Jordan nodded, wanting his approval most of all, after Kris's. "The guilt is a good sign," the big man offered. "I'm willing to give you another chance, for Riley's sake, but I'm going to need to see what you're really made of." He gave a half smile. "So I guess you're going to have to spend some time around me so I can size you up."

The half-hearted joke was better than nothing. "Works for me. Maybe we can just declare a truce for now. Start there."

Heads nodded and Jordan wondered if it could really be that easy, but Riley's point about being like him was a good one. Then the Marine brought up the toughest person to get forgiveness from.

"Where the h.e.l.l is Kris?" Riley asked, sounding annoyed as he picked up his third burger.

"Still training a new horse, I guess," answered Tristan, putting down his wine gla.s.s. "I can go get her."

Jordan said to them, "Maybe I should go. I'd like to talk to her a minute, girl to girl, and see if I can get some peace."

The Marine smirked. "She can be tough to handle."

"Yeah, I got that impression."

Chloe patted her arm. "She's not so bad, just loyal. Win her over and you'll have a fierce friend for life."

Jordan put a burger, fries, and fruits on a plate, thinking a peace offering to Kris, who'd missed dinner, might help. "Thanks for encouragement. I'll be right back, hopefully in one piece. I'm more worried about this than I was about Paris."

Riley laughed.

"This'll give us a chance to talk about you behind your back," said Tristan.

Startled, Jordan turned and saw Riley throw a bun at the grinning Tristan. Jordan flushed with relief as the others jokingly commented on how great an idea that was. Maybe it was the wine, but that sort of joke told her a lot about being accepted and she trembled as she took the dish with her, leaving Quinn's house for the stables.

A stone-lined path along the driveway led toward Sugarloaf Stables and a parking lot with a half-dozen vehicles-the students' or their parents'. The closest barn was older, more rustic, but a larger state-of-the-art one stood farther away. In one of the riding rings, Kris trotted a horse around a series of cones. Jordan didn't know enough about horses to know how good Riley's sister was, but Kris looked like the expert most thought her to be.

Jordan stopped at the white fence surrounding the ring and stood watching for several minutes. Kris seemed to take no note of her. The sniper finally climbed on the fence and sat atop it, but the rider made no move to come over. Jordan didn't want to interrupt and stayed put until Kris led the panting horse through an open gate toward the barn. Jumping down, Jordan jogged after and caught up when the horse stopped to drink from a big metal bucket. Kris prepared to dismount until seeing Jordan stop beside her.

"Hi, Kris."

"What do you want, Jordan?" Kris bluntly asked, not mincing words.

Jordan stifled a frown and gestured with the plate. "I brought dinner."

Kris fixed her with a level stare before sighing. "That all?"

"No." She took a deep breath. Here goes, she thought. "I want you to accept me here."

Kris c.o.c.ked an eyebrow. "That might take time. If ever."

Jordan nodded. "I also want your forgiveness."

Kris looked away. "This is new territory for me-I've never been around someone who tried to kill one of my brothers. So I don't know what to tell you about that. "

"I understand."

"Do you?"

"Yes. People murdered my parents, remember?"

Kris fixed her with a level gaze. "And you killed them."

Jordan ignored what almost sounded like a threat. She lifted her head up, not ashamed. "Yes, I did."

"Are you proud of killing them?"

Jordan thought for a second. "That's not how I'd put it, but I got justice."

"Did you?"

"Yes. My conscience about that is clear."

"Good for you."

Jordan heard the dismissive tone and checked her frustration. "There's a difference, you know. I didn't kill your brother."

"By sheer luck. I haven't forgotten that. I don't know that I ever can."

Jordan sighed. "If that's how it has to be, then so be it. But I'm not leaving him. Not for you, anyway."

Kris stared at her flatly again, as if taking her measure. "Good for you," she repeated.

Jordan wasn't sure, but that had almost sounded like approval. Was Kris glad that Jordan was pa.s.sionate enough about her brother to stand by him? "And not so good for you?"

"I can put up with you for now."

"I was hoping for more than that, but I understand if it takes time."

"It might never happen, so don't get your hopes up."

"Fair enough. I just...well, I've had enough tension for a lifetime. I'd like there to be no more. I'm not only no threat to any of you, but an a.s.set. I will protect every last one of the Kendalls, including you, if it somehow comes to that, which hopefully it won't. I owe Riley my life, both in the literal sense, since he saved me, and for ending the situation I'd lived in for so long. I'd like a new start, here, with him. And all of you. All of you."

Kris sighed, her expression less hard. "Look, I'm not a b.i.t.c.h, alright? I understand what you've been through."

Jordan arched an eyebrow. "I seriously doubt that."

"I'm trying to be nice, you know." Kris lightened her tone, conceding, "But yeah, you're right. I have no clue what your life has been like. I can't imagine what it's been like. I understand things are different for you now, and I'm glad for you. I really am."

"But?"

"You made a s.h.i.tty first impression, to put it mildly."

Jordan flashed a smile. "Can't really argue with that. Can we start over?"

"Sometimes people say that but it's easier said than done."

"Okay. You don't have to like me or anything. I'd just appreciate not seeing daggers in your eyes every time I happen to be around you."

Kris laughed despite herself. "I guess you got the message."

Jordan smirked, feeling a moment of bonding, however fleeting. "Been kind of hard to miss."

