The Hero I Need

“Nice.” I’m amazed that something went right. “Those are pretty clear pictures.”

“They’re set to stream back steady feeds, but they’ll only record interesting movements. The cameras are smart enough to sense humans and animals. Faulk still hasn’t gotten much out of your laptop, no way he’s giving up till he does, though. You said the animals disappeared regularly?”

“Yes. They started to,” I say, choking back sadness.

“How often? Are we talking weekly? Nightly?”

He turns and we lock eyes.

I swallow.

“No, it wasn’t nightly, more like...a couple of times a week, maybe? Some weeks were quiet stretches, nothing out of the ordinary. No weirdness for a week or more. There was no real schedule—not one that I figured out, anyway.”

“We’ll see. The cameras should be a big help.”

“But it could be days before anything happens. Bruce and I—”

“Hold up, darlin’. We need to talk about that, too.”

I nod slowly, knowing that even with the barn strapped up with new locks and strong enough to hold Bruce, the two of us can’t stay there long.

Avery and Sawyer will figure out something’s afoot sooner or later.

Grady leans back in his chair as he faces me, his shirt stretched over washboard abs that warm my blood. “I can’t keep lying to my daughters. You feel me? I’ve taught them that’s wrong, and my ass is grass if I ever wind up getting caught in a lie this deep. That’s setting an extremely poor example.”

I’m silent, confused where he’s going.

In principle, he’s right, but have no ideas for a good solution.

“I’m not sure I follow,” I say. “What do you want to do?”

“We’re coming clean,” he snaps off. Like it’s totally ordinary to admit we’ve got a Bengal tiger lurking around.

“C-come clean?” I stutter.

He nods. “I’ve decided to tell them the truth, or at least enough of it.”

Holy crap.

Shell-shocked, I stand stock-still for a moment, a lock of hair frozen in my fingers, mid-twirl.

“How? You mean you want to tell them about me and...” I trail off, my mind floating.

“Yep. About Bruce in the barn.”

“What about Bruce in the barn?” I shake my head. “I mean, yeah, sure, tell them Bruce is here, I guess. If you think it’s safe. But are you thinking about telling them that he’s...stolen? That I took him?”

For the first time since I crashed here, I’m genuinely afraid.

I like his girls.

I don’t want Sawyer and Avery thinking I’m a thief or that I’m just so freaking reckless I make it a habit to run off with wild animals. Would they even understand it’s for a good cause?

“Willow?” he purrs my name softly. “What’s got you so worried? You’re safe with me. The girls are old enough to keep a secret, especially something this serious.”

“It’s just...talk about poor examples! That would be me. Stealing a tiger to save him with nowhere to go besides your place. And I know you’re sticking your neck out, showing far more hospitality than any sane person should. Ha.”

Blood surges to my cheeks, leaving me an awkward bundle in cherry-kissed skin.

His slow-burn grin nearly knocks my socks off as he stands, and next thing I know, those huge arms wrap around me.

Dear God.

He’s such a handsome, warmhearted guy, especially when those mahogany eyes sparkle with humor and whisper quit worryin’.

He doesn’t need to say it.

I read his face so loud, so clear, I desperately want to believe it.

“We won’t tell them everything. They don’t need the dirty details about the place you came from or what animal trading psychos do. So we’ll tell them he was endangered, threatened, and now we’re working to find him a good home. Somewhere he can live out his days in peace and comfort. How’s that, darling girl?”

I’m shaking when I smile, my hands pressed tight to his back.

“I think you’re making dumb decisions sound righteous and respectful.”

“Because yours aren’t dumb. You put that big cat first, tried to do what’s best for him, for all of those poor critters the assholes still have locked up.” His face slips closer to mine. My breath stops before he says, “Trust me on this. You’re a good person trying to do a damn good thing. No shame in that, and no need to hide it from folks you can trust.”

I watch him for a breathless minute, wondering about his change of heart.

Hopefully my recklessness isn’t infecting him.

It’s easy to appreciate his honesty, his need to keep his girls on the straight and narrow, but this is about his ten-year-old daughters and a full-grown tiger.

Something else strikes me then.

“Oh, no. You’re worried they’ll notice the new padlocks and get curious sooner or later, aren’t you?” I whisper. “Your kids are roamers.”

He leans his head back and looks up at the ceiling. “They’re brilliant girls, no question. It’s only a matter of time till they wonder. I don’t think they could ever pick the locks, but shit, I’m not rolling any dice I don’t need to.”