A Marshal's Promise Read online

  “Let me see your folder.”

  “My what?”

  “The folder your key came in. Let’s make sure you’re trying the door to the right room.”

  “Oh.” Duh. Why hadn’t she thought of that? And here she’d blamed poor James.

  She dug into the pocket of her laptop bag and pulled out the folder, handed it to him. “The hotel clerk said room 219. See?”

  With his head bent, she studied him. He wore his hair shorter now, but it was still thick and wavy. Her fingers itched to glide through it, to drift down to the bare chest, to slide over the muscles that rippled in his arms. She clenched her hands into fists and closed her eyes, refusing to even think about the snug jeans that covered his long legs.

  “Hmm.” The single syllable jerked her eyelids up. “I see why you thought this was your room. The clerk’s number seven and nine look about the same. I’m in room 219. Your room is next door. Two seventeen.”

  “That explains why you’re in my room.” Had she misunderstood James? Hadn’t he said room 219?

  That slow lazy slant took over his lips, making her well-ordered world go out of balance and her stomach perform somersaults.

  Yeah. He was dangerous all right. If she wasn’t careful, she’d drop her guard and remember all the good times they’d shared, forget the way he’d broken her heart. She’d better scram. “Listen, Gunner. I would love to stay and catch up on old times, but I have to get to my real room. Sleep is calling my name. Sorry I bothered you.” The words rushed out as her fingers curled around the doorknob.

  Willow cracked the door open and peered into the hallway, first one direction, then the other. The coast was clear. She snatched the suitcase.

  Gunner held her captive. His palm reached around her and pushed the door closed.

  “What?” she asked. A groan escaped from her throat before she could stop it.

  ****

  “Not so fast, sweetheart.”

  Mina turned around, and the scent of early winter and cool breezes filled the room, along with cloves, vanilla, and roses. Mina was the only female Gunner knew who changed her perfume with the passing seasons, and he loved that about her.

  “What did you do that for?” Mina’s startled blue eyes fastened on him.

  He had never been able to resist their purity, their innocence.

  At least, they had been pure. Until he came along.

  Gunner stuffed his hands into his jeans pockets, regret kicking him in the gut. “We may not have seen each other for a few years, but I know when something’s bothering you. Spill.”

  “You don’t know me anymore.” The hurt in her voice chastised him.

  You don’t know me anymore, either. Although, he reminded himself, one thing had stayed constant. Good thing she hadn’t caught sight of his gun yet. No sense in dredging up old arguments, festering ancient wounds. “Mina?”

  “Okay, okay.” Hesitation clouded her expression.

  Something was definitely bothering her. “Out with it.”

  “You won’t believe me. I’m not sure I believe me.” She yanked the clasp from her hair and ran a free hand through those luxurious waves.

  He swallowed a groan. Mina was everything good about life. Beautiful. Wholesome. Pristine. Like springtime opening her arms wide after a long, harsh winter. New blossoms popping out to embrace the sun. Animals frolicking in the fresh air after being holed up all winter. That’s what Mina looked like. Fresh. Like the springtime.

  That’s how God’s forgiveness made him feel. Fresh. Like the springtime. Like he’d crawled out of a dark hole, thirty-four years deep, into the light. And now He had placed Mina in his path. God, I could use some willpower here. She’s not making this easy.

  “Of course I would believe you. Why wouldn’t I?”

  “Because we’re talking about a man with multiple awards for community service, well-liked, well-rounded. An upstanding citizen.”

  What was she talking about? A lover? His stomach lurched. “Got that part. Multiple awards, well-liked. Go on.”

  “Did you see that news story about the lady from North Dakota who performed a routine audit of a mortgage company? The one that turned out to be a fraud case?”

  He nodded. “Yeah. It was all over the news. Murdered by the client, wasn’t she?”

  “Yes. They found her body dumped in the woods a few miles out of town. Took the authorities two weeks to find her.” Her voice wobbled.

