on my eighteenth."

Her smooth brow wrinkled as she thought back to his birthday then, and she smiled at the memory. He had never seen so many wrapped presents before, and he had been overwhelmed by her family's generosity, so much that she had teased him later for appearing close to tears. He had accepted her teasing because he _had_ been close to tears, and he wondered if she would be in a minute when she opened his gift.

As she gazed down at the heavy box, he noticed that she was trembling slightly. He could not help but grin when she continued to hesitate before she lifted it and shook it gently.

"Just open it," he teased.

Rather than turn and walk back down the hall, she took the two steps to his bed and perched on the edge, right next to the gray slacks he had almost worn in place of the black ones, and he hastily gathered them up and slung them back over the hanger while he watched her pluck away the tape the way he did whenever he opened presents.

That brought another smile to his lips. He had spent several Christmas' with the Evans family and knew they usually tore into their gifts without heeding the wrapping paper. Unlike him, who had received so few gifts that he saved every piece of paper and tissue he had ever received as if they were a gift as well. Watching her do the same made his chest swell with pride, and he waited with bated breath for her to spread it apart.

He knew the moment she did when her lips parted on a gasp. Then he saw the shiny silver glowing in the dim light from the living room. Before she finished opening it, she leaned across his bed to turn on his lamp then straightened and pulled it free from the paper. He watched her lips moving without speech before she finally lifted her wide eyes to his. "Oh my gosh, Austin... I don't even know what to say."

"A hug and a kiss, remember?"

She was shaking her head in amazement, and her fingers trailed over the shiny silver box engraved with her name on the top surrounded by silver filigree and legs in the shape of cat heads. It was so intricately carved that she could hardly speak. "It's beautiful."

"Open it," he encouraged.

Her eyes grew even larger, and she opened the box to the light strains of Tchaikovsky's "Sleeping Beauty" with yet another gasp. "This is... awesome."

She lifted the lid fully and stared at the gleaming set of pearls, her eyes immediately filling with tears while Austin hurried to explain.

"Your mom said that when you turn eighteen you make the transition from silver to gold, and she said that was a family thing, that everyone would probably give you something gold. But when I asked about pearls, she said you didn't have any yet. Since they're your birthstone, I thought you should have a strand..."

His voice trailed off when he realized he was rambling, but seeing the delight on her face made him feel warm all over. He had done well, and he was proud of himself for coming up with the idea all by himself. It had not been cheap, but he would give Ana Evans every dime in his pocket to earn her admiration.

She held up the strand of pearls, gazing in awe as they grew larger toward the center, and she returned them to the jewelry box as carefully as he had laid them inside. Then she set the box on his nightstand with the lid open, and he listened to the waltz with a wide smile. There were tears in Ana's eyes, but they were happy tears. She liked his gift.

In hindsight, he should have known that his own joy contributed to what happened next, but when she rose to give him her hug and kiss, she cupped his cheeks in her hands and pulled his head down to hers with a distinct gleam in her eyes that he missed at first. He was so caught up at spying the tears that it took him a moment to realize the direction of her thoughts, but it did not take much to encourage him to follow her lead.

Her mouth was warm, inviting, and insistent when she angled her head and kissed him deeply. Then her arms were around his neck, holding him close as she maneuvered herself into his arms. At first, they dangled limply at his sides but rose to her waist when her tongue touched his, and he pulled her closer until her breasts brushed his chest. She tightened her arms around his neck and pressed her hips against his with a soft sigh when she realized that he was not immune to her, and he was helpless to stop her when one of her dainty hands snuck between them to loosen his tie and pull it over his head before she began to release the buttons on his shirt.

In a moment of lucidity, he reached down and grasped her hand as she was tugging his shirt from his waistband, but she had looked up sharply. "Don't say anything."

The corner of his lips curved up into a half-smile, and she returned to her task with gusto, sliding his shirt over his shoulders, down his arms, and then watching it glide to the floor before she stepped back into his waiting arms.

He knew the moment he was lost when her hand brushed against his as she fumbled for his belt, and he suspected they were making a mistake even as his hands searched out the zipper he had found when he bent her over his arm at the game. Sweeping his hands under the curtain of her hair, he tugged her zipper down while she worked on his slacks. As soon as it reached the end, the soft silk fell away from her beautiful body with a whisper as if by magic, and she stepped away from the dainty pile at her feet while he kicked away his slacks. Then he was guiding her onto his bed with only one thought in mind. Making love to Ana.

Certainly, he had dreamed of crossing that line millions of times, but he never really expected it to happen. However, she was there, as warm and soft as he imagined, and she showed no fear when his hands and lips explored all those spots he had imagined he would never see, let alone be able to touch. She giggled when his lips grazed a ticklish spot behind her knee, and she laughed when his clumsy fingers struggled with the tiny clasp on the ankle strap of her sandals, finally telling him to leave it.

He had never experienced such an erotic feeling in his life. Of course, that was the first erotic encounter he had ever had.

Convinced that he was more nervous than Ana, Austin had kicked off his shoes and socks then spread out alongside her to catch his breath, and he stared deep into her dark, almond-shaped eyes. "Are you sure?"

"I've never been surer of anything in my life."

How could he argue with that when he was bursting with the need to touch her? She was there, her cheeks glowing with arousal, her eyes heavy lidded, and her lips glistening from his kisses. He reached out to touch them with his thumb, and she dipped her chin to catch it between her lips and draw it into her mouth. The resulting jolt of electricity that shot straight to his loins almost made him groan in pain, but managed to keep a tight rein on his increasing passion and withdrew his thumb to run it over her lips.

"You are so beautiful," he whispered huskily.

"So are you," she replied.

"I'm afraid I'm going to hurt you," he finally admitted.

The adoration glowing in her eyes humbled him better than any words could, but her soft words bolstered him. "You'd never be able to hurt me if you tried. You don't have it in you."

That was not what he meant, but she grinned at him knowingly as she guided his hand to the lacy hem of her panties.

"I'll be fine."

"I might not be," he admitted, feeling ready to explode if he did not bury himself inside her soon.

With her help, the last of their clothing disappeared, and Austin clenched his jaw and thought of random things – when was the phone bill due? Had he taken out the trash? Did he remember to lock the front door? – as he kissed, touched, licked, and explored every inch of Ana's body until he was certain she was ready and he was close to losing his mind. She was almost begging him when he finally settled between her thighs, and somehow, some way, he managed to hold her gaze as their puzzle finally became complete. There were a few seconds where he was certain it would never work, that they could never fit him and his oversized body, and, to make matters worse, there was something in the way, something that made her inhale sharply when he pushed past it.

"I'm sorry," he gasped, as sweat continued to build over his upper lip.

It was torture, sweet yet painful torture, but he began to pull away before he hurt her even more when she reached up and wiped his brow. "I'm fine."

He was trembling all over with need, and he was almost convinced that he was going to shame himself if he moved or even twitched, so he lowered his head to the pillow beside her and remained still as her body adjusted to his.

"This is crazy," he groaned into the pillow. "I shouldn't be doing this. You shouldn't be here."

Her hands were lightly stroking his back, but her voice was incredibly calm considering he was tearing her in two. "I wanted this as much as you did, Austin. I never wanted it to be anyone else."

Selfishly, Austin ate up those words, and he repeated them in his head over and over again once he found the courage to continue. He was unsure what shocked him more. The fact that after that initial painfully embarrassing entry, they seemed to fit together perfectly, or that she enjoyed herself as much as he did. He had always known that Ana Evans was a passionate girl, but the full extent of her passion became apparent that night. What little confidence he possessed began to blossom when Ana responded enthusiastically. All thoughts of regrets and guilt evaporated during the night, and he cherished each moment, right down to when he insisted on incorporating her new pearls into their play before he clasped them around her neck.

They were both exhausted, but neither of them wanted the night to end. It was not until the sun began to rise that Ana brought reality back into play and that magical evening came to an abrupt and brutal end in the space of five minutes.

He had been joking when she sat up, kissed his forehead, and settled cross-legged in the center of the bed staring at him. "Damn, I wish I had gotten my hands on Hayden's present before your dad did."

She grinned sleepily. "When I finish college, we could start a family – if we haven't already. When we get married, we could have a dozen kids. Can you imagine how gorgeous they would be? Little blond girls with your eyes and dark boys like me..."

That was when he panicked; when he realized the full extent of what he had done. He and Ana had made love, not once but all night long. It was something he had dreamed of but never expected would come true... It was a dream come true, something otherworldly and something he would treasure forever. Did all people who made love share such joy together? He did not think so. What they shared was magical, a mystical connection, better than the images that had floated in his dreams.

But like all dreams, it had to end.

"What? No!" He sat up hastily and covered his face with his hands. What had he done? Why hadn't he thought it out beforehand? Well, that was a no brainer. Pure and simple, he wanted it as badly as she had.

"What do you mean? You don't want to have kids?"

"Of course I do. But not with you."

Talk about putting his foot in his mouth. The look of pure shock made Ana's face grow pale and nearly ripped his heart out of his chest. It was beating so hard that he feared it would pop out of its own accord, but it was too late to take the words back. Her lips tightened, and the color that had fled from her face returned in a hot, angry flush. "What's that supposed to mean, Austin?"

He peeked at her through his fingers, wanting to reach out and smooth the angry lines from her face. It still bore the look of a woman who had been well loved, and he wanted that back, not the anger that made her lips, swollen from his kisses, tighten fiercely.

Sighing heavily, he lowered his hands and faced her anger, knowing that he had to tread carefully. "We're not going to have kids, Ana. You might one day, but not with me."

"Why not?"

"Because you and I are friends."

"I'm pretty sure we're lovers now."

"What happened last night won't happen again, ever. I won't say I regret it, because I sure as hell don't, but it can't happen again."

"You said when I turned eighteen you would make love to me."

He shook his head numbly. "What? When?"

"You promised," she said, her voice growing small. "I thought..."

"You thought wrong." He sighed again. "It can't happen again. I can't be with you like that."

The flatness of his voice was as evident to him as it was to her, and she was scooting across the bed before he finished speaking. When she rose, his gaze traveled down her tousled hair to her tiny little waist then lower to the round firm buttocks he had cradled in his hands moments before. He watched as she bent and scooped up her dress, longing to reach out and pull her back onto the bed, but finding himself unable to move at all.

"I guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree after all," she sneered as she scrambled for her shoes. One had been shoved under his bed, and she held her dress over her chest as she scrambled for it.

"What?" Austin croaked.

She glanced up at him with her eyes spitting fury and disgust – yes, disgust. "You're no better than the piece of garbage that gave birth to you. I should've known better. All along, I had this vision of you being a golden knight on a brave stallion, smarter than your mother, better than her and that crappy trailer we helped you get out of. But you aren't any different, are you, Austin? After everything we've done, you turned out to be the same –"

Her voice broke off on a sob, and she grasped her shoe as Austin's jaw clenched tightly. For years, he had waited for her to say those exact words, but hearing each painful slice bursting from her lips caused him so much pain that his eyes stung with unshed tears.

He remained silent, but inside he was sobbing.

Ana backed out the door with her beautiful dress still clung to her chest, but he was no longer looking at her. He was staring unseeingly at his bed, the twisted sheets, and disheveled pillows. He was so lost in his thoughts that he did not react until he heard his front door slam. Goddammit, she had left.

Then he was reaching for his slacks, tugging them up over his hips and following her out the door, only stopping long enough to grab his keys off the counter. He raced barefoot down the stairs after her, panicking when he did not immediately see her. They could not end her birthday this way. Not like this. She was angry, rightfully so, but he had to fix what he said before she disappeared.

There was no sign of her in the parking lot, and he ran to his truck and jumped into it, tearing out of the parking lot in a full panic after his truck took three tries to start. He had reached the exit and was scanning the main road when his gaze landed upon her tall, lean form, appearing striking even in her dishevelment. She was running barefoot down the street in a humiliating walk of shame, with her shoes clutched in one hand and her phone in another. He gunned that old truck toward her then slammed on the brakes as he swerved into the other lane and slowed to a crawl alongside her.

"Ana, get in the truck."

"Go to hell."

He winced. "Ana. Let me bring you home at least."

"Forget it." She stopped then and sneered at him, her lips curling in disgust. "Austin, so help me God, if I ever see you again, I'll spit in your white-trash face. Now go away. Leave. I never ever want to see you again."

Even though each word slammed into him like a knife piercing his chest, he continued following behind her, unaware of the tears streaming down his face. She did not turn around and look at him again – not once – and he finally gave up when the yellow cab she flagged appeared.

The image of her climbing into the backseat was burned into his head forever, and he had stopped his truck on the side of the road, ignored the other drivers honking at him for being on the wrong side, placed his hands over his face, and sobbed like a baby.

It had happened. His entire life had been one of fear – fear of the fists, fear of the bullies, and fear of losing Ana. However, none of those other things hurt him the way losing Ana did. She had the power to crush his soul, and the departing cab took away what was left of his heart. He watched it go through blurred vision, his heart screaming in agony as it faded from sight. From that moment on, Austin was only a shell without his Ana. Her departure took the only glimpse of happiness he had ever had, and he knew he would never be the same.

Life was nothing without Ana.

Chapter 21

The birds were singing. Their cheerful song drew Austin reluctantly from his uneasy slumber, and he opened his eyes with a surprising feeling of heaviness settling around his heart. Even with the shutters securely closed, he could see the traces of sunshine entering through the cracks between the slats, and that meant the storm had passed.

The idyllic tranquility and peaceful privacy was bound to end, but Austin had not expected it to be that dreadful. Dreaming about their heartbreaking argument then awakening to find that they had settled their differences filled him with such a tender, bittersweet feeling that he wanted to shout aloud his joy.

