Page 39 of On the Chase
“Found this one trying to hide in the print shop,” he called to someone outside as he stepped into the sunshine, biker in tow.
“What happened to his face?” asked a male voice Grace didn’t recognize.
Theo said flatly, “He pulled a gun.” The door swung shut behind them, cutting off the other person’s reply. The gloom settled over Grace and Hugh again.
Glancing at the half-open office door across the shop, Grace gave a huff of laughter.
“What?” Hugh asked, grabbing her hand to lead her toward the back door. Even once Grace was headed in the right direction, he kept hold of her. Honestly, she didn’t mind.
“The owner didn’t hear any of that?”
“When I said she was mostly deaf”—he released her hand and bent to pick up Lexi—“I meant that. Theo will talk to her about the broken window.”
Glass crunched under Grace’s feet, making her realize why he was carrying his dog. He didn’t want Lexi to cut her feet. Grace’s heart softened even more at his consideration for his K9 partner. “Why did that guy come after us? Do you think Martin hired him?” she asked.
Hugh glanced at her. “Could be.” He didn’t sound convinced, though.
“Why else would he want to kill us?” Her voice was thin. It was bad enough to have one killer on her trail. She didn’t think she could handle another.
“Not sure, but I’d like to have a chat with him.”
Grace opened the door. “A couple of weeks ago, a crisis in my world was a long line at the coffee place.”
He grinned at her as he carried Lexi through the doorway. “Sounds boring. Aren’t you glad you moved here?”
“No. Not really.”
He chuckled and put Lexi down, closing the door before reaching to grab Grace’s hand again. She had to admit that, amid all the fear and death threats and panic, this small Colorado town did have a few perks. Shaking the bemused thought out of her head, she focused on crossing the rocky, weedy yard without tripping.
Bullets and scary bikers trump a hot guy, she reminded herself sharply.
Then Hugh snuck an all-too-obvious peek at her out of the corner of his eye, looking so stupidly adorable that her heart accelerated just a tiny bit.
She had to roll her eyes at herself.Fine. So he’s a perk.
* * *
From the second she stepped through his front door, Grace loved Hugh’s house. It had all the cuteness of a cabin, but the lofted ceilings and large windows made her feel almost like she was outside. Despite everything that was going on, she felt her shoulders relax for the first time in weeks.
Lexi’s nails clicked against the hardwood floors as she trotted past Grace and into the kitchen, which was only separated from the living area by an island and several stools.
“You hungry?” Hugh asked.
Her stomach was such a mess of anxiety and leftover adrenaline that she had no idea whether she was hungry or not. She had a feeling that she’d regret trying to eat at that moment, though. “Not really. Would you mind if I took a shower? It’s been a busy, dirty day.”
“Go ahead.” His eyes flicked over her body. “Do you need something to change into?”
It struck her that she was back to the same desperate place she’d been a couple of weeks ago, with nothing but the clothes she was wearing and the contents of her purse, running from Martin Jovanovic. A sense of futility hit her, bringing with it a wave of despair so strong that she swayed as the world blurred around her.
“Whoa there.” Strong hands gripped her shoulders, steadying her. “Sure you don’t want to reconsider eating something first?”
Blinking, she brought Hugh’s face into focus. He’d leaned in close, and she noted absently that, even after crouching in dirty parking lots and cleaning dog kennels and climbing roofs and beating up a biker, he still smelled really good. Kind of warm and spicy and…something she couldn’t identify.
His eyes narrowed and heated, and she realized with a start that she’d been getting closer and closer until they were almost kissing—again.
Grace jerked back as far as she could, which wasn’t that far, since he still had hold of her shoulders.
“You okay?” he asked again. This time, his voice held a little more gravel, and she wondered if he was just as affected by the almost-kiss as she had been.
