in place. Gage’s heart was about to jump out of his chest, but he gave no outward sign. Another few seconds, he thought. Another—
“Hey, look!”
One of the robbers near the back turned suddenly. Everyone looked. A tactical team member dropped out of sight a moment too late. The gunman holding Kari snarled in rage.
“Dammit all to hell and back.”
But that’s all he got to say.
Gage lunged forward. He jerked Kari free, yelled at her to get down on the floor, then planted a booted foot firmly in the robber’s midsection.
The bad guy gave a yelp of dismay as all the air rushed out of his lungs and he fell flat on his ass. He scooted a couple of feet backward, but by the time he sucked in a breath, two armed tactical team members had guns on him.
But they weren’t as quick to capture the man by Ida Mae. A gunshot exploded.
Gage reacted without thinking. He turned and threw himself over Kari, covering her body with his. A half-dozen or so rounds were fired. He pulled out his sidearm, looking for targets, and kept his free arm over Kari’s face.
“Don’t move,” he growled in her ear.
“I can’t,” she gasped back.
After what felt like a lifetime, but was probably just seconds, a man called out. “I give, I give. You shot me.”
There were muffled sounds, then a steady voice yelled, “Clear.”
Five more “clear”s followed. Gage rolled off Kari and glanced around to check on the town folk. Everyone was fine—even Ida Mae, who had kicked the wounded gunman after she climbed to her feet. The leader of the tactical team walked over and stared down at Gage. He was covered in black from head to toe, with a visor over his face and enough firepower to take Cuba.
“I can’t figure out if you were a damn fool or especially brave for walking in on a bank robbery in progress,” the man said.
Gage sat up and grinned. “Someone had to do it, and I figured none of your boys was going to volunteer. Plus we know these were small-town criminals. They’re used to seeing someone like me around. One of you all dressed in the Darth Vader clothes would have scared ’em into acting like fools. Someone could have gotten killed.”
The man nodded. “If you ever get tired of small-town life, you’d be a fine addition to our team.”
Gage didn’t even consider his offer. “I’m flattered,” he said easily, “but I’m right where I want to be.”
The man nodded and walked off.
“You knew they were there.”
He turned and saw Kari staring at him. She still lay on the ground. Her once long blond hair had been cut short and stylish. Makeup accentuated her already big, beautiful blue eyes. Time had sculpted her face into something even more lovely than he remembered.
“The tactical team?” he asked. “Sure. They were circling the building.”
“So I wasn’t in danger?”
“Kari, a criminal was holding a gun to your head. I wouldn’t say that ever qualifies as safe.”
She smiled then. A slow, sexy smile that he still remembered. Lordy but she’d been a looker back then. Time hadn’t changed that.
He suddenly became aware of the adrenaline pouring through his body. And the fact that he hadn’t had sex in far too long. Eight years ago, he and Kari had never gotten around to that particular pleasure. He wondered if she would be more open to the experience now.
He got to his feet. If she was back in Possum Landing for any length of time, he would be sure to find out.
“Welcome back,” he said, and held out his hand to help her up.
She placed her fingers against his palm. “Jeez, Gage, if you wanted to find a unique way to welcome me home, couldn’t you just have held a parade?”
“You can go now, Ms. Asbury,” the wiry detective said nearly four hours later.
Kari sighed in relief. She’d given her statement, been questioned, been fed and watered, and now she was finally free to head home. As far as she could tell, there were only a couple of problems. The first was that her heart refused to return to normal. Every time she thought about what had happened in the bank, her chest felt as if it were filled with thundering horse hooves. The second problem was that she had walked to the bank, a scant mile or so from her house, but the sheriff’s station was clear on the other side of town. It was summer in the middle of Texas, which meant billion-degree heat and humidity to match.
“Do you think I could have a ride home?” she asked. “Or is Willy still running a cab around these parts?”
The detective gave her a once-over, then grinned. “Wish I could take you home myself. Unfortunately I have more work to do. I’ll get one of the deputies to take you.”
Kari smiled her thanks. When she was alone, she glanced out of the glass-enclosed office. Just looking around, she told herself. She wasn’t actually looking for someone specific. Certainly not Gage.
But like a bee heading for the sweetest flower, she found herself settling her gaze on him. He was across the large office, still in a glass room of his own, chatting with some members of the federal tactical team. Were they trying to talk him into leaving Possum Landing to join them? Kari shook her head. She might have been gone for eight years, but some things never changed. Gage Reynolds would no more leave Possum Landing than NASA would send Ida Mae up in the next space shuttle.
She watched as Gage spoke and the other men laughed. Time had honed him into a hard man, she thought. Hard in a good way—with thick muscles and a steady set to his face. Despite the fact that she’d been there when it happened, she couldn’t believe that he’d actually walked into a bank robbery. On purpose! He’d been calm and cool and he’d about made her crazy.
The detective strolled back into the office. “Ms. Asbury, if you’ll wait by the front desk, the deputy will be with you in a couple of minutes.”
She smiled her thanks and followed him out to the waiting area. Ida Mae sat there, her hands folded primly on her lap. When she saw Kari, her wrinkled face broke out into a welcoming smile.
“Kari.”
The older woman rose and held out her arms. Kari moved forward and accepted the hug. Everything about it was familiar—Ida Mae’s bony arms, her beehive hairdo with not a hair out of place, the scent of the gardenia perfume she always wore.
“You’re looking fine, child,” Ida Mae said as she released Kari and sank back onto the bench.
Kari settled next to her. “You haven’t changed a bit,” she said, then patted her hand. “Are you all right?”
Ida Mae touched her chest. “I thought I was gonna have a heart attack right there in the middle of the bank. I couldn’t believe my own eyes when those boys pulled guns on us. Then you walked in and it was like seeing a ghost. And then Gage strolled in. Wasn’t he brave?”
“Absolutely,” Kari agreed. She wasn’t sure she could have knowingly walked in on a bank robbery, regardless of who was at risk. But Gage had always believed in doing what was right.
Ida Mae gave her a knowing look. “He’s still a handsome devil, too, don’t you think? Is he taller than when you left?”
Kari wanted to roll her eyes, but figured she was getting a little old for that particular response. Fortunately, Ida Mae was on a tear and didn’t require an answer.
“No one knew you were coming back,” the older woman said. “Of course, we knew you’d have to eventually, what with you still owning your grandma’s house and all. I can tell you, tongues wagged when you left town all those years ago. Poor Gage. You