The melody of his grandfather’s favorite hymn stirred in his soul. “‘Yes, when this flesh and heart shall fail, and mortal life shall cease: I shall possess, within the veil, a life of joy and peace.’”
Dani tilted her head. “That sounds kind of familiar. And it’s true. We can’t control life and death. But peace? That seems harder to come by.”
“It’s a verse from ‘Amazing Grace.’ My grandfather was always humming that song wherever he went. It kind of stuck with me.”
Dani snuggled in closer, her head now resting on his shoulder. “But with that kind of peace, you’d have to trust God. That’s not something that can be manufactured.”
True. Maybe his grandfather’s legacy was more than a cabin, more than a hideout in the woods.
Peace. Absolution for his misguided trust. Love.
Weren’t those things the core of all human desires? To love and be loved. To trust unconditionally. Yet peace and love seemed like moving targets he’d never hit, even with the best longbow.
Grizz moved his arm and snuggled it around Dani. She turned, her face mere inches from his. His brain short-circuited from the nearness. She was the furthest thing from Candice. Strong. Determined. Fearless.
Beautiful.
He tilted his head, and she mirrored his movement. His lips brushed hers, and she didn’t pull away. His mind shouted at him to stop, but his heart pumped out a different message. One he couldn’t ignore.
Grizz ran a hand through her hair and broke the kiss. “What are we doing? You’re going to head home, and I’m here. In the middle of Alaska.”
She looked him in the eyes. “I think we’re two people longing for connection. I don’t know what might come of this, but I’m glad I’ve gotten the chance to meet you, Grizz. To see you in action with your team.”
He stole another kiss, melting the loneliness away. She wrapped her arms around his neck and sank against his body.
The front door flung open, sending Dani and Grizz to separate ends of the couch in half a second.
Sanchez burst through the room. “Grizz! Kane is missing. Saxon and I have been looking for him, but there’s no sign of him anywhere.”
NINE
Dani watchedGrizz morph into an action hero right before her very eyes.
He grabbed the radio from the kitchen counter.
“Stay here, Dani. I’m going to go look for Kane.” He raced out the back door with Sanchez.
The safe feeling of being in Grizz’s arms eroded. If something had happened to Kane, it meant their hideout was compromised.
She sank into the plush sofa cushions and let out a long sigh.
Her mind replayed every second of that kiss—a moment she’d remember for the rest of her life. The man might look like a brute, but his kiss had been gentle, not demanding.
But he was right. What business did they have forming a relationship when they came from two totally different worlds?
Dani wasn’t one for sitting idle in the midst of action. She walked to the sliding glass door that led to the wooden deck and peered out. The sunlight broke through the clouds and glinted off the water. She took a deep breath and enjoyed the view.
What would it look like if she had that kind of peace from the song Grizz had mentioned? If only she wasn’t driven to always chase the next big thing.
Wait. Something moved in the woods to the right of the lake. It looked like a person. With a gray hotshot T-shirt.
Kane! He staggered closer to the tree line. Why had he been that far back in the woods? He stumbled and crashed to the ground. Didn’t get up.
Dani raced to the kitchen. She needed the radio to let Grizz know she’d spotted Kane in the woods. The man was injured. But Sanchez and Grizz had headed out to the other side of the property to search. They’d taken the radio. And where was Saxon?
She needed to get help. Grizz’s phone still showed no bars. And without the radio, it would be impossible to get a message to him.
Dani’s heart pounded. She needed to help Kane.
