Page 6 of Protected By West (San Antonio S.W.A.T. #1)

All through the third presentation, they'd both focused on the man who'd talked about added benefits and employee retention.

It was always a dry topic, but it was necessary to keep focused on what he had to say.

Military City Credit Union considered its employees the backbone of the institution.

It paid more than a living wage to its workers, but it also had the added benefit of having employees who were dedicated to the institution.

Tracy had been a firm believer in 'you can't get something for nothing.

' A value instilled by her mother through all their years without her father in their lives.

Oh, it didn't mean that life should be transactional.

She didn't mean that you couldn't do nice things for people. That was a given.

Being kind was something that she'd always believed in, and her mother had shown her how to do that when they'd volunteered at shelters and community clean ups.

But knowing how her mother had struggled to find a job that paid enough so that they could live and had the benefits of medical insurance so that her mother could get treatment when she was sick, it was something that Tracy was determined to do right for the employees.

They were all top notch. They gave their heart and soul to the members, helping them through all kinds of financial issues. They even had classes for all ages to help increase their financial knowledge and literacy.

And in turn, their members had the benefit of not just dedicated employees helping them to solve problems, they had help to stop problems before they started.

It was one big circle of awesome that happened when things were handled locally instead of in a boardroom thousands of miles away, decided by people who had more money than they'd ever need and didn't know what it was like to stare at your account balance and wonder if you'd make it until the next paycheck.

When the presentation was over, Tracy sat back in her seat and sighed. "You know what this means..."

She turned to look at Jaime who was relaxing into her chair in an almost identical slouch.

Jaime turned her head to look back at her. "A lot of research and possible policy changes."

Tracy nodded. "Looks like."

Tapping one of the brochures that they'd been given, Jaime's smile widened. "This life insurance offer looks good for everyone, but that's what makes me..."

"Nervous? Me, too."

Jaime chuckled a little. "That's one of the benefits of being single. Plenty of time in the evening to read up and research."

Tracy sighed. "I really ought to get a dog or something. At least I'd have something to go home to."

Jaime sat up in her chair and turned so she could put her arm on the table as she leaned in. "It's lunch time and you promised to meet up with the Texas Ranger in the lobby."

Tracy closed her eyes and let out a breath. "Yeah. I said I'd meet him."

She felt Jaime touch her arm and she looked at her friend.

"I know. I'm going. I just-"

"You've had this hard and fast rule since things broke down with your mom and dad, I know."

Tracy opened her mouth to argue with her, but Jaime pushed right through.

"But you need to consider that just because your dad was married to the job, that other men won't have the same issue."

"At this point," Tracy shook her head, I feel like it's ingrained into my DNA.

I see a badge and I cringe. I'm sure Weston's a great guy, but the last thing I need in my life is a guy who takes up what little free time I have and he'll be too busy.

You heard them say he's part of SWAT. The number of hours dedicated to that? It has to be crazy!"

Jaime stood up, lifting Tracy up alongside her. "Come on. You're going to meet him and talk. I don't want to drive back to San Antonio with you grumping and groaning in the car. There's not a playlist in heaven that will cover your grumpy mood. And I don't want to be accused of road rage."

Tracy gave her friend a narrow-eyed look. "Road rage? You? You don't really have a temper when you drive."

"I'd be raging at you if you don't go and talk to him."Jaime tugged her toward the door, their arms linked together. "I'm not going to let you step back until you've actually talked to the guy."

Tracy looked at her friend and tried to be more annoyed at her. "You want to get fired?"

Jaime laughed out loud. "Riiight. You can't find someone to replace me."

Tracy reached her free arm across and covered Jaime's hand with her own. "That's a low blow. You know I can't do this without you."

"Then do me a solid and talk to the man."

Tracy didn't want to admit it, but Jaime was right.

She always was.

Lowering her chin, Tracy reached for one of the big double doors, but before she could push it open, she saw the door open up and swing out.

Blinking into the sudden flood of light from the hallway, she felt her jaw drop as someone stepped into the light with his cowboy hat held to his chest.

Weston Cooper.

"Hey, gorgeous." He tipped his head to the side. "I... uh, I had a feeling you might try to do an end run around talking to me."

Tracy turned to look at Jaime who was shamelessly grinning at her.

Then she shook her head and turned back to look at Weston. He'd taken a half a step closer so she could see his face and not just the god-like physique standing in the sun.

"You thought I'd run?"

He managed a single-shouldered shrug. "Call it an educated guess?"

She wanted to bite back with a comment about a mistrusting personality, but the man had been right.

And honestly? She didn't want to drag this out. "Well, you caught me."

Jaime let go of her arm and almost smothered a snort of laughter. "Well, I'm going to go and keep comments about handcuffs to myself."

Tracy rolled her eyes and smiled. That little bit of humor was more than welcome.

When she looked at Weston she saw the smile on his face, too.

She leaned in toward her friend. "Thanks, J."

Jaime nudged her with her shoulder. "Anytime. Have a good talk."

All three of them walked out into the hallway, but Jaime continued on down the hall. Tracy moved off toward the opposite wall and stopped, Weston came to a stop beside her and she got her first good look at him in the sunlight instead of the harsh interior lights.

It was even better. The harder cast of the sun gave the shadows even more depth and she found herself thinking he was much more handsome in the sunlight than he'd been the night before even in the softer light of the restaurant and bar.

"I'd love to know what you're thinking right now."

Tracy snapped her gaze back up to his face from where it had been somewhere on the expanse of his chest.

Damn.

She shook her head. "I plead the fifth."

Weston smiled at that, his eyes a little bluer somehow. "I love your snark."

"Snark, huh?"

He nodded.

"Well, you're going be ecstatic. I have an overabundance of that."

"I want to see more of it, if you'll let me. I... I got a feeling that somewhere between last night and this morning, that came into question."

She swallowed and managed a little bit of a smile even if it did quiver a little.

"If you're this good at reading minds, remind me not to get in trouble with the law, okay?"

He chuckled a little. "Somehow I doubt you do much worse than anticipating the light every once in a while when you cross the street."

That was uncomfortably close.

She wondered if it was tattooed on her forehead or something.

"I got pretty close, huh?"

She gave him a pointed look. "You know you did. What? Did you call my name in last night to get my record?"

She felt a muscle tick in her cheek.

Her tone had been a little harder than she'd intended. "Sorry."

He shook his head. "No need to be sorry." He gestured down the hallway which was nearly empty. "How about we find a place to sit and talk."

She swallowed and felt a hard scratch in her throat. “There’s a diner in the corner of the hotel.”

He smiled and her heart did a little skip in her chest.

Tracy had a feeling she might be in a little trouble.

As they started walking, Weston took her hand in his, threading his fingers between hers and giving her a little squeeze.

Yeah, she was in trouble.

And she might like it.