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them."
    "Must be nice to have a family that loves you," she said softly. "That cares for you."
    He watched as Lyra placed the picture on the bookshelf and studied other photographs.
    "Are these children nephews and nieces?"
    Pride rose in his chest. "All six. I'd do anything for those kids."
    She nodded and trailed her fingers over a few books on the oak shelves. "Biographies, astronomy, Arizona history… and romance novels?"
    Dare couldn't help a smile at her look of surprise. "My kid sister got me hooked on a couple of authors. They're good."
    "They're just fantasy." Lyra shrugged. "I don't believe there's such a thing as happy endings."
    With a frown, Dare said, "What did they do to you up in Oregon?"
    "Listen. You have no idea what they're like." Lyra rubbed her arms again. "Nice family?
    " She gestured to the pictures and he could see her hand was trembling. "Helping me will put every one of them at risk." She put her hand to her forehead and clenched her eyes shut for a moment before opening them. Her expression became more panicked and she started looking around the room as if searching for something. "Everyone I know is in danger. I need to call them, warn them!"
    "Hey." He grasped her upper arm. "They'll be all right. And we'll figure out something to get the cult bastards off your back."
    Lyra jerked her arm away. "What's wrong with me? I can't let you do this. It's unbelievable that I let you take me out here. Just drop me off somewhere and I'll hitch a ride."
    This time he caught her by both arms and drew her to him. She tried to struggle as he brought her to his chest and cradled her in his arms. After she tried to get away from him, her muscles went limp and she felt the bone-deep exhaustion of the day. For that moment all the fight left her and she let herself sink against Dare. Let herself feel warm, safe, and secure, if only for a moment.
    His masculine scent filled her, comforted her. She didn't know why, just that it did.
    He smoothed his hand down her hair and murmured against the top of her head, "I won't let them hurt you, honey. I won't let them get you."
    Something electrical started happening to her body when his lips brushed her hair. As if every nerve ending under her skin was charged wherever his body touched her.
    She placed her palms on his chest and forced him to let her step away. When they drew apart, she felt a loss, like her body needed to be against his.
    It must be everything that happened that day. There was no other explanation that made sense as to why her body was reacting to him.
    Dare slipped his hands to her upper arms. "For tonight I'll take you to Tombstone.
    We'll spend the night in a motel there—we'll register under different names. I know the owner."

    "Okay." She gave an exhausted sigh. "Tomorrow I hitchhike."
    He lowered his head and clenched his hands tighter around her upper arms.
    "Tomorrow we come up with some kind of plan that will keep you from ever having to run again."
    Lyra gave a heartless laugh. "Like that will ever happen."
    "Trust me," he said softly, his gorgeous eyes fixed on hers.
    Her mouth snapped shut. Then she said, "I just need to get through tonight. Then I'll decide what to do next."
    "We'll talk about it in the morning." He gave a sharp nod. "Let's go."
    Dare grabbed the bulging brown leather duffle and led her out the front door. She cast her gaze skyward for a moment. The stars were so brilliant here. She could see so many, just like the times her dad and mom had taken her out of Portland to the Cascade Mountains to go camping. She almost raised her hand like she had many times when she was a child and had thought she could touch the stars.
    A deep, deep heaviness settled in her belly.
    That was when her father was alive. When he would take her outside and show her the Big and Little Dippers and he'd tell her stories about them.
    That was when she believed in her mom and had loved her. Before her father's death and her mother's choices had