They had both dressed in layers the night before after making love, and he had pulled out every blanket available in the house, leaving them a snug cocoon with which to snuggle under. As he pulled the heavy mass away, the bitter cold immediately stole his breath away in a sharp inhale. If they were going to come up in winter more often, he just might allow Ana and her father add insulation.

He carefully tucked the blankets back around Ana and reached for his woolen socks, tiptoeing out of the room to restart the fire and get some heat in the house. Now that the storm was gone, it was wickedly cold, so cold that his breath emitted a vapor as he knelt to attend to his task. His boots were still wet, his coat, too, leaving him to huddle near the fire with the journal in his hands. It was so cold that his fingers could hardly write, but he was determined, intent on putting his feelings down on paper before he lost the urge and the words he so longed to say.

Using the light from the fire, he wrote for over an hour, and the living room had warmed up considerably by the time he finished. Smiling his satisfaction, he rewrapped the journal and glanced down at his new watch.

Sweet Ana.

His vision blurred enough that he was unable to read the display as he thought back to the day he saw Ana out with her mother and David. She had gone out for _him_ , to buy him a birthday present. Not only was he honored that she had left the house for him, but he was proud of her for not wallowing away in fear and grief any longer. She had a long road ahead of her, but she was strong. And determined. When she put her mind to something, she had her father's dogged determination to get it done.

Austin was helpless to resist her.

He realized how futile a battle it was the moment he read the inscription on the watch, for her words echoed his sentiments perfectly. No matter how much time passed, his heart belonged to her, and he had finally broken down and admitted it – in writing.

He left the journal on the counter and began to brew a pot of coffee before donning his wet boots and coat then shoveling the final inches that had covered his path to the truck. When he was done, he glanced at the pile, shaking his head in amusement. Two feet in the high desert? Well, yep. At least. The Valley residents would be making a beeline up north this weekend to frolic in the snow, meaning the state would be working nonstop to clear the roads and highways.

As soon as they were clear, he would be returning Ana to her home. Their alone time was about to end.

Still, he was proud of himself. Ana was almost back to her old self, proving to him once more that he had done well by getting her away from her family. Her pride was damaged as much as her soul was, and seeing their solemn faces staring at her with looks of helpless pain was too much for her. She needed normalcy, not pity.
Although the shutters were secured against the weather, he sensed the moment Ana found the journal. Wanting to give her time to read it alone, he lingered outside, grasping his walking stick and hiking through the thick blanket of snow that covered his knees to where his road would be, and down that to the forest road. By the time he reached it, his legs were soaked, and snow had crept inside his boots to leave his toes cold and aching.

The sky was a clear, vivid bright blue, and the sun reflected off the white blanket of snow, forcing him to squint as he peered off into the distance. It was the silence that captivated him the most. Aside from the birds chirping periodically, only the whisper of the wind broke the silence. No cars, no plows, and not a single human voice carried in the breeze, and he stared down the mountainside wondering how long it would be before the plows made their way into the forest. Hopefully before they ran out of food at least. If not, he would be forced to call for a rescue.

That would earn him a stern talking to from the Evans family for sure. Perhaps no more than the words he had poured out of his heart in the journal Ana was studying at that moment.

Fearing that she would finish reading and come searching for him, Austin turned around and began to tread back to the cabin. It was painfully slow going, but he did not mind the discomfort of the cold. He was more concerned about Ana's reaction to his words. The last time they had broached the subject of a future together, she had thrown him out of her life in a fit of temper. This time, he was hoping for a better reaction.

He might not be a poet, but he had revealed every inner thought inside that journal. Sharing his deepest feelings with Ana seemed to be the right thing to do.

Sighing, he clutched his carved walking stick and plodded back to the cabin, trying to remain in his footsteps as his toes went numb. As he walked, he went over what he wrote in and effort to determine Ana's reaction to his words. Surely there was nothing she could take offense to. After all, he was honest.

His steps seemed to slow of their own accord when he passed the first summer cabin on his street. Calling himself a coward, he pressed forward, no longer wanting to linger outside in the cold. He was wet, freezing and longing for a hot cup of coffee.

But he was also afraid.

Ana,

I've tried for so long to deny what we share, first chalking it up to a long friendship and then a childhood crush. You were my first friend, the only friend I had as a kid, and you were too young to realize that I was a kid from the gutter. I admired your innocence but also feared it. Every morning, I would wake and wonder if that day would be the day you realized I was a piece of trash and tell me to get lost. Every night, I would go back to that trailer or my house under the stars thankful that I had been given one more day with my friend.

I didn't realize how selfish I was until later. Yes, Ana, selfish. I held onto you because you were all that I had. But by doing so, you never had a chance to look at other people, make friends of your own, or even have a boyfriend. When you asked me if I would make love to you at eighteen, I never realized that you took me at my word and waited for me. I had agreed because I was scared. When it finally occurred to me what you did, I panicked. I felt as though I had stolen your youth, your childhood, and your virginity when you could've been happy with someone else.

I never meant to hurt you that day. I honestly didn't. You spoke of having children with me, and I thought that was such an unrealistic dream that I scorned you. I never intended for you to think that it was because I did not want to have children with you. It was my belief that you deserved so much more than what I could offer you that made me say what I said. I've regretted those words ever since they came out of my mouth. I've never been so stupid, and I ruined a night that should've been special for both of us, a little slice of heaven I've never come close to attaining before or after.

The last thing I want to do is hurt you, especially when I owe you so much. Because of you, I am the man I am today. You claimed that morning that I was no different from the woman who gave birth to me, but I think I have changed. I don't wallow in pity and spew bitterness the way she did, and that's because of your influence on me. You added joy to my life, a hope that I could do better, and you pushed me to try. I wouldn't be here if you hadn't stumbled into my life. I owe you everything.

You might not believe me, but I'm being honest. When I pushed you away that day, I did it out of love. You said that you saw me as your golden prince on a brave stallion, and I wanted my princess to have her prince. I just didn't believe that I was him. How could I be when you had everything you ever wanted – beauty, brains, a great family, and plenty of love? I had none of those things and couldn't offer you anything more than my heart.

I thought I was holding you back and wanted you to look elsewhere. Now I feel stupid again. I feel as though we've wasted years on nothing except for my foolish belief that I was being selfish by clinging to you.

I'm tired of watching you from afar. These last few years have been even harder than the years before I met you. No punch, no cactus, and no bully can hurt me the way you can. When you told me to leave, you tore out my heart. I haven't been the same since. And even though you told me you'd spit in my face if you ever saw me again, I couldn't stay away. However, I hate hiding in the shadows. I want my friend back.

The watch you gave me is precious, but you already gave me the greatest gift I could ever ask for, and I can only promise now to earn it. I swear that I'll try to live up to your love from here on out, no matter what happens in between. I also promise that if you do find your prince, I'll return to the shadows, watching and waiting for the time when you need me again.

My heart beats with yours, Ana Evans, and it's only complete when you're near.

With love,

Austin

****

Tears were streaming down Ana's face as she reread Austin's words. It was the fourth time she had read his journal entry, and each time she did she wished he was there so she could express her disbelief. Didn't he understand that she meant what she had said when she told him what was inside mattered more? Then she wondered if that was what had spurred him into writing in the journal. Maybe he did hear what she said about his heart mattering more than his status, and that was what made him finally give in. He was succumbing to her, finally admitting that what they shared was special and not easily ignored.

Ana's heart swelled to the point of overflowing, and she waited with increasing anxiety for him to return. She was not surprised that he was nowhere in sight when her gaze landed upon the journal, but she had not expected him to disappear for so long.

She was considering going out in search of him when she finally heard his stomping on the stone steps outside. It was the only noise aside from the crackling in the fireplace. She slid off the stool and rushed to the door, throwing it open to find him staring down at his snow-covered legs. He was in the process of leaning down to brush them off when he glanced up, and she threw herself at him, earning a surprised grunt as he hastily threw out an arm to grasp the wooden railing.

"Whoa," he murmured.

"You're freezing," she exclaimed, releasing him as quickly as she grasped him.

"No kidding."

Ignoring his sarcasm, she tugged him inside and helped him kick off his boots and remove his coat. His hands and cheeks were glowing red from the cold, but she did not hesitate to take hold of his hand and draw him close to the fire. "Warm up."

She cupped his hands between hers then drew them under her sweater, earning a cocky raised eyebrow in response. When his cold fingers touched her stomach, she flinched, but she held them in place and rested her head against his chest.

After several minutes, he stopped shivering, but the rapid beating of his heart did not slow. She grinned as she realized that her heart was beating just as quickly, and she pulled his hands up between her breasts and held one palm against her skin. "Feel that?"

Austin chuckled. "Not as much as I want to."

She shook her head and smiled wryly. "No, Dork, my heart."

"Yeah," he replied slowly.

She tugged his other hand out from under her shirt and placed it against his chest. Placing her palm over his, she held them there – one hand over her heart and one over his own. His brows drew together as he focused on her meaning, and then a slow smile appeared on his face. "They're beating together."

"Exactly."

It might have been a little bit of a stretch to claim that they were beating in perfect tandem, but both hearts beat quickly, steadily, and strongly. His thumb twitched then began to lightly stroke the outline of her bra, and his cool skin made goosebumps rise. When his palm covered her breast, he smiled smugly. "You yelled at me the other day."

"I did?"

He nodded. "You said that you were always the one to initiate."

"That's right."

"I think it might be time to change that."

"You do?"

He nodded again, and his stormy eyes danced with amusement. "You know all my secrets now. It's time I live up to them."

"I'm not complaining."

"The way I see it, it's sunny out, but the snow's too deep to go anywhere or see anything, so... I guess we're trapped in here until the plows come."

"How long do you think that'll take?"

"Another day or so."

"Will we end up like the Banner party and have to eat each other?"

He laughed. "I certainly hope so."

Ana's eyes widened when she realized what she said, and she grinned. "You're so bad."

With a speed that made her gasp, Austin escaped her hold and bent to lift her into his arms. He was grinning at her as he cradled her against his chest, and his eyes continued to swirl and dance. "You've known that all along, Ana."

"You know what they say about good girls and bad boys," she said breathlessly as he rounded the counter and headed back to the bedroom.

"What's that?"

"The good girls go for bad boys because they're a challenge."

"Am I a challenge?"

She snorted. "More than you know, you big dork."

When Austin set her down upon the bed as if she was a fragile piece of china, Ana almost took back the words. However, Austin settled between her thighs and propped himself up on his elbows, and he studied her silently for a moment. "I'm trying not to be," he said earnestly. "I don't want to be one."

"You're not a bad boy, Austin. You're the sweetest boy I know."

"I'm not a boy," he reminded her.

It was an unnecessary reminder when his hips were locked against hers, and she smiled at him as she linked her arms around his neck. "You might be a grown man now, Austin, but you're still a scared little boy deep down."

He snorted but did not deny her words. What she said was the truth, and they both knew it.

"Do you still believe that I'm better than you?"

"You'll always be better than me," he said, lowering his head to nuzzle her neck.

"You know what I mean," she insisted, tugging on his hair until he reluctantly lifted his head.

He stared at her, his face completely serious, and Ana felt a moment of panic that he would begin to preach about how he was white trash and she was rich. Before she could open her mouth, he shook his head. "I think you're a very special girl, and I doubt I could ever measure up to your greatness."

"Greatness?" She laughed. "Please. I'm not a saint, Austin."

"You're the closest thing I've ever come to meeting one."

"That's pretty sad. Maybe we should travel to Rome."

"One day, sure," he replied.

Ana smiled. "Will you be serious now?"

"I am, I am," he insisted. "I love you, Ana Evans. I've loved you forever, and nothing will change that. I'm not going to deny that I feel inadequate around you, but I promise I'll work on it."

"Then you're willing to give us a chance?"

He sighed heavily, dramatically. "If you insist."

"I do, sir. I most certainly do."

"Then fine. I'll succumb to your demands."

And he sealed his promise with a kiss.

A kiss he initiated.

Chapter 22

The moment Austin pulled into the driveway Ana wished they could turn around and go back to his cabin. Although the cold wave had passed, and the temperature in the Valley was back into the 50s, she felt an icy shiver race down her spine when she saw the unmarked police car parked in the driveway. She glanced at Austin curiously. "Did you know about this?"

He shrugged. "No. Did you?"

She shook her head, and her dread increased when she saw her father opening the door to meet them. He came straight to Ana's side and tugged opened the truck door, speaking as he did so. "Now I want you to know that you don't have to do or say anything you're not ready for, Ana."

She glanced at Austin, but he had his back to her and was climbing out on his side. He rounded the front of the truck and was at her side in an instant, something her father noticed with a frown. She watched his gaze narrow and scan them suspiciously, but Ana had more important things on her mind.

"What's happening?"

"They need to speak to you," he said softly. "Boston P.D. emailed them a lineup. They have photos."

Ana's heart sank to her feet, only to shoot right back up and land in her throat. She began to tremble, and both her father and Austin saw her reaction. She felt them move closer, but it did not help. Over the past few days, Austin had helped her forget about what had occurred in Boston. Now it was all coming back, and the weight of the reminder made her legs buckle.

Austin caught her under the arm, offering her his powerful strength, and she forced herself to remember everything he had endured. Not only him, but Emery as well. Her aunt had suffered so much more than Ana had, but she was back, strong and healthy, with two adorable babies and Zach's unending love.

As Ana focused on placing one foot in front of the other, Austin's hand loosened its grip, but her father paused and pinned him with a formidable stare. "They want to speak to you, too."

