Don’t hurt Josie.
“Take your shot, man,” Noah called. Keeping Travis’s attention on him—that was the only element he could control. Everything else about this clusterfuck was out of his power.
I’m not going to let you down, Josie. I’m going to keep my promise. I’ll keep you and the baby safe.
He heard a soft gasp, but didn’t risk looking at Josie. One glance might draw Travis’s attention back to her. And yeah, he was close to counting his lucky stars that he’d sent Caroline up to the house after they’d hiked out to the hunting stand, hoping to find a clue. A paranoid marine wouldn’t add to this equation. Plus, he wanted her out of range. Josie too.
Go to the door, Josie.
He sensed movement, but he resisted the urge to steal a glance.
“You have me, Travis,” he said, raising his hands palms up in a show of surrender.
“Some war hero,” Travis said with a laugh.
Beneath the sound of his voice, Noah heard the soft roar of a machine coming to life.
What the hell are you doing, Josie? Why aren’t you running?
“I’m not a hero,” Noah said, allowing some of the panic he felt to slip into his words. “Not even close.”
I’m scared. So damn afraid of the things I can’t change.
The bull spun on its axis. The horns whirled toward Travis, who’d chosen to remain at the machine’s side, probably using the old cushions to gain a few inches above Noah. But the power of the old bull was no match for Travis.
The man who’d pushed Noah to the edge, who’d left him walking around so damn worried that he’d been ready and willing to push the woman he loved out of his life if it meant keeping her in one piece—Travis fucking Taylor fell back on his ass and the gun went flying.
God bless that bull.
Noah raced forward and scooped the shotgun off the matt. And then he looked up at the woman manning the bull’s controls. No, he wasn’t the hero here. It was Josie.
“What the hell were you thinking?” he demanded as he stood over Travis, the gun pointed down at the man who’d served up so much damn trouble.
“I thought someone needed to jump in and save you,” Josie shot back. “And that someone had to be me.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
NOAH WATCHED JOSIE scoop up a mewing fur ball outside his barn and head over to the porch steps. They’d pulled the kittens from the barn when the police showed up, led by Josie’s father, and declared it a crime scene. Now, they were waiting for the men in blue to wrap up.
Movement diverted his gaze and he turned his head to witness the deputy escort a handcuffed Travis to a police cruiser. The car door slammed and he turned his attention back to Josie, who was now carrying two kittens and heading straight for him.
He’d failed to keep her safe. The situation had gotten out of hand and she’d come to his rescue. Yeah, he was pretty sure he’d failed the hero test big-time. Not that he’d wanted the label. Still, he wished he could have kept her far away from Travis’s gun.
But Caroline was right. He needed to look at why he was hell-bent on keeping her safe. Because Josie had made it pretty damn clear she didn’t need someone rushing to her rescue. Yeah, she’d told him as much this morning. But there was nothing like watching the woman he loved defeat an armed madman to drive the point home.
The woman I love. It’s about time I tell her.
“You know what you forgot to say back there?” Josie said, coming to a halt in front of him.
“Thank you?” he said mildly, cocking his head as he looked up at her.
“You can do better than that.” She claimed a space beside him on the porch step.
“Thank you for saving my ass,” he said.
“You’re welcome. But as much fun as that was, I’ll be happy if no one ever points a gun at me again in that barn,” Josie said, settling the purring kittens onto her lap.
Noah reached over and took her hand. “I’ll make damn sure of it.”
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep,” she said softly. “You can’t post a sign outside saying ‘No Crazy Gun-Wielding People Allowed.’ Especially with Caroline living here.”
“I’m hoping she might relax now that we have proof it wasn’t Dustin after her.”
“Where is she?” Josie asked, glancing back at the house.
“Josh came by and picked her up while you were giving your statement. I called and asked him, thinking it would be best if she wasn’t here right now. Too many cops and she’s still on edge.”
“She’s not the only one,” Josie murmured. “My stomach is still doing flips from the sight of Travis holding a shotgun.”