  “What does that have to do with you, Mina?” This was getting worse by the minute. He wasn’t sure he wanted to know the answer.

  “That guy out there—” her head jerked toward the hallway. “He’s from the insurance company I audited this week.”

  Okay. Something work-related. He should have known. He could deal with that. “Yeah? Staying at the same hotel? That’s interesting.” What was she trying to tell him here? His brain felt foggy, sluggish from being jerked out of a deep sleep.

  “‘Interesting?’ Gunner. You’re a cop! I didn’t invite him here. He followed me here.”

  That woke him up. “Followed you? Are you sure?”

  “His office is thirty miles away. I drove sixty minutes in the pouring rain to get here. I don’t think he booked a room here because he has an early flight in the morning.” Her eyebrows scrunched together. “He’s probably planning to kill me. Like that poor lady from North Dakota.”

  He narrowed his eyes. “Kill you? Why would you think he’s out to kill you?”

  “Because I caught him.”

  “Caught him doing what? And who is him?”

  “Floating money. Keeping false records. Sending in amounts that didn’t match what was supposed to be sent. You name it. And this was supposed to be just a routine audit. A check-up.”

  “What happened?”

  “I, uh…”

  The elevator door dinged outside. She flinched, and her face lost the rest of its color. Her bare foot batted the floor faster than the hummingbird’s wings he’d seen at Trent and Avery’s house. She was definitely spooked.

  Gunner grabbed a shirt from the top of the couch and pulled it over his head. He yanked his leather jacket from the same place and groped around for the gun holster he’d stashed earlier. He slipped both on and retrieved the ice bucket.

  “You’re going out for ice now?” Mina’s voice squeaked as she backed away from the door. She gripped the counter in the tiny kitchenette.

  “No. I’ll scope things out. Stay here. Keep the door locked.” He scooped up his key, noting the white tips of her knuckles. He wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight until he checked things out. Probably some poor slob who’d had too much to drink trying to find his room. He’d been there before. Not lately, though. Thank You, Lord.

  He opened the door and immediately eyed the guy in a suit a few doors down on the left. He wasn’t lugging a suitcase or bag and didn’t appear to know where he was going. Definitely not a drunk trying to find his room. More like a lurker in the hallway.

  Gunner hummed and headed for the icemaker, willing his body to appear relaxed. Easier said than done. Especially when Mina’s safety was at stake.

  He caught up to the man and made a mental note of his appearance. Dark gray pinstripe suit, white shirt, red tie, black slicked-back hair, moustache, six feet, nothing extraordinary. He stopped humming and nodded at him. “Evening.”

  The suit just looked at him.

  “Little lady decided she needed something to drink. At midnight. Don’t you know it? And I have to go get it.”

  The man glared and stalked in the other direction. Gunner stopped at the ice machine, placed the bucket under the chute and mashed the button, pausing every few seconds, biding his time as he watched the man pause outside each door. The man reached the end of the hallway and stepped into the open elevator. Finally.

  Gunner lifted the bucket and casually walked back to his room, whistling, thinking. Mina was right. This guy was after her. Men in suits just didn’t go traipsing down the halls at mi
dnight without suitcases or ice buckets. At least the guy didn’t appear to know where she had disappeared. That little detail definitely worked to her advantage.

  Gunner dragged a hand through his hair, feeling the coldness from the ice against his scalp. What was he going to do about it? Could he help Mina without dredging up old feelings or sparking new pain? He still carried a gun and a badge, even if it was a different kind than before. That wouldn’t matter to Mina. A badge was a badge.

  He shook his head. He couldn’t allow himself to think about what he’d had with Mina. Best to let old relationships die. Keep his feelings buried. Way down. Where she couldn’t find them. Where even he couldn’t find them.

  Besides, he had an interview tomorrow. One he didn’t want to miss. He had to stay focused.

  First, get the job. Second, search for a house to buy near his friends in Serenity Ridge. Third, go back to Raleigh and patch things up with Mark, the brother he hadn’t seen in almost ten years, not since their stupid argument. Now was the time to make things right. Kind of like what he’d planned to do with Mina. Apologize face-to-face. Ask for forgiveness. That wasn’t working out quite like he’d planned.