At that, Ana stopped, and her eyes widened. However, Austin merely nodded and fell in step close behind her as if he was preparing to catch her if she stumbled. They followed her father inside where the scent of her mother's pesto pomadori immediately made her stomach growl. That she had made some worried Ana even more, for Isabel knew how much she loved them. Was she making them to welcome her home or try to settle her down? Probably a little bit of both.

Two detectives immediately came to their feet when she and Austin entered, and they approached her with polite smiles. "Miss Evans?"

She nodded.

"I'm Detective Harrison, and this is Detective Lewis." He indicated to his partner with a long hand that matched his equally long face and thin, lanky build. His partner, on the other hand, was the complete opposite. Short and squat with a belly as large as a pregnant woman's. She shook their hands in turn then watched them turn to Austin. "Hey, Tanner."

"Good to see you," he replied.

There was a thick closed file folder on the coffee table covering her father's architectural magazines, and she knew that there would be photos – photos of her after her attack, photos of the suspects, and a long report based on witness statements, the doctors, nurses, and other hospital staff, and the taxi driver who had risked his own life to race her to the hospital.

Once the introductions were made, the two men reclaimed their seats on the sofa, indicating for Ana to sit on the loveseat across from them. She did so, nervously clasping her hands on her lap as she glanced at her father. She really did not want to go over this with him present, and she was blurting out the words before she could stop herself. "Why didn't you call me down to the station?"

"We, ah, had some trouble locating you. Your parents told us you went north for a few days. I understand the storm kept you there longer than expected?"

She nodded, acutely aware of Austin standing a few feet away. He was the very last person she wanted to discuss this with, even more than her parents. "Well, I'm back now. If you'd rather go, we can."

"Oh, there's no need to take you downtown," Lewis said hastily. "This'll only take a second."

Of the two of them, the short, round man had the kinder eyes, and she nodded at him in acknowledgement. Surely these men knew and understood why she was anxious. No one wanted to rehash the traumas they endured, and probably none wanted to do so in front of their families. These detectives must see women like her on a daily basis.

"At least not yet," Lewis continued. "When you return to Boston, you'll have to speak with the detectives there. Your statement at the time was incomplete. We're acting on their behalf in an attempt to see if you've remembered anything else."

"For now, though, all we want to do is show you some photos," Harrison encouraged. "It'll only take a few minutes."

She began to tremble again, and her hands flew off her lap despite her attempts to hold them still. They fluttered nervously in front of her face while she started speaking rapidly. "It was dark, too dark. It happened so fast."

She glanced at her father again, wishing he would leave. Austin, too. She did not want to discuss it in front of them.

"It's okay," Lewis said, leaning forward with a gentle smile. "Just take it one step at a time."

"I'm trying," she insisted. "One minute, I was walking. Then I heard them laughing and running, and then I was jumped from behind..."

Harrison's smile began to fade, and his voice was solemn. "I know it's difficult, but if you don't come forward, they could walk."

"I understand, but –"

"It's a big step, but please don't give up. At least consider pressing charges. I know it's hard for you, but we want to make sure they're punished for what they did. More importantly, we don't want them out there able to do it again."

"You'd be amazed at how many women refuse to talk after an assault," Lewis piped in. "Part of the reason so many rapists go free is because the victim is too afraid to talk about it. As much as 20% of women are attacked on campus, Ana, and that's a modest statistic. It's the most violent crime at universities around the country."

Out of the corner of her eye, she watched her father's hands clenching into fists as her mother entered with a tentative smile on her face and a plate of the pesto pomodori balanced on one hand. "Here we are, gentlemen. Would you like something other than water? I have tea or coffee..."

"No, thank you, ma'am," Harrison said as he came to his feet. "We just want to show Ana some photographs."

Lewis opened up the file, and Ana's gaze landed on one of the photographs of her. At first, she did not even recognize her face. It was swollen, her eye purple and sealed shut, her lips double their normal size and crusted with blood, and her throat was a mass of red fingerprints and broken blood vessels. Long scratches marred her cheeks, and welts were visible on her arms. Those welts had turned into purple bruises by the time she had landed in Phoenix, but the neck brace she had worn at the hospital had hidden their marks on her neck.

Ana began to breathe rapidly, deeply, almost teetering on the edge of hyperventilating. As if he sensed her growing anxiety, Austin's hand came to rest on her shoulder, and he gave it a gentle squeeze. It did little to help even after the detective picked up the file and removed the photograph from her line of view. It was too late.

Flashes of that night appeared behind her lids. She had been studying with a small group of fellow night owls, not even considering the late hour until they announced that they were leaving. She and the other students had packed up their belongings, but Ana had returned the book she was reading to the shelf before following them out into the cold, rainy December evening.

Unfortunately, she had not brought along her umbrella. After spending two years at school, she had gotten into the habit of having one on hand, but that night she had forgotten it. To shield herself from the slushy rain, she had hesitated to pull up her collar and button her coat on the steps before beginning the walk home.

It had been her idea to cut across the lawn, an idea she came to regret. She should have known better after everything she had been taught all her life, but she had felt so safe on the campus she loved. She should have left with the others. She should have carried her umbrella, at best to hide her identity; at worst, to use as a weapon. However, she had done none of those things and innocently made her way across the sprawling expanse into the darkness.

Nevertheless, her steps had quickened when she heard the laughter. There had been something sinister about it even though she was familiar with drunks. She had seen plenty of parties on campus and off; she had even attended a few with her roommate during her first year. However, it was not her thing. While most first-year college kids around the country were acting out against their parents and spending time getting wasted, she, like the majority of the other students in her challenging school, took her education seriously. She was there to learn, not party, and she certainly had no interest in dating. Her few attempts at that had fallen flat. No one could compare to Austin. He had left his mark on her like a wound that would never heal. Sure, scar tissue had formed over her heart, but it still bled. It was bleeding that night too, especially when she heard one of the boys speak.

"Hey, that's the hot chick in my science class."

"Let's go say hi."

"See if she'll join our party."

"I have a party for her."

"Me first. I don't want your sloppy seconds."

Her steps had quickened like her breathing was now, and when she heard them coming closer, she began to run.

Not fast enough.

"Shut her up, Beau."

"Quick, before they hear her."

"Hit her again."

Ana's hands lifted to cover her ears, and she squeezed her eyes shut with a low moan. She remembered enough to identify at least four of the six men, but she did not want to. She couldn't do it. She just couldn't return to that night. Not now. Not yet. Not in front of her family.

"I can't," she said brokenly. "I can't do this. I'm sorry."

Austin's hand tightened on her shoulder in a show of support, and she tried to focus on him. However, the images were there, as clear as they had been that night. She wanted them to go away; she wanted it all to disappear. Even more, she wanted to return to the mountains with Austin and the blessed oblivion being with him aroused –

"I got a good look at them. I'll identify them," Austin said in a tight voice.

The plate her mother held wobbled precariously then crashed to the floor when she startled visibly, and it shattered the shocked silence that fell as Ana, her father, the detectives, and her mother all turned to stare at Austin. As quickly as her panic rose, shock replaced it while he smiled wistfully at her. "I told you I watched from a distance."

****

During the past three days, Austin had wondered how to broach the topic of her attack, but she had been recovering so well that he hated to crush their tender interlude. They had been healing their past, and the immediate future had no place in it. He had not wanted to talk about it, and he had stopped Ana when she brought it up. As always, where Ana was concerned, he was selfish. He had wanted her all to himself for that brief time. They had patched up their differences and committed themselves to stop denying their attraction, and that made him happy.

The attack, on the other hand, did not.

Even now, as he watched the fear transform Ana's face from lovely and vibrant to pale and shaken, he too went back to that night, to the rage that consumed him that anyone would dare to hurt Ana. He remembered when Carter Birmingham had poured the container full of bark scorpions on her head, and his desire to commit murder right then. It had been so strong that he might have beaten the child to death with that ironwood branch if Ana had not been wailing. The same was true on that night.

His steel-toed boots had broken the jaw of the man holding Ana's arms above her head, and his fists had done a number on the man who had been pounding her beautiful face to keep her quiet while they tore off her clothes. When they tried to take him on, he had nearly gone mad. The other two men released her legs when they saw his fury and ran, but Austin had not pursued them. When he saw that Ana had been choked unconscious, he had pulled the final man off her with an almost superhuman strength that he doubted he would ever feel again. It was obvious that the guy was short a few marbles on top of being drunk, for he continued laughing when Austin laid into him like a man possessed. With his pants around his knees, he did not put up much of a fight, and after Austin brought a knee to his exposed groin, he had doubled over and began tossing up all the alcohol he consumed.

With four of the six incapacitated and sirens on the way, thanks to the cab driver, he dove to Ana's side. He scooped her into his arms the moment he was certain she was still breathing and carried her to his horrified cab driver. In a voice colder than he had ever spoken before, he demanded the man drive recklessly to the hospital. He protested at first, insisting that they wait for an ambulance, but the thought of handing her over to more strangers was so abhorrent that Austin threw a hundred dollars at him and told him to go.

It must have been the look on his face that encouraged the driver, for he did race to the hospital. With hot tears streaming from his eyes, Austin had tended to a semi-conscious Ana during the ride, and he had assumed she recognized him when he calmed her initial struggles. Once she began to stir, she had called him by name. He had whispered reassurances as they pulled up to the entrance then he ran again with his heart beating in a frenzy of fear and anger. At the time, he did not care if he killed any of the men; all that mattered was Ana and getting her the help she needed. He was in a full panic, and the fear of losing her to her injuries was so powerful that he thought he might die himself. When he was instructed to place Ana onto a stretcher, he did so reluctantly to the point where the nurses had to tug her away from his clutching hands. The doctors in the emergency room were convinced that he had broken his hand during the fight, and they physically forced him away from Ana's side to suffer through x-rays.

It was not his hand that was broken. It was his heart.

Ana had been hurt, and it was his fault. Five minutes. If he had arrived five minutes sooner, he could have prevented it, would have prevented it. After waiting so long to touch her again, having to assess her injuries ripped him into tiny little pieces the way the men had broken her pearl necklace and watched the little white beads roll away into the slushy grass. He had gathered up the strand and as many pearls as possible with as much gentleness as he cradled her, and he had whispered to her the entire time until they forced him away. She had called his name again, and he was certain she was aware of him...

However, the way she was looking at him now warned him that she had no memory of the Good Samaritan who had come to her rescue until that very moment.

Although Ford was rushing to Isabel's side, the look he sent Austin's way was filled with a level of pride that Austin had never seen before from the man he considered the closest thing to a father he had ever had. Isabel was flustered, and she was mumbling apologies as she bent to collect her ruined meal off the floor with Ford's help, but she also sent him a look. Her dark eyes, large and almond shaped like her daughter's, were swimming with tears but also love. Mother and daughter were so similar in their expressions that he recognized that look immediately.

No longer fearing that the family would think he had been stalking Ana, he returned his attention to Ana. He could feel her trembling under his hand, but she had lowered her hands from her ears and turned her dainty profile toward him. Like her mother, her eyes were wide and swimming with tears, but rather than thrust him away angrily, she reached up and covered his hand with hers.

The moment their eyes met, Austin knew he would have a lot of explaining to do. However, this time, he welcomed it instead of fearing it. He had changed in the time they were apart. While a part of him would always feel insecure, like the frightened little boy Ana claimed he was, he had also developed confidence. It came with his job. There was no reason for him to fear Ana and her family anymore. They never had viewed him as a piece of trailer trash. That had been his own projection, and the pride glowing on Ford and Isabel's faces convinced him of that.

For the most part, the detectives seemed oblivious to the revelations Austin was making, and they turned their attention to him. "Would you mind taking a look?"

"Of course," he replied, flipping his hand over and squeezing Ana's fingers. "Can Ana leave first?"

"You can use my office," Ford offered, straightening with clumps of oily pesto sticking to his fingers. If they were in any other situation, they probably would have laughed at the mess on the beautiful marble tiles, but Austin held his tongue and nodded briskly.

"Thank you," the detectives said in unison.

However, Ana surprised them then. She shook her head and gave Austin's hand a tug, pulling on him until he rounded the loveseat. She wrapped her arm around his and entwined their fingers as she drew him down beside her. "I'll try too."

Austin glanced down at Ana, but she was staring straight ahead at Detective Lewis. Although he was pleased by the sudden change in her attitude, he reached into the file to see if he had a second set of photographs. Detective Harrison mumbled something that Austin could not hear, so he took advantage of their momentary distraction to whisper to Ana. "We can't do it together. We have to look at them separately, so we don't influence each other."

"I know." She raised an eyebrow at him and whispered back. "Aren't you full of surprises, Tanner?"

He winked and squeezed her hand tighter. "I'll explain."

"Damn right you will."

They shared a secret smile, although hers was nowhere near as bright as it had been. Her face remained pale, but she was breathing at a more normal rate. Her panic seemed to be dissipating, proving once again that she was one tough girl. Austin nudged her gently and grinned. "Aren't you full of surprises, Evans?"

"I sure hope so," she whispered.

Chapter 23

An Evans Christmas was no ordinary family gathering, and it never ceased to amaze Austin how such a massive gathering of people could proceed so smoothly in a round of continuous laughter with no drama whatsoever. Austin had never seen a family so tight knit, especially one as large as the Evans'. Not once had he seen an argument break out, although he had heard about Hayden's recent bitterness toward Zach, Ian, and Andrew from Chuck's son, CJ. However, there were no traces of anger showing when Isabel had thrown a late birthday party for him the evening before, and Austin suspected Christmas day would be like it always was – a day of laughter, good times, and lots of flying wrapping paper.

