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  “Dix! Andrew!” a female voice called out.

  “Over here,” Dix responded.

  Tazer stepped out of the tunnel leading from the house and into the cave, a handgun in one hand and a flashlight in the other. “Did you save anything for us?”

  Dix chuckled. “Just the cleanup.” She nodded toward Andrew. “My client ended up saving me.”

  “After she saved Leigha and me.” Andrew shrugged and grimaced, pressing his hand over his wound. “It only seemed fair.”

  Tazer crossed to where Andrew stood holding the gun on Dwayne. “I’ll take it from here. You look a little worse for the wear.”

  “Thanks. I feel like I was hit by a train.”

  Tazer nodded. “A bullet in the gut has a way of making it real.”

  Gabe McGregor, Casanova Valdez and Creed Thomas emerged from the tunnel, all carrying weapons.

  Dix grinned. “You brought the cavalry?”

  Tazer nodded. “Damn right. I didn’t know what we were up against when Andrew placed the call that you and Leigha were missing.”

  Nova shook his head, his gaze scanning the cavern as he crossed to where Nelson lay on the ground. He dropped to his haunches and checked the base of the man’s throat for a pulse. “He’s still alive.” Jerking the man’s jacket open, he tore Nelson’s shirt and ripped off pieces of fabric to fashion a bandage to help stop the bleeding. “Great place to throw a party.”

  “If you like dark, cool places you can’t find easily,” Creed said.

  “How did you find us?” Dix asked.

  Gabe stepped aside. “I was questioning Jared and Joe Kessler when Tazer called. They thought they might be of some help if you were climbing around inside a cave.” Gabe waved his hand. “I didn’t know what they were talking about, but I’m glad they came along.” His glance came to a halt on Andrew’s shirt. “Are you okay?”

  “I will be,” Andrew said. “I don’t suppose you brought a doctor with you.”

  “Will a nurse do until we can get you to the hospital?” Emma Jenkins stepped from the tunnel, carrying a red plastic box. “I grabbed the first-aid kit from Gabe’s cruiser. Who needs it?”

  “Andrew,” Dix said. “He’s been shot.”

  Emma pushed through the crowd and examined the pressure bandage Dix had applied. “This will hold until we get him out of here.” She made her way to Nelson and applied a pressure bandage.

  Gabe secured Dwayne by handcuffing his good arm behind his back, clipping the other cuff to the man’s belt. His other arm hung at an awkward angle by his side, completely useless.

  The odd group of SOS agents, sheriff’s deputy and young archaeologists trudged out of the cave and back through the narrow passage.

  Gabe and Creed stayed behind to wait for the first responders to arrive with the stretcher they’d need to carry Nelson out.

  Tazer and Nova escorted Dwayne all the way out through the front of Stratford House, just as the ambulances pulled into the yard.

  Andrew didn’t want to ride in the back of the ambulance, but when the EMTs agreed to let Dix and Leigha ride with him, he acquiesced.

  “But who’s going to take care of Brewer?” Leigha asked.

  Nova waved. “I’ve got Brewer. I’ll take good care of him.”

  Dix buckled Leigha into the front seat with the driver while she sat in the back next to the EMT who worked over Andrew, checking his vital signs and establishing an IV with fluids.

  The ride into town didn’t take long, and before she had a chance to say anything to Andrew, she was asked to wait by the ER door until they unloaded him from the back. The driver brought Leigha to her. Together, they watched the EMTs take Andrew into the ER.

  Leigha wrapped her arms around Dix’s neck and hugged tightly. “I’m scared.”

  Dix was, too. Gunshot wounds were tricky. Everything depended on what damage the bullet had done inside Andrew. But she couldn’t show Leigha how frightened she was.

  “You are the bravest little girl I’ve ever known.”

  She sniffed and leaned back to stare into Dix’s face. “Me?”

  “Yes, you.” Dix smiled and brushed a strand of spun-gold hair out of Leigha’s face. “You went to get the treasure to save us. That was very brave of you, when you could have run all the way back to the house and stayed safe.”

