SEAL's RESOLVE - Rebecca Deel Page 0,63
Kristi’s cookies and muffins were popular. He refreshed the tray, filling in the gaps with more sweet treats.
Rafe glanced in the refrigerator and snagged bottles of water for Jill and Kristi. He’d coax Kristi to eat as soon as Maggie and her mother left. He walked to the workroom and found Jill at a sewing machine.
She glanced up. “Hi, Rafe. Looking for Kristi?”
“I brought water for you both.” He set one bottle of water on the nearby table.
“She’s in the next room, showing designs to Maggie. Go on in. Kristi will be happy to see you.”
He studied her neutral expression. “Problem, Jill?”
“You tell me. You’re the one who popped into her life unexpectedly, rescued the damsel in distress, and claimed the damsel for a girlfriend, all in the space of two days.”
“She’s lucky to have you as a friend.”
“Why do you say that?”
“You care enough about Kristi to suspect my motives.”
“Your appearance in her life at this particular time is suspicious in my book.”
“Understandable. I have Kristi’s best interests at heart. I would take a bullet for her in a heartbeat.”
“That’s handy, especially considering what’s happened. But what about her heart?”
“I’ll protect her heart as fiercely as I will her body. She matters to me, Jill.” More than he’d thought possible in their short time together. Perhaps the stories he heard about her from Callie or Rafe and Kristi’s intense hours together on the run from the kidnappers paved the way for their deep connection.
Kristi fascinated him on every level. For the first time since losing Callie, Rafe could envision a future with a different woman. “Kristi is safe with me.”
“I guess we’ll see.” Jill folded her arms. “If you hurt her, you’ll answer to me. I don’t care if you’re capable of killing me in a thousand different ways. Kristi is a good friend, and I’ll make you pay.”
“The warning isn’t necessary, but I’m glad you care enough to watch over her.” He walked to the next room and tapped on the door.
Inside the room was a woman in her fifties, a dark-haired woman in her mid-twenties, and the woman who was becoming more necessary to him than his next breath.
Kristi came to him, concern in her eyes. “Hey. Is everything all right?”
“I brought you water,” he murmured. “How are you holding up?”
“I’m fine.”
His eyebrow rose.
“If you’re too nice to me right now, I’ll cry,” she whispered. “I don’t want to upset Maggie or her mother.”
“I’ll offer you a shoulder later.” He winked. “And a few skillful kisses.”
That made her laugh. “Deal.” She threaded her fingers through his. “Come meet Maggie and her mother.”
After the introductions, Rafe turned to Maggie. “Kristi showed me the dresses she designed for you. Have you chosen one?”
“They’re all beautiful, but I fell in love with this one.” She tapped the fifth design, the one Kristi said was perfect for her.
“Excellent choice. Your Marine is a lucky man.”
The bride blushed. “Thank you.”
“Do you ladies want more tea or snacks?” When they declined, Rafe brushed a light kiss on Kristi’s mouth and left the room. As he walked away, Rafe heard Maggie’s next words.
“Rafe is very handsome, Kristi. If he’s the man who rescued you over the weekend, I hope you hang on to him. He looks like a keeper.”
“He is.”
Rafe retrieved his laptop from his room and returned to the kitchen. He grabbed two bottles of water from the refrigerator and tossed one to Jon, keeping the second for himself.
“Thanks.”
Rafe booted up his laptop. The FBI file on Kristi’s first kidnapping was in his email.
Opening the file, he started to read. By the time Rafe finished, he wanted to gather Kristi into his arms and hold her close for a long time. He learned the basics of the kidnapping from Kristi. The FBI file contained forensic evidence from the scene of her mother’s murder and the place where Kristi was held for those harrowing days, locked in a closet and abused by a child molester.
He slammed down the laptop lid, shoved back from the table, and walked out the back door. Sick at heart and emotionally gutted, Rafe headed for a bench in Kristi’s flower garden.
He’d handled hard things as a SEAL and an FBI agent, but knowing Kristi had endured a nightmare at a young and impressionable age tore him to shreds. How had she emerged from that experience whole and healthy? Yeah, she was afraid of the dark. People who weren’t traumatized as a kid had the same fear. Kristi was strong,