Montana SEAL (Brotherhood Protectors #1)(20)
Hank led the way out of the sheriff’s office and checked both ways before holding the door for her. “Why don’t you ride with me? We can leave your vehicle in town.”
She crinkled her brow. “I might want to have it handy.”
“You’ll have to get used to having me around. I’m not letting you go anywhere I don’t go. That’s kind of how it works, you know.” He winked. “Being a bodyguard, means guarding the body. I can’t do that if we’re too far apart.”
She climbed into the passenger seat of his vehicle, albeit reluctantly. “Are you certain this is all necessary? No one has taken a shot at me since the first incident.”
“Do you want to put yourself up as a target and see what happens?” He forced a shrug when his insides clenched. “It’s up to you. You’re the boss.”
She glanced out the windows, as if debating his words, then finally leaned back against the seat. “No. I actually feel safer with you around.”
Hank let out a long breath, drove out of the parking lot and onto the road leading out of town. “For the record, I don’t want to put you up as a target. But I also don’t want you to feel smothered.”
She gave a shaky laugh. “Thanks. It’s just all so new to me. It’s not like I’m anything special.”
“Darlin’, that’s where you’re wrong. You’re a beautiful, amazing actress; capable of making your fans laugh, cry and feel something. And if that’s not enough, you’re Sadie McClain from Eagle Rock, Montana, one of the smartest, brightest young women I have the pleasure of calling my friend.”
She reached across the console. “We were always that, weren’t we?”
“Friends?” He nodded. “And if that’s all you want us to be now, I guess I can be okay with that.” Although he would really have to work on squelching his desire to kiss her whenever she smiled. Or laughed. Or chewed on her fingernail. Hell, he had his work cut out for him.
Sadie didn’t let go of Hank’s hand until they left town. Then he’d needed both on the wheel to handle the curving, winding road into the hills that led to the White Oak Ranch, the place she had called home. Hank had been there often enough her parents had more or less adopted him. Hank and Sadie’s brother had played football together with Joe. In a town as small as Eagle Rock, every able-bodied young man played on the football team. Some pulled double duty, playing in the band as well, marching in their football jerseys during halftime. Sadie had been content to watch from the sidelines. Neither in the band, nor a cheerleader.
Sadie had been a quiet child, satisfied to let others shine. She read voraciously and felt deeply. Nobody quite understood why Hank, one of the best-looking guys in high school would find her at all interesting. What they hadn’t known was that Hank and Sadie had been friends long before they were boyfriend and girlfriend.
Their ranches bordered on each other’s. Hank and Fin had grown up throwing a football back and forth, riding horses and going out to the hunting cabin whenever Hank could get away from his father’s demands. Only a year younger, Sadie had tagged along, preferring the company of her brother and his best friend over the company of the silly girls in high school. Though she’d enjoyed reading, she’d also liked riding, and the beauty of the Crazy Mountains had never ceased to fill her with wonder.
“Have you been riding since you left Montana?” she asked.
Hank shot a glance her way. “No. Have you?”
She shook her head. “Not much chance of riding in LA. I only ride when I’m home.”
“For a land-locked farm boy, becoming a Navy SEAL was a stretch.” He laughed. “All those years of swimming in the freezing lakes with you and Fin helped prepare me.”
“I’ve seen the videos of SEAL BUD/S training. What you did to make it through was amazing.”
“BUD/S helped me to grow and learn what it takes to trust my teammates to get us through the hard times.”
“And I imagine there were some hard times.” Sadie glanced at him, noticing how his jaw hardened, and his hand drifted from the steering wheel to his leg. “Were you injured recently?”
He frowned. “Why do you ask?”
“I’ve seen you rub your leg several times, and you walk with a slight limp.”
His brows dipped. “I can still do the job of bodyguard.”
“I’m not doubting your ability. I just wanted to know.”
For a long moment, he didn’t respond. Finally, he said, “Yes. I was just being discharged from the hospital when I got the call about my father.”
Sadie’s chest tightened. “Were you hurt badly?”
He raised his hand back to the steering wheel, his fingers wrapping around it so tightly his knuckles turned white. “Not as badly as others.”
Sadie wanted to know more, but didn’t want to push. Apparently his team had taken a pretty bad hit. Maybe losing one of their own. “I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“For whatever you and your team went through.”
“Danger is part of the job.”
“Yeah, but I know what it’s like when someone you love is lost or hurt badly. You feel helpless. Or you second-guess yourself, asking if you could have done something differently to keep it from happening.” Sadie stared out the window, remembering when she’d gotten word her parents had died in a car wreck, coming to visit her in LA.