Finding Peace (Love's Compass #1) (7 page)

Her green eyes swam with tears and Tuck was surprised by the need to pull her into his arms. What was it about Laurie that brought out such intense reactions in him? He gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

“Do you have any family I can call? Someone who can come and stay with you for a few days until you feel more secure?”

“No.” She shook her head emphatically. “My parents are somewhere in Paris. They come back for a month around Christmas. My sister works in New York and it would be a huge inconvenience to her.”

He couldn’t imagine not having family nearby. “Well, let me tell you something. I’m serious about this. If you need anything – whether you think your studio is being broken into or you just need a friend – call me.”

Her eyes widened and she blinked at him. “Why?”

“Because everyone needs someone else they can count on.”

“And it’s your job to maintain the safety of the civilians of Kitner.”

“Something like that,” he said with a wink. He didn’t believe one word of that and he wasn’t sure Laurie did, either. He removed his hand from hers, instantly missing her warmth.

“I wish I wasn’t this nervous. I hate feeling this way in my own place.” She hugged her arms to her chest. “I’d consider getting a gun if I could afford one.”

“I don’t think that’s a bad idea.” When her gaze swung to his, Tuck rushed on. “I mean, it’s great to have a way to protect yourself. I do not, however, think a gun will do you a lot of good if you don’t know how to use it.”

“What do you suggest?”

“You can go to a shooting range here in town and rent a couple of different types. Try them out and see which you like better. Then, once you buy a gun, I recommend that you take some kind of class. That way, you get the practice you need and become more comfortable with it.” His thoughts were running. “There are two or three particular guns I think would fit your hands well.”

“I guess I kind of expected you to say I shouldn’t have a gun and that I should leave it all up to the police.”

“We are trained to handle situations. But in a pinch, a gun can mean the difference between life and death. If someone breaks into your home while you’re there, it’s better to shoot the intruder and survive, than to hide in the closet, wait for the police, and hope the guy doesn’t find you in the meantime.” She shivered and Tuck instinctually reached to cover her hand again. “I’m not trying to scare you. I’m stating a fact. Hopefully you’ll never be in a situation where you’ll need a gun. But if you are, you’ll have it to protect yourself.” Suddenly, the idea of her facing an intruder and him not being there to shield her made him feel sick. “If you’re serious about purchasing a gun, let me take you to the range.”

Even as he spoke the words, his brain tried to warn him that seeing Laurie regularly like that wouldn’t be a good idea. It would be easy to get used to spending time with her, and he shouldn’t risk it. Not when there was a chance of it all falling apart. But his heart betrayed him, galloping at the thought of having an excuse to see her more.

She seemed to mull that over, her eyes on their hands. He wondered if she had felt the same jolt of awareness that he had when they touched. Her long eyelashes lifted and her green eyes sought his. Tuck felt like he could drown in their depths. She blinked quickly and looked away.

“I would like that, thank you. Did anything come from your call out earlier?”

“No, not really.” He told her about the break-in. “We’re not even sure if there’s a connection between the two burglaries. It’s more likely that they are completely unrelated at this point.” He shrugged. “I’ll definitely let you know as soon as we discover anything concrete.”

“Thanks.” She glanced around the room. “I should let you go. You’ve had a late night and then had to come by at the whim of a crazy lady. Do you at least live here in town?”

A laugh escaped him. “You’re not crazy. But I do think we need to call it a night.” Reluctantly, he stood and walked towards the door. “I live about ten minutes from here. It’s not far. If you need me to come back, call me.”

“I will.”

“Okay. Come lock the door behind me. Try to get some rest. I’ll call you tomorrow about going out to the range.”

Laurie stood and followed. “Thank you again. For checking on the studio and for cleaning up the mess. But mostly, for being here.”

“You’re welcome.” He smiled at her, warmth spreading through his chest at the relief on her face. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

He waited long enough to make sure she had secured the door behind him. With a last wave, he headed home.

Tuck expelled the air from his lungs. What was he getting himself into? The last thing he wanted to do was to hurt Laurie. Jana had been miserable in their relationship for a while. He’d beat himself up for months – how could he have not realized his fiancée was so unhappy?

Something Lexi had told him earlier was chanting in his brain. “Laurie isn’t Jana. Laurie isn’t Jana.” He knew that. 

If he were smart, he would teach her to shoot, see her when she took photos of Gideon, and then they would go their separate ways.

Even he knew he was kidding himself. The last thing on his mind as he fell asleep that night was a prayer that God would protect his heart as well as Laurie’s.

~

“I want you to try several guns and see which one you like the most.” Tuck signed the paperwork to rent his first choice. The range they were at was his favorite and he’d told her it was where he did a lot of his own training. He also purchased two boxes of 9mm ammunition for them to use.

Laurie cringed as he paid, the amount higher than she had expected. “I’ll reimburse you when I get back home.”

“That’s not necessary.” He handed her a pair of ear plugs. “Come on, I’ll show you some specifics about this gun before you shoot.”

They found an empty stall at the indoor handgun range. He laid everything out on the table.

She paused at the door. “I’m sorry, I’m nervous.” She had looked forward to this since they first talked about it nearly three days ago. But now, the butterflies in her stomach were working overtime. She wiped her palms off on her pants.

“I completely understand, and it’s normal to feel that way. We’re not even going to load the gun yet. Trust me.”

Laurie was surprised when he took her hand and led her over to the table.

She studied his face, incredibly aware of how strong of a presence he projected. “I trust you.”

He paused only a moment before he let go of her hand. She thought he was going to say something else before he turned his attention to the gun. “This is a Ruger SR9C. It shoots 9mm ammo.” He turned the gun over in his hand. “This button releases the magazine.” He demonstrated, the magazine falling into his other hand. “Once you load the shells, you push it back in. In order to shoot the gun, you need to pull the slide back,” he held the gun securely and demonstrated as he spoke, “which puts a shell into the chamber. At this point, all you have to do is pull the trigger and the gun will fire.” He eased the slide back into position and handed the gun to Laurie.

She took it gingerly, feeling the weight in her hands. “It’s heavier than I thought it would be.”

“I chose all three of the guns you’ll try tonight because they are a little smaller. That’ll make any of them a good gun to carry concealed, if you decide to get your license, but also more comfortable for petite hands like yours. Now, go ahead and pop the magazine out, put it back in, and see if you can pull the slide.”

Awkwardly, she tried to pull the slide. Tuck put his hands over hers, showing her where to grip the gun, and the angle to pull it back.

That she found his touch distracting would be an understatement. She made a point of keeping her eyes on their hands and not meeting his, because she didn’t think she could hide her reaction.

Laurie was finally able to pull it back on her own. Once she did, he took the gun back and went over some gun safety. “Let me show you how to shoot and then you take a turn. Go ahead and put in the earplugs.”

She did as he suggested, placing the soft pieces of foam in her ears. She watched as Tuck pulled the slide back, aimed