Page 17 of Her Guarded Hero

Her head jerked up at his words and she blushed, then she grabbed her cup of cold cocoa and took a long swig.

“We start early,” Gunnar said.

“I’ve been known to work an early morning shift from time to time,” Dalton deadpanned.

Gunnar’s chuckle was deep and loud. “Aurora told me you’re a SEAL. I’m betting you’ve worked an early shift, a late shift, and double shifts, and three days in a row.”

The old man’s laughter reminded Dalton of his friends. He was good people. “I’m still stunned that your granddaughter was able to figure out I was a SEAL, simply by the gun I carried. She pulled that out of her hat in a heartbeat. Hell, there a lot of vets from different branches that wouldn’t have put that together as fast as she did.”

Add that kind of lethal intelligence with how she filled out a sweater and she rang all his bells.

“Aurora’s special,” Gunnar agreed.

“Aurora’s also right here, Gentlemen,” she stood up shaking her head. “Are you really going to talk about me like I’m invisible?” At least she wasn’t blushing.

“Hey Darlin’, we were being complimentary,” Gunnar defended himself.

Aurora rounded the table and handed Dalton his jacket. He took it, then tipped her chin back with his knuckles so he could better see her forehead. He grimaced as he saw that the swelling was worse than it had been that morning.

“Are you icing your head?”

“Are you a doctor?” she asked.

“I’ve trained as a medic. So, have you?”

“Have I what? Trained as a medic? Or iced my head?” Again, with the dimple. This time he was also getting brown eyes sparkling up at him.

“Either. But I’ll be satisfied if you just answer yes to the ice.”

“Yes, Mr. Medic, I’ve been icing my forehead.” She walked over to the refrigerator and pulled out a frozen bag of peas from the freezer. “Voila.”

Dalton looked over at Gunnar who nodded. “She’s napped once, and laid down an additional two times, each time with ice packs.”

“You two aren’t going to be talking about me again, now are you?”

Aurora was getting feisty again. Damn, she had just started to settle down.

“Aurora, you gave me a hell of a scare today, and I’m betting Dalton here was a little worried too. Let us fuss a little.”

“I already agreed to Dalton coming and acting as my keeper. Isn’t that enough?”

“No,” Dalton and Gunnar said simultaneously.

“Men are an odd breed.” She turned and picked up his and her mugs and put them into the dishwasher. “So anytime after five a.m. will work.”

“I’m in charge of breakfast,” Gunnar said. “Cinnamon apple French toast if you make it here at five.” The old fisherman finished his coffee. “Apple smoked bacon too.”

“I think you’ve convinced me to be on time.”

Aurora eyed him thoughtfully. “I’m betting you were never planning on showing up later than five, were you?”

He didn’t bother to answer. “Thanks again for the coffee. I’ll see you both in the morning.”

As he walked out to his truck, considered what he had signed up for. It was really a threefer. One, he felt bad that an injured woman and her aging grandparent should have to handle a ranch and orchard on their own, so he was happy to step in. Two, when she had told him about the Valhalla ranch and then when he had pulled up the driveway at twilight he was hit with an odd feeling of comfort. Three, he was definitely going to find out who was behind those shots.

He took his time driving back to the lodge, carefully watching the dark road because he knew damn well that deer were prone to dart out. When he felt the vibration of his phone, he pulled it out of the inside pocket of his jacket and tossed it onto the passenger seat, not bothering to look at the display to see who it was. He had a good idea who was calling. It was the same man who had been calling the last three days.

Dexter Evans was getting to be more and more like a mother hen every month he spent as a father to Austin, and Dalton was suffering because of it. He should call Austin and offer to start a support group. Maybe invite Hunter in. Nah, Hunter was too into Aliana, he was rolling with Dex’s meddling.