His lips curved in a smile. “Good for you.”
“I thought I did a good job of getting away without leaving a trail.” The confidence in her tone faded. “But I was wrong.”
“Hey.” He reached over to take her hand. “Don’t sell yourself short. It’s not every woman who could escape former military special ops guys for six months. If it wasn’t for the paperwork I found at the used-car lot, I wouldn’t have found you. And neither would anyone from the Blake-Moore Group.”
“I told that guy not to keep the paperwork!” She sounded angry now. “He promised he’d shred it. Claimed he knew someone who’d take the car off his hands even without the title.”
“You should have made him shred the documents while you watched.” Ryker wasn’t sure why he was giving her advice on how to stay under the radar. She didn’t need it now that he was there to watch over her. “But it doesn’t matter now. You, Aaron and the baby are safe.”
“For now.” He hated hearing the faint note of hopelessness in her tone.
“For as long as I’m alive,” he swiftly corrected. “And I have friends who will help us if needed. You’ll never be alone.”
He could feel her gaze on him, but kept his eyes on the winding road weaving through the dense foliage.
A faint rumbling from her stomach caught his attention. “You hungry?”
She looked embarrassed as she rubbed her belly.
The corner of his mouth kicked up in a reluctant smile. Ryker knew he should have thought of food earlier. “There are plenty of places to get food around here. Just let me know what you’re in the mood for.”
As the words left his mouth, they came upon a sign advertising Torra Tacos one mile ahead.
“Maybe something less spicy,” she said. “Heartburn has been my constant companion over the past few weeks.”
“There’s a burger joint in five miles. Will that work?”
Her answer was another rumble coming from her stomach which made his smile widen.
Ryker had to respect the way she’d taken everything in stride. The sign for the Cedar Rock Cabins indicated they were located about twelve miles away, so stopping for food wasn’t a problem. He thought about getting breakfast, too, something they could easily heat up for Aaron in the morning.
He pulled up to the drive-through window and looked expectantly at Olivia. She was intently scanning the menu before placing her order for a cheeseburger and a bottle of water.
The restaurant didn’t offer breakfast at this hour, so he settled for getting several burgers to go, knowing that having some food was better than nothing at all.
“You’re going to eat four burgers all by yourself?”
“No, just one. The others can be warmed up in the morning.” He paid for the food, then handed the bag to Olivia.
Thankfully, they got a cabin, one that was located in a secluded area off the main road. Ryker was glad to have four-wheel drive as he headed up the rugged hill.
He was relieved to find the cabin was clean and had indoor plumbing. Olivia brought the bag of food in, then went back out to get Aaron. The little boy didn’t wake up as she carried him inside.
While she was busy, Ryker quickly ducked into the bathroom to examine his thigh wound, grateful to realize it wasn’t bad. When he emerged, he found Olivia pulling a fresh diaper from the bag. She went back and changed Aaron, before gently placing him on one of the twin beds and pulling the covers up over his pajamas.
She was a good mother. Not like his who’d abandoned him at the age of ten. Ryker pushed the unwelcome thoughts away. He unpacked her cheeseburger and his Quarter Pounder at the kitchen table. When Olivia returned she washed her hands, then removed her large purse from her shoulder and set it on the table. Then she surprised him by crossing over to where he was seated. She stood over him and cupped her hands on either side of his face.
The soft touch of her fingers made him go still. Her blue eyes, clear as the sea, stared into his.
“What’s wrong?” He barely recognized his own voice.
She stared down at him intently for a long moment before releasing him. “Nothing. I just wanted to see your eyes.”
“My eyes?” He missed the warmth of her hands, wondering if she had something against hazel-colored eyes.
“Yes.” She pulled a chair from the table and sat down. “I needed to see for myself.”
“See what?” He couldn’t hide his bafflement.
“I needed to see exactly who I am about to trust with my life, my son’s life and that of my unborn child.” She avoided his gaze now as she picked up her cheeseburger and took a bite.
He shook his head, battling confusion. What had she seen in his eyes? He had no idea, but decided to let it go.
Mostly because he’d liked the brush of her fingers on his skin a little too much. He had to resist the urge to touch the same spot her fingers had been.
Idiot. Olivia wasn’t Cheri, and Aaron was hardly little Cyndi. He wasn’t going down the path of caring too much. He sternly reminded himself that his role was only to keep Olivia, her baby and Aaron safe.
Getting emotionally and personally involved wasn’t an option.
THREE
Ryker’s hazel eyes were alive, full of caring, compassion and concern.
He wasn’t the type of man her husband and brother had turned into and for that she was grateful.
Yet it was pretty clear he was a soldier. The way he’d taken out the bad guy holding Aaron had left no doubt about that. She was touched by the fact that he hadn’t outright killed him, firing only because the other guy had. And she was especially grateful that he hadn’t been injured in the struggle.
The cheeseburger congealed in