  He propped the ice bucket under his arm and slid the key into the lock. Mina sat on the couch, computer in her lap. Her wide eyes met his. He felt his Adam’s apple bob, those protective feelings for her welling up. “Just me.”

  Mina closed her laptop and stowed it in her bag. “Well?”

  “Well, what?”

  “What did you find?”

  “A guy out walking the halls.” Best not to add his thoughts on the subject.

  “In a charcoal gray suit with pinstripes?”

  “Yeah.” He nodded, the dark smudges etched around her eyes making his stomach clench. She’d lost a few nights sleep already because of this dude.

  “That’s him. He must have followed me all the way from his office.”

  “He’s gone.”

  “What do you mean ‘gone’? As in another floor? Or as in left the building, entirely?”

  He grabbed the empty garment bag from the closet and flung it next to her on the couch. He reached for the suit he had hung up earlier and scooped up dirty clothes. He couldn’t leave her to fend for herself.

  “What are you doing?” She whispered the words, her head still cocked toward the door.

  “I’m packing my stuff.”

  “I can see that. But why are you packing your stuff?”

  He glanced over a shoulder as he stepped into the bathroom. “Are you in trouble or not?”

  She blanched, and fingers reached up to tug on a curl. “Depends on your definition of trouble.”

  He grabbed his travel bag and stuffed it with bathroom gear. “Do you want to explain?”

  “I don’t know. What—”

  He zipped the garment bag. “Do you want my help?”

  “Like you helped me ten years ago?”

  He stepped away from her, away from the pain radiating in her voice. Didn’t she know that he had saved them both heartache in the long run? “Look, Mina. I called you, remember? I wanted to apologize in person.”

  He glanced at the rumpled bed to make sure he hadn’t left anything. This was not what he had in mind at all. He would rather have met her at a restaurant, a park, somewhere quiet where he could apologize, explain, tell her that he was a changed man. Not a hotel room with some hoodlum on her tail. “But not here. Not like this. Maybe, for tonight, it’s best not to go there.”

  2

  It’s best not to go there.

  Willow repeated those words silently, watching Gunner pick up the phone on the desk. Was he leaving her again? What would she do now? She nibbled on a fingernail.

  “A friend of mine has arrived that I wasn’t expecting. Do you have any adjoining rooms available that we could switch to?”

  Willow spit out the finger. Her heart stuttered. Adjoining rooms? He wasn’t leaving? Yeah, well, that didn’t mean anything. He might help her out tonight, but she couldn’t count on him. Just like she hadn’t counted on any man over the years, including her father.

  “Can you add it to my bill and have somebody meet us up there? Sure. Thanks.”

  He hung up the phone, and she saw the outline of the gun bulging underneath his jacket. Nothing had changed. Not his job. And especially not Gunner.

  He turned to face her. “Ready?”

  “What makes you so sure this is what I want?”

  “What do you want, Mina?” Eyes usually glinting with humor and teasing suddenly searched hers, serious and questioning.

  What did she want?

  She didn’t know. At least she didn’t know what she wanted from him. What she had ever wanted from him. She clamped her lips together and hiked her chin.

  He nodded, the warmth fading from his face and voice. “Okay, then. Let’s go. Let me check things out first, though.”

  While he hoisted the garment bag over his shoulder, she slid her shoes into her laptop bag and did the same. Then, he snatched the handle to her suitcase, opened the door and scanned the hallway. His warm hand enclosed hers, and Willow sucked in a sharp breath. How could anything that felt so good be so bad for her?

  She snatched her hand away. “What are we doing?”

  He quickened his pace, and she had no choice but to follow him into the stairwell.

  “We’re heading to the fourth floor to get some sleep. This guy knows you’re in this hotel, presumably the second floor, but he’s not sure exactly where. We’ll switch floors for the night, shake things up a bit.”

