In the Line of Fire by Jennifer LaBrecque

do something that was even harder than going into combat. “I told you both, I was heading that way.”
    â€œYeah, but—”
    Rochelle returned with their plates, shutting Andi’s interrogation down. “Here ya go. I know you’re hungry, hon, so I don’t mind if you talk and eat at the same time,” she said to Andi. “You were about to tell me why you climbed out that window.” She settled next to their table, one hand on her hip.
    While they ate, Andi relayed the same thing she’d essentially told him in the car. Rochelle crossed her arms over her chest, shaking her head. “Nope, you can’t marry a man you don’t love. It’s hard enough to live with ’em when you love ’em. Isn’t that right, Vern?” She yelled the last part to the cook.
    â€œWhatever you say, Rochelle, darlin’,” Vern returned with an indulgent eye roll.
    â€œHe’s my old man,” she said to them with a wink. “We’ve been together thirty years now. He’s the best thing that ever happened to me.” She eyeballed the two of them. “I don’t believe in coincidence. You were supposed to climb out that window,” she said to Andi. “And you were supposed to be there.” She directed the last part to Colton. “Now the rest is up to you to figure out.” She winked. “Guess I better get back to work, huh? Y’all need anything else right now?”
    Colton looked at Andi, who shook her head. “We’re fine,” he said.
    â€œShe’s nice,” Andi said, just before she shoved a forkful of pecan waffle into her lovely mouth.
    He was like a man who’d been stumbling through the desert for years and had finally found an oasis.He couldn’t seem to get enough of looking at her—the sweep of her lashes, the curve of her cheek, the graceful lines of her neck, the slope of her breasts. The urge to touch her was a physical ache inside him. It was one thing to deny himself when she was half a world away. He was discovering it wasn’t nearly as damn easy when there was just a table between them.
    Colton cut into his eggs. “I don’t know that I particularly buy into her lack of coincidence theory, but yeah, she was nice.”
    Andi pointed her fork at him as she finished chewing. She swallowed. “Maybe she’s on to something. If you had been anyone else, I’d have been stuck but your car was in a good place and you were willing to help me out.” She smiled and there was a gleam in her eyes that told him loud and clear she was very much aware he was a man and she was a woman. The room suddenly felt ten degrees warmer. “I think you were meant to be there. We were obviously meant to be here,” she said, grinning, “because I’m finally feeling human again with some food in me.” She rounded up a forkful of hash browns.
    â€œOh, is that the barometer?”
    â€œIt’s as good as any.” She grew serious. “Thank you, Colton. I don’t know what I would’ve done without you. And I know your mom isn’t happy with you.”
    True enough, Martha Anne wouldn’t be happy but she’d get over it. “I’m a big boy. I can handle it.”
    â€œWell, you’re my hero.”
    The look in her eyes made him hot. It was a damn good thing the table was between them and there were other people around because otherwise he wasn’t so sure he could’ve stopped himself from pulling her tight and hard against him and kissing her. They were wandering into territory where they didn’t belong. “Thanks.”
    Her smile knotted his gut. “I’ve got an idea.”
    â€œThat sounds dangerous.” She was dangerous.
    â€œHa, ha. Very funny. You know we’re both going to be in trouble—me for taking off and you for taking me.”
    â€œYes?”
    â€œWell, I’m going to hear about it from my