  “But you and Daddy were still in the cave with those bad men.”

  “Yes, we were. And you saved us.” Dix hugged her, her eyes stinging again. Whoever married Andrew Stratford would be one lucky woman. Not only would she be getting a wonderful, sexy, handsome man to spend her life with, she’d also get the huge bonus of being a mother to Leigha.

  In that moment Dix envied a woman she didn’t know and who might not even exist.

  Shortly after Andrew was wheeled into surgery, Tazer arrived in the surgical waiting room. “I hear Stratford’s in surgery.”

  Dix nodded, unable to say anything for the lump lodged in her throat.

  She didn’t have to. Tazer continued. “I checked on Nelson and Dwayne Clayton. Dwayne had his arm set, his nose splinted and he was escorted to the county jail. Nelson is next in line for surgery.”

  Dix didn’t care about either of the men. As far as she was concerned, they could die and the world would be a better place.

  Tazer arched her brows and stared at Dix. “Hmm. Real talkative, I see.” She fished in her purse and pulled out a deck of cards. “You might want these to keep your mind off things.”

  Dix pulled the cards from the box and shuffled several times before dealing three hands of Go Fish.

  “I reported what happened to Royce.”

  Dix glanced up. “He should fire me.”

  “How do you figure?”

  Tipping her head toward the hallway, she said, “I’m not much good as a bodyguard. I mean, look where my client is.”

  “The way Royce sees it, you’ve proved yourself as an SOS agent. He’s already looking for your next assignment.”

  Dix frowned. Anywhere else she’d been, she’d been ready to leave within weeks of getting there. The only reason she’d lived in Vegas so long was that her fighting had taken her all over the country and sometimes all over the world.

  Staring down at Leigha’s golden hair, her small hands holding on to the cards, Dix didn’t want to leave.

  “You do know that quite a few of us work out of Cape Churn. We leave to perform our assignments, but we always come back. It’s home.”

  “Are you all from Cape Churn?”

  Tazer snorted. “Hardly. But we’ve found our homes here.” She smiled. “Strange how that old saying ‘Home is where your heart is’ holds true.” She touched Dix’s arm. “So, have you found your home?” She tilted her head toward the hallway.

  The word home made Dix long for so much more than what she’d had since returning from the war. “I don’t know. I’ve only been here a few days.”

  “Your heart knows. Trust it.”

  A man in green scrubs stepped into the waiting room, untying the mask from around his face. “Are you the family of Andrew Stratford?”

  Leigha, Dix and Tazer stood.

  “Yes,” Leigha said.

  “Mr. Stratford came through surgery just fine. The bullet managed to miss all of his organs. Other than losing a lot of blood, he should recover nicely.”

  “My daddy’s going to be okay?” Leigha asked, tears filling her eyes and spilling onto her cheeks.

  The doctor knelt in front of her. “He sure is.” He lifted her little hand that still held cards. “Are you winning?”

  She nodded and turned to Dix.

  The doctor straightened. “The nurse will let you know when he’s awake. You can visit, but not for long. He’ll need rest.” The doctor left them in the waitin
g room.

  Dix lifted Leigha into her arms and hugged her. “You hear that? Your daddy is going to be okay.”

  Even if she didn’t stay in Cape Churn, she’d leave knowing Andrew would be okay. The bad guys were neutralized and Leigha would have her father for a very long time.

  When she thought of leaving, her chest felt hollow and her belly tightened.

  Was Tazer right? Did her heart know what her head couldn’t comprehend? Was she falling in love with her client?

  Or had she already fallen?

  Chapter 20

  One night in the hospital was all Andrew could take. He barked at the nurses, growled at the doctor and nearly tore his stitches getting out of bed too soon after surgery. He was up and dressed by the time the doctor made his rounds the next morning to sign his discharge papers.

  The doctor chuckled. “Anxious to get home?”

  “I never liked hospitals,” he grumbled. “No offense. You and the staff are doing a great job.”

