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through the air, louder this time. With a sob of horror, Shelby burst through the door. She glanced around wildly. Alex stood in the center of the room holding a gun, wearing a pair of earmuffs.
    Alex pulled them off the moment he saw her.
    “Shelby? What’s wrong?” In an instant, he crossed over to her, lightly grasping her arm.
    Helplessly, she shook her head, choking back tears and gasping for breath. Her heart pounded frantically inher chest. “I—I woke up and Cody wasn’t in the room. And th-then I heard gunshots.”
    Chagrined, he glanced over to the target he’d clearly been using. “I’m sorry. I should have realized you’d worry.”
    “The last time I heard gunfire, my sister was shot.” She couldn’t help pinning him with an accusatory look. A burst of anger quickly replaced her gut-wrenching fear. She tore from his grip, curled her fingers into a fist and smacked him square in the chest. “What on earth possessed you to shoot off a gun?”
    He frowned and glanced down at the weapon in his hand, as if noticing it for the first time. “I needed to work on my arm. It’s not what it should be. Considering you came here for protection, I thought I’d better practice. I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking about Trina.”
    She stared at the long paper targets hanging over sheets of plywood propped in front of several bales of hay stacked in the back of the shed, forcing herself to think logically. Alex wasn’t the bad guy here. He was Trina’s contact which meant he must be a good guy. And he was Cody’s father. He was just trying to protect them.
    Shelby drew a deep, shuddering breath. For years, she’d avoided men, but suddenly now here she was, totally dependent on Alex for safety. The idea was extremely disconcerting.
    She let go of her anger, knowing her overreaction wasn’t his fault. Since his goal was to protect them, how could she argue?
    She glanced at Alex, and he shook his head at the unspoken questions in her eyes. “Let’s go back to thehouse,” he suggested. “So you can see for yourself that Cody’s fine.”
    Shelby slowly nodded, following him outside down the path she’d taken a few minutes ago.
    When a low hanging branch tangled in her hair, she tried to yank free, muttering under her breath.
    “Here, let me help.” Alex came up behind her and deftly unhooked the naturally curly lock of hair from the branch. His nearness made her shiver and not necessarily with fear. She stepped away. She shouldn’t be tempted to lean on Alex, not when she’d fought so hard to remain independent.
    “Thanks.” Her breath shortened and she hunched her shoulders, careful to duck far below the trees. His calm presence managed to distract her from her fear of the dark.
    Alex must be a cop. That would explain why Trina sent them to him for protection. Her preoccupation with her sister caused her to stumble over a fallen branch, half-hidden beneath the snow. Alex caught her by the arm.
    “Watch your step.” Alex frowned when she instinctively pulled away from his touch. He glanced down at her sodden feet. “We need to get you a pair of boots. Kayla’s already loaned Cody a pair of Brianna’s.”
    “We left Green Bay in a hurry.” Shelby grit her teeth together to stop them from chattering. Alex’s domineering personality put her on the defensive. She wasn’t used to anyone questioning her parenting skills. “Besides, we didn’t have as much snow there as you do here.”
    “I’m sure Kayla has a pair that’ll fit.” Alex kept his hand under her elbow as they climbed up the few steps to the house.
    Shelby refrained from answering. Safe inside thewell-lit house, she breathed a sigh of relief. She’d conquered the darkness, at least for a few minutes. Feeling foolish for her rush of panic, she removed her coat and her sodden tennis shoes. Her jeans and socks were damp, but she ignored the discomfort, simply walking toward the sound of voices coming from the kitchen had died down in