"She didn't want them to take it away from her."

Meaning they did things like that?

Most of the stuffing had settled in the bear's legs and arms. The middle felt empty, almost flat. "You bought it for her?"

Without looking up, Rowdy gave a crooked grin. "Stole it for her, actually.

The folks weren't big on gifts. Hell, if we got socks or underwear, it felt like Christmas." He paused, put his hands on the open trunk and looked off in the distance.

Logan understood his mood. "She'll be safe with me." It was important for Rowdy to know that.

"Hurt her again," Rowdy said, "and we're going to have problems." Finally he straightened. He took the bear and placed it in a corner, behind the ammo, then covered it with the edge of a spare blanket. After handing Logan three prepaid cell phones, he slammed the trunk and went around to the driver's seat. "Just so you know, I don't trust your buddy, Reese, so I'll be boosting a new car. If you'd thought to track me, think again."

"Understood." Logan kept him from closing the door. He leaned in. "And just so you know-I'm trusting you to be as honorable as Pepper thinks you are."

That made Rowdy laugh with derision.

"Share any info you get before you act on it." Logan continued to lean into the car. "If you can find out who planted the bomb, if Morton is dead or alive, anything at all, let me know. Under no circumstances will you play vigilante."

"Sure thing." Rowdy started the car.

"You have my sister, so I'll call often to check in. And when I do, I'll want to talk to Pepper, so keep her close."

That suited Logan just fine. Maybe if he told her Rowdy wanted it that way, she wouldn't protest too much. "All right."

Rowdy rested his wrists over the steering wheel and tipped his head at Logan. "You might want to get back inside now. If I know my sister, she's probably already stirring the pot."

It seemed with every minute he got a better understanding of the siblings. And with each of those minutes, he gained new respect for Rowdy and a deeper fondness for Pepper. "Drive safe." He closed the car door and stood back as Rowdy drove away.

The night sky felt like a heavy, oppressive weight on his shoulders. He hoped he was doing the right thing, but he just couldn't be sure. Since meeting Pepper Yates, the "right thing" seemed more and more like an open-ended idea.

BAREFOOT, WEARING ONLY an oversize

T-shirt that fit like a short dress, Pepper stepped out of the bedroom. She felt both men staring at her, but so what? Since Rowdy stored only the basic necessities at the safe location, she didn't have the advantage of a big wardrobe. She didn't even have a swimsuit.

She wanted a swim, she wasn't a prisoner, so they could stuff their disapproval.

She didn't care.

Veering into the bathroom, she grabbed a white towel off a shelf and a bar of soap from the sink. When she emerged again, Reese and Dash were both standing, a little incredulous, a lot undecided on how to "handle" her.

Ha! Let them try. "I'm going for a swim."

Dash sidestepped into her path. "It's dark." As if he couldn't help himself, he dipped his gaze down her body, then shot it right back up to her face again.

"So?" She'd grown up swimming in the river, night and day. More often than not she'd taken her baths in the cool river water. She stepped around him- and almost ran into Reese.

With a roll of her eyes, she said, "Move."

He did but then kept pace alongside her. "Why don't you wait for Logan?"

"I don't like him very much right now, that's why."

"Okay, fine. Then-"

"I don't like either of you all that much, either."

"What did I do?" Dash asked with comical affront. He had a look similar to Logan's, but his disposition couldn't have been more different.

Reese made a sound of impatience.

"It's not all that safe to-"

"Sure it is. I know how to swim, and I don't need anyone's supervision or help." She looked back and caught Dash staring at her butt. He gave her a rascal's grin that she dismissed. "Just so you both know, I'll be skinny-dipping, so you can keep your peepers up here and out of my business."

They both went mute, which worked for her.

As soon as she opened the patio doors, they were both with her again.

"Swimming at night is a lousy idea."

Dash spoke loudly-no doubt hoping Logan would hear. "There are snakes in the water."

She laughed. "Is that your attempt to scare a girl? Get real. The only pets I ever had growing up were rodents and snakes, so try again."

"Seriously?" Dash stepped in front of her once more. "That's...well, really sad."

With a loud snarl, Reese took a position next to Dash. "Be reasonable, Pepper. This is a bad idea."

"Screw you." She made to shove past him, but he blocked her. Pepper leveled an evil gaze on him. "I would suggest you get out of my way."

"It's all right, Reese."

Logan. Pepper didn't look back at him. She'd have rather been in the water before he returned, but she was nothing if not adaptable. With her life, she'd had to be in order to survive.