  “You don’t have to explain. I get it. I’m one of the worst patients when I’m sick.” He scrawled his signature on the bottom of Andrew’s chart. “You’re free to go as soon as the nurse gives you discharge instructions. Remember when I told you not to fall off any more cliffs? Well, try not to catch any more bullets, as well.” The doctor left and the nurse came in to go over the discharge instructions, and still Dix hadn’t shown up.

  She’d been there the previous night up until the pain meds had kicked in and knocked him out. He’d woken once, and Dix had been by his side. She’d told him Molly had taken Leigha to the bed-and-breakfast. Brewer was at the vet’s office overnight for observation. They said he had some broken ribs and a mild concussion, but he would be all right with rest.

  A knock sounded on the door.

  Andrew’s heart sped up as he glanced up from the documents the nurse handed him. When he saw a fit man with white hair standing there, he couldn’t help the disappointment welling in his chest.

  “Mr. Stratford?” the man said.

  “Yes,” he said, carefully shrugging into his jacket.

  The man entered with his hand held out. “I’m Royce Fontaine.”

  The feeling of disappointment turned to a solid ache. “Dix isn’t here.”

  He smiled and nodded. “I know. I asked to be the one to take you home.”

  Andrew’s eyes narrowed. “Why?”

  “I wanted to get feedback on one of my newest agents, and to make sure you were okay.” He held the door for Andrew and waited until he passed through.

  The nurse stopped him before he could go three steps. “Sorry—hospital policy. You have to go down in a wheelchair.”

  Andrew growled. “I don’t need one.”

  She smiled cheerfully and pushed a wheelchair in front of him. “Sorry—it’s policy.” She pointed. “Sit.”

  “I’ll push it,” Fontaine offered.

  The nurse gave him a narrow-eyed glance. “All the way to the exit?”

  Fontaine held up a hand. “I swear I’ll keep him in the chair until we reach the vehicle.”

  She stared a moment longer and finally nodded. “Okay. Mr. Stratford, please follow the post-op instructions. I don’t want to see you back here anytime soon.”

  Andrew eased into the wheelchair, muttering curses beneath his breath.

  Fontaine stepped behind the chair and pushed it toward the elevator.

  “So, what do you want to know?” Andrew started the conversation. “Did Dix do a good job? Was she professional? Would I do it all over again?”

  Fontaine stopped the chair in front of the elevator. “For a start, yes.”

  Andrew punched the down button. “My answers are yes, yes, and I don’t know.” The door slid open.

  Fontaine backed Andrew into the car and stood beside him, his brows knitting. “What do you mean I don’t know?”

  “Look, I have a little girl. I come as a package deal. What hurts my little girl hurts me. And I think it goes both ways.”

  Fontaine shook his head. “I still don’t get it.”

  Andrew sighed. “I don’t regret hiring Dix. She saved my girl and me. But I will regret losing her.”

  Fontaine chuckled and shook his head. “I don’t think you have to worry about that.”

  It was Andrew’s turn to frown. “No?”

  “No.” The elevator stopped and Fontaine pushed Andrew through the lobby to the exit where a rental car waited in the pickup area.

  “We’re out of the hospital. I can take it from here.” Andrew stood and walked toward the car.

  Fontaine pushed the wheelchair away from the curb and set the brake. Then he hurried to open the door for Andrew.

  Andrew didn’t like to have people fuss over him and he didn’t even know Fontaine. But he needed his ride home and he didn’t have another one waiting. He swallowed his pride and the curse words he wanted to let loose, and he got into the car, jolting his wound as he settled back against the seat. He winced and bit down hard on his tongue.

  Fontaine slipped into the driver’s seat and started the engine. “Ready?”

  “I was ready an hour ago.”

  The older man smiled and drove out of the parking lot. “Though Leigha was worried about her father, she had a good time staying at Molly and Nova’s place.”

  “If she’s still there, could we stop by and pick her up?”

  Fontaine shook his head. “Molly and Nova brought her home. Your housekeeper is watching her.”