This year, the great-aunts and great-uncles were coming along with the families, meaning that Isabel was cooking for over 40 people, counting the babies, of course. At Ford's insistence, Austin was staying in the room Isabel called his until Ana returned to school. Although Ford had claimed that it made no sense for him to spend Christmas Eve with them, go home and prepare for work, and then return when the shift was done, Austin suspected he had an ulterior motive. The entire family was playing matchmaker, and Austin was convinced that Ford would rather have him under his nose than have Ana sneaking off to his house.

Austin grinned privately. Ana was as formidable as her father, and she took what she wanted with an almost reckless abandon. Just because they were under the same roof as her parents did not prevent them from being close. She could not stay away from him any more than he was able to stay away from her. As soon as the detectives had left, they had gone outside away from her family's prying ears and cuddled in front of the outdoor fireplace while Austin once more opened his chest, pulled out his heart, and laid it straight into Ana's waiting palms.

He admitted that he had gone to see her in New England four times while she was away, and he admitted that it was him who had left the pepper spray on a keychain that she had believed was for her roommate and never used.

In return, Ana admitted to going to his apartment door many times, but no one was home when she finally found the courage to knock. She returned a second time and knocked, but he had already purchased his house and moved out. With tears shining in her eyes, Ana admitted that she had cried for weeks. She also revealed that the reason she had stayed late at the library was because her grades had slipped due to the depression from the fear he had left as well as the rumors that he was seeing someone. In order to pull straight A's, she had to ace her finals.

Austin had cursed their stupid argument all over again and acknowledged that they both had been unable to let go. What a fool he had been.

However, Ana was just as contrite. The words she spoke had been words she knew would cut him to the bone, and they had. None of the beatings he had suffered as a child compared to the amount of pain Ana's words inflicted.

Not even the evening of her 18th birthday could compare to the joy he felt being with her now.

Isabel was overwhelmed with the preparations for Christmas day, and she put Ford, David, Ana, and Austin to work, shouting out orders like a true commander, and none of them dared to argue. Austin was given a shopping list with an envelope full of cash, and he shopped between shifts. Ana's list and envelope was for food, and she left the house all by herself to visit the various grocery stores and farmer's markets to collect the necessary items.

Ford and David were in charge of the house. Although most of the decorations had been put up the day after Thanksgiving like most families did, Isabel sent Ford up to the attic to take down every single decoration they owned while David also made trips to the store to purchase new ones. Every single room in the mansion was decorated with lights, bows, ribbons, miniature Santas, several extra trees, and wreaths. By Christmas Eve, the entire family and Austin was exhausted.

Still, he had never seen such a beautiful display in his life. In his opinion, Ana and Isabel's designs should have been on the cover of a home magazine, and both ladies beamed with pleasure when he said so.

After dinner, the family gathered in the den where the family's 12-foot Christmas tree was tucked in the corner of the room. Austin remembered from previous Christmas Eve's with the family that they had a tradition of opening a present before they settled down to watch one of the Christmas classic movies. The way they chose which movie to watch was a tradition of its own. They put the names in a hat then rolled the dice to see who had the highest number. The person who won pulled the title out of the hat.

The first time Austin had been invited, he had watched from the corner of the room. The second time, Isabel put away the dice and made Austin chose. By the third time, he was no longer an outsider or a guest. Isabel made him a part of the family, and he had been forced to roll the dice like the others.

That was one of his best Christmases ever.

They filed into the den one by one with heavy steps, and Ford yawned loudly as soon as he sank down onto the sofa. David launched himself into the loveseat and spread out, crossing his arms behind his head, but Ana glared at him fiercely. As quickly as he had sprawled, he jumped back up mumbling, "I forgot my drink."

Ana marched straight to the loveseat and took his spot, patting the cushion beside her for Austin to join her. Shaking his head, he did settle down beside her, and he grinned when he heard Isabel's light laughter.

"Who has the hat?" Isabel asked as she curled up next to Ford.

"Oh," Ford mumbled, his hand sliding underneath his back. "I sat on it."

When everyone laughed at him, he scowled, but Isabel patted his arm gently with an indulgent smile. "It's okay, love. You're getting old."

"I resent that," he growled. His arms wrapped around her, and he ducked his head to nuzzle her neck. "You of all people know I'm not old yet."

Austin grinned when Ana and David both groaned in disgust.

"That's gross," David griped as he reentered the room with his drink in hand. When he saw Austin and Ana hogging the loveseat, he rolled his eyes and headed for one of the recliners.

Austin's grin grew even wider. Although he knew he should bow out of the movie and try to get some sleep before he went to work, the joy of being a part of the family – a part of that family – was too precious to give up. He rolled the dice and scored the highest number, and he proudly pulled the movie title out of the hat. He and Ana exchanged shared laughter when he pulled out "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation," remembering the comment about the squirrel in the tree at his cabin, and Ana whispered something about déjà vu.

While David inserted the Blu-ray, Austin leaned back into the fluffy cushions, and he did not complain when Ana boldly lifted his arm and climbed underneath it, ignoring her father's scowl and her mother's pained look. An overwhelming feeling of contentment settled around him, and for the first time in his life, Austin felt like things were going to be okay.

****

Having spent countless hours speaking with Cherisse Nicholson, Ana had long ago decided that she never wanted to marry a cop. It was a silly thing, she knew, for her family was full of law enforcement officers of varying capacities and duties. There were detectives, sergeants, lieutenants, SWAT members, Zach was with the FBI, and of course Uncle Hayden had been his sneaky, mysterious self and gone undercover with the DEA. Although they had endured their fair share of injuries, torture, and bullet wounds, every one of them had come home safe and sound, except for Cher's husband. It was him who Ana thought about all night long as she tossed and turned, first in her bed and then in Austin's when the sun began its ascent in the sky.

There was no reason for her to be afraid, but for some reason she was. Things had been going well, almost too well, and she feared her happiness would not last forever. Of course, life was not perfect. In fact, things were far from it. After the New Year, she was supposed to fly back east, and everyone was pressing her to face her attackers in court. The idea terrified her, but she felt as though she had to prove to everyone that she could be just as brave as Emery – and Austin for that matter.

At least she no longer had to fear an unwanted pregnancy. When she spoke to the detectives, she was able to view her medical report. Since she had blocked out so much of the events surrounding her attack, they had allowed her to read the information they had, and not only had they given her antibiotics to stave off STDS, they had also given her Plan B contraceptive because of the positive rape kit. Better to be safe than sorry, she supposed with a twinge of shame. Because of Austin, she had only suffered some bruises and other physical trauma. He had appeared in time to spare her from worse, and she supposed she had their fight to thank for that. If he had not come to see her in secret, he would not have been there to save her. At the same time, though, she would not have been in the library that late cramming for her finals.

Too much thinking, she realized as she massaged her temples to ease the tension growing there. Things happened for a reason, and she should be happy that they had a way of working out over time. She could analyze, rehash, and try to rationalize all she wanted, but there was nothing she could do to change the past.

It was Christmas, and she would have to face the family soon enough. She knew there would be concern and anger, but she wanted everyone to have a good time and not dwell on what happened to her. She would smile, play with the babies, and keep Austin close so he would not feel awkward.

Christmas morning was promising to be a gloriously sunny day, as usual, but Ana tried one more time to try and sleep before the activities began. They had sworn the evening before to wait to open presents until Austin was ready, and she wondered if he would prefer to sleep first or after. A part of her suspected that the little boy inside him would be eager to open presents, and she finally drifted off with a smile as she imagined his glee when he saw the mounds of wrapped presents with his name on them.

It seemed as though she had just fallen asleep when she felt Austin's fingers glide along her cheek, and her smile grew wider as she opened her eyes and saw her glorious Adonis standing so proud and handsome in his uniform above her.

"Merry Christmas," she murmured.

His fingers glided down her cheek and neck to the top of the sheet, and he tugged it down before clucking his tongue in mock disappointment. "I was hoping I was going to have the best Christmas ever finding you in my bed with nothing on," he said with a wink. "What are you doing in here? I doubt your parents would be happy to find you sneaking around."

"To answer your first question, that can be arranged," she replied with a saucy smile. "To reply to your second, I couldn't sleep. I hated that you were working all night on Christmas Eve."

"I'm not complaining," he said with a slow smile. "If the offer still stands..."

She scooted across the bed and held open the sheet, barely restraining her laughter as Austin stripped with remarkable speed. He just about dove under the covers and immediately pulled her atop him with a boyish grin.

"This is going to be the best day ever..." he murmured as his hands balled her jersey top in his fists. He sat up swiftly as he tugged it over her head and planted his mouth over hers, kissing her until she was breathless and squirming on his lap. "Absolutely the best day ever."

Afterwards, Ana lay in the crook of his arm, idly watching the clock. "We should go downstairs. It's almost eight."

"Just another minute or two," he murmured, nuzzling the top of her head.

"I promised I'd help my mother."

"Okay, thirty seconds."

She giggled and hugged him tighter. "Do you want to get some sleep before we open presents?"

"You tried to wear me out, but I saw all the presents under the tree already. I feel like a kid in a candy store with a pocketful of cash."

Ana laughed. "All right. I'll shower and head down."

"I'll join you."

"Now that's pushing it," she teased.

"Fine, just don't steal all the hot water. I have to shower too, or I'll go downstairs smelling like your lotion. Your dad would castrate me before I reached the bottom step."

Ana was still giggling. "I'm not a kid anymore, Austin."

"You are to him."

"And to you too, I think."

He shook his head adamantly. "No way. I wouldn't do what I did to you with a kid."

She threw him another smile and slipped out of the bed, snatching up her top and putting it back on inside out. He opened his mouth to mention it, but she shrugged. "I'm right next door. Who's gonna see?"

"David."

She shrugged. "He's two doors down."

"Good thing, or he would've heard you screaming..."

Her eyes widened. "I did not scream."

"Almost."

"He sleeps like the dead. There's no way he would've heard."

"It's Christmas. I'm sure he's anxiously waiting to go downstairs too. You better hurry."

She did shower quickly, mostly because Austin was showering at the same time and the water was lukewarm at best. However, the cool water did a miraculous job at hiding the flush of their recent lovemaking.

As soon as she opened her bedroom door, David opened his, and he rolled his eyes when she offered him a chipper "Merry Christmas."

"It certainly has been a merry one for you," he muttered. "If you two laughed any louder, you would've had dad throwing a fit that you were in his room."

Austin's door opened in time for him to hear David's comment, and he grinned at David as he approached. "Merry Christmas."

"Ditto."

"Don't worry, David, you'll get there."

It was Ana's turn to roll her eyes, and she brushed past them with a huff. "I'm going to see if Mom needs help."

"You do that. We're opening presents," David announced.

Much to her surprise, it was her father in the kitchen, and he was spreading boxed pastries onto plates when Ana entered. "I'm giving Mom a break this morning," he said in explanation. "Wanna get the coffee going?"

"Sure thing. Merry Christmas, Daddy."

She hugged her father tight, and he returned her hug with a long sigh. "I'm so glad you're here, safe," he murmured. "I'm very proud of you, Ana."

"Not me. Be proud of Austin. It's all because of him."

"I know. I'm just as proud of him. I told him so last night."

Ana tilted her head back to smile at him. "You did?"

He nodded. "Of course. He's been a great help to us too many times to count."

"I'm glad you see that."

"Never doubted it."

"I love you, Dad."

"I love you back."

She started the coffee and helped her dad carry the plates to the table when Austin and David appeared. Her mother was the last to enter, and she was still tying her robe. "I can't believe I'm the one who overslept."

"I can," Ana said. "Mom, you've been working too hard."

"We've all been working too hard," David grumbled. Ana shot him a sour look.

"Everyone's bringing a dish," Ford reassured Isabel. He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her cheek while David groaned again. "I want you to relax. Everything's set to go. All we need to do is set the tables and warm the food."

"Okay, okay," Isabel murmured reluctantly. "Merry Christmas everyone," she called from Ford's chest.

"Is anyone really starving, or can we wait?" Ana asked. "We have two boys dying to open presents."

Ford and Isabel chuckled when both David and Austin gazed at Ana with withering looks, but Ford shrugged and turned to Isabel. "What does Mom want?"

"I want my family happy."

The most priceless words Austin had heard. Ana could see it in his eyes as she reached for his hand and tugged him from the room. "Let's go open some presents."

He did not hesitate to follow.

Chapter 24

The day passed quickly. Had Isabel and Ana not forced Austin upstairs to take a nap before the family arrived, he was sure that Ford and David would have insisted that he help them set up the tables they had carried in from the garage. Although Austin never expected to be able to get any rest when he was overflowing with excitement, he was fast asleep the minute his head landed on the soft pillow. Even better, his dreams were full of Ana's beautiful smile, the gentle touch of her fingers, and the sound of her soft voice that morning.

They had exchanged presents with the rest of the family, but he planned to give her the more private ones when they were alone. That was part of the reason he was so excited. He suspected that Ana would never wear the pearl necklace he had given her for her 18th birthday after the attack. The man who had choked her had roughly broken it when he attempted to strangle her with it, and Austin had heard her brief wail at the loss, cut short as the man began crushing her windpipe with his hands instead.

Austin had gathered up the strand and the pearls that had fallen loose, but he had not just had it repaired. Between running errands for Isabel, spending time with Ana, and working, he located a jeweler who remade the strand for him along with another piece of jewelry that matched the new necklace. He planned to give both to Ana alone...

He could hardly wait.

