Page 19 of Rescuing Baylee

As soon as she knocked, she heard movement beyond. A shadow moved beneath the door, and she smiled at the peep hole, praying he didn’t see her the nervous flush she could feel moving up her cheeks.

Landon Hunter pulled the door open, looking a little rumpled. His dark hair was mussed in the back, like he’d been laying down or something. He tilted his head curiously when he saw her.

Baylee forced a smile.

“I realized I left a little abruptly, earlier, and that I haven’t been especially friendly to you. I apologize for that. At the very least, we’re neighbors, and it’s nice to know who’s living down the hall.”

She thrust the square plastic container toward him. He took the offering, tilting it up to look through the side. “Are those cookies,” he asked curiously.

“Yes. I tend to bake when I have things on my mind. My neighbors usually benefit.”

She shrugged lightly, a little embarrassed to be standing there now.

“So, you’re the one that makes this place smell like a bakery,” he murmured, one dark brow raised.

Baylee winced a little. “Yes. Probably. Mrs. Traeger loves it when I bake. She got sick last year and lost a lot of weight, so if I can cook her something that she likes to eat, I do. I have another container just like that for her,” she said, motioning to the box in his hands.

“So, if I get sick, you’ll make me more?”

There was an avaricious glint in his eyes that made Baylee smile. “No,” she laughed. “You don’t have to get sick for that. I’ll bring you more. Assuming you like them.”

“Oh,” he said slowly, “I more than like them. Mrs. Traeger gave me two when I first moved in here, and I haven’t forgotten them. I wondered who the baker was.”

Baylee felt her cheeks turn pink again, and she had to glance away. “It’s a secret obsession of mine. And an outlet for my energy.”

Landon’s blue eyes darkened, and a smile quirked his lips. “I’d be happy to be an outlet for your energy.”

Baylee blinked, unsure she’d heard what she thought she did. Then a flush of heat rolled through her, from the top of her head to her toes. Holy hell, had he really said that? And did he mean what she thought he meant?

His gaze never wavered, affirming that he’d meant what she thought. Despite her embarrassment, she felt a smile quirk herlips. “I’ll keep that in mind,” she murmured, then had to turn away.

“Baylee,” he called, and she turned back, lifting a brow.

“Thank you.”

She dipped her chin once, and walked away, conscious that he was watching her all the way down the hall. She let herself into her apartment, and when she looked back, he was still watching her. With a slight smile, she slipped away.

Once she disappeared,Landon looked down at the box in his hand. He was aware that it was a peace offering, and he appreciated that. It gave him even more insight into Baylee’s psyche. Even though she’d been cool, no, chilly, in the way she had interacted with him, she wasn’t that way normally. He was sure she’d drawn in to protect her own emotions after a traumatic event. But she was working her way through them. He had a feeling she was used to working through difficult emotions. She was a nurse who worked with kids, and he knew she had seen and done sad things.

And then there was Nightshade. And what had been done to her. She’d been dealing with both of those situations when he’d interacted with her.

All night he’d been thinking about what she’d told him, and he’d been motivated to go research the attack. There wasn’t a lot of footage on Nightshade itself. At least, not until after the attack. Though the Rebellion had been a country-wide attack on Americans, Nightshade and one other FOB had been the only ones actually overrun, probably because they’d been so remote, and reinforcements hadn’t gotten there for so long. The American services there had had to protect themselves.

It was no wonder Baylee had gone off on that guy. It hadn’t been reckless by any means. Just deliberate. As her training had prepared her.

She was a hell of a woman.

Landon scrolled through videos on YouTube, but he eventually turned it off. There were a few stories about the survivors, but overall, it was pretty depressing what had happened there.

He cracked open the plastic container, inhaling deeply. “Wow,” he murmured, retrieving a cookie. Then he forced himself to put the container on the counter and walk away.

The next morning, he headed to work. As he passed her door, he half wondered what Baylee was doing. As early as it was, she was probably still curled up in bed, looking as delectable as her cookies, her dark honey blond hair a mess, her stunning green eyes half-lidded. Most mornings, he would wait until he heard her door open and close, and then he would follow her out of the building. She had beautifully rounded hips that had inspired more than one fantasy.

He would like to ask her out, but that really wasn’t an option right now. She was involved in a case he was working, and he knew his bosses would frown at any interaction other than professional. At least until all the details were buttoned up.

Any time there was a mass shooting like this, there was a ton of paperwork. And follow-up interviews. Hours of watching surveillance video.

Landon arrived at the precinct early, the morning air still crisp. His mind was a whirlwind of thoughts about Baylee and the hospital shooting. He couldn’t shake the image of her, both strong and vulnerable, navigating through her trauma with a grace that amazed him.