Sara K. Parker - Security Measures

“Whoa.” He grasped the pitcher, steadying it as Triss took a quick step backward.

“Sorry,” she said, water dripping along her arms, a bubble of laughter threatening at the amused expression on Hunter’s face.

He took the pitcher from her. “Here.” Reaching past her, he grabbed a hand towel and wiped the sides of the pitcher before handing it to her. The tips of his fingers grazed her hand, sending a sudden jolt of awareness straight up her arms.

So. It hadn’t been shock earlier, when he’d lifted her into his arms and every muscle in her body had gone weak, her pulse racing as her hand had clutched a small square of his shirt. It had simply been the effect Hunter had on her. What was it about him?

“You talked to Brandon?” she asked, realizing she’d stood still for a couple of seconds too long.

He nodded. “He said I can bring the kids any day between lunch and dinner—just shoot him an email.”

“Great. Heading home?”

“Figured I’d help out.” He took off his wet tie and shoved it in a pocket, then started unbuttoning his shirt cuffs and rolling up his sleeves.

“I think we’ve got things under control,” Triss said, making a move toward the door. “You need to—”

“I’m planning to stick around for a while. I can sit and observe, but I’d much rather have something to do,” Hunter said, moving in front of her and blocking her path as he rolled up the second sleeve.

“Give the man a job, Triss, and out you both go! Too many cooks in my kitchen.”

Triss shot a glare over at Barb even as the woman winked at Hunter and continued prepping several large salads.

“We’re setting tables,” Triss said finally. She pointed to an empty pitcher by the sink. “Go ahead and fill that one up with ice water and meet me in the dining hall.” She scooted past him and turned out of the kitchen.

* * *

Hunter hurried to the pitcher, filling it and heading out the way he’d seen Triss turn. He wanted to tell her to slow down, to sit, to take it easy. But he knew any suggestions wouldn’t just be ignored, they’d be fought. The best he could do would be to stay close, keep an eye on her. Was he overreacting? Maybe. But he’d learned two years ago exactly what could happen when physical symptoms were ignored. His wife had died because of it.

When he turned into the dining hall, he noticed Triss setting down her pitcher and taking a seat next to one of the residents. She leaned forward, empathy in her expression as she listened.

Hunter filled the glasses around the room, his attention flicking to Triss as he did so. She spoke softly to the man, whose dark hair was still winning its battle against gray. Her hand came to the man’s upper arm, soothingly rubbing it as the man wiped away tears. Her tenderness was always a surprise when she let it show, and Hunter wondered often why she worked so hard to hide it.

He’d been intrigued by Triss ever since he’d met her at the gun range during a training session a couple of years ago. She’d never shot a gun in her life, but within hours she was outshooting police veterans. He’d been impressed, but not drawn to her in the least. The loss of his wife was still raw, and Triss emanated no warmth. She didn’t smile even once, and barely spoke the entire day, moving off to the side to eat a quick bagged lunch she’d brought, clearly signaling she wasn’t interested in conversation.

She was gorgeous, with a slim athletic figure, and wide dark eyes set against caramel skin. But her body language created a barrier that told people she was intensely private and happier that way. Still, something about her intrigued Hunter, especially when he learned that Luke was her older brother. Luke had to be one of the most congenial guys Hunter had ever met, and the contrast between the two was striking—even though their sibling bond was obvious to anyone who saw them together.

Over time, their friendship grew, and Hunter had become determined to discover what had hurt her so much in the past that she had created a rigid wall around her. She had seemed just as determined to keep her distance, which had become painfully obvious when she’d moved to Harmony and stopped contacting Hunter in August. Even his kids had started getting attached to her, and her disappearance had been confusing for them.

But something had shifted between them today. His mind called up the memory of her in his arms, her hand clutching his shirt. He’d never known Triss to accept help, but she had done more than accept his help. She had hung on to him, her face pressed to his chest.

And he hadn’t missed her reaction when he’d run into her in the kitchen doorway a few minutes ago. Triss, flustered? Was it possible he still had a chance to deepen the friendship he’d been fighting for? Did he even want to? The last thing he wanted to do was disappoint his kids if she started coming around and then disappeared again. And Triss had big goals, he reminded himself.

When she’d signed the contract at Harmony and essentially made an exit from his life, he’d told himself that he wouldn’t get in the way of her dreams, like he had with his late wife. Viv never did finish college and go on to practice law like she’d planned to do. If he was honest with himself, he was the one who had pushed for the marriage. She would have been content to finish out her education first and have kids later. But she’d caved to his cajoling, lost in the glamour of the romance and the lure of a future together...before her entire life was stolen from her a few short years later. He wouldn’t do that to someone else, especially not to Triss.

It wasn’t something he should be thinking about, anyway. Not after what Triss had told him today. He’d stick around for a while and observe what was going on, then have a chat with Security before heading home to the kids. Thankfully, he had flexible childcare.

Hiring a live-in nanny had been the best decision he’d made since his wife’s death. A college student and the oldest of five kids, Samantha Farrow knew her way around the kitchen, the laundry room, temper tantrums and messy diapers. What was more—she genuinely seemed to adore his kids. Granted, Josie and Levi were pretty easy to get along with. But he’d had sitters before who had been all too eager to plop the kids in front of a television or cart them off to bed early. Samantha enjoyed interacting with them, playing games with them, reading to them, teaching them—which meant that Hunter could focus his energy on keeping an eye on Triss tonight, knowing his kids were in good hands.

The next half hour slipped by quickly, as the tables were set, the buffet was spread out and the guests arrived. Triss gave Hunter new tasks when he asked, but for the most part, she didn’t seem to notice that he was there. All her energy and emotion seemed focused on making the reception run smoothly, as she spoke with residents and also Frank’s family members. Despite her typically guarded nature, she knew how to draw someone into a conversation, her sincerity evident in her body language and the softness that had fallen over her expression. She might be living here on a contract, but she wasn’t merely fulfilling her duty or putting on a show to prove that she was worthy of the position. She genuinely cared, and for some reason, Hunter’s heart swelled as he watched her in action.

This was the part of her personality he’d caught glimpses of over the past couple of years, but something changed when she walked through the doors of Creekside, and her shields came down. Interesting.

By the time dinner was served, Hunter felt confident that Triss wasn’t seriously injured or in any immediate danger. Plus, Triss knew how to handle herself. He glanced at his watch. Just enough time to touch base with Security and pick up groceries before heading home to tuck in his kids. He turned to leave the dining hall, but Kaye saw him and practically jumped out of her seat.