"Jasper!" I called, drawing surprised looks from both Luke and Emma. What better way to get Emma's mind off of things than to introduce her to a hot Scandinavian bartender?

"Hanna slash Dani," Jasper said as he came over. His easy smile widened as soon as he saw Emma.

"Jasper saw my ID so he knows that my real name is Daniella, but that I go by Hanna," I explained quickly. "He's the bartender at The Bar." I saw recognition in Luke's eyes. "Jasper, this is my boyfriend, Luke, and our friend Emma. She owns a B&B in town."

"Hi." He shook Luke's hand and then turned to Emma. "It's nice to meet you."

It might've been my imagination, but I thought his hand lingered on Emma's a bit longer than necessary.

"Are you waiting for someone?" I asked.

"No," Jasper said. "My blind date canceled via text." He shrugged it off with a casual smile. "That's what I get for letting the bouncer at The Bar try to set me up with his second cousin."

"Join us," I said, motioning to the seat next to Emma. Her eyes widened and I smiled at her. "I'm surprised you and Emma haven't met before. Summerville isn't that big of a town."

Emma slid over and Jasper's smile became genuine. He sat down next to her. "It doesn't surprise me," he said. "I don't really get out much, between working full-time at The Bar, coaching my niece's soccer team and school."

"School?" Emma asked.

Jasper nodded. "I've been working on my doctorate in psychology for a while, but I'm down to my last semester."

I leaned against Luke as Emma and Jasper talked. I found a lot of what he was saying interesting, but I wasn't about to burst the little bubble they were in. My interest was purely platonic, but the light in Emma's eyes said she was as attracted as I'd hoped she'd be.

"How long have you been wanting to introduce them?" Luke whispered in my ear.

I laughed softly. "That obvious?"

"Just to someone who knows you." Luke put his arm around my shoulders and squeezed. "You're a good friend."

I placed my hand on his knee and heard a sharp breath. "Good enough to get a reward." His hand tightened on my shoulder. "Or would Coach disapprove?"

His voice was low enough that only I could hear it. "Coach always says it's bad to have sex before a fight."

Luke's mouth brushed against my ear. "But the fight isn't until Saturday."

My stomach tightened in anticipation.

He dropped his arm from my shoulders and his hand moved to my thigh. For a moment, I wished I was wearing a skirt rather than a pair of dress slacks. I could picture it, feel it, his hand sliding across my bare skin, up under my skirt, fingers finding me wet...

"I see a fourth person has joined you." The waiter's cheery voice burst my fantasy. "What can I get you to drink, sir?"

I resigned myself to the thought that I would have to wait. At least until after dinner when we could finally be alone. The food was delicious, the service excellent. I was delighted that Emma and Jasper were hitting it off. I patted myself on the back for that one but all I could think about was getting back to the B&B and taking Luke to bed. When I immediately declined dessert, Emma gave me a knowing smile and asked for the check.

After dinner, Luke and I said goodnight to Jasper and waited outside, giving Emma a few minutes alone with Jasper to say their goodnight. I was hoping it would give them time to discuss another get-together. As we walked back to the B&B, I tore myself away from Luke long enough to ask Emma about Jasper.

"He's amazing." Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes bright. "Thanks for the introduction."

"No problem. I got you covered, girlfriend.," I said with a big grin. "Did he get your number? Are you going to see each other again?"

Emma nodded. "He works Fridays and Saturdays, but we're going to meet for brunch on Sunday." She gave me a mischievous sideways glance. "If I can find a sitter."

"Don't worry. I'll be here and if everything goes as planned, Michelle will have Lacey to play with."

Emma reached over and hugged me, nearly making me trip as we stopped. "I am so glad you came into my life," she said fiercely.

"I am, too," I said, tears burning in my eyes.

After a minute, she let me go and hurried ahead, leaving me to take Luke's hand and walk the rest of the way with him. By the time we reached the house, she was already inside and, judging by the light in the window, in her room.

We went inside and walked up the stairs in silence, though this time it wasn't because we didn't want to wake anyone. Aside from us, the B&B was empty at the moment. Emma hadn't wanted to take on any guests during the trial. We might appreciate that fact in a bit, but at the moment, it was all about the energy buzzing between us.

Luke started taking off his clothes before the door closed, moving quickly, but without the urgency we'd had the other night. I copied his movements and his pace, leaving my clothes in a pile next to the door. He tossed back the blankets and held out his hand. I took it and he pulled me to him.

His skin was hot against mine, the heat threatening to consume us as he wrapped his arms around me and lowered his mouth to mine. His kiss was rich with the taste of the restaurant's after-dinner mint and the sparkling cider he'd been drinking. We fed off of each other as we tumbled back onto the bed in a tangle of limbs. Our hands roamed over dips and planes-exploring, caressing, never hurried.

When he finally entered me, it was with a sigh of completion from us both. He moved slowly, his strokes shallow as he rubbed against every inch of me. Our bodies were as tightly wrapped as possible, our mouths against each other's ears so we could whisper words of pleasure and love as we moved together.

