Page 36 of Captive at Rescue Ridge

“No, it does not.”

“I think it’s about time ‘something’ happened to me,” she continued, throwing him off track. So much so, that his mouth dropped open. “I’ve been so worried about being hurt that I’ve never allowed anything good or bad to happen. I can see that so clearly now.” She paused while he was trying to regain composure. “I shut myself off from the world and created this little bubble around myself, like I wrapped myself up in bubble wrap or something.” She bit back a yawn. “I’m so tired. Am I making any sense?”

Archer couldn’t help but wonder if he’d been doing the same thing. “Perfect sense.”

“Good, because it made sense in my mind, but I wasn’t sure it came out of my mouth in the manner intended.” She bit back another yawn.

“We have half an hour between here and the meetup spot. Why don’t you lean back and close your eyes? See if you can grab a catnap. They work wonders if you can actually fall asleep.”

“I’ve heard of those coffee naps where you drink a coffee really fast and then lie down for twenty minutes. Think it’s too late to work in this case?” she asked.

“Can’t hurt to try.”

Archer needed to focus. Allowing himself to be distracted with the kiss last night could have cost them both their lives. He wouldn’t make the same mistake twice.

Annalee leaned her seat back and then closed her eyes. Being able to help her relax, even for a few minutes, gave him an unparalleled sense of satisfaction on a primal level. After hearing a little bit of what she’d been through over the years, he couldn’t hold it against her that she’d walked away even though the move had broken his young heart. After experiencing Beaumont for a father, Archer understood growing up under a messed-up parent. The only reason any of the Sturgess kids had turned out all right was most likely because of Kade. At the very least, he’d given them someone to look up to. Older siblings had more of an impact on younger ones than they probably realized.

Plus, Archer’s stubborn pride wouldn’t allow him to follow in Beaumont’s footsteps. Becoming like him had been out of the question. There’d never been a doubt in Archer’s mind that he would walk the opposite path. In fact, he’d walked away from family money, content to live in a bunkhouse and work a ranch like the other hands. No one had ever known that Archer was a Sturgess, except the owners. Archer had sworn them to secrecy, wanting to be treated like everyone else who worked the ranch. It was the only way to gain the other cowboys’ respect. Owen felt the same, so it had been easy to move on from the family business.

The thought of Owen, who was now being held captive on family property, nearly gutted Archer. The image of his brother bound and gagged caused Archer to white knuckle the steering wheel. They’d suffered enough abuse on that land. Now that Beaumont was gone, the torture and horrific memories needed to die, too.

Avoiding the legacy would do no good. Besides, Archer had resolved never to hide from pain a long time ago.

Time to change the present. Make a better tomorrow for the future Sturgess generation—a generation that had already started being born. Archer let the thought sink in. The idea of having kids of his own suddenly didn’t sound so bad, which had a helluva lot to do with the person beside him.

He’d been lost in thought for half an hour, he realized, when he pulled up to the meetup spot. Travis caught up to Archer from behind. They parked beside each other. Having law enforcement onboard would make it easy to arrest the bastard responsible on the spot.

Annalee sat bolt upright. She sucked in a breath, grabbed hold of the console and a spot on the passenger door.

“It’s alright,” he soothed. “You’re okay. I’m right here.”

She plopped back and blinked her eyes a couple of times. “Sorry. I just forget where I am and freak out until I get my bearings again. I’m good now. Won’t happen again.”

Archer reached over and covered her hand with his. “It’s okay.”

“Don’t do that, Archer.”

“What?”

“Make me want to rely on you,” was all she said before she unbuckled her seatbelt, opened the door, and hopped out.

The conversation he needed to have with her would have to wait.

Annalee couldn’t saywhat made her freak out and make a hurried exit from the truck, except she would have to say there was no keeping her guard up for too long around Archer. One way or another, this nightmare situation was about to end. The two would go their separate ways. And she would have to find a way to heal for a second time. The reason she’d cut off all contact years ago had been because she hadn’t trusted herself not to take his calls. How many times had she wished she could hear his voice one more time?

Too many.

And right now, neither could afford the distraction of torn emotions when their full attention had to be on saving their loved ones.

He kept a distance as they joined the gathering at the fence.

“Follow me,” he said, his voice was gruff. “I know the quickest way to Henry’s old place. Follow me. Keep quiet. I’ll signal when we get close and then we can form a circle. The place is surrounded by live oaks and is thick with ’em.”

Heads nodded in unison.

“How do you want to pair up?” he asked Travis.

“The two of us should stay together.”

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