  “What about Brewer?”

  “Already home from the vet clinic. The vet observed him overnight, but by morning he was ready for release.” Fontaine raised his hand. “Not to worry. Creed and Emma took him home. He’ll be there with Leigha when you arrive.”

  Fontaine had mentioned Leigha and Brewer would be at home, but he still hadn’t said anything about Dix. Had she been reassigned? Was she already gone from Oregon on her way to her next dangerous mission?

  Andrew’s chest hurt even worse. Not in the area of his wound, but in his heart. He hadn’t known Dix long, but she was an amazing woman. With her gone, Stratford House would feel even bigger and emptier.

  Dix had been right. He needed to turn the place into a hotel or bed-and-breakfast. It was too big for him and Leigha by themselves. It needed to be full of happy people.

  He’d be happy to see Leigha and Brewer, but part of him didn’t look forward to going home to the house with Dix gone. He sat in silence, dreading walking through the door and not seeing her smiling green eyes. Hell, he’d let her throw him again, if it meant she was staying a little longer.

  Fontaine fell silent until they were well out of Cape Churn and almost to the gate to his estate. The quiet suited Andrew. He didn’t feel much like talking.

  And then Fontaine broke his silence. “You know, I was thinking, with as many of my agents out here on the West Coast, I could use an office with support staff here. I don’t suppose you know of a suitable building that has sufficient room in a secure location?”

  Andrew had to let Fontaine’s question sink in before he could respond. “I’m not that familiar with what Cape Churn has to offer.”

  “I’ve been thinking it would be even better to have an office away from town, in a secluded area. Maybe a gated location.”

  “Sorry.” Andrew started to shake his head but then he frowned. “What are you asking for? Just spit it out.”

  “Mr. Stratford, would you consider leasing space in Stratford House for our West Coast operations?” Fontaine pulled up to the gate and turned to Andrew. “It would be a perfect location to set up computers and satellite communications.”

  Andrew’s frown deepened. “My home is not for rent or lease.”

  Fontaine nodded. “Just think about it. No pressure.
It just seems a shame to let all those rooms sit empty when you could put them to good use.” The SOS leader leaned out the window and pushed the codes for the gate entrance.

  “How did you know my code?”

  “I have people who specialize in code cracking.” Fontaine’s mouth turned up on the corners. “And if all else fails, I asked the housekeeper, Mrs. Purdy. She’s a wonderful woman and she cooks a mean meat loaf.”

  Andrew sat back in his seat, not sure he liked that Mrs. Purdy had given his gate code to a stranger.

  When they rounded the last bend in the driveway, Andrew leaned forward. “What’s going on here?”

  Half a dozen vehicles lined the drive. He recognized two sheriff’s SUVs and his pulse kicked up its pace. “Is everything okay?”

  “As far as I know, everything is fine.” Fontaine parked the car and rounded to the passenger side to open the door for Andrew. “A few people wanted to come by and wish you well.”

  The last thing Andrew needed was a houseful of guests. His chest hurt, his hand hurt, and all he wanted was to hug his daughter and spend time with her.

  He sucked in a deep breath and climbed out of the vehicle. As much as he’d like to tell everyone to get lost, he had to remember they were part of the team that had helped him when he’d needed it. They were part of the community and he needed to get more involved with them. He couldn’t let his scars hold him back. Nobody had seemed to be turned off by them. They’d helped him unconditionally. The least he could do was thank them.

  When he walked through the front door, nobody was there to greet him.

  He followed the scent of charbroiled steaks and hamburgers coming from the back of the house. He could hear voices in the kitchen and Brewer barking.

  When he arrived in the kitchen, Mrs. Purdy was chopping onions, alone. “There you are. We were waiting to eat until you got home.”

  “We?” Andrew asked. “Where’s Leigha?”

  “In the garden with the others.” She waved her hands at him. “Go on. I’m just finishing up the potato salad and then I’ll be out there, too.”

  Andrew stepped out into the garden and followed the voices to the patio overlooking the cape.