Stole them? Whoa. She stared at him. “Wait, you were from LA and came to Rescue? Talk about culture shock.”

He huffed a laugh. “Rescue would’ve been easy. Back then, Mako lived way outside of Seward in an isolated dry cabin.”

“Dry cabin. No plumbing or power. With children? Was he crazy?”

Chapter Seven

Gabe looked down at her, seeing her eyes flash with outrage. She had a tender heart, didn’t she?

Staying until she’d calmed wasn’t the chore he’d thought it would be. Julie was quietly intelligent and sweet. A pleasure to be with.

“Was Mako crazy? Oh yeah. He was a paranoid survivalist, figuring the end of the world or a war was imminent.”

“Oh my God.” Turning to face him, she set a hand on his shoulder, and was close enough, one full breast pressed against his side. Her pink lips were slightly open…and looked soft. “Were you boys all right? Did he hurt you?”

How long had it been since he’d enjoyed a woman—let alone one who worried about him? The combination of sweet and sexy was irresistible.

Before he’d thought things through, Gabe set down his glass, picked her up, and settled her on his lap.

Oh, hell, this was a mistake. Her thread-worn T-shirt and sweatpants let him feel every inch of her lush curves.

The position put her head slightly higher than his. Her eyes were wide and confused as she looked down at him. She might not be a virgin, but he doubted she was very experienced with men.

“What are you—” She motioned to her position. “Why did you do that?”

Fuck, he liked honest women. And honest questions.

“This is more comfortable than looking down at you. Now you get to look down at me.” But his idiotic testosterone was making him stupid. She’d been manhandled and hurt. “Yeah, I like having you on my lap, but I’m not going to put any moves on you, Julie.”

This was as far as he’d go—now and probably ever. Although damn, she was appealing. Such fair, fair skin. Her big gray eyes were the color of the morning fog.

And she had worried over what happened to young boys two decades past.

“Ooookay.” Her voice was uncertain, but she didn’t move. “Did Mako… Was he good to you?”

“He was.” As much as he could manage. In hindsight, Gabe realized how at a loss the first sergeant had been. “The sarge’d been career military and had managed hundreds of new recruits. Even so, taking on four boys terrified him worse than any battle.”

The worry in Juliette’s face eased.

Gabe watched the red coals in the woodstove. “He had no experience of how to parent—or be gentle—but he was fair. Honest. Careful. He taught us everything he knew and raised us to stand on our own two feet. I owe him everything.”