Free Finding Peace (Love's Compass #1) by Melanie D. Snitker Page A

shrugged. “I’ll definitely let you know as soon as we discover anything concrete.”
    “Thanks.” She glanced around the room. “I should let you go. You’ve had a late night and then had to come by at the whim of a crazy lady. Do you at least live here in town?”
    A laugh escaped him. “You’re not crazy. But I do think we need to call it a night.” Reluctantly, he stood and walked towards the door. “I live about ten minutes from here. It’s not far. If you need me to come back, call me.”
    “I will.”
    “Okay. Come lock the door behind me. Try to get some rest. I’ll call you tomorrow about going out to the range.”
    Laurie stood and followed. “Thank you again. For checking on the studio and for cleaning up the mess. But mostly, for being here.”
    “You’re welcome.” He smiled at her, warmth spreading through his chest at the relief on her face. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
    He waited long enough to make sure she had secured the door behind him. With a last wave, he headed home.
    Tuck expelled the air from his lungs. What was he getting himself into? The last thing he wanted to do was to hurt Laurie. Jana had been miserable in their relationship for a while. He’d beat himself up for months – how could he have not realized his fiancée was so unhappy?
    Something Lexi had told him earlier was chanting in his brain. “Laurie isn’t Jana. Laurie isn’t Jana.” He knew that. 
    If he were smart, he would teach her to shoot, see her when she took photos of Gideon, and then they would go their separate ways.
    Even he knew he was kidding himself. The last thing on his mind as he fell asleep that night was a prayer that God would protect his heart as well as Laurie’s.
     
    ~
     
    “I want you to try several guns and see which one you like the most.” Tuck signed the paperwork to rent his first choice. The range they were at was his favorite and he’d told her it was where he did a lot of his own training. He also purchased two boxes of 9mm ammunition for them to use.
    Laurie cringed as he paid, the amount higher than she had expected. “I’ll reimburse you when I get back home.”
    “That’s not necessary.” He handed her a pair of ear plugs. “Come on, I’ll show you some specifics about this gun before you shoot.”
    They found an empty stall at the indoor handgun range. He laid everything out on the table.
    She paused at the door. “I’m sorry, I’m nervous.” She had looked forward to this since they first talked about it nearly three days ago. But now, the butterflies in her stomach were working overtime. She wiped her palms off on her pants.
    “I completely understand, and it’s normal to feel that way. We’re not even going to load the gun yet. Trust me.”
    Laurie was surprised when he took her hand and led her over to the table.
    She studied his face, incredibly aware of how strong of a presence he projected. “I trust you.”
    He paused only a moment before he let go of her hand. She thought he was going to say something else before he turned his attention to the gun. “This is a Ruger SR9C. It shoots 9mm ammo.” He turned the gun over in his hand. “This button releases the magazine.” He demonstrated, the magazine falling into his other hand. “Once you load the shells, you push it back in. In order to shoot the gun, you need to pull the slide back,” he held the gun securely and demonstrated as he spoke, “which puts a shell into the chamber. At this point, all you have to do is pull the trigger and the gun will fire.” He eased the slide back into position and handed the gun to Laurie.
    She took it gingerly, feeling the weight in her hands. “It’s heavier than I thought it would be.”
    “I chose all three of the guns you’ll try tonight because they are a little smaller. That’ll make any of them a good gun to carry concealed, if you decide to get your license, but also more comfortable for petite hands like yours. Now, go ahead and pop the