Lover Beware

and Irene knows that. Extending his life might not be the best thing. If only Libby were here.”
    “Sarah.” He spoke in his most gentle tone. “Leave it alone for now. Let me take you home; I’ll fix you a good meal and you can sleep. I’ll talk to Irene myself. She’ll understand.”
    “How did you know my sisters were helping me?”
    “I felt them,” he replied. “Are you steady enough to talk with the sheriff?”
    She nodded. “And I want to make certain Donna’s all right.”
    When they returned to the living room, Harrington already had Donna’s assailant in the squad car. Donna burst into tears, clinging to Sarah and Inez, making Damon feel helpless and useless but filled with a deep sense of pride in Sarah and her sisters.
    “Why did he attack you, Donna?” Sarah asked.
    “I noticed he had your earring, Sarah. The one Joley made for you. He was wearing it. It’s one of a kind and I thought you must have lost it. So I asked him about it. He hit me hard and dragged me out of the store back into my house. He kept asking me questions about you and about Mr. Wilder.”
    Sarah pressed her hand against Donna’s wound, just for a moment. Damon watched her face carefully, watched her skin grow paler until she swayed slightly with weariness. Sarah leaned down and kissed Donna’s cheek. “You’ll be fine. Don’t worry about the store, we’ll lock up for you.”
    “I’m going to the hospital with her,” Inez said, glaring at the paramedics as if daring them to deny her. She held Donna’s hand as they took her out.
    “Sarah?” Jonas Harrington stood waiting against the wall. “You have a permit to carry that gun?”
    “You know I do, Jonas,” she replied. “You’ve seen it more than once. Yes, it’s up-to-date. And I didn’t shoot the man, although I was inclined to with Donna lying on the floor bleeding. And he is wearing my earring. I want it back.”
    “I’ll get it back for you,” Jonas was patient. “I know you’re tired, but I need you to answer a few questions.”
    “That’s one of the men who kidnapped me. He’s the one who killed my assistant,” Damon explained. “The other two must be staying somewhere in town. It shouldn’t be that hard to find them now that we have him.”
    “I’ll find them.” Jonas’s voice was grim. “Sarah, will you come by the office later and give me a full statement? I’ve sent the perp in the squad car down to the office. There’s already an outstanding warrant for his arrest and the feds are going to be swarming all over this place as soon as we notify them. They’re going to want to talk to the two of you, so you’d better go rest while you can.”
    Damon circled Sarah’s shoulders with his arm. “Can you give us a ride to my place, Sheriff?”
    “Sure. Let’s lock up and get out of here before Sarah keels over and her sisters haul us both over the coals. You’ve never seen them en masse, coming after you.” He shuddered. “It’s a scary sight, Wilder.”
    “You’re the only one it’s ever happened to so far,” Sarah pointed out.

Chapter 9
    DAMON STARED DOWN into Sarah’s sleeping face. She was beautiful lying there in the middle of his bed. He had been standing there, leaning against the wall, for some time just watching over her. Guarding her. It seemed rather silly and melodramatic when she was the one with the gun and the training, but it felt as necessary to him as breathing.
    Where had such a wealth of feeling come from nearly overnight? Could a man fall deeply in love with a woman so quickly? She was everything and more than he’d ever thought of or dreamed about. How could anyone not love Sarah with her compassion and tolerance and understanding? She genuinely cared about the people in her town. Somehow that deep emotion was rubbing off on him.
    She could have been killed. The thought hit him hard. A physical blow in the pit of his stomach. How was it possible to feel so much for one person when he’d just met her? His entire life he’d barely noticed people, let alone cared about their lives. From the moment he’d heard her name whispered on the wind, he knew, deep down where it counted, that she would change his life for all time.
    Their walks together, all the times on the beach, whispering in his house, or hers, even spending time with her family had only strengthened his feelings for her.
    Sarah opened her eyes and the first thing she saw was Damon’s face. He was leaning against the far wall,