A thrill, hot and delicious as melted chocolate, poured into her belly. She tamped it down. Relax! He’d protected her from Nathan, and then Danny had helped her save her best friend, Jed. Some attraction to her rescuer was natural. It wasn’t real. It was some kind of hero worship that psychiatrists probably had a clinical term to describe. Everything was just starting to feel as normal as possible under the circumstances. But the heat rushing through her was anything but ordinary.

The oven timer dinged. Mandy blinked. How long had she been staring at him? Warmth flooded her cheeks, and she tugged her gaze back to his face. His eyes were sweeping over her just as intently. When they settled on hers, the look on his face was hotter than her oven.

“Come back to the kitchen with me.” She backed away from him. Danny followed her down the hall. By the time she reached the kitchen and retrieved the muffins, she’d composed herself. Somewhat.

“Sit down, please.” She gestured to the stools tucked under the center island. Then she retreated to the other side of the counter, putting a large slab of butcher block between them. “Coffee?”

Danny slid onto a seat. “Sure, thanks.”

She filled a mug and handed it to him. “Cream or sugar?”

He shook his head. “Black is fine.”

One by one, she lifted the steaming muffins to a wire cooling rack, putting the last one on a plate for Danny. “How’s your sister?”

“She just got engaged.”

“That’s great.” Mandy choked back her envy. Danny’s sister had risked her life to save three young men from death. She deserved happiness. “Have they set a date?”

Danny shook his head. “Jayne wants to, but Reed is too focused on protecting her right now. They bought a house just a couple of blocks from our brother Pat’s place. Reed is still fine-tuning the security system. By the time he’s done, the president will be able to visit and feel secure.”

“What brings you back to Maine?”

He set his coffee on the counter. “We got a call about the case.”

Mandy fumbled the plate. It dropped to the floor with a crash. Bits of ceramic flew in every direction. The muffin rolled across the tile.

“I’m sorry.” Danny rounded the island. “I shouldn’t have blurted it out like that.”

“No, it’s not your fault.” She grabbed a broom from the pantry and swept up the debris. She emptied the dustpan in the trash, the excited flutter in her belly giving way to nausea. She wanted to ask him what happened, but fear silenced her voice like sawdust smothered a fire. On one hand, paranoia was getting old. On the other, there were things no one knew. Things she didn’t want anyone to know. And for the sake of her family, things she hadn’t told the police…