My orgasm washed over me, a wave of pleasure that brought tears to my eyes. It wasn't fierce or violent, not an explosion that made me see stars. This was something else. A quiet rush that took me from my body. As Luke cried out, losing himself inside me, I felt us come together in a way we never had before. It was a merging, until I didn't know where one of us ended and the other began, and not just on a physical level.

I clung to him as we floated on that cloud of bliss, praying this wasn't some sign that this was our good-bye, that somehow our spirits were sensing they were about to lose each other. We were caught up in a tenuous plan involving dangerous people and all this time I kept pushing that thought aside, not wanting to admit event to myself there was a chance that something bad could happen. The weekend was closing in faster than I wanted.

I tightened my hold on Luke and concentrated on the scent of him and filling all of my senses with everything I loved about him. This wasn't the end. I wouldn't let it be. We hadn't come this far to lose each other. Repeating it to myself couldn't stop me from shivering and the dark thoughts stayed with me even as I fell asleep in his arms.

Chapter Twenty-One.

Dani Luke had let me sleep, so it was nearly nine before I woke up. Emma had already been up for hours, pacing and staring at her phone as if she could will it to ring. The call came at ten thirty and by eleven, everyone was ushered back into the courtroom.

As I reached for Emma's hand, I wished Luke was here to hold my other hand. My mouth was dry, my heart thumping loudly. I could only imagine if I felt this way, Emma must've felt a million times worse.

The bailiff came out and told us to stand. We did, and my legs felt numb. When we were told to sit, I sank back down gratefully. The judge didn't waste any time and asked for the jury to hand over their paper for review. His face didn't show anything as he read it and handed it back to the bailiff. Once it was returned to the foreman, the judge spoke.

"Has the jury reached a verdict?" His voice was flat.

"We have, Your Honor," the foreman replied. His dark eyes stayed on the paper.

"On the count of kidnapping in the first degree, how do you find?"

"We find the defendant, Brian Radcliff, not guilty."

Emma made a small sound that could've been pain or anger. I couldn't tell which. I was still trying to process the first acquittal when then juror read the second. One by one, each charge was followed with a "'not guilty."' The few other people in the gallery sounded just as shocked as we were, but I stared straight ahead, unbelieving. I couldn't bear to look at them. I did look at Winston, however, and as the judge told Brian he was free to go, the prosecutor lost the last of the color in his face. Brian, on the other hand, was ecstatic and made a grand gesture to enthusiastically shake his lawyer's hand as he proclaimed his own innocence again. It made my stomach twist to watch his smug actions as he flaunted his victory in Emma's face.

I turned my back as Brian walked by, shielding Emma as best I could. I could feel his eyes on me, but didn't give him the satisfaction of even a glare. I was shaken, and Emma looked like the world had just fallen out from under her feet.

"Are you okay?" I asked her.

She took a slow deep breath before speaking. "I need a drink."

I normally wasn't one to drink at noon, but I was with her on this one. "Let's go to The Bar."

"I don't want to go there," Emma said as we started towards the exit. "I had such a good time with Jasper, I don't want to ruin it by showing up to get day-drunk."

I'd actually been hoping that seeing Jasper would cheer her up, but I could see her point. It was way too early in their relationship for something this heavy. As we stepped outside the courthouse, I motioned towards a nearby cafe. I hadn't been there before, but it looked like it'd be perfect. Emma nodded and we headed that way.

I ordered us both wine right away and then picked up the menu to see what they had to offer. As I reached for it, I noticed that Emma's hands were shaking. I started to say something, but the waiter returned with our wine and Emma took it before he could put it on the table. His brows went high and rounded as she drained it in a single gulp and then handed it back to him.

"Another, please."

To his credit, he didn't say anything as he took the glass and headed back to the kitchen. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes bright. She needed to get something in her stomach or she wasn't going to be in any shape to have Michelle come home from her friend's this afternoon.

"What looks good?" I asked, keeping my voice light.

"I'm not hungry," she said.

"Emma, you have to eat. Michelle will be home this afternoon and you can't be drunk when she gets there." I reached across the table and squeezed her hand. "She has to see you standing strong."

She managed a small smile and looked back down at the menu. "Soup and salad, I guess."

I frowned. "You need something more substantial than that. How about we split a club sandwich to go with our soup?"

She agreed, and when the waiter came back with her second glass of wine, we ordered. We sat in a stone cold silence while we waited for our food. I wished I knew the exact thing to say to make this all right again, but I had nothing. We were both still in utter disbelief at the results of Brian's trial. We ate in silence as well-or rather, I ate and Emma nibbled. At least she had something to help her absorb the alcohol.

We were both almost finished when Emma's facade finally cracked. Her face fell and she said, "What am I going to do, Dani?" in a trembling voice.

"You still have a restraining order," I reminded her.

Emma gave a derisive snort that clearly said how she felt about that. "Fat lot of good it did me before." She looked up at me and I saw tears in her eyes. "He's going to file for joint custody, Dani. I know it. He'll use what happened to say I'm vindictive and out to get him."