Reese made a great fanfare of moving aside, and Pepper stepped around Dash to continue on down the hill toward the water. Beneath her feet, the grass was cool and dewy. She knew Logan was behind her. She'd felt Dash's stare, but it was nothing like this. When Logan watched her, she more than felt it.

She experienced it.

"You might want to stay on the path,"

he said from right behind her. "There are twigs and rocks everywhere that can cut your feet."

The "path" wasn't all that defined in the dark, but she navigated carefully, each step measured.

"The dock is sturdy, but the floodlights don't reach all the way." He didn't quite touch her, but she knew he was right there. "When we fish, we usually bring down a lantern."

"I've been swimming off sunken stumps, often in the middle of the night, since I was three. I think I can handle it."

"All right."

His calm tone and reasonable manner irked her. She walked out on the wooden dock, stopped and pulled her top off over her head. "You gonna skin out of your clothes and swim with me?"

Refusing to show any modesty, she pushed down her panties.

Palpable expectation throbbed in the damp evening air. "If you want me to."

Most definitely, but she wouldn't admit that to him. "Suit yourself."

"Then I will."

Her heart rapped against her ribs.

Stars glittered overhead, and the wash of moonlight left murky, blue-tinged shadows everywhere. "My shirt and panties are on the dock. Don't kick them in."

"I saw."

She felt him getting nearer. He could see? More than the faint outlines that she detected?

"There's a ladder off the front right side of the dock. Don't dive in until you judge the depth. It can get pretty low in dry seasons."

"You think?" She heard the quiet hiss of his zipper being lowered, and it left her far too warm. "Until Rowdy and I had to take off, I spent more of my summers in the water than out."

"You mean before your parents died?"

No, she wouldn't discuss this with him. Moving away from him, she stared through the inky darkness until she found the top of the ladder jutting above the dock. Little by little, her eyes adjusted.

She looked out at the lake. Starry diamonds sprinkled the black velvet water, disturbed only by the occasional ripple of a fish. She went down the flat rungs until the water lapped at her waist.

"Cold?" Logan stood over her.

Her face was probably even with his knees. Could he see her? She wished she could better see him.

"Not bad." She pushed back and into the water, submerging her head and coming up several feet away. If she dunked herself a foot or so, she could touch bottom. Not deep at all.

Something bumped her foot, and she knew it was Logan. He tread water near her. Sticking close. Being protective.

Being male.

A frog began croaking somewhere along the shore. She loved the sound, just as she loved the water. "You have a boat?"

"Rowboat, and a little fishing boat with a trolling motor. Nothing fancy."

"Dash said you're rich."

He went under, then came up a few feet away. It felt so intimate, being here with him like this. The moon played peekaboo with his dark, wet hair, sometimes shining down on him, sometimes concealing him. The night sky surrounded them, cozy, sort of sexy.

Other than the undulation of the water, Logan stayed still and quiet.

She wouldn't ask again. If he didn't want to talk, then fine. She'd bathe in silence.

She swam over to the dock. Water sluiced down her body as she went up the ladder to get the soap. While she lathered herself, she glanced up at the house. Someone stepped out onto the deck with the lantern Logan had mentioned earlier.

Since she preferred not to be ogled by the others, she got back in to rinse.

Halfway down the hill, Dash called out to them. "All clear?"

Logan said, "Leave the lantern on the bench."

"Sure thing." The light bobbed as he walked, dancing over the dew-wet ground and the occasional tree trunk, and casting an eerie wash of yellow over Dash's face.

He put the lantern on a big stone bench that she hadn't even noticed on the shore. A warm glowing light expanded out to the end of the dock, exaggerating shadows and showing their twin piles of clothes.

Which meant when she got out, anyone looking would see it all.

"Reese said the hash will be done in another five minutes if you want to eat.

He cooked canned green beans and rolls with it."

"Thanks," Logan said quietly.

Keeping her gaze on Dash, Pepper watched him go back up the hill. At the patio doors, he met with Reese. The two of them looked back down to the lake before going in and closing the door.

Her thoughts scuttled about; worry for her brother tried to dig in, but she fended it off. If she started down that path, she'd be bawling like an infant.

Going to her back, she floated lazily -well aware that the moonlight combined with the lantern would show her body.

The water felt amazing. Refreshing.

Almost relaxing-though not much could really help her unwind tonight...at least, nothing as simple as a swim.

The surface of the lake whorled around her as Logan moved closer again.

"Are you hungry?"

The way he said that, all husky and deep, told her a lot. Would he make a pass? Would he have assumptions based on what they'd already done and the way she showed herself now?

Why should she suffer just because of him? She shouldn't.