I groaned and held out my good hand. “Stop that. I still need to delete the dumb thing. Hand it over.” I wiggled my fingers and was promptly ignored.

A grin tugged at his mouth and his eyes danced with a million colors as humor lit them up from the inside out. “Over six feet.” He held up a finger. “Check.” I groaned and demanded the device again. “Though why that’s a must when you’re barely five-foot is beyond me.”

“I’m five-five, jackass. Can you stop?”

“Open to all ethnicities.” He wiggled his eyebrows up and down and I felt myself blush. “That’s good to know.” I slapped a hand over my eyes and sighed in defeat. He wasn’t going to stop until he got all the way through my list of must-haves.

“Fit, some formal education, gainfully employed, kids okay. Man, you weren’t being very picky here, Dixie.” He was laughing at me, so I closed my eyes and tried to block him out. “Where’s the box for no murdering psychopaths with mommy issues?”

I groaned again and turned to look at him through narrowed eyes. “I must have missed that one.”

He chuckled again but then his expression turned serious and his eyebrows dipped in a V over his colorful eyes as he dropped his feet off the edge of the bed and leaned over the phone, reading intently. “Prefers the strong, silent type because when he has something to say it’s always worth listening to. Looking for a man that is chivalrous, adventurous, and has a sense of pride and duty.” His eyes flicked up to mine and I would have shrugged if I was able. Instead I bit down on my lip as he continued to read. “Loyalty is a must. You can tell a lot about a man by the company he keeps. Searching for someone that knows the importance of family and home, that is willing to go above and beyond for the people he cares about. Looking for love and forever.”

I gulped a little as he tapped the screen, shutting the app down and turning the phone off before setting it on the bed next to me. He rose to his feet and made his way over to the side of the bed. The mattress sank under his weight as he propped his hip next to mine.

“You described me.”

I looked up at him from under my lashes. “Well yeah. You’re supposed to describe your perfect man, and even when you were driving me crazy and making me chase my heart around in circles you were still my perfect guy. You’re the only one.”

He reached out a hand and moved some of my hair away from my face so I couldn’t use it to hide behind. “How can you be so sure?”

I blew out a breath and reached up to catch his hand in mine. “I just knew. There was no explaining it. There was no denying it. My heart picked you.”

His lips twitched and it happened.

He smiled.

I knew it was going to be my undoing.

That mouth was made to be happy. That face was created to have joy and delight stamped across it. He was so much more than beautiful with that smile. He was stunning. He stole my breath and made it hard for me to think.

“You’re smiling.” I reached out and touched the indent in his cheek that wasn’t quite a dimple but was close.

“I guess I am.” He caught my hand in his and kissed the backs of my fingers. “I have a lot to be happy about lately.”

I smiled back at him. “I’m glad.”

“I’ve got an errand I need to run real quick and then I’ll come pick you up when it’s time to take you home. I’ve only got you for a little bit before your folks whisk you back home.” He hadn’t left my side in days, so I was surprised that he was doing so now when I was so close to freedom.

“Uh … okay.” I frowned at him but he bent over and placed a hard kiss on my lips.

“I’ll be back, pretty girl, and I know we need to talk about what’s next. I’m not running. I’m right here in front of you even when you can’t see me. Trust me.” It was hard not to give him everything he asked for when he was smiling at me.

“All right, soldier.” He nodded and slipped quietly out of the room.

I had no clue where he was going, but I knew with everything inside of me that he would be back.

Church

I knew I had to take the good with the bad from here on out, but there was some bad that needed a reminder that I could and would fight back. There was some bad that needed to know there was no place for it in my life or the lives of the people I loved. There was some bad that needed to learn I was bigger and badder than it could ever be.

Plus I’d made a promise to my little brother that I would show the fuck up and I wasn’t going to renege on it. In fact it was a promise I was more than looking forward to keeping.

I heard the rusted door to the trailer rattle and leaned forward on the ugly couch that was cream and brown with pheasants all over it. It was straight out of the ’80s and smelled like it. I rested my hands on my knees and didn’t take my eyes off the doorway as the door swung open and a burly man in dirty jeans and a torn white T-shirt stumbled in. It was the middle of the day but he smelled like cheap booze and there was no missing his blurry-eyed surprise when his gaze landed on me.

A sneer pulled at his mouth as he wiped the back of his hand across his mouth and he stumbled a little until his eyes hit the broken coffee table that was in front of me and the lethal black firearm that was sitting just inches away from my fingers. It was a clear warning so I didn’t have to waste time or words. After he’d shot and killed the crazy man that abducted and terrorized Dixie, Jules had located the ringleader of the crew that attacked Dalen at the bar. It took no time at all for the man to rat his cohorts out, including this guy. And while I was disappointed I didn’t get to have a chat with the man who’d taken the money to hurt a stranger just because he didn’t like the way they looked, I was grateful that Jules had given me enough of a head start that I could make my point with the muscle that had no qualms about beating on a kid.