Questions bombarded him.
Questions about the bank robbery and questions about his attraction to a woman with a baby.
Heâd sworn off putting his heart on the line. Heâd had his shot at a family and happily-ever-after and it had been snatched from him when his wife had died in childbirth.
So why couldnât he get the pretty mother out of his mind?
Tossing aside the covers, he padded to the window that overlooked the lake. Peering across, he could see Maggieâs house lit up like a Christmas tree.
Realization hit him.
She was all alone and scared. And with the threat the robber had left ringing in the air, she would be jumping at every creak and moan of the house.
Without a secondâs hesitation, he picked up his phone and dialed her cell phone. She might be afraid of the phone ringing at this time of night, but his number and name were programmed in her phone. Once she saw it was him, she would be all right.
ONE
Deputy Reese Kirkpatrick stiffened when he felt something hard jam into his lower back. He started to turn when a voice whispered in his ear, âGet on the floor or the
babyâs mama gets a bullet.â
Stiffening, his adrenaline in sudden overdrive, Reese looked around and saw a young woman with a baby in a carrier standing in front of the tellerâs window. As his adrenaline spiked, details came into focus. The tellerâs nameplate said Lori Anglero. The woman with the baby had soft blond hair that fell to her shoulders in pretty waves. The man behind him had bad breath and needed a shower.
Reeseâs time as a cop on the streets of Washington, D.C., now served him well. He didnât even blink. âYou think this is going to work for you?â
âYep. Youâre the only man in here. I donât need you having a hero complex because Iâm trying to do this without killing anyone. But I will if I have to. On the floor. Now.â
The door chimed one more time, and Reese caught sight of two more masked men entering the First National Bank of Rose Mountain.
âEverybody down! Now!â The man behind Reese gave him a hard shove.
Reese dropped, grateful he wasnât wearing his uniform and that the gun hidden under his coat in the small of his back had gone undiscovered.
Screams echoed and Reese saw the woman in front of Loriâs window drop down to become a human shield for the baby.
âDown! Down!â The man whoâd taken Reese by surprise aimed his gun and pulled the trigger.
* * *
The bullet slammed into the wall above Maggie Bennettâs head. With a scream, she tightened her protective stance over her eight-month-old daughterâs carrier.
Terror spiraling through her, Maggie whipped her head to the left to see three gunmen in black masks. One stood by the door, his broad shoulders and tight grip on the pistol in his left hand saying heâd be a force to reckon with. Another, tall and lanky, hovered in a threatening stance over the man on the floor. The third held his weapon in a way that said he knew how to use itâand would. The tall, skinny one with his weapon trained on the man on the floor grunted, âCharlie, get the cash.â
Charlie leaped over the counter. As he did, his foot caught the nearest silver pole holding the red velvet ropes used to separate customers into lines. The pole crashed to the tile floor with a loud clang, and Maggie cringed. Charlie cursed, regained his footing and pointed the gun in bank tellerâs terrified face. âYou deaf? I said get down!â