Free The Fifth Season by Julie Korzenko Page B

wait?”
    Stone sighed and rolled his eyes. “I haven’t pried into your business with him once over the past few weeks. I’m politely requesting that you reschedule today because we have important things to talk about.” Stone paused. He snagged his ball cap off his head and ran his fingers through the mop of black hair matted to his forehead. “I know who you are, Emilie .”
    Emma froze. Air drained from her lungs and she slipped to the ground, hugging her knees to her chest. “Who else?” Her voice sounded tinny as she fought against the ring of fear. “Who else have you told?”
    “What?” Stone jumped out of the Jeep. “No one. I wouldn’t tell anyone and endanger you.”
    Emma shook her head. “I don’t understand.”
    “I don’t care who the hell you are, Emma O’Malley – Emilie Gallagher. Doesn’t make a difference. What I do care about is the fact that my grandmother expected me to keep you safe. I can do that…if you let me.” He helped her back to her feet. “If you trust me.”
    Emma gazed into his eyes. There were no clouds. No dishonesty. “Why?”
    He shrugged. “Because it’s how I’m made.” He offered her a genuine smile. “They don’t let just anyone into the Rangers, you know.”
    She grinned and tilted her head. “I know.”
    Nate Connor’s battered truck pulled up to the gate. Emma waved at him to stay in the vehicle and then offered her full attention back to Stone. “Can this wait just an hour? I promise I’ll be back by two.”
    The ease exited Stone’s stance, and she hated the fact she’d caused that. “Fine. We’ll talk at two.”
    Before rational thinking took hold, Emma stood on her tiptoes and kissed Stone’s cheek. He stepped back, but she rested the palm of her hand where her lips had been. “Thank you, Stone.”
    She backed away, but the flare of emotion flickering in the depths of Stone’s eyes hadn’t gone unnoticed. Emma quickly unlocked and slipped through the side pedestrian gate. Waving at Nate, she jogged to the vehicle, opened the passenger side, and hopped in.
    “Mornin’, baby girl.” Nate grinned and winked. He put the truck in gear and drove away. “You okay?” He nodded toward the Jeep that headed back up the drive to River Run.
    “Fine.”
    They’d managed this weekly rendezvous, and to Emma’s delight it seemed enough for Nate.
    A few weeks of hyperventilating each time Nate’s truck pulled onto the main road had dimmed to a tiny pinprick of fear. Fifteen years Emma stayed hidden behind the walls of River Run, rarely venturing into town. Now, spending one day a week riding beside Nate, the world waved a carrot under her nose.
    They’d hiked and explored the wilderness of the national parks that made their corner of the world famous. Nate’s constant state of nervousness dimmed the golden trips to a dull silver, but Emma ignored his concerns, insisting they continue these weekly visits.
    Leaning over, she planted a kiss on Nate’s cheek. “Where’re we heading today?”
    “I thought, if you didn’t have to be back for a few hours, you might like to see the cabin.”
    “Really?” Emma smiled brightly. “Is it done? You’ve been so secretive.”
    The older man grinned like a kid with his first baseball bat. “It’s done.”
    She clapped in delight. “I can’t wait.”
    “How’s my son?” Nate asked.
    Emma’s heart sank. They danced this fox trot every time he picked her up. She couldn’t dissuade his innumerable questions nor quench his insatiable need to connect with his own flesh and blood. But, damn, if squaring off his son’s hatred and protecting Nate wasn’t becoming an angry cyclone.
    “He’s fine.”
    “And River Run, will he keep River Run?”
    “No Nate, he’s not going to keep the resort. Stone wants nothing more than to fix it up and sell. He’ll never stay.”
    Nate smiled sadly at her. “You don’t know what a Connor’s capable of. That place’ll crawl beneath his skin soon. You just