Identity Withheld by Sandra Orchard

Author:Sandra Orchard
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2014-12-26T16:00:00+00:00

TEN

At the sound of Rusty barking outside, Jake tore his gaze from the blazing fire in Kara’s eyes and burst out of the den. “Tommy, call the dog inside and keep him in.”

Jake’s mom intercepted Jake in the hallway. “Tommy’s playing upstairs. The dog’s fine. Your father’s still out there.”

“No, Mom, he needs to stay in the house.” Jake slipped past her to the back door and whistled. Once Rusty was safely inside, Jake turned to his mom. “That guy you saw in the mall parking lot, asking about the goldendoodle, what did he look like?”

Mom’s eyes widened and strayed to the wall that separated them from Kara waiting for him in the den. “Is he who’s after Kara?”

“It’s possible.”

“I knew he was slippery when he asked if the dog’s name was Rusty.” She fussed with the tea towel in her hands.

Fear flamed in Jake’s chest at how close the creep had been to his boy, at what might’ve happened if Tommy had blurted that his dog was called Rusty. “Can you describe him, Mom?”

“Yes, he wore a black leather bomber jacket. Had a shaved head. Was shorter than Sam. Maybe five-eight. Oh, and he had some sort of tattoo on his arm. When he petted the dog, the base of it peeked out the bottom of his sleeve.”

He sounded like Kara’s attacker, all right. “Can you find me the number of Dad’s friend who sold you Rusty?”

“Yes, I have it right here.” She reached into the catchall drawer next to the fridge and pulled out an address book. “Did Kara confide in you? Tell you why he’s after her?”

Jake’s grip tightened on the address book as his conversation with Kara replayed in his thoughts—the vulnerability in her voice when she’d asked why he cared what happened to her. He could still feel the heat on his lips where her touch had branded him as she’d stopped his explanation, apology in her eyes. He cringed at the thought that it had been easier to admit to his failure as a husband than examine his motives for protecting her too closely.

He tried not to think about how perfectly she fit in his arms or notice the lingering fragrance of her shampoo on his shirt. Any man would have offered a comforting hug to still her trembling. It didn’t mean he felt anything more than concern for her. And even if he did, it wasn’t as if it mattered. She was in witness security. As soon as they connected her with a marshal they could trust, she’d move on and he’d probably never hear from her again.

It might not be her choice, but the choice wouldn’t be hers to make.

“Jake?”

He jerked his attention back to his mother. “Just keep Rusty inside, okay?” As Jake headed back to the den, he thumbed the breeder’s number into his phone and made short work of ensuring he, at least, wouldn’t give Kara’s attacker a lead on their place. At the sight of her sitting at the desk, tapping a number into the phone, his heart rioted.

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