Page 11 of Special Agent Raven

“I think Winona might agree with your sheriff. She’s been known to deal with unruly and wild youngsters in her own way.”

“I assume you’re talking about yourself.”

“Oh, yeah. I only stole one car, and she dealt with my law-breaking career singlehandedly. Made me take the car back to the owners, forced me to apologize and make it up to them by cutting their grass and weeding their gardens for the wholesummer. It was either that or she’d take me to the sheriff and force him to arrest me.”

Cane laughed. “I like your Winona.”

“Me too. Her loving ways included a sharp tongue when needed and that worked a miracle for me.” Raven shyly added, “She’s good people, Cane. A wonderful listener if one has a problem they need to share.”

She meant him, and he knew it. Cane stiffened, realizing just how comfortable he’d let himself become over the last little while. What the hell is wrong with you? You know better. You don’t deserve to be treated so well.

Chapter Nine

Turning into the driveway leading to Palmer’s house, Raven noticed that the wind had done its damage to the property, but the pools of water didn’t appear to have affected the house itself, just the surrounding yard.

Stepping over the worst of it, Cane went first and actually lifted Raven over a section that appeared dangerous. He’d swung her in his arms before she had a chance to argue and had put her down so quickly, she stumbled. To stop her from falling, he brought her close to steady her, saving her from an undignified landing in the mud.

In the faint glare of the solar motion lighting, she looked up into his face to thank him but stopped herself. He was staring down, examining her, like he didn’t understand her at all. His normally hooded eyes were surprisingly vulnerable as they searched her features.

For the first time, she saw the sensitivity and not the withdrawal. This man drew her like no other. Whether it wasbecause he’d saved her life, or that he’d given up his own safety for the sake of the children, or just because he seemed so pathetically sorrowful, she didn’t know what made her reach up and draw his head down.

“Thank you. In fact, thank you for everything you’ve done today. I don’t know what I… what Josh, Amelia and I… could have done without you. So, thanks.” Kissing him was a way of showing that her sincere feelings came from deep inside, and when she felt his rejection, it threw her bigtime. Most males in her experience would appreciate her way of reaching out. Even make a joke about it or at least take it in the lighthearted way she’d meant for it to be accepted.

Not Cane. At first, he seemed annoyed, clutching at her as if he would shove her away. But tasting her and hearing her earnestness must have changed things. He’d allowed her to kiss him for a few seconds before he took over the kiss. By the time he was finished, she thanked God he had his arms around her. Otherwise, she would have dropped in her tracks. His hard mouth wrought enough damage to her system that shock would have made her push him away. But suddenly his lips softened and became pure dynamite. This changed everything, making her want the embrace to last forever.

Unfortunately, as quickly as his kiss changed, it changed back, and he again became the hard-assed stranger who meant to keep her at arms length. Though he didn’t let her fall, he did forcefully set her aside and then backed off himself. Obviously shaken, his voice harsh with emotion, he cleared his throat and then asked, “Uh, where would Palmer’s boat be?”

Taking his cue, she began moving forward and let the deep cleansing breaths she hid do the trick of settling her rioting nerves.

***

Cane couldn’t believe he’d allowed himself those moments of pleasure before taking control. Raven’s lips hadn’t made him think of Chloe. Just the opposite. They’d made him forget, and that he couldn’t live with.

Chapter Ten

Once they had the boat launched, Cane searched under the seats. “I’m thinking we might need towels or blankets for the victims when they come onboard.”

Raven looked up from where she perched behind the steering wheel at the helm, fighting to keep the boat steady. “Maybe in the cabin. I think Palmer uses this baby for overnight fishing trips, so he probably has some supplies. See if you can find a handheld spotlight tucked away somewhere too. Knowing Palmer, he should have more than the navigational ones attached. He’s very safety conscious.”

“Yep, here’s a handheld.” He turned it on, and the bright glow beamed over the churning water toward the shore. “We’re coming up to some homes now.” Cane swung the glow toward the dark mass, and they both saw people on the roof of a house. Once those stranded noticed the light, they started yelling, signaling their need for assistance.

“Help. Over Here. Hurry. The water’s still rising.”

Careful not to hit any underwater snags, Raven turned the boat in their direction. Within a few minutes, she pulled alongside of the roof and threw her line to an older man waiting to catch it so he could guide them close enough for the stranded to be helped into the boat.

His voice shaking, he yelled her way, “Thank God you came along, Raven. We figured we’d been forgotten out here.”

Once they had everyone safe, Raven helped the last man to come aboard and sit up front with her. She noticed the shivering he couldn’t seem to control. Without hesitation, she passed over her rain jacket which he gratefully accepted and flung around his shoulders.

“Palmer sent us this way, Mike, figuring there’d be folks trapped by the flood.”

“We didn’t have time to evacuate. It hit us so fast, it was all we could do to get to the roof. None of us even had our phones.” He turned to check that the others were safely settled and added, “My granddaughters were panicking, thinking they would die out here. Especially once they saw the water still rising. The flood was bad enough, but the damn rain and wind hasn’t let up either.”

“I don’t blame them for being scared. Something like this would terrify anyone.”

He stared into her face, his contorted with pain. “The worst part is that I couldn’t do anything. They looked to me, and I was helpless.”

Raven reached over and took his hand. “I’m sorry, Mike.”