just grab them and I’ll be all set.”
“We’ll see you there as soon as we finish cleaning up here,” Hank told them.
She waved her acknowledgment as Sean took her arm and led her toward the front of the building. She noticed Alex and Hank look at the two of them and exchange glances, but she ignored them. What she and Sean did was their own business.
She hurried to stuff the things she’d pulled out of her drawers and closet into the overnighter and dumped some additional personal items into it. Sean checked all the windows to make sure they were locked and the blinds closed. He insisted on leaving a nightlight on in the bathroom and the kitchen. Then he grabbed her little suitcase and ushered her down the stairs and to his truck.
“Are you my guardian?” she teased when they were once again on the highway.
“Damn straight. You don’t go anywhere except to the bathroom without me.” She saw his hands tighten on the wheel. “Zoe, someone really wants to sideline you. I think whatever Hank and Alex found is going to be bigger than you were expecting.”
She tried running everything through her mind, wondering where the hell all the pieces had come from and glad Sean was smart enough and sensitive enough to give her the space to do her thinking. She always carried her tablet with her, so she turned it on and scrolled through the information she’d stored on it, but most of her notes were on her laptop. She’d be glad when they got to White Oak and she could pull it all up.
Partway through the drive, Sean reached over and gave her arm a gentle squeeze. He didn’t say anything, just that one touch. But to Zoe, it meant more than words. Life was funny, she thought. Here were two people—a former SEAL dealing with his loss of place in society, scars from severe injuries, and the psychological mess of his last mission, and a reporter who had screwed up all of her previous relationships and whose whole life was focused on solving her friend’s murder. To the exclusion of any notable social activities.
Fate—or whatever—had somehow thrown them together,. Was it possible they might be each other’s salvation.
Before she realized it, they were at the ranch. Sean punched the button at the box at the gate, Sadie acknowledged him and the gate swung open. They had barely parked the truck when the front door to the ranch house opened and Sadie ran out. The moment Zoe was out of the truck, Sadie threw her arms around her in a fierce hug.
“God, Zoe. You could have been killed.”
Zoe shook her head. “They made sure I wasn’t in the car. It just was another warning.”
“There’s nothing ‘just’ about it,” Sean corrected. “And we’re going to make sure she’s safe and sound every minute.”
“But not locked away,” she objected.
“We’ll discuss it. Let’s get inside, and you can pull up your notes.” He grinned. “And we can eat.”
“I made hot roast beef sandwiches for everyone,” Sadie told them. “Hank and I hadn’t eaten, either, and Alex is always begging for food when his wife, Micki, is away. Come in, come in. They’ll be hungry when they get back here.”
She took Zoe’s hand and tugged her inside, Sean following with her overnighter.
“How about if I take this upstairs for you and get your laptop? That work?”
“Yes, please. That would be great.”
Her body had developed a sudden case of the shakes and, at the moment, all she wanted was to sit. The table was set in the kitchen. Zoe dropped gratefully into one of the chairs and let out a slow breath.
“Zoe.” Sadie stopped what she was doing to give her a quick hug. “We’ll get this all straightened out. Meanwhile, have a sip of this.” She placed a mug of coffee in front of her. “Laced with Hank’s favorite cognac,” she murmured.
Zoe gave her a grateful smile and took a swallow of the hot liquid. As soon as it hit her system, her nerves began to settle. Then Sean was there, setting her laptop in front of her and dropping into the chair next to her. She brought up the folder with all her notes and opened the first document.
“Let me get you all fed,” Sadie told them. “Then we can dig into all this.”
She busied herself with the food and, by the time Hank and Alex arrived, five plates loaded with steaming sandwiches and crisp French fries were