Page 17 of Escape

Huck’s dark blonde hair was buzzed short all over, but he’d left a strip of it from the front and center of his head all the way to the back slightly longer. It wasn’t a mohawk he could style, but there was certainly a noticeable difference in the length of his hair along that strip when compared to the rest of his head.

His jaw was just as strong and pronounced as always, something easily noticeable with his clean-shaven face. There hadn’t even been a time I could recall when I’d been able to ignore the perfection of his lips, and today was no different.

But most of all, it was his pale blue eyes that had been the hardest to avoid. Something about them always made me feel like he was seeing right through to my heart, like he knew what I was thinking without me needing to utter a single word.

If the way Huck looked wasn’t enough to have me feeling completely off balance, it was realizing just how much I’d missed him. Sure, it had been years since we last saw each other, but I thought about him often over the years that followed what I believed was our final goodbye.

Now that he was here, I couldn’t deny the way he made me feel a mix of conflicting emotions. I was nervous; I couldn’t imagine what he might be thinking about me. But it also felt so wonderful to see him again. And the hug he’d given me had been the most comforting thing I’d experienced in years.

I was never afraid whenever I was around Huck. He had always made me feel safe, even as a teenager in my horrific situation. And I was certain there was no better place in the world than protected in his warm embrace. Earlier, when he first arrived and reacted to seeing me by offering a hug, his hold had lingered much longer than I’d expected, but I loved every second of it. It nearly killed me to have to let go of him.

God, what I would have given to have something like that every day of my life.

No matter how much there was that one part of me that loved having Huck here, the other part of me had slightly stronger feelings about needing to avoid him.

Because this was dangerous—for me, for him.

There was so much at stake, and I didn’t want to risk my safety or his.

So, I did what I could to appear busy. Fortunately, we’d had a steady flow of patrons at the diner, which made it easier to avoid having extended contact with Huck while he ate. After delivering his meal to him, I’d stopped back once to make sure he was enjoying it and another time to confirm he didn’t need any refills or extra condiments.

When I made the stops to deliver his food and check how everything was, I didn’t stick around. I moved on to the next table, and fortunately, Huck didn’t try to get me to stay and chat. But he’d since finished his food, so I had no choice but to approach him and make some conversation.

Sure, I could have kept it strictly business, but I didn’t think that was the right thing to do. I’d been worried about where Huck would take the conversation if I stuck around to chat, and I was slightly embarrassed about the things I’d need to admit to if he pried for more information than I was willing to share. But I understood I couldn’t be rude to the man who had been to me what Huck had been to me. Truthfully, I didn’t want to be that way. But the unknown had me on edge—maybe that was par for the course in my life. I was always on edge.

Since the brunch crowd had thinned out substantially, I’d have the time to talk for a few extra minutes with Huck. I was both looking forward to it and dreading it.

I’d gotten his check ready and made my approach to his table. Just like I’d seen him do several times throughout the morning, Huck lifted his gaze to mine and watched me. Something warm and sweet settled in his features, and I had to admit, I liked the way it felt to have someone look at me the way Huck did. I had always liked the way he looked at me, like he thought I was something precious, something special.

Even though I was slightly nervous about where this conversation would lead, I still felt genuinely happy at seeing him looking at me the way he was, so it was no surprise the corners of my mouth tipped up lightly to form a small smile.

“So, what did you think for your first trip here?” I asked when I came to stop beside the table. “Should we expect we’ll see you again?”

His lips twitched before he answered, “If I’m honest, the food was excellent, but the service exceeded all my expectations. That’s the reason I’ll be returning.”

I tilted my head to one side, something warm hitting the center of my chest. “That’s sweet of you to say, Huck. Thank you.”

He held his hands up in surrender. “I swear, I’m just telling you the truth. The food could have been terrible, and I’m confident I’d return, if only just to see you again.”

I didn’t need a mirror to know the flush had crept over my skin. Is this what it was like to feel respected and valued? Of course, it was. Huck was the first person to ever make me feel that way. “I appreciate you saying that. Did you want any dessert? They’ve got some tasty pies here,” I told him.

Huck shook his head. “I’d love nothing more than to take you up on that offer, but unfortunately, I can’t this morning. I need to get back to work, and having pie after all the food I just ate, it’s likely I wouldn’t be very useful.”

Without thinking, I asked, “Where do you work?”

“Harper Security Ops.”

My brows pulled together, my eyes narrowing slightly. The name sounded familiar, but I couldn’t recall where I’d heard it before. Then again, it wasn’t like I’d gotten out much recently. I’d spent so much time keeping my head down and doing what was necessary to survive. “What do you do there?”

“Well, the business itself offers solutions for a wide array of needs, including things like private investigation or bodyguard and personal security services,” he revealed. “We even do things like handle kidnap and ransom cases and have helped the Steel Ridge Police Department on occasion with crimes they’ve been investigating.”

Suddenly, it fell into place. I’d heard about Harper Security Ops before in the news. There had been several incidences over the last few years which had been publicized where Harper Security Ops had played a role in bringing criminals to justice. I shouldn’t have been surprised to learn that Huck was part of a team responsible for things like that, even if I worried about his physical safety in such situations.

I smiled at him and asked, “So, do you and your coworkers all handle these tasks at random, or do you have specific roles within the company?”

“We have several different teams of guys who handle unique tasks that play to their strengths and talent,” he explained. “While we could all help the next guy with something we don’t normally do, we each try to stick to what we do best. It just makes us all more efficient. As for me personally, I spend my days teaching in the self-defense and tactical training unit.”

I gasped. “What?”