Just as she said that, a burst of rifle fire split the air from the gun range. The horse Kris rode whinnied and reared up. Caught off guard, Kris wildly reached for two handfuls of mane to keep from sliding backwards out of the saddle, but the horse came down, turned, and bolted. The motion flung Kris out of the saddle and straight for the metal water tub, arms and legs flailing, the back of her head on a collision course with steel.

Chapter 20 Truce.

With a gasp, Jordan dove forward, dropping the plate as she stretched both hands out to cushion the blow for Kris. Her hands got under Kris' head just as both of them plunged into the water trough, the weight and momentum of Kris' skull cracking both of Jordan's hands on the tub's edge. Her cry of pain got drowned out in a mouthful of water, her upper body submerging, her legs sticking up. Struggling to recover, Jordan lifted her head out and shook the water off, one hand still cradling Kris' skull. The rider put both hands on the tub and sat up, sputtering.

Seeing Kris was okay, Jordan let go and raised herself out to stand erect, water pouring from her upper body down over her legs, soaking her. She brushed wet hair from her face, wincing about the pain in her fingers.

"Jesus," said Kris, wiping water from her face and sending more sloshing over the edge to the ground.

"Are you okay?"

All the att.i.tude seemed to have gone out of Kris, who felt the back of her head. With an unreadable expression, she glanced at Jordan, who was ma.s.saging the back of her hands. "Yeah. Think so. If you hadn't..." She didn't finish the thought.

Jordan noticed the silliness of Kris sitting in the water tub, like a wet dog, after having been so stern and commanding. She began to laugh. For a moment, the rider looked startled and offended, but then she started laughing, too. She got up with some effort, wringing water from her shirt.

"Well," Kris began, "I guess you're not so bad after all."

"You have a way with glowing endors.e.m.e.nts."

"I practice a lot."

They both laughed again and Jordan offered a hand to steady Kris as the latter got out of the tub. Jordan winced at the grip on her. Seeing that, Kris took both of her hands and examined them a moment, pursing her lips at the ripped skin.

She said, "Nothing broken at least."

"Yeah. Just gonna be sore. I've felt worse."

Kris gave her a look that Jordan interpreted as guilt for causing Jordan's injury, but she didn't say anything about that so much as seem somehow thankful and apologetic. And unsure what to say now. The horsewoman said, "I guess we should go change our clothes."

"And find your horse."

Kris glanced around, not seeing it anywhere, but it probably hadn't gone far. "Yeah. Then maybe we should polish off a bottle of wine together. What do you think?"

Jordan beamed at her in such relief that the sniper felt faint. "Sounds perfect!" They started off together, and then she had an idea on realizing everyone there was dry, unlike them. "Would it be really mean if we lured them outside and then soaked them all with hoses?"

Briefly wide-eyed, Kris looked at her with a smirk that suggested everything would be okay in time.

The epic water fight lasted less than fifteen minutes and left everyone drenched but laughing, some of the tension with Jordan gone. Riley breathed a sigh of relief. He'd learned enough about her life to know she hadn't been cut much slack in a decade. She badly needed a fresh start, one without a black cloud hanging over her head. He felt determined that her life would be this way from here forward, as long as she stayed with him.

It was on his mind as they walked back to his house, wet but not dripping anymore, their suitcases in hand. He opened the front door and ushered Jordan in, then put the bags on the hardwood floor.

"It feels good to be home," he said, having not missed it so much before. A stack of mail sat on a foyer table and for the first time, he thought of grocery shopping and other things he'd need to do. That made him wonder what she'd like to stock the house with and a desire to make a new life together overcame him. He kissed her forehead. "Welcome home."

Jordan leaned into him. "It doesn't feel like mine yet. I've never come home with someone this way."

"Yeah, me either. I like it."

She put her arms around him. "Me, too. By the way, I meant to ask, who fired a rifle earlier?"

"Nick, the barn manager. Seems he was testing out a new one. We let him and friends of ours use the range. I guess he didn't realize Kris was on a horse that isn't used to that."

"Good thing I was there. She would've cracked her head pretty good."

"I told you things would work out."

She ruefully observed, "Pure luck."

"Maybe your luck is changing."

"I know it is." Jordan planted a deep kiss on him.

Riley decided to welcome her home the best way he knew how. He pulled away and without warning threw her over one shoulder as she laughed. He carried her toward the stairs and bedroom, just like the day they'd met. Maybe he'd even tie her up again. The thought made his c.o.c.k stir, but he reacted more to the certainty that no tie could bind them like the bonds of love that were surging strong.

Acknowledgments.

Special thanks to Amy Nedrow, Holly Goslin, Teresa Hull, and Nita Albert for their input.

Edited by Josephine Henke.

Cover design by Robin Ludwig Design Inc., http://www.gobookcoverdesign.com/.

About The Author.

Randi Everheart is an avid author of romance, due in no small part to being a diehard romantic. After all, Randi once wrote a song for the object of a crush and penned a fifty page love letter for another! The same spirit now flows into these stories-hopefully to win your heart!

Randi has a Bachelor's of Music in cla.s.sical guitar but has always been more of a rocker, having released several alb.u.ms under another name. Tendonitis in both arms ended career plans in music, leading to a new career as a software developer. Today Randi co-owns a software consulting firm and lives in the Maryland suburbs north of D.C., is married, and loves spending time with son Ryan when not writing, playing guitar or golf, or writing s.m.u.t.