He managed to snatch up several hours of sleep before he heard voices downstairs, and a minute later Ana was by his side, running her fingers through his short hair. Reaching up, he caught her wrist and drew her down beside him to hug her tight. "I like waking up with you."

She snuggled closer. "Me too."

"I could get used to it."

"Me too."

He chuckled. "I have to get up?"

"Alas, yes. Uncle Chuck just got here."

He sighed. "I don't know if I can handle so many people."

"None of us can," she replied with a laugh. "You've seen Mom. She's a wreck."

"That's not what I meant."

He knew she knew what he meant but was skirting the issue. Propping herself up on her elbow, she reached out to trace one of his eyebrows. They were dark compared to his hair, dark-brown in color, and they contrasted brightly with his blue eyes. He had always hated them because they were so dark and his hair was so fair, but Ana had once told him it added character to his face. Sure enough, as he grew up and lost his boyish looks, his dark brows and deep-set blue eyes gave him a formidable appearance which worked well in his line of work. No one wanted to look at a handsome man with his perfectly shaped lips, strong chin, high cheekbones, and angular jaw and see an angelic cherub. They needed to see a cop. He had finally grown into his handsomeness.

He watched Ana's fingertips sink into the hollow under his cheekbones with a somber look on her face. There she lightly traced a heart on his cheek before moving to his lips and tracing the outline of them before he lunged and nipped her finger.

"Hey, be nice," she whispered.

He nodded and released her finger then rolled out of bed with a sigh. As he pulled his slacks back on, she sat on the edge of the bed and watched in silence, and he suspected there was something on her mind. He knew he was right when he tugged his sweater back on and heard her voice. It was smaller and more hesitant than just a few moments ago.

"I'm going back on the 5th."

Oh. Although he expected it to happen, he froze in the process of pulling his arm through the sleeve and allowed the words to sink in. He kept his head down while he straightened the hem around the waistband, but he had a smile in place when he lifted it and met her gaze. The first thing he noticed was that her little teeth were worrying her lower lip as if she was scared of his reaction. "Why are you scared? You're already halfway done. You should go back and finish it."

Her head bobbed in acknowledgment, but her eyes remained troubled. He reached for her hands to draw her up. She went willingly and wrapped her arms around his waist as she laid her head on his chest. "I feel like I just found you all over again, and now I have to leave you."

"You're not leaving me," he replied. "Look, it's Christmas. Let's talk about this later and enjoy today. Remember, I still have gifts I haven't given you yet. We can talk then."

She sighed. "I know."

"Cheer up?"

She sighed. "I will."

He released her and took a step back, missing the relaxing of Ana's shoulders when he led her to the door. She was smiling, and she later admitted that she was partly trying to distract him from the crowded house by telling him then. Ironically enough, she had.

As he descended the stairs with her to meet and greet the family, he was no longer worried about mingling with her entire brood. He was more concerned with appeasing Ana after everyone went home. The gift he had designed for her with the help of the jeweler was burning a hole in his pocket, not to mention the pearl necklace he had rebuilt in the jewelry box she never reclaimed after her 18th birthday. His first intent was to return it to her with the new and improved necklace, and then they could discuss their future.

He was confident it was going to be a good one, even if she feared otherwise.

****

Ana finally understood why her mother had been so frazzled when the house continued to fill with family after family. Even though their house was big, she was feeling claustrophobic to the point where she snuck outside to the upstairs balcony above the office. She knew Austin was okay since he had been pulled aside by Chuck's son, CJ, who was Austin's friend and also a cop. The two of them were holed up in her father's office with her Uncle Chuck, evidently talking shop. The great-aunts and uncles had taken over the living room with the big tree, chatting amongst themselves as if they were still in their late-30 and early-40s instead of approaching retirement, and Andrew's grandma was with them, appearing frailer than ever but still a feisty old woman at heart.

The babies had gathered in the den, and that was where Ana had hung out until her heart began to fill with visions of babies with Austin. It was then she decided to make an escape. Seeing her newest little cousin, Uncle Hayden's baby girl, had been the last straw. Her golden fuzz and chubby cheeks had made her think of Austin so much that she had hastily handed her back to Dani and fled.

Although the hugs were a little tighter and fury lingered in everyone's eyes, no one had brought up her early arrival from college on a commercial airliner rather than Hayden's plane. He had been taking time to spend with his new baby, but he would not have hesitated to fly out and pick her up. When she saw everyone at the arrival gate, she feared she had hurt his feelings. However, she had felt ashamed, dirty, ugly, and scared. Her first instinct had been to call Austin, but since he had moved away she had no idea where he was. Zach's wife, Emery, was her second choice, and she settled for her once she realized that she did not want Austin to see her like that. Beaten, bruised, hardly able to talk... she was a mess physically as well as emotionally. Everything that had happened to her had already been dealt with by Aunt Emery, and she was glad when she saw her.

Rather than fuss and coddle her, Emery had wrapped her arms around her and allowed her to sob out her fear. Then she handled her discharge from the hospital and called for a car to take them back to Cambridge. There they packed up as much of her room as they could fit into her suitcase and climbed aboard the commercial flight out of Logan hand in hand. She was so numb she never had a clue that Austin had been there the entire time. So close but so far away.

It was Emery who had checked her luggage and passed over her driver's license at the counter. It was Emery who had helped her remove her shoes and placed her belongings into the plastic bins at security, and it was Emery who guided her to her window seat, remaining silent while Ana had curled into a ball and stared out at the clouds and setting sun, never turning away even when the sky turned as black as pitch.

It was hard to believe two weeks had passed already. Physically, her injuries had healed, and all the bruising was gone. She was no longer sore and achy. Time had flown, and she had less than that before she packed up for her return. Luckily, her finals had come back with exceptional scores, and her GPA was still a solid 3.85. A part of her believed her professors had been instructed to play nice even though she had worked really hard to get those B's back up to A's. She had done it, and her family had beamed with pride.

The truth was that she had done it for Austin.

If he could endure years of torture and still remain the kind, gentle-hearted man he had become, she could survive one frightening near brush with death. Even so, she was scared deep down. She would be returning to the scene of the crime, passing that same park, perhaps even seeing those men again if they were able to get off on a technicality. There was a strong case against them, but she had been less than forthcoming. After the detectives left, Austin had begged her to speak out about what happened, and she was wavering. Only if she revealed what she remembered would the men be punished to the maximum, but she was all too aware that two of them had barely participated. If they were set free, they could come after her again...

The only thing that kept her optimistic was Massachusetts' strict laws and the colleges' behavioral policies. If anything, they would be expelled from their respective universities, and she prayed they would not come after her because of that.

She crossed her arms on the railing and stared out at the pool. Her uncles, Ian, Andrew, Cooper, and Grady were sitting under one of the covered tables, but they had left her alone after raising their beers in greeting and asking if she wanted to join them. Once she shook her head, they nodded and went back to whatever it was they were chatting about. Probably something cartel related knowing them.

She shuddered at the thought.

"Merry Christmas, Grinch."

Ana glanced over her shoulder to see her father mounting the rounded staircase and knew her quiet time had ended. Next would be a long lecture on being rude followed by an order to help her mother in the kitchen.

Needless to say, she was surprised when he calmly walked up to her, wrapped his arms around her, and drew her against his chest. She hugged him back – tightly.

"I was surprised to see you weren't with the babies. It's a bit too much, huh?"

"I feel like Austin always does. You know? Like a deer in headlights."

"No one's been bothering you, have they?"

She shook her head. "No. Not one word."

"Not even Grandma Lindsey?"

"Even Grandma Lindsey."

Ford chuckled. "Good."

"You told them to stay quiet?"

He nodded. "Your mom and I have been taking calls all week, and my brothers are feeling murderous. However, I told them that if you were ready to talk, you could bring it up."

"Thanks, Daddy."

"I love it when you call me that."

"Then I'll do it more."

He nodded then tucked her under his arm as he glanced out at his brothers and cousin-in-law. "What are they up to now?"

"Just talking."

"I can only imagine what about."

She smiled. "I was thinking the same thing. But Hayden's not there. Neither is Zach."

"That's because they're being smart and hanging out with their families."

Family. She had a great family. They had their ups and downs, but she knew she could count on every single member. Who else could say the same? It seemed as though America was filled with dysfunction, and the economy was at the root of the discord. Every man for himself. Families forced to scatter to find a job, sometimes overseas. But not her family. She felt blessed that they remained close with extended family and friends joining in the fold. If needed, her father would open the door for everyone to move under his roof without hesitation, and she admired him so much for that.

When he cleared his throat, she glanced up at him questioningly. Obviously, he had something on his mind, and she suspected she knew what it was. Naturally, she was right.

"Hayden told me that Austin's taking you back east."

She nodded.

"You don't want us to come?"

There was hurt there. It was plain as day. Ana gasped and reached for his free hand where it rested on the railing, and she covered it and squeezed him tight. "'Daddy' isn't just a name, Dad, it's a thing. You changed my diapers, you rocked me to sleep, you raised me, and you taught me everything you could. You've always been there for me, watching me cheer, putting Band-Aids on me when I scratched my knees or elbows, protecting me from those bullies, and even going to those horrible recitals. I know so many girls whose fathers sat back and let their mothers do all the work, but not you. Mom told me you used to get up in the middle of the night and change my diapers before carrying me into bed for mom to feed me then you would burp me and put me back to bed, just so she could get those extra few minutes of sleep.

"She also said that no matter how busy you were at work, you'd make sure you went to every doctor's appointment, every conference, and you were there for every dance and occasion as I grew up. I'll never forget all the things you taught me, and I'll always treasure every game we played, every time we talked, and how cool you were to treat me like an adult. Being a father is one thing, but being a Daddy is something else entirely. You'll always be my daddy."

When her voice began to tremble, she stopped speaking and glanced up, not surprised to see tears shining in his eyes as well. She sighed shakily and hugged him tight. "If you want to come too, please come. Austin offered to go and spend a week with me to make sure I was settled, but I'll always welcome you. Just because he's there doesn't mean I don't want my daddy, too."

He returned her hug, and his lips moved wordlessly. Ana smiled through her tears, knowing that for once her father was speechless. Finally, he gave her a squeeze and released her. "You could've done so much worse, Ana. I'm so proud of you."

"Every dad says that."

"But not every dad really means it."

She nodded her agreement, smiling widely. "I'll head back down and see what Mom needs."

"She's finally beginning to relax, but I'm sure the kitchen might need some help."

"If she'll let me pass, I'll start working on it."

He nodded, and Ana went off blinking away her tears. Her father's words were ringing in her ears, and they made her heart sing. "You could've done so much worse." She was certain he meant Austin, but she already knew that. Having her father's approval made it all the better. Now if only she could convince Austin...

****

Ford watched Ana descend the steps with the same graceful stride as her mother and shook his head. She had come a long way from the little chubby-cheeked princess tearing around the neighborhood on her purple and pink bike. Then one day, she brought home a boy. He was an older boy with tattered clothing, used jeans that were a few sizes too small for his lanky frame, and shoes that no longer fit his growing feet. Despite his outward shabbiness, he was fastidiously clean, and Ford learned that he slaved over those few pieces of clothing he did have.

That first day, despite his cleanliness, he was bloody and bruised, and Ana was horrified at what she had seen those boys doing to him. Isabel had called him home from work when she heard the story of Ana throwing rocks with her Uncle Brian's accurate aim because she was fully prepared to receive a phone call from the parents.

However, Ford had been more interested in the bloody child. When he had entered the house in a full-blown fury, the child had shrunk away in fear, and Ford knew he was not suffering at the hands of bullies alone. It had taken him a full hour to get the boy to even look him in the eye, and it was at least three visits to their house before Austin would speak to him directly. He was like a skittish stray, slow to warm up, and even slower to trust.

Ford had never complained when Isabel promptly went shopping, and he was impressed when Austin initially refused the clothing. It was not until Isabel thought quickly and claimed they were Ian's castoffs that Austin reluctantly accepted their charity, but Ford had seen the awe in his eyes as he stared at the new clothes. They were clothes he did not even think were new, yet he stroked them and studied them for a solid five minutes before offering a weak, "Thank you very much, Mrs. Evans."

No matter how many times Isabel had told him there were too many Mrs. Evans' in the family and to call her Isabel instead, Austin refused. He had even appeared with a handwritten thank-you on college-ruled paper when Ana dragged him home with yet another bloody nose and fat lip. That was when Ford first approached the Birmingham family, advising the frightened mother that they needed to keep a close eye on their son. She had nodded meekly, but Austin had returned with an even more severe beating.

Several months later, the scorpion incident had happened.

By that time, Austin's new clothes were already missing, and Ford and Isabel had discussed his situation at home. Ford had suspected there was discordance there, but he did not realize the extent of it until he brought Austin home from the hospital. He had escorted the reluctant boy to the door even though Austin insisted he could walk home from their house, and Ford knew he was ashamed to show them where he lived. Even worse, Ford realized that Austin also knew how his mother would react.

Isabel called Austin Tanner her little Adonis, and there was no doubting Austin got his classic good looks from his mother. Although she had wasted away to skin and bones, there was still a hint of her once-stunning beauty, a beauty that was as fair as Isabel's was dark. Ford had lamented the lows the lovely woman had fallen to. In fact, with her tall, lean build and perfectly proportioned features, she should have been a model, not a bitter wretch who despised her son.

He knew that the moment the door opened on her screams, and he had watched Austin shrink deeper inside of himself, despite the reassuring hand on his shoulder. Instead of inquiring about Austin's new epi-pen and trip to the ER, she had scowled at him until the boy shrank behind Ford and demanded to know how much the bill cost. Ford had already taken care of the financial issues and worked out Austin's health insurance through the state, but he was furious that such a good son was treated so poorly. Before he left, he had asked Austin to walk him back to his truck, and he had crouched down beside him even though Austin was already up to his shoulder in height.

