Striking Distance by Pamela Clare Page B

Special Warfare wouldn’t give me their names, but they’d pass on a message for you, wouldn’t they?”
    “Uh . . . You want me to thank them for you?” Okay, this was too fucking surreal. “Yeah. Sure. I can do that.”
    You bet he could. He had the surviving members of the team on speed dial.
    She gave him a relieved smile. “That would mean a lot to me. Thank you.”
    There was something fragile about her now that hadn’t been there in Dubai, a vulnerability that put an ache in his chest. He clamped down on the urge to walk over to her and take her into his arms.
    “Hey, no problem.”
    She looked toward the fire. “I pray for him, for all of them, every night. I’m not religious, but those men are out there somewhere in danger, putting their lives on the line. They risked everything to save me. Who knows? Maybe prayers help.”
    She had no idea that some of the men she was praying for were already dead or recovering from severe wounds, and he couldn’t tell her.
    His throat grew tight. “I’m sure they would appreciate that—if they knew.”
    She looked away again. “I suppose we should get back to the party. Everyone must be wondering what’s going on.”
    “I suppose so.” Javier got to his feet. “Hey, you want to grab some dinner, maybe catch a movie? I’m in town for a few weeks.”
    He knew the moment the words were out that he’d said the wrong thing.
    A shadow passed over her face. “I don’t know . . .”
    “This isn’t me trying to trick my way into your bed. Don’t insult me,
bella
. I already told you—I’ve got no expectations.”
    The wariness on her face eased a little. “Okay. I’d like that.”

CHAPTER
    5
    LAURA LEFT THE Cimarron right after supper, making her way quickly and quietly to her car while everyone else was sledding down the hill behind the house. She felt bad about not thanking her hosts and saying good-bye, but she just had to get away.
    It was harder than she’d thought to be around the children, especially the little ones. Sophie’s little girl Addison was about the same age as Klara. Every time Laura had looked at Addie she hadn’t been able to help but think about her own daughter, the one she’d never seen except from across a room. Then, when Tessa and Kat had nursed their babies, the sight had made something twist in Laura’s stomach, her mind overtaken by a confused memory of swollen, aching breasts, her nipples leaking milk meant for a baby she’d never held, let alone breast-fed.
    And then there was Javier.
    She’d never thought she’d see him again, and although a part of her had felt true joy at seeing him, he had served only to remind her of how much she had changed. The adventurous, sensual woman who’d enjoyed two days and three nights of crazy, passionate sex with a man she barely knew no longer existed.
    Laura spent the rest of the evening swallowing her emotions along with a pint of Godiva white chocolate raspberry ice cream. Then, when it was late enough, she Skyped her mother, who was just getting out of bed in Stockholm. They talked about the trial, Al-Nassar’s threats, Derek Tower.
    “He says he has sources in Pakistan who told him that an American tipped off the terrorists to my location that day, claiming to have gotten the information from me. Tower thinks I gave away my itinerary. I know that’s not true.”
    “Of course it’s not.” Her mother let it go.
    And then Laura told them about Javier.
    “It was
him
, the postcard man? And he’s a SEAL? Oh,
älskling
, how wonderful!” Her mother’s smile faded. “Weren’t you happy to see him?”
    Laura tried to explain. “I’m not the person he knew. He looks at me, and he remembers someone else.”
    “The woman he remembers still exists inside you. You just need to set her free.”
    Laura wished it were so simple. “He asked me out to dinner.”
    “I hope you said yes.” Laura’s grandmother leaned in, her round face appearing in the onscreen image. “You