Page 30 of Captive at Rescue Ridge

If Owen hadn’t been confused for Archer, his twin would still be making plans for the future.

“We’re getting close to the sheriff’s office,” he said, switching gears so they could come up with a plan. “What do you intend to tell Travis?”

“I haven’t decided.” She twisted her fingers together in her lap. “I want to tell him to back off, but I’m not sure it’s the smartest move. What if he’s close to finding them and can save them?”

“My thoughts, too.”

“Then, there’s the other side that says if I don’t convince Travis to call off the search, our family members might pay the consequences, and it could mean a heavy price.” The guilt of having to make a decision like that could haunt her for the rest of her days. “Which is why I’d like your input. I can’t make this decision on my own, Archer. Not when Owen’s life is at stake, and he didn’t do anything to bring this down on his head, except look like someone I’ve always cared very deeply about.”

Shit.What was he supposed to do with that last part?

Annalee might care, but she was also quick to leave.

Archer would be lying if he tried to say that he didn’t care about her, too. Or that he hadn’t thought of her over the years more times than he could count. Young love was innocent. It was the way you loved before you knew your heart could be ripped out of your chest and that you’d never be the same afterward. You’d never love again in that whole-hearted way again. Scars kept your heart from stretching as far as it once did.

“Asking Travis to hold off might not work,” Archer said, “even if we want him to. He’s a lawman, and he’s been made aware of criminal activity in his county. There’s no undoing that now.”

“What if we beg? Surely, he’d be able to see the potential damage he could cause if he proceeds.”

“He’s intelligent and a damn fine sheriff,” Archer said. “I trust him to make the right decision, to know when to push and when to pull back. If he’s on the fence, however, our thoughts will matter to him more. Owen is his brother-in-law, so this is personal for Travis, too.”

“Guess I hadn’t thought of the situation in those terms,” she said. “Do you have any guesses as to which way he might lean?”

He pulled onto the road that led to the sheriff’s office. “We’re about to find out.”

Chloe’s vehicle wasn’t in the parking lot. Hudson’s Jeep sat in the second visitors’ spot. Archer parked next to it before exiting the driver’s side then made his way around the front to open the door for Annalee. He helped her down from the dual king cab, linked their fingers, and squeezed her hand for support.

She stopped long enough to catch his gaze. “You’ve been amazing throughout this entire ordeal, Archer. You had every right to tell me to go to hell the minute I stepped back into your life, but here you are helping me instead.”

“Believe me when I say that I’m no saint,” he said.

She compressed her lips like she was stopping herself from a quick retort. And then came, “I’m not so sure about that, and I mean that as a compliment.”

“Thinking about the past makes us remember the good in someone. Time colors memories.” He should know. He’d had to force himself to remember her bad qualities, not that there were many. In fact, the ones she had were understandable, given how ugly some of their classmates had been to her. And then there was her home situation to consider… “You’re stronger than you’re giving yourself credit for, Annalee.”

She sucked in a breath. “I’m not so sure about that one. I’m past thirty years old, didn’t go to college, and live in a postage-stamp-sized apartment. I haven’t exactly excelled in life.”

“No? You’ve been through hell and back, all before the age of ten, and it didn’t exactly get better from there.” He glanced down at her thigh where one of her worst scars used to be. A scar that had come from being hit with barbed wire after she’d asked one of her foster families when supper was. Was it still there? He’d mapped those marks on her body in his mind, wishing he could somehow make them better. He’d thought too many times about feathering kisses there again. “You’ve survived and somehow managed not to hate your mother, which pretty much qualifies as sainthood in my book. Plus, you’re still making moves and trying to build a better life.”

“I’ve been running, Archer. I haven’t made a life.”

“You will,” he said with the kind of finality that left no room for her to argue. She might doubt herself but he didn’t. Her mother was one of those life-sucking folks that would suck you dry if you let them. Somehow, Annalee managed to love her mother and never give up hope the woman would change her ways.

Annalee cocked her head to one side. “How can you be so sure?”

“Because you’ll never stop fighting until you get it all figured out. That much I know about you. That much hasn’t changed.”

“You shouldn’t believe in me, Archer.”

“Why not?”

“Because I’ll just disappoint you again.” She dropped her gaze like she couldn’t stand to look him in the eyes when she said those words.

He cupped her chin and lifted her face until their gazes touched once again. “I’ll go to my grave believing in you, Annalee. I’ve never met another person like you, and, believe me, I’ve tried. You’re a better person than you realize, and you deserve to be treated that way—and not by some jerk who will be good to you for five minutes to win your love, only to turn around and kick you in the teeth the minute he gets it. You should be cherished.”

Archer stopped himself right there. He’d said too much, felt too much. And he needed to get his emotions under control again before he said something he’d regret, like he still loved her.

A groundswellof emotion stirred deep in Annalee’s chest. Her lips angled toward his, burning with desire for him to claim her mouth one more time. The kiss they’d shared flooded her with memories and warmth and need. An ache formed in her chest every time the kiss came to mind.

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