  Sleep? Was that really what was on his mind? Maybe he had changed. A little.

  By the time they reached the fourth floor, she was huffing.

  He cracked open the stairwell door and peered into the hall. “I won’t sleep if I know you’re bothered about something or someone. With an open door between us we’ll both get the rest we need tonight.”

  “What makes you think that?”

  He grinned at her, and she felt warmth extend from her neck all the way to her eyes. She hadn’t meant that the way it obviously sounded to him. “You know what I mean, Gunner.”

  “What time is your flight in the morning?”

  “As early as I want to make it. They have flights to Tampa starting at seven.”

  His eyebrows arched. “Tampa, Florida?”

  “Yes. We, uh, Regi and I live there now. Have for a few years.”

  He nodded. “Regi moved down there too?”

  Regi, her best friend since forever, had stayed with Willow in the beginning, unwilling to leave her alone during her pregnancy, especially in a strange city. She’d helped her through some tough times. “Yeah. She moved the same time I did.”

  “I bet your dad—” The elevator dinged, interrupting Gunner.

  “Who is it?” she whispered.

  Gunner pressed his face against the small opening in the door, then swiveled his head back to her. “The hotel clerk. Come on. Let’s go.” Gunner tugged her into the hall with him. James handed Gunner both key cards.

  “Thanks, man.” Gunner pressed some cash into his hand.

  Gunner flipped on the light in the first room and gestured for her to enter first. He followed, towing her suitcase. While he inspected both rooms, Willow dug through the bag for her chocolate-covered peanuts.

  He chuckled. “Some things never change. I should have known you would have a bag of those stashed somewhere.”

  She held out the king-sized bag to him, feeling generous. After all, he’d offered to protect her. Just so long as he didn’t expect anything else.

  He grinned and popped a couple into his mouth.

  “I could probably scrounge up another bag if you want some more.”

  He shook his head. “Nah. Chocolate doesn’t tempt me too much. You, on the other hand…”

  Willow took a step backwards, gripping the bag of candy against her chest. Maybe this adjacent room wasn’t such a great idea after all. His darkened eyes d
idn’t look so neighborly right now. More like devouring.

  Gunner’s eyes slanted downward, and he cleared his throat. “I’m only teasing, Mina. You don’t have to worry about me.” His gaze trailed to the entry door. “I’m sure I don’t have to remind you to keep your deadbolt locked.”

  For a minute, she had forgotten about the danger lurking outside these rooms, only focusing on how much trouble her heart was causing inside.

  Gunner pointed to the adjoining door. “Do you want to keep this door open for now? Until you feel comfortable?”

  “I’m not sure I’ll feel comfortable either way.”

  “What a blow to my delicate ego.”

  “Gunner, ‘delicate’ is not a word that I would use to describe you. In any way, shape, or form. Ever.” Masculine. Muscular. Manly. Delicate? Never!

  He narrowed eyes at her. “Are you flirting with me? Cause if you are, right now I’m too tired to know it.”

  She laughed, then stopped abruptly, stunned by her reaction to him. Sure, she laughed a lot around Regi and Tessa, of course. But, when was the last time she laughed around a member of the opposite sex? She couldn’t remember. Gunner was all about laughter and good times. For the most part.

  Gunner gripped her shoulders and leaned in. “Do you know what today is?” His soft words blew gently against her hair, tickled an ear.

  Yeah. Their would-have-been wedding anniversary. She caught her breath and jerked back, causing him to release his hold on her. “You remembered?”

  “How could I forget?” He lifted one of her curls and let it glide through his fingers. With his other hand, he reached behind her neck and pulled her close, the whisper of a gentle kiss caressing her cheek.

  Willow held her breath.

  She watched him turn around and walk slowly to the adjoining room, his back straight and strong. Her breath came out in a rush. Still the same old Gunner, the one that caused her heart to stumble and trip. The only one who made her stop breathing when he was in the room and made her want to stop living when he wasn’t.