All the work, stress, frustrations of the job were worth it for moments like this. Moments of utter quiet and stillness before night ended and day began. Soon, the sun would blur the sky to the east with red, the birds would wake chattering, and the cycle would start again.

He liked the cycle fine, he thought, absently lowering a hand to D.A.’s head when the dog leaned on his leg. He had what he wanted. Good work, a good place, family who not only mattered but who understood him, and if he had to be sentimental, loved him anyway.

He couldn’t ask for better. Then why, he wondered, did it feel as if something hadn’t quite clicked into place? That something hung up, just slightly out of alignment, and all he had to do was turn it a bit, and it would fall just where it should be.

“What’s wrong?”

He turned, saw Hope. Something wanted to click, wanted to shift and fall.

“Ryder?” She stepped out, tying the short little robe he wished she hadn’t bothered with.

“Nothing. I’m awake, that’s all.”

“It’s early, even for you.” She moved to him, laid her hands on the deck rail as he did. “Listen to the quiet. Country quiet, country dark. You can forget in all the busyness that there are times and places so wonderfully still.”

Since he’d been thinking nearly the same, he looked down at her. How could she be so damn perfect? It threw him off.

She smiled back at him, and the look of her, still flushed and soft from sleep, blew right through the center of him.

“I could make coffee. We could sit out here, drink the first cup of the day and watch the sunrise.”

“I’ve got a better idea.” He wanted her—too much and too often—but what was the point in fighting it? Not in the bed, he realized, where he’d dreamed of bloody death and bitter loss.

So he took her hand, pulled her toward the steps leading down.

“What are you doing? Ryder, you can’t just wander around. You’re naked.”

“Oh yeah.” Quick and clever, he tugged off her robe, tossed it in the direction of a deck chair. “You, too.”

Over her protests, he towed her down the stairs.

“Country dark, country quiet, country private. What are you worried about? Nobody’s around to see you. Well, there’s Dumbass, but he’s seen you naked before. Me, too.”

“I’m not walking around here without any clothes on.”

“I wasn’t planning on doing much walking.” So saying, he lowered her to the grass, damp and cool with dew.

“Oh, and this isn’t nearly as crazy as walking around naked. We can—”

He lowered his mouth to hers, stopped her words with a slow, shimmering kiss.