"Are you going to be okay here, Austin?"

"I'll be fine," he said bravely.

Ford had hesitated. The woman had slammed the door behind him when they left, and he feared she had locked him out. "If not, you come straight home to us, understand?"

Austin nodded, but Ford saw the proud flash in his eyes. He would never come, unless...

"Thank you again for taking care of those boys hurting Ana today."

"I'll always take care of her."

"I know you will. Thank you for being there for her. She loves you, you know."

Austin's lips had twitched, and Ford knew he wanted to smile. Those were the words the boy longed to hear the most. Love. Such a simple word, but the child had so little of it.

"We all do, Austin."

Suddenly Austin's eyes grew misty, and his jaw worked as he clenched his teeth. Fearing he had pushed him too far, Ford backed off by reaching for the door handle of his truck. He was pulling it open when Austin stopped him. "Mr. Evans?"

"Yeah?"

"When I saw Carter pour those bugs on Ana's head, I had a stick in my hand. I hit him with it. I hit him hard... I wanted to keep hitting him, over and over again. I think I might've wanted to kill him... Is that bad?"

That was the longest conversation Austin had ever had with Ford, and he was still absorbing the words the boy had spoken in a rush when he reached out and hugged him like he would his own children. "No, Austin. That's love."

When he released Austin, the boy was as red as a turnip, but there was less tension in his shoulders when he turned away. "Thank you for the ride, Mr. Evans."

"Anytime."

"I'd do it again," he said over his shoulder. "If anyone ever hurt Ana, I'd do it again. I think I could kill them."

Ford had grinned and waved his hand as Austin bravely entered his little house of horrors. Ford had returned home with an understanding between the two of them that had grown as he grew, and that understanding was still in place today – almost fifteen-years later.

He had spoken to the detectives and heard about the injuries inflicted upon four of the men who had attacked Ana. A broken jaw, broken nose, and a tree branch was in an evidence bag. It was almost an exact repeat of that day with the scorpions, and Ford did not doubt that the only reason Austin had not killed any of those men was because Ana had needed him. She had been choked and beaten unconscious, and the doctors had said she could have died if he had not interrupted the attack when he had.

Ford shuddered at the thought.

Yeah, Ana certainly could have done so much worse.

But so could Austin.

Chapter 25

Like a moth to a flame, Ana was drawn to Breelyn. The tiny infant had just finished nursing, and her three baby cousins had gathered at Dani's feet. Emery's twins and Kat's fair-haired cherub wanted to inspect the newest arrival. Brianna's twins were asleep in their carriers, and Bri was on the floor with Dallon as he flashed his grin and performed for the others. Emery had laughed and called him a ham. However, little Jack was not any better. With his striking eyes and ebony hair, he was a sight, and he was far more outgoing than his serious brother, Zach Jr.

However, it was Breelyn who seemed to pull Ana, and Dani held her out as soon as Ana reappeared in the room. "Would you mind burping her for me? I'd love to use the restroom."

Ana smiled shyly and took the infant, cradling her over her shoulder and patting her back instinctively. Of course, her aunts had fought over her during her senior year, and she had spent countless hours babysitting until she was convinced she would never have a child of her own. Yet here she was now, and one-by-one, the women were sneaking off with excuses. "I want to see if there's any dessert left." "I never had a chance to grab a glass of wine." And even Brianna had grinned and said, "I'll be back to help you in a second. I'm not like them, ditching you with all the babies, but I really have to go potty."

Ana had smiled, and her beautiful cousin had snuck off like the rest of them. Ana plopped down on the floor to keep an eye on the busy toddlers. All three of the boys were walking now, and Dallon was the fastest. He had a habit of going from one end of the room to the other, pausing to bend and pick up a toy before dropping it and reaching for another. Zach and Jack, on the other hand, preferred to remain in one spot, with Jack making "brr" noises as he drove a truck and Zach making music on the little piano.

Ana watched them all as she cradled Breelyn. Two burps and a spit-up later, she was snoozing, and Ana adjusted her into the crook of her arm. That was how Dollie found her, and the sly old woman snuck up behind her without a word.

The first indication Ana had that she was in the room came when her gnarled old hand landed upon her shoulder. "You're going to be fine, little Ana."

"Jeez, Aunt Dollie, you scared me," Ana gasped.

Dollie settled on the sofa beside her and leaned over to peek at Breelyn's cherubic face. She was still an infant, yet she had round cheeks and a perfectly shaped bow mouth that still worked in a sucking motion as she slept. Dollie's firm lips actually creased into a smile that transformed her entire weathered face.

The stroke Dollie had suffered during the attack on the family had left her with a slight droop on one side, but Ana thought she was lovely when she smiled, and she earned a laugh from Dollie when she said so.

"You've always been a sweet girl."

Ana blushed and returned her attention to Breelyn. Everyone in the family feared Dollie. Not only was she tough as nails, but her ability to see things made them all leery. Her stroke had not stolen that ability, and they all remained convinced that it was caused by the vision of the attack against the family. The doctors certainly could not account for the bleed that had formed in her head after she had the powerful sight, but Ana and the rest of the family believed she had a skill, an ability to use a part of her brain that so few people could.

Glancing at Emery's twins, Dollie's grand-nephews, Ana wondered if they would be able to see things too. Dollie's bent finger lifted, and she pointed at Zach Jr. "He's got it."

Ana sent her a nervous sidelong glance. "Do you read minds, too?"

"Nah," she said with a chuckle. "I was reading your face."

Ana watched in awe as Dollie slid off the sofa and held out her arms to little Zach Jr. Without a word, the child came to his feet and walked to her, settling on her lap as Dollie began speaking in her native language of Navajo. The toddler seemed to understand every word, and Ana watched a rare smile appear on the boy's face.

"Wow," she breathed.

"Communication is not just with words, little Ana," Dollie commented. "It's through actions and also with the mind. I speak with my hands, my mouth, my eyes, and my body, but, most importantly, with my mind. I think about what I want to say, and I use every part of my body to communicate it. You should try it sometime."

Ana nodded.

"You're going to do fine, girl. You'll get your degree, come home, and later you'll have a few of those." She pointed at Breelyn. "In fact, the one you hold now will look very much like your firstborn. That's why you're so drawn to her."

"She looks just like Dani."

"She has his eyes."

"Who's? Hayden's?" Ana looked at Breelyn skeptically. Although the baby's eyes were closed, she had seen that she had the blueish-gray eyes of all infants.

"No. They're deep set, like Austin's."

Ana grinned. Was she saying that she and Austin were going to have babies? Ana opened her mouth to ask, but Dollie started speaking again.

"I didn't want to come down to this horrible city, but that damn boy came up and got me. He forced me to come and even forced me to spend the day with my airheaded sister."

Ana bit back her laughter for several reasons. Zach was certainly no "boy." He was six-foot-three and over 225 pounds of sheer muscle. Second, Dollie adored her sister, Maria, no matter how much trash talk the two of them exchanged. Maria was normally quiet and sweet, but the moment Dollie came near, the barbs came out. Emery's meek mother would turn into a sharp-witted spitfire, and they were amusing to watch.

"I think everyone's glad you're here, Dollie. It's Christmas. We love to get together."

"Bah, Christmas."

"Humbug."

Dollie glanced at her. "Aren't you a bit of a whip?"

Ana grinned. "I think it's you."

"My fault?" Dollie let out a whoop of laughter that caused the infants to startle, but they remained asleep. Even little Breelyn jumped, and her sucking movement paused as her face creased into a howl, but Dollie murmured something in Navajo, and the babies settled. It made goosebumps rise on Ana's arms.

"Are you a _bruja_?"

"A witch?" Dollie shook her head. "No. I don't believe in evil."

"Unfortunately, it's everywhere."

"What you think of evil, I think of nature's way of making corrections." She picked up a book and held it open for Zach to look at, and Jack dropped his truck to sit beside Dollie. "You've been touched by your 'evil,' but you have your angel to watch over you. When it comes again, he'll be there to vanquish it. You're lucky you were put here for each other. It's a magical bond, like Emery and Zach. You were put here to serve a purpose. That's not easily ignored."

"Tell me about it," Ana muttered.

"Go with the flow, little Ana. Don't fight it. Things happen in their own time."

Ana nodded. For once, she believed she was able to follow what Dollie was saying. No riddles this time. She was speaking clearly, and Ana assumed she knew exactly what she meant. Which, of course, made no sense. When Dollie had visions, she spoke in riddles. She was speaking too clearly, which made Ana suspect she was speaking from experience instead.

Glancing down at Breelyn, Ana tried to hide her disappointment. Although the other woman was now reading to the twins, Ana knew her instincts were sharp. Oh, how she wished she had been speaking of the definitive future when she said that Breelyn would look like her firstborn, but she was just coming to conclusions. Ugh.

"He's looking for you."

Dollie's words had come out of nowhere, and Ana glanced up sharply in time to see the women returning. All held glasses of wine in their hands, and they were laughing at some joke Kat had shared. Emery approached Ana first and ran her hand lightly over the soft fuzz on Breelyn's head before speaking. "Austin's looking for you."

"Oh, right," Ana said, handing over the baby. "We were exchanging presents privately."

"Ooh, sounds serious," Kat teased.

Dani winked at her.

Emery smiled gently, but her green eyes were glowing with unspoken joy.

"When he asks to leave, go... And don't say no."

Dollie was still facing the two boys, but Ana suspected the words were meant for her. She nodded and wiped her hands on her jeans before nodding at the ladies. "Merry Christmas everyone."

The room echoed with their sentiments, and Ana backed away with Dollie's words echoing in her ears. Suddenly, she felt nervous and apprehensive. The evil would be coming again, but Austin would be there? When? How bad? Did she mean the impending trial? And "don't say no." What did that mean?

She feared finding out.

****

Austin was upstairs now, opening every closed door lining the hallway, his frustration and anxiety increasing with every step. Where the hell had she disappeared in this mansion? He never fully realized just how many rooms were in the house until he went in search of Ana. It seemed like there were dozens of spaces for her to hide, and unfortunately, every room had one member of the family or another. His search had taken a full hour by the time he reached the relative quiet of the upstairs.

When he heard voices in David's room, he opened the door after a quick rap, but it was only Aaron, Avery, and David playing video games.

"The last I heard, they ditched her with the babies," Avery said as she jumped to her feet and threw herself at Austin, wrapping her arms and legs around him like a little monkey. "I've missed you, Austin."

"Likewise, kiddo," he replied, tousling her hair. She was heavier than he remembered – and taller. The child had been riddled with cancer the last time he saw her, and she had been so weak then. However, all that had changed. She remained cancer free after the life-saving bone marrow transplant her stepmother, Terri, had given her, and she appeared as healthy as ever. Her hair had grown back, a thick mass of brown curls, and her face was no longer bloated from steroids, but flushed with excitement, good health, and happiness. He could not help but grin back.

Avery Evans was a charming and vivacious child, and she reminded Austin of Ana when she was little. Tough, fearless, full of confidence, and not easily intimidated. It seemed like all the Evans' shared those traits.

"How are you, Aaron?"

Terri's son, Aaron, had grown at least a foot since Austin had seen him last, and the boy's bright-blue eyes were slow to move away from the television screen. "Good. How are you?"

"Good," Austin replied with grin. Although he had never owned a gaming console, he had played with David and Ana when they got theirs, and he could hardly blame the kid for being too into his action. Backing from the room, he set Avery away from him and waved at the boys. "Merry Christmas everyone."

Their responses were mumbled, as expected, and Austin backed away and closed the door behind him to give them their privacy. He had just begun to turn and head to Ana's room when he caught her scent. His nostrils flared, and he turned slightly to find her standing beside him.

"There you are."

"Sorry. I was ditched."

He nodded. "I just heard. They're evil."

She laughed. "Tell me about it. One minute, I'm popping in to say hello, and the next, they're all gone."

"Which is why I want to sneak out. Do you think we can get out of here for a little while?"

"I suppose it would be rude."

"Too bad. It's late. Everyone should be going home anyway."

She laughed again. "Come on, Austin. You know better by now."

Unable to resist the light glowing in her eyes, he bent to whisper in her ear. "The way I see it is that we can sneak out and do this in private, or we can go to my room and have every Evans in attendance banging on the door."

"Okay, okay," she said, pulling away with a grin. "You win."

"We'll go to my house. It's quiet, no one's going to miss us if we sneak away for a little while, and at least we can talk in private."

She linked their arms and began to lead him down the hall, speaking as she walked. "We can go, but everyone knows already. My aunts all told me you were looking for me, and Dollie said you wanted me to leave."

"Great. Is there anything that woman doesn't know?"

Somehow they managed to sneak out through the garage without anyone spying them, and Ana mentioned her suspicion that her aunts had something to do with that. They laughed like kids sneaking out in the middle of the night and made a beeline for his truck, which he had wisely parked on the street so he would not get blocked in. The driveway was filled with cars, so many that it looked like a parking lot. Ana hurried along with him as he unlocked the doors, but she buckled her seatbelt with an apprehensive look on her face. Austin did a double take with a frown. What was she afraid of?

Some of his excitement had dimmed by the time they pulled into his driveway. Ana had remained silent, and her hands stayed clasped on her lap during the short drive. Although his house was dark, he had put up some lights around the exterior on a timer. It was nothing like the Evans' beautifully bedecked house, but he had managed to decorate in between errands over the past couple of days. Icicles of blue and white lined the roof, and the bushes out front had matching nets covering them. However, Ana did not seem to notice his efforts and barely looked twice.

