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helicopter—highly
unlikely—they wouldn’t get here in time. Meanwhile, the real
cavalry was in Missoula, plotting another sting operation that was
never going to happen.
    Two rounds. Colin considered
his options. He could slink away from the Suburban, and Slater
would probably be deep into Canada by nightfall. Or Colin could try
to stall him and hope for backup.
    He glanced at the ditch
where Holly was hiding. A hush fell over the woods. The only sound
was his own heartbeat.
    Had she been shot? Was she
dead right now or bleeding out in the ditch while he stood here
less than fifty feet away?
    A flash of green. Score! Slater had given
away his location—which was much closer than Colin
expected.
    But now, Colin had the
advantage. He had two shots left, and he intended to use
them.
    ***
    Holly lay on her side in the
snow, contorting herself into a pretzel. She had to get her hands
in front of her. Without her hands, she was defenseless. She
squirmed and strained, doing her best to keep her head down as she
frantically attempted to squeeze her legs through the loop of her
arms.
    Another burst of gunfire had
her heart leaping into her throat. Colin. The fact that he didn’t return
fire couldn’t be good. He was either out of ammunition or
wounded.
    Bang.
    Rat-tat-tat.
    Bang.
    And then nothing. Only
silence.
    Holly held her breath,
waiting for something—anything—that would indicate which man was
still standing.
    A car door squeaked and then
slammed. She heard a noisy growl as someone gunned the engine.
Tires squealed as the Suburban sped away.
    “ Holly! ”
    And then he was there, in
the ditch with her. He tugged loose the gag.
    “ God, you’re bleeding. Are
you okay?” He had a pocketknife in his hand and reached to cut her
bindings.
    “ What happened? Is he gone?”
Holly jerked her hands free and scampered to the top of the ditch.
She peered down the road, where the white Suburban was shrinking
from view.
    She grabbed the pistol from
the ground and scrambled to her feet. “Quick! He’s getting
away!”
    “ Holly, look at me! Are you
hit?”
    She squinted down the barrel
and fired. The truck veered left sharply. It careened off the road
and flipped into the ditch.
    “ Holy shit! You hit him.”
Colin looked at her with disbelief. Then he glanced at her gun
“Where did you get that thing?”
    Holly’s answer was drowned
out by a noisy whump-whump overhead. They both looked up as a helicopter
suddenly appeared above the treeline.
    “ Who’s that?” she yelled
above the noise.
    Colin turned and smiled at
her. “Reinforcements.”

Chapter Five
    Holly added the last
snapdragon to the vase and stepped back to study her work. Not bad,
considering. At least the customer hadn’t wanted roses. They were
the ultimate Valentine’s cliché, and Holly liked it when men asked
for something with a little more flair.
    The cowbell on the door
rattled and Holly shivered at the icy blast of air.
    “ I’ll be right with
you.”
    “ Take your time.”
    She whirled around at the
familiar voice. A wave of excitement washed over her as Colin
stepped up to the counter.
    “ What are you doing here?”
she asked, wiping her hands on her apron.
    He looked her up and down
with that glint in his eyes she’d been thinking about for months.
“I was in town.” He glanced around the tiny shop, which was
wall-to-wall bouquets. “Just thought I’d drop in, see if you were
busy.”
    He stepped closer, and
Holly’s pulse picked up. He was wearing the leather jacket she
remembered. His hair was a bit longer, but he’d shaved recently.
For her? The possibility made her nerves flutter.
    The corner of his mouth
curled up in a smile. “Are you?”
    “ What’s that?” She walked
around the counter and tried to wipe the grin off her face. She
heard a noise behind her and knew her sister had come into the
showroom.
    “ Are you busy?”
    “ Well, it’s February
thirteenth, so… yes, we’re a little busy.”
    “ I can finish