Page 16 of Protected by the Mountain Man (Grizzly Ridge: Protectors #3)
MARRIED TO THE MOUNTAIN MAN
The McKenna ranch kitchen bustles with morning activity despite the tension hanging in the air.
Tessa moves efficiently between stove and counter, flipping pancakes shaped like dinosaurs while fielding Nate's endless questions about farm animals.
Cade nurses his coffee at the table, reviewing security protocols with his military precision.
And Elias, just coming off the night watch, gives Sawyer a quiet update by the window.
Three days since Richard's disappearance. Three days of protective custody at the McKenna family stronghold. Three days since that kiss in the hallway changed everything between Sawyer and Lisa.
"More juice, sweetie?" Lisa offers Nate, grateful for the distraction of maternal duties.
He nods enthusiastically, dinosaur syrup already sticky on his chin. "And another Triceratops pancake, please!"
"Coming right up," Tessa promises, expertly pouring batter into the distinctive three-horned shape with the skill of someone who's mastered creative breakfast for multiple children. "This one's extra fierce."
Lisa catches Sawyer watching them, his blue eyes warming when they meet hers across the room.
Something fundamental has shifted between them since that moment outside the guest bedroom.
The careful distance they maintained, the pretense of a marriage of convenience, has crumbled into something far more real and terrifying.
He crosses to join them, his hand settling at the small of her back in a gesture that's become familiar but now carries deeper meaning. "How'd you sleep?" he asks, voice pitched low for her ears only.
"Better than I expected," she admits. The guest room they're sharing with Nate feels like a fortress, surrounded by protective McKennas. "Any news?"
His expression tightens. "Nothing concrete. Search teams found some camping equipment in a cave about five miles from where his car was abandoned. Looks like he planned to stay hidden for a while."
"But still no sign of him?"
"Not yet. But we'll find him." The certainty in his voice should be comforting, but a thread of unease still winds through her. Richard has always been methodical, calculating. If he went to these lengths to disappear, he must have a plan.
"Sheriff." Deputy Martinez appears in the doorway, expression grim. "We got a hit on Keller's credit card. Purchase made at a gas station in Livingston, about an hour ago."
Sawyer straightens immediately, all domestic warmth replaced by professional focus. "Surveillance footage?"
"Working on it. Station's sending it over now."
"I need to go," Sawyer tells her, his hand squeezing her shoulder gently. "You'll be safe here with my brothers."
The sudden shift from their bubble of family breakfast to the reality of the threat against them sends anxiety spiraling through her chest. But Lisa forces a calm nod, unwilling to add to his burden. "Be careful."
His eyes soften briefly. "Always am." Then to Nate: "Hey buddy, I need to go catch some bad guys. You help Auntie Lisa hold down the fort here, okay?"
Nate salutes solemnly, pancake forgotten. "I'll protect her, Uncle Sawyer."
Something passes between them, a male understanding that makes Lisa's heart ache with unexpected tenderness. Then Sawyer is gone, the door closing firmly behind him as he strides out with Martinez.
"He'll be fine," Harper assures her, reading her worry. "Sawyer knows what he's doing."
"I know." But the unease remains, a nagging sense of dread Lisa can't quite shake. "I just wish this was over."
"Soon enough," Cade says with the quiet confidence that seems inherent to all McKenna men. "Richard Keller's made a critical error showing his face in Livingston. Sawyer will find him."
Lisa wants to believe it. Needs to believe it. But something about this entire situation feels wrong, like they're all actors in a play where only Richard knows the ending.