No Gentle Giant (A Small Town Romance)

“You’re not a killer.” I pull away from Paisley and pick up the pistol that flew out of her grip when she went down. Without hesitating, I jack the clip out in my palm. No need to take any chances. “You’re a lifesaver, Fliss,” I say.

She looks away from Paisley, smiling shyly and tugging at one of her sleeves.

“Now we’re even, I guess.”

“Even? Not quite,” I say, reaching for her hand. “Now we’re together, woman. Now we’ve got nothing standing in our way.”

Correction to my grand declaration: almost nothing standing in our way.

I wish like hell I’d had time to finish that conversation with Felicity.

I want—no, need—to clear the air between us.

Regrettably, it wasn’t in the cards. Standing in the ruin of a lethal standoff does that.

Let’s just say we’ve been busy ever since Langley came bursting in behind all the baddest men in Heart’s Edge like a live action movie. And less than an hour later, the Missoula PD showed up with backup and a few ambulances for the human mess groaning in Felicity’s storage room.

Smart girl, hitting the panic button to summon the police, and having ’em show up after we cleaned house.

This whole thing was still reckless as hell.

Still, with the cops on the scene, we both ended up in interrogations while Langley tried to sort out what the hell to do with all that gold. His eyes were so wide and his face so flabbergasted, it would’ve been hilarious—if only we had the luxury of laughing at any of this.

He’d probably never seen anything so valuable in his life. Even his shock didn’t stop him from doing his job by the book—and judging by the snorting comments from Holt and the guys, he apparently did it better than anyone expected.

He was quick to separate me and Fliss. Got our individual accounts of what happened, then made us tell him again—together—checking every tiny detail for consistency.

Seems like it takes forever, Langley rattling off questions and taking so many notes I’m surprised his hand doesn’t fall off.

Then, with a sharp reminder not to go anywhere yet, he leaves us alone in the little break room that’s had to double as an interrogation room for the first time in the history of Heart’s Edge, despite its checkered past.

Guess we’re off the hook...for now.

We sit there in numb silence under the stark lights for a few minutes before speaking at the same time, “I’m so—”

We both stop and stare at each other.

A slow, sheepish smile creeps over her lovely lips. She looks at me in the most beguiling way from under her long lashes, blue-violet eyes glimmering and warm.

“Um, can I go first?”

“Be my guest.” I laugh. “As long as it’s not another apology. We both fucked up and we both made right.”

“No, Alaska—I need to apologize.” Her soft, slender hand slips into mine, lacing our fingers together as she looks at me earnestly. “I shouldn’t have tried to go all Lone Ranger.”

“Even the Lone Ranger had Tonto,” I point out, and she laughs tiredly.

“Exactly. That’s why I screwed up. I thought...Jesus, when Eli and Tara disappeared, I thought Paisley took them. I couldn’t stand by and do nothing. I sprang into action, and by the time I found out the truth, it was too late to call off the dogs. I had to go through with it. And after you’d wrecked yourself looking for the kids...I thought I couldn’t burden you. Not with even more of my crap.”

“You’ve never burdened me.” I squeeze her hand, a low growl spilling from my throat. “Never been a burden. Never will be. And I shouldn’t have made you feel like you were for a split second. Even if Paisley had taken the kids, we’d have worked it out together. Her actions aren’t your fault. I never should’ve made you feel like I didn’t trust you. Like I blamed you, even for a second.”

Her lips tremble. She stares at me, her heart pulsing in her eyes.

“Alaska, I...”

“No. No more apologies.” I can’t bear to look into those gorgeous eyes or else I’ll give in to the urge to kiss her till neither of us can breathe. I need to force the rest out. “Fliss, I came here looking to make a new life. To start over. To make something real for my boy. I still want that, of course, but I’m greedier now. I want you with us. We’ve both had our lives torn up, and I know we can rebuild something stronger. Something better. Something damned beautiful together.”

“Paxton.” She swallows hard, her eyes brimming over, and she leans closer.

Goddamn, her magnetism captures me, hooks me in right by the soul.

I couldn’t break free from her spell if I wanted to, and I don’t ever want to lose her magic.

I let her pull me along.