Page 23 of Mountain Defender

“Are the dogs here already?” Rory grabs the door handle and starts to open it. “Or is Ronan bringing them over later?”

“Hang on.” I touch her shoulder. “Let me come around to help you.”

“I think I can make it to the front door,” she replies with a teasing smile.

“Maybe so. But it would make me feel better if you’d let me.” Plus, I’m still remembering how her legs wobbled when she tried to get off the hospital bed. And the last thing I want is for Rory to get hurt again.

“Okay.” Pulling her hand away from the handle, she adds, “If it makes you feel better.”

It does.

And the way Rory feels tucked up against me as I lead her to the house is completely irrelevant.

Nor is the perfect way she fits under my arm like she’s meant to be there.

Nope. I’m just helping her. Making sure she doesn’t get hurt.

“The dogs should be here already,” I say as we approach the front porch. “Ronan texted me right before we left the hospital. He was just waiting for Max to relieve him at the barn, and then he was going to head over here with Elmore and Toby.”

Almost as if they heard me, twin sets of toenails come clattering towards the door. A beat later, two excited barks follow.

“Oh!” Rory’s fingers tighten on my shirt. Her head tilts up so she can meet my gaze. Moisture shines in her eyes. “Do you think they’re okay? I hate leaving them. And after everything that happened, they must have been so scared…”

“I think they’re fine,” I soothe. “Ronan and Max have been spoiling them like crazy. They’re just excited to see you, is all.”

Excited is probably a massive understatement. Once I get the door unlocked and we step inside, the two dogs launch themselves at Rory, leaping at her legs and barking like crazy.

She drops to her knees and throws her arms around them, not even flinching at the ear-splitting noise and the wet doggie-kisses she’s receiving.

I’m a little concerned, though, given that Rory has a concussion and though she hasn’t admitted it, probably a lingering headache. So I crouch next to her and tell the dogs gently, “Hey, guys. Your mom isn’t feeling her best. Take it easy on her, okay?”

Miraculously, they seem to understand. Both dogs sink to their haunches and proceed to give Rory much less enthusiastic kisses, but it’s clear from their eyes that they’re beyond thrilled to see her.

Rory buries her face in Elmore’s fur first, then Toby’s. Then she looks back at me with pink eyes and tear-stained cheeks. “Gage.” Her chin quivers. “Thank you.”

I resist the urge to wipe away her tears. “For what, Ror?”

“Everything.” She sniffs. Small white teeth dig into her lower lip. “Finding me in the woods. Staying with me at the hospital. Getting this amazing cabin set up for me. Convincing your team to help me. To help the dogs. And bringing Elmore and Toby here…”

“Ror.”It’s torture not to hug her. “I wanted to be there. And my team wants to help.” I stop. Then I admit more than I probably should. “There’s no place I’d rather be than right here. With you.”

“Gage.”Releasing the dogs, she flings her arms around me.

A beat later, Rory pulls away, her cheeks flushing red. “Sorry. I didn’t mean—” She stands. “I don’t usually hug people like that. I just…”

“It’s fine.” More than fine, really. But I’m not saying that.

Feeling slightly unsettled myself, I fumble for something else to say. “Would you like a tour of the cabin? Then you can make yourself comfortable, maybe take a nap, or I can help you make something to eat?—”

“A tour would be great.” Rory takes a few steps into the living room, and I can’t help putting my hand on her back to steady her. Her gaze flickers towards me, and her cheeks go pink again. But she doesn’t pull away.

And honestly, I don’t want her to.

It only takes five minutes or so to explore the cabin—it’s less than a thousand square feet, with a living room that opens to a small kitchen and dining area, plus two bedrooms and one and half baths. But any worries I might have had about Rory liking the place disappear at her first sigh of pleasure, as she looks longingly at the couch set in front of the glowing fireplace.

“I know it’s May,” I tell her, “but I thought you might like to relax by the fire. And I know you’ve been cold ever since…”

Ever since she woke up half-frozen in the woods. Not hypothermic, but close to it. And the doctor said she might feelchilled for a while until her body temperature regulates itself again.

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