Darkness had fallen early with the storm, but now there were breaks in the clouds, revealing starry skies behind them. She peered through the gloom to try to make out what she’d seen moving.
There it was again, a shape lurching along in an ungainly fashion.
Stella got out of the car and shut the door behind her carefully. Whatever it was hadn’t been disturbed by her headlights cutting across the field. Was it an animal in trouble?
No—she was pretty sure that was a man. Was Liam or Noah out there doing some chore?
She moved toward the pasture, more curious than fearful. This was her home, after all, and whoever was out there seemed to feel they belonged.
Something about her surroundings bothered her, though. It was still difficult to see anything clearly, but the geography of the space felt wrong. There were fences where there shouldn’t be fences.
Sections of fences, actually, standing alone in the middle of the field.
There was the way the man was moving, too. Lurching forward a step at a time.
Was he dragging something?
She moved closer and gasped. That was a body—
With a grunt, the man dropped his load, and the body clattered to the ground.
Stella pulled out her phone and flicked it into flashlight mode, even as the significance of the incongruous sound penetrated her fear. Bodies didn’t clatter like that.
“Hey!” Steel shielded his face with his hands until Stella lowered the light and aimed it at his feet, where she took in what seemed to be some sort of dummy.
“Steel, what the hell? You scared me!”
He looked around him, as if surprised to find himself there. “I was thinking about what you said at the Dancing Boot, about how you didn’t have a proper course to train on. I remembered that Lance always has a bunch of junk leftover from his projects, so I…acquired some.”
Stella eyed him. Did he mean he’d stolen them? “You don’t think Lance would have given it to you if you’d asked?”
“He would have. Didn’t want him to know I was there, though. Hell, I was hoping you’d never know I was here.”
“You thought I’d find an obstacle course that sprang up in my field overnight and never question where it came from? You don’t know me very well, do you?”
Steel shrugged.
Stella moved her flashlight beyond him, casting the beam from one obstacle to another. He’d done good work. There was a length of chain links strung up between two wooden posts, a solid fence of wooden planks, and a variety of sawhorses and wooden blocks arranged to form high and low hurdles. Finally, she moved the light back to the dummy, which she could use to practice the body-drag portion of the test.
“Lance had a dummy lying around?”
“It was in his shed. I think it’s a cast-off from firefighter training. He’s friendly with some of those guys.”
Stella considered the uncanny approximation of a body sprawled at their feet, limbs stretched out at unnatural angles, then quenched the light and tucked her phone away, leaving them in the starlight. “Why do all this—now?”
He was quiet for a moment before responding. “Because I can’t spend the time with you I want to. I can’t volunteer for your fundraiser.”
“It’s not my fundraiser anymore,” she said ruefully.
“Olivia said she confronted you.”
“And rightly so,” Stella said. “I did steal the idea from her, like you said.”
“Maybe it’s a good thing she’s taken it on; it gives you more time to prepare for your test.” He gestured at the obstacle course.
“What’s it to you?” She crossed her arms over her chest, still finding it hard to believe he’d worked so hard to build this.
“Chance Creek needs a deputy like you.”
“You think so?” His words moved her more than she cared to admit. No one else seemed to understand how important this was to her.
“I know so.” He moved closer. “I know something else, too.”
“What’s that?” His proximity awakened her senses. Made her heart beat a little faster.
“I need you, too.” He cupped her chin with one hand and bent slowly to kiss her, giving her plenty of time to back away. Stella leaned forward instead, meeting his kiss with her own. She loved the smell of him and the feel of his mouth on hers. As she lifted her arms around his neck, he gathered her closer, his hands sliding to her waist, drawing her in.
They were blessedly alone out here, only the stars as witnesses to their actions, and Stella found herself casting off all care for what was right or wrong—sensible or reckless.
She needed Steel, even if she didn’t know what drew them so inexorably together.
In a way she’d always wanted him, she admitted. Ever since they were kids, he’d existed in the periphery of her life, a handsome, cocksure boy who’d turned into a sexy, confidant man.
Stella wondered if he remembered the way he’d come to her rescue once years ago. Until then he was just a neighbor, but that day her awareness of him changed. It was at the county fair. She’d had a rabbit to show, a beautiful Holland Lop she’d fussed over and groomed within an inch of its life. Valiant, as she’d named the little beast, had gotten out of its cage and raced away, minutes before the judges were to arrive.
She’d had no idea what Steel was doing there, but he’d rushed to help her, and they’d spent several long minutes chasing Valiant around while other kids who were waiting to show their rabbits laughed at them. Finally, Steel had scooped Valiant up, cradled the wriggling creature and carried him back to her.
“He’s a mess,” she’d cried.
“Get your brush. I’ll hold him.” And he did for five long minutes while Stella raced to groom the rabbit all over again. She didn’t win, but Valiant placed third. He wouldn’t even have been in the running if it wasn’t for Steel.
Now Steel was holding her. Kissing her. His strong arms creating a safe haven for