I moved my chair around the table so that I was sitting next to her. "It'll all work out, Emma. We'll make sure you have a great lawyer and fight him every step of the way."

"I can't afford a lawyer like the one Bruno got for him." Tears spilled over and ran down her cheeks.

"I can," I said. I kept my voice low. "I didn't take that money because I was greedy. I took it to help my grandmother. She's better now. Why shouldn't I use some of what I have left to make sure you and Michelle are safe?"

"You'd do that for me?" Emma sniffled.

I nodded. "We'll find someone who can fight this."

"But it's not just the lawyer." She wiped at her eyes but more tears came. "Brian's tight with Bruno now. He was dangerous before. Now he's got even worse people backing him up."

"Bruno won't be a problem for much longer," I promised. "Once he's in custody, all of his connections dry up for Brian." I put my hand on Emma's shoulder. "And he'll be too busy paying for his own lawyer to worry about Brian's custody case. By the time it goes to court, Brian won't have a leg to stand on."

"What if he takes her again?"

I hesitated. I had to admit, that was the one thing that worried me the most. Brian had gotten away with it once, and I could see him doing it again, especially if the custody hearing didn't go his way. Even without Bruno's resources guys like Brian always found a way to disappear.

"If he takes her, I don't know what I'll do." Emma shivered. "I can't lose her, Dani. I can't."

Things were looking dismal at this point and I was feeling pretty hopeless. I'd run out of words of advice. All I could do was sit here and do my best to comfort her.

I sighed. "Let's see if they offer anything stronger than wine here. I don't think that's going to cut it."

Emma gave me a watery smile. "Thank you."

"For what?" I asked. "Stronger alcohol?"

"For being here." She wrapped her arms around me. "I couldn't have survived this without you."

I hugged her back. "Just returning the favor. You and Michelle helped me more than you can know."

"You can't leave," she declared. "You're too important to Michelle and me. Bring your grandma and move here. You and Luke can have a new life."

I didn't answer as my arms tightened around her. The offer was tempting and I wanted to consider it, but I couldn't be thinking that far ahead, not when so much was still up in the air. Brian wasn't the only danger out there.

Chapter Twenty-Two.

Luke I cursed as I drove the piece-of-shit rental car to Emma's B&B. I could've used the stress relief of riding my Harley right about now. There was just something about the sound of the motor and the wind that cleared my mind. Sex would've worked better. I wasn't sure I bought into Coach's whole "'no sex before a fight"' superstition, but I'd promised him that I'd behave myself. No sex, but I'd be damned if he thought I was sleeping alone. I could control myself, but I had to have Dani in my arms when I fell asleep.

I pounded my hand on the steering wheel in frustration. I needed Dani in more ways than Coach understood. I needed her body close to mine so I could breathe her in and get lost in her being. Her presence soothed me and calmed my mind, one thing I needed now more than ever. A respite, a relief, just a couple hours to clear my mind from thinking about all of the ways this thing could go sideways. It wasn't the fight that had me concerned. It was an exhibition and it wasn't the most important thing. No, what had me worried was that I hadn't gotten a single hint that Bruno was planning on showing up tomorrow. I'd even set up a fake bet through a well-known bookie. A hundred thousand dollars should've grabbed Bruno's attention but nothing came, not a word. The waiting was torture and left me stretched tight as a drum. I didn't do inactivity well.

I knew things would be tense at the B&B when I got there. Dani had left me a voicemail telling me that Brian had been acquitted. She said Emma was holding it together, but was still terrified that Brian would try something. I wished he would. With the restraining order in place, if that motherfucker stepped foot on Emma's property, he'd be guilty of trespassing and breaking the restraining order. And if he tried to take Michelle, I could beat the shit out of him. That would make my day. But a little voice inside my head reminded me that taking matters into my own hands had gotten me into this mess in the first place, but I ignored it. Right now, I was desperate to see Dani again and relieve this tension.

I pulled into the driveway and hoped that Dani had convinced Emma to let her buy dinner. I really did like Emma, but her cooking was awful. How Michelle had managed to survive for nine years without saying something, I never knew. The minute I walked through the front door, I was met by the smell of roasting chicken.

I was halfway to the kitchen when I heard Dani and Emma talking. I didn't want to interrupt, so I didn't announce my presence.

"Oh, Dani, I forgot to tell you. That cute guy from the other day stopped by for you while you were out."

I stood in the threshold frozen; her words were like a punch in the stomach. What the fuck? I had to have misunderstood.

Emma continued talking with her back to me. She hadn't realized I was listening in the doorway. Then everything went downhill fast. "Matthew, right? He said he wanted to talk to you but I told him I didn't know when you'd be back. Something about wanting to know if you wanted to go to dinner again."

In an instant, the anger that had been below the surface sizzled through my veins. I stormed into the kitchen.

"If you have dinner plans with another man, just let me know. I'm sure I can find someone who'll want to go eat with me." The words jumped out of my mouth before I registered a wide-eyed Michelle staring up at me from the table.

Emma spun around, her eyes wide with surprise. "Michelle, why don't you and I take dessert to your room? We'll watch a movie."