He led her inside, trying unsuccessfully to analyze her sudden silence. She seemed nervous, jittery, even fearful, and he had no idea what brought on that change. Would he ever understand her?

He watched her gaze land on the small Christmas tree he had set up on the coffee table. It was the only light on in the house, and he led her there, acutely aware of the frown settling on her lips. He was about to ask her what was wrong when she suddenly turned and threw her arms around his neck.

"How have you spent Christmas if not with us these past few years?"

There was so much pain in her words that he inhaled sharply. Apparently, she had realized that he had an entire separate life that she knew nothing about and did not like it. Well, neither did he.

He hugged her back and buried his face in her hair. "When you went east, I planned on pulling a couple of extra shifts and sleeping at home in between, but at the last minute a friend of mine, Dodd, insisted that I go to his place. He and his roommate were spending it alone that year since their families were in different states."

She nodded, but her frown remained, and Austin was reminded that they still had a lot to talk about. He had lost so much time with her that she no longer knew the man she had adored her entire life, and he only had glimpses of the girl he had cherished as his. It would take time to change that, but he was determined to do just that.

With his hand wrapped around hers, he guided her to his small tree then released her to light the gas fireplace with a cheeky grin. He would make her smile again – many times. "Let's keep it dark."

"Ooh, romantic," she teased even though her eyes remained troubled.

He watched her open the bag she carried and pull out multiple colorfully wrapped presents of various shapes and sizes, setting them alongside the wrapped gifts he had already placed under the tree.

"You were planning on coming here all along," she accused lightly when she spied them.

He grinned again. "Yep. When your mother mentioned over forty people to feed, I panicked. I didn't want an audience."

"You're a devil."

"So you keep saying."

He absently patted his pocket, a move she had watched him do several times that day, and her eyes narrowed. "Not all the presents?"

When he saw the direction of her gaze, he immediately snatched his hand away and crossed his arms over his chest, but it was too late. He was busted and knew it. "Maybe."

She remained standing by the tree, her head cocked to the side and her frown still in place. Finally, he threw his arms up in the air and scowled. "What's wrong?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. I just feel... uneasy."

"Why?"

"I keep thinking that you had a girlfriend, and you went there last year..."

"Last year I went to a convention in Vegas."

She sighed. "You should've been with us."

"You're right."

Her frown faded. "You mean that?"

"Your family is the only family I've ever had, Ana."

He was not sure what reaction he would get when he responded so honestly, but tears were the last thing he wanted to see. When they rose in her dark eyes, he scowled again and took the two steps separating them to take her hands in his. "Stop it. It's Christmas, Ana. It's supposed to be a good time."

"I feel like such a fool. I hurt you so terribly, and I stole your family, too."

"No, you didn't. I did. It was my fault." He released her hands and placed them on her shoulders, urging her to sit down on the sofa. "Let's open presents. I have two year's worth and then some."

Her smile reappeared. "Funny. Me, too."

He rounded the coffee table and sat down next to her. "You first."

"No, let's do it together."

Together. It was a word he was growing accustomed to hearing and now saying. They had always done things together, and it was his mistake for denying the truth. However, he was hoping to change that, to keep the past in the past, and look forward to a future.

A future with Ana.

Chapter 26

Austin was smiling when he nodded his head in agreement, but he held up a finger before they got started. "First, I have to return a gift that you left with me." He reached forward and handed her the heavy silver box. "This doesn't count as a gift since I had given it to you already, but I'd really like you to take it and keep it this time."

"The jewelry box," she breathed.

He nodded.

She tore away the paper and gazed at it with the same awe she had studied it with when he first gave it to her. "Why did you keep it?"

"I spent a fortune on it," he teased.

Her lips twisted wryly. "After what I said, you should've returned it and gotten your money back."

"I couldn't. I wanted you to have it."

"So you knew we'd speak again?"

He snorted. "Of course. Didn't you?"

She set it down on the sofa beside her and twisted to face him. "Actually, I didn't. I knew you were lonely and wanted a family. I thought some beautiful girl would catch your eye, and you'd marry her, have kids, and start a family of your own..."

She hesitated when he reached out and covered her lips with his fingers. "Stop right there. We both know that didn't happen."

"I know that now, but you already admitted that you did look."

"I tried unsuccessfully," he said. "I'm surprised you didn't."

"I didn't say that..." She laughed when he scowled. "I dated a few times, but they just weren't you."

"I know the feeling."

Sighing, she reached forward and gripped a large square box. "This was from the first Christmas. You had graduated and gone through the academy, so I had a specific gift in mind. I doubt you need it now, but you might still find a use for it."

As always, he carefully opened the paper, smoothing back the edges and peeling back the layers as if it was made of the thinnest tissue. In the dim light, it was hard to discern what it was at first, but then his eyes went wide. "Wow, Ana. This is an extremely generous gift."

"My uncles helped me choose it. This CZ happens to be Uncle Hayden's favorite."

Austin nodded in full agreement. "It's definitely one of the best." He unlatched the black case and opened it slowly, plucking the handgun from the foam cradling it and holding it in his hand, testing its weight and the feel of its grip before lifting it up and glancing through the sight. Ana was watching him intently, but he was at a loss of words. No gift he had bought her could compare to the preciousness of that single item, and his heart swelled in his chest as a surge of pure emotion made breathing difficult.

"Wow," he breathed.

She rubbed his arm, instinctively understanding his feelings. Still smiling, she reached forward to grasp another present. "This was your birthday."

"No," he interrupted. "Wait."

"What?" Ana asked, stifling a giggle.

"I don't think I can handle another blow," he admitted. "Open one of yours."

She sat back and swept out her hand. "Okay, pick one."

With a smug grin, he reached for her graduation present. "Graduation."

It was a small box, and she sent him a knowing look. "Pearl earrings?"

"How'd you guess?"

"You gave me a strand for my birthday."

As she spoke, her hand drifted to her neck, and her fingers traced the area where the pearls he had given her used to be before she gave a quick shake of her head and focused on her task. Austin's jaw clenched when he saw the instinctive movement. No matter what it took, he would make sure she put that nightmare behind her. He would do everything he could to help her work through it even though he suspected she was doing well on her own.

"Pearl earrings," she mused as she began to open the velvet box. Sure enough, a pair of pearl earrings glistened in the dim white lights of the Christmas tree. It was a teardrop set, with two large pearls encased in yellow gold studded with diamonds and smaller pearls dangling from the ends. "These are beautiful," she whispered, reaching out to touch the bigger pearl on one earring. "I'm so sorry I lost the necklace."

He shrugged. "Don't be silly. Although I'll admit that I was overwhelmed when I saw that you kept it."

"I only took that necklace off to shower and swim," she said wistfully. "I wore them every day."

"I'm honored."

She smiled at him. "It was my favorite because it came from you." Before he could respond, she thrust a package at him. "Your birthday that year. To go with the 9mm."

He opened the package excitedly, pulling out a belt holster, a cleaning map, extended clip, and two boxes of ammunition. He chuckled. "You never cease to amaze me, Ana. I've always seen you shopping with your mother. I never would've expected you to go out buying these sorts of things."

"You're right. I usually don't," she replied lightly. "Uncle Hayden brought me and helped me pick everything out."

"Where did you get the money for all this?"

"I was working my tail off for school, remember?"

He nodded then reached forward and grasped another package. "This was for your birthday last year."

She shook her head. "I still can't believe you went shopping for me after everything."

"I knew it wouldn't be forever," he said as he placed it in her hand.

She took it, her fingers lingering on his. "I'll say I'm sorry for the rest of my life."

"I hope not."

Yet another box with more pearls, this time a bracelet, and she chuckled when she lifted it between her fingers. "I guess I'll be ready for my wedding. All I need is a new strand for my neck."

His smile was fleeting, but his eyes glowed in the Christmas lights as he gazed at her, and he knew they were filled with a promise that made her eyes narrow suspiciously. She handed him a wrapped box. "Not as exciting as the others."

He opened the box as carefully as his other presents and grinned when he found two dress shirts, one blue and the other green. "To match your eyes," she commented with a smile. "Depending on your mood, of course."

"Of course," he murmured, reaching for the long thin box. "Christmas."

Her eyes narrowed again as she studied the long box, seeming to already know that it was a necklace.

"I picked them up and shoved them in my pocket," he hastily explained. "But I thought you wouldn't want to wear them again, so I found a jeweler to redesign it."

She began to carefully open the package, and he saw tears rising in her eyes again. He reached out and placed his hand on her shoulder as she pulled the box free, offering her his support as she swallowed away her fear and opened it.

When she finally did, her eyes widened in surprise. It was not an ordinary strand of pearls, and they certainly were not the same strand he had given her at eighteen. He watched her carefully, the way her lips parted in surprise and her fingers trembled when she reached out to touch the matching gold hearts shaped in an infinity circle. The hearts were encrusted with diamonds with two pearls in the center, and the remainder of the strand was pieced together with the original pearls.

"Oh, Austin," she breathed. "This is beautiful. You made this?"

"Well, it's not an original design. It's not like I could trademark it or anything. I just told him what I wanted, and he rebuilt it."

"It's beautiful."

"You're beautiful."

She nudged him lightly with her shoulder. "Stop it."

"I'm serious," he said, his voice growing husky as he stared at her. She was aware of her beauty; all she had to do was gaze at her mother. Her olive skin was flawless, smooth, and had returned to its healthy hue in recent days. Her black brows were curled around her almond-shaped eyes in a perfect angle that needed no plucking to shape them, and her dainty nose was straight and narrow, with a slight flare at the end that led to her bow-shaped lips.

If her mother had once graced the cover of Italian magazines, Ana could easily do the same. With her tall, lean length, perfect curves, and gloriously round breasts, she had become so lovely as she transitioned from an adorable little girl to a strikingly gorgeous young woman that it sometimes pained him to look at her.

"Ana, you're so stunning you steal my breath away. Sometimes it hurts to look at you."

"Don't say that," she whispered.

"It's the truth."

"Austin, you're a very handsome man, but it doesn't hurt me to look at you. When I look at you, I feel warm inside."

His eyebrows lifted suggestively. "Warm, eh?" When she ducked her head in embarrassment, he reached out to lift her chin. "Don't be like that. I, uh, like it."

"All my life you've been my hero," she whispered. Her hand rose to trace his hairline above his forehead, smoothing away the wrinkles from his drawn eyebrows. She traced them next, until he squinted when her fingernail got too close to his eye. "You have beautiful eyes, Austin. Sometimes they're blue; other times they're green. I can tell when you're angry because they change colors and look like the Atlantic Ocean. I loved visiting the beaches on Martha's Vineyard because the water reminded me so much of your eyes."

"I saw you there once."

"You did?"

He nodded. "I visited you when you were staying in Edgartown. I saw you on the beach and sat in front of the Harborview Hotel for hours."

"Funny," she said. "I was thinking of you that day. Maybe I knew you were there."

"Maybe."

She moved on to his nose, and an impish smile appeared when she squeezed the end, cutting off his ability to breathe. "You have a strong nose," she said when he jerked away with a mock scowl.

"I have a big nose?"

"Not big, no. It's strong, like your jaw. I don't know how else to describe it. Writers always have eloquent ways to describe faces, but you'll laugh at me if I use those words. I guess I could say your jaw is strong? Since you've aged, your cheeks have thinned, and now your whole face is more angular than pure oval."

"The compliments are going straight to my head," he grumbled.

She giggled. "Austin, if a man can be called beautiful, that would describe you. Your features are perfect, not too big or too small. Everything lines up the way it should be."

"My eyes are too big."

"It's a good big. It makes your face more expressive."

"What about my mouth? Is that too big?"

Even though he was teasing, Ana studied him for a full minute before she replied. "Not big enough for what I love about it."

He was leaning toward her as she spoke, and she met him halfway. When their lips touched, she melted against him. Her hands continued their exploration of his face before moving to his neck and down to his chest. He still had so much to discuss with her, but it was difficult to concentrate when she touched him with such reverence. Under her gentle persuasion, his lips parted under hers, and she pressed him back against the sofa cushions until she was straddling him.

"Wait," he murmured when she moved from his lips to his neck. "We haven't finished exchanging gifts..."

"I have a gift I want to share," she whispered, nuzzling the opening of his shirt at the base of his neck.

His hands settled on her waist, fully intending to lift her off of him, but she gripped his hips with her thighs and sat up. As he watched, she gathered the hem of her red sweater in her hands and tugged it over her head, leaving her in her red bra. The color was striking against her skin and eyes, and he vowed right then to always buy her red whenever the opportunity arose.

She was reaching behind her to unclasp her bra when he sat up as well, wrapping his arms around her to gather her hands in his. "Wait," he whispered.

"Why so serious?" Ana asked. "Is something wrong?"

"I wanted to talk to you about when you go to school."

Her hands stilled then dropped to her side, and her teeth came out to worry her lower lip. "Oh."

The silky softness of her back was too tempting to ignore, and his hands began to stroke it lightly. "Don't go getting all scared again," he said with forced lightness. "You're already in your second year."

"I know."

"Then you know it's not forever."

"True."

"But?"

"Are you going to tell me to keep looking, keep dating, and all that ridiculous crap you threw at me?"

"Crap?" He threw back his head and laughed. "I didn't think it was crap. I had your best intentions at heart, Ana. I swear."

"I know that now, but it's still ludicrous. You don't still feel that way, do you?"

He shrugged. "I suppose a part of me always will. You're something else, a cut above the rest, and I can't see myself ever being able to do much more than kiss the ground at your feet."

"Would it surprise you if I said that I felt the same way?"

When one of his eyebrows cocked in surprise, Ana nodded. "Why on earth would you feel that way?"

"You've been my hero since I was six-years-old. I saw you getting beat up by a bunch of bullies, and you were so brave standing up to them. Then, when they came after me, you showed no fear at all. You took them all on and even got stung bad enough to have to go to the hospital. How many girls my age can say that they had a bigger boy who was their best friend?"

"I thought I was stealing you from all your friends."

"You were the only friend I cared about."

"With that being said, how do you feel now?"

She paused and ran her hands up and down his chest, releasing buttons as she went. "Austin, I love you. I've always loved you, and I can't imagine loving anyone else." She spread his shirt open and ran her hands over his skin. "I don't think I could even if I tried."

"What do you love about me?"

"Everything."

"Like what? Be specific."

"I love your gigantic heart. I love your bravery. I love your ambition and your willingness to work hard to fulfill your dreams..."

Her words were like an aphrodisiac. Grinning, he did his best to ignore her light massage and come up with a good response, but instead he asked for more. Greedily. "Anything else?"

"I love your honesty," she said. Then her hands stopped their gentle stroking, and she stared at him earnestly. "Can I count on your honesty now?"

"Why are you asking? Is it because I'm ready to tear off your clothes and throw you down on the rug?"

"Probably," she replied, but there was no trace of humor in her voice.

"What is it?"

"Do you love me at all, Austin, or am I smoking crack for believing you care?"

"What do you mean?"

"Are you just going along with me to humor me because you think I'm too fragile to deal with the truth?"

"You know the answer to that already," he said sharply.

"Do I? Do I really?"

He shifted her slightly to the side and reached into his pocket to wrap his fingers around the ring. His hand gripped it as he debated pulling it out. A part of him feared offering it to her, but at the same time he felt like he had to.

It was a driving force deep within him, urging him on and telling him that he would be a fool for allowing her to walk out of his life again. Their time apart had been hell for him, and he had cursed himself a million times for isolating himself from her.

Ana's gaze had drifted down to his abdomen and lower, focusing on his balled up fist jammed in his pocket. "What are you doing?"

"Thinking."

She scooted backward off his lap, reaching his knees before he gripped her hip with his free hand to prevent her from moving away. "What's wrong?"

The concern in her voice was unmistakable, and he grimaced. "I'm sorry. Just give me a minute."

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything. It's Christmas. Let's keep it light and fun. You gave me such beautiful gifts, and I want to treasure this moment forever."

"Likewise."

"So let's not ruin it. Not tonight."

She made sense, but there was still an unanswered question between them. It hovered in the air above them, crackling with electricity and a tension that was now making its way through Ana's body.

She was bending to retrieve her sweater when Austin finally withdrew his hand from his pocket, and he straightened to face her. He was still taller than her, so he hovered above her until she looked up hesitantly. The uneasiness in her eyes was such a contrast from the happy glow he had witnessed a few moments before, and he wanted to return to those brief minutes of excitement. In his palm he held the most special gift he could give her – his heart.

Tipping up her chin again, he gazed into her luminous dark eyes. "Yes, Ana, I do.... I... love you... totally and completely. You own my heart, and you have ever since you nailed Carter Birmingham in the head with a rock. I had never seen anyone with such great aim, and you were just a baby, really."

She smiled. "Uncle Brian."

"Well, I didn't know that at the time. That came later."

"And what about us?"

That was it, he realized. The million-dollar question. "I've been thinking about us a lot."

She stiffened.

"And..."

She inhaled shakily.

"I really don't think I can deal with another few years of hell, Ana. When I was with the jeweler, I asked him what happens before an engagement. He mentioned a promise ring. Since your parents would annihilate me if I proposed, I got this instead."

He opened his palm, revealing a replication of the pearl necklace. Two hearts encrusted in diamonds, their ends forming an infinity circle with delicate pearls set in the center. The white and yellow gold band was engraved, and Ana reached for it with trembling fingers while Austin reached over his head and flipped on the lamp. She held it up and read the names inscribed on the band. Ana and Austin. One name for each heart.

The inside was simple. He was not a poet by any means, but what he did say he meant with all his heart. "A promise is forever." Once again, nothing he could trademark. Many thousands of people had written the same thing or said the same words, and he was no different. But he was being honest, and he meant it. After Ana inspected the ring, he took it from her and held out his hand expectantly.

"Would you allow me to give you this ring, Ana?" Suddenly, he felt nervous, exposed, vulnerable. He was pretty certain she would say yes, but he was not positive. His words came fast and hard. "Then when you're done with school, we'll see where we are and how we feel. If you still feel the same, maybe we can get married down the line."

Ana shook her head. "Are you serious?"

"More serious than I've ever been before."

"Then yes." She smiled brilliantly. "Yes. Of course, yes, you big dork."

All the all he had unknowingly been holding in his lungs escaped in a loud sigh as he grasped her hand in his and slid the ring over her finger. Pressing it against his lips, he kissed the ring and her hand then pulled her into his arms and kissed her lips. They were his forever and ever. He promised monogamy in that ring, and it did not matter to him that he would only see her periodically while she finished school. He would spend weekends, holidays, and vacations with her, and that would work. It would work better now than it had in the past. At least they would be together.

As he lay back down, he drew her with him, and he peeled off her clothing piece by piece, finally murmuring the words of love she had longed to hear and promising her what he was going to do to her before he did it until she was writhing and squirming above him. With one arm wrapped securely around her waist, he flipped her over until he was on top, and she wrapped her arms and legs around him with a bright smile.

"I love you so much, Austin Tanner."

"Trust me when I say the feeling is mutual."

Her arms tightened. "Say it."

"I love you, Ana."

Then he showed her how much he meant it as they came together in an explosion of magical love.

Epilogue

Three Months Later

Ana was shivering from fear and the cold, and the rain that pattered against her wide umbrella did little to keep the wind from plastering chilly drops against her legs. Luckily, she did not have to wait long. The car came to an abrupt halt in front of her, and she felt her father's hand encircle her arm.

"Watch that puddle."

She nodded, and he rushed forward to open the back door. Ana dove in first, sliding quickly across the seat so her mother could follow, and then her father closed the door behind them and climbed up front with Austin.

A tense silence followed as Austin maneuvered the city streets with ease, pulling into the parking lot and stopping as close to the entrance as he could. He twisted slightly to meet Ana's gaze. "I'll meet you inside."

Once again, her father was appearing at the door, and he held it open for her and her mother to climb out. While Ford and Isabel huddled under their umbrella, Ana opened hers, feeling sorry for Austin, who was left without one. Damn weather. She would have preferred snow over this downpour.

However, he parked quickly, and she had just entered the security line when she turned to see him opening the door. She waited for him to approach, and they passed through behind her parents to find the victim advocate waiting patiently. She offered her parents a smile in greeting but kept her attention on Ana. "How are you feeling?"

"I've been better," she replied nervously.

"It's understandable," Marcie Womack said gently. She held her file close to her chest. "Listen. On behalf of the hundreds of girls like you, you're a true hero. Coming forward and pushing all the way through is a brave thing to do. I hope you're feeling proud of yourself."

Proud was the last thing she was feeling. The return of the shame, the fear, and the nervousness had been building inside her ever since she woke up that morning. "Not really."

"Well, you should. Too many incidents like yours go unreported because of the intimidation and fear the girls face, not just from the universities but also the perpetrators and even their families in certain cases. You're setting an example that no woman should have to suffer while the men involved get away with it."

Ana nodded, but she did not want to speak about it. Not now. Not when she had to go into court. "What's going to happen?"

"You'll wait until they call you in. Once they do, it'll be like everything we've discussed. Just tell the truth, and you'll be fine."

She glanced away as she spoke, and Ana had the impression that she was not being entirely truthful. When Austin's hand found hers, she became even more convinced. "What is the defense going to do?"

"Try to discredit you."

At least Marcie was honest, but she was not looking at Ana when she spoke but Austin.

"Why Austin?"

"They're going to question his use of excessive force."

Austin snorted. "They're lucky I didn't use excessive force. If Ana was not unconscious, I would've done worse."

"Do _not_ admit that on the stand," Marcie said abruptly. Then she winked. "But I understand how you feel."

She turned to Ana's parents then and smiled. "How are you two holding up?"

"This hasn't been the most ideal of situations, but we're doing everything we can to support Ana," Ford replied.

Marcie nodded. "It's a difficult time for everyone, especially as parents. Knowing there's nothing we can do to protect our children is a painful thing. Accept that you're doing everything you can, and your daughter's a tough girl. She's braver than you think."

Isabel smiled weakly, but she reached for Ana's free hand and gripped it tightly. "I know."

"Is there anything you need before we go in?"

Ana shook her head. "I just want it over with."

"Then let's head down. It shouldn't be long now."

Austin threw his arm around Ana's shoulders and took her soaked umbrella. They followed Marcie down the hall to a private room across from the closed courtroom doors, and Ana's steps grew heavier and heavier as they approached. If Austin's arm was not there, she would have stopped and fled, but he kept her moving forward with his firm grip. When she began to tremble, his hand began to trace little infinity signs on her upper arm. A symbol of their relationship; a symbol of his love for her.

When they stopped, she glanced up at him. "Thank you."

"Hey, that's what I'm here for."

"No, you're here to have your reputation shredded."

"I'll be fine. They can throw everything they have at me, and I'll walk away. They, on the other hand, are going to jail."

"I hope so. I worry about what will happen if they get off."

"I'll protect you."

"I know you will."

He bent and kissed the tip of her nose. "I love you, Ana."

"I love you, Austin."

"We'll get through this."

"I hope so."

"Don't be a doubter now."

"I can't help it."

It seemed like only seconds had passed before the courtroom doors opened, and a bailiff appeared. Marcie came to her feet at the same time her parents shot to theirs. Ana could feel her heart in her throat, and it was pounding so fiercely that she felt lightheaded and woozy.

Over the ringing in her ears, Ana heard Marcie speak. "They're ready for you."

This was it. Taking a deep breath, Ana slowly rose from her seat. At least she was not out in a hallway for everyone to see. Of course, once she entered the room, the defendants, the men who had attacked her would see her again. She wished she had worn a hat or a burka, anything to hide from the angry glares, but it was too late now.

As always, Austin was there, and his deep voice was full of promise. "I'll be right here, waiting for you, forever and always."

She glanced up with a weak smile. "For infinity?"

"For infinity," he said proudly.

She had her entire life ahead of her, and Austin kept reminding her of that. Everyone faced trauma in life; everyone had to overcome difficulties. The manner of those difficulties and traumas varied, but surely all people at one point in their life suffered deeply. Ana had suffered, but she had overcome the physical trauma easily. The emotional pain was taking a bit longer, but she considered herself blessed. She had a loving family and a great boyfriend to help her.

Austin, too, had faced trauma during his youth, but he had fought back by dragging himself from poverty and establishing himself in his career through education and hard work. It was amazing how his past had shaped him into such a wonderful person rather than an animal like he could have been. He was remarkable, and Ana had the joy of calling him hers.

Together they had plans to change the world, and Ana was starting to make that change the moment she spoke up. She was coming forward and speaking out about what happened to her, and many people were proud of her for being so brave. Although she considered it her civic duty, others saw her as a hero. She viewed Austin as the true hero, and she told him as much.

Ana nodded at Austin then turned to her parents. Both had tears shining in their eyes, which did not help Ana maintain her composure. Nevertheless, she squared her shoulders and followed Marcie and the bailiff into the courtroom. This was it.

She was ready.

Her life was waiting, and once she exited the courtroom for the final time she could move forward. This was the end and the beginning, and she looked forward to it.

After all, she had Austin. What more could a girl ask for?

The End

Coming Soon

With the third installment of the Lemieux series, we introduce the boisterous Jacksons!

Tyler Lemieux had it all – beauty, talent, and a blossoming career. Then she got in a car with the wrong person, and she loses everything in a flash in a disastrous accident. Her little brother, celebrating his recent draft into the professional football world, is killed, and her aspiring career as a dancer is cut short after she suffers major facial trauma. Because of the backlash that followed when the NFL player driving under the influence is persecuted, Tyla becomes a recluse to avoid the blame from overzealous fans. She starts life over again on a ranch in the mountains of Arizona, away from the spotlight that had welcomed her openly and promised her success similar to her cousin Roxanne's.

Everything she hid from and everyone who had scorned her suddenly appears hot on the heels of her new neighbor, NFL star quarterback, Duke "DJ" Jackson. The handsome athlete has big dreams for his new property much to Tyla's dismay, and it does not help that he is the same player who drew attention to her tragedy in a negative way. Battling with the panic of being persecuted again is the spark of attraction that she cannot seem to ignore. It does not help when Duke's large and friendly family descend upon his developing property, bringing with them the hope and kindness that has been lacking in Tyla's life. She finds that she is helpless to resist the charming Jacksons, but the fear that her past will return to haunt her continues to linger.

About the Author

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Always composing stories in her head, Collette began her first novel at the age of eight. Since then, she has obtained her bachelor's degree in English literature and master's degree in education while squeezing in her writing whenever possible. Five Minutes Sooner is the latest generation in the Evans family and her sixteenth published novel, including the highly acclaimed drama, Forever Sunshine, the hugely popular contemporary romance, Hannah's Blessing, and the enduring Evans Family series. The best-selling New England native now resides in Arizona with her children and family pets.

For more information visit: http://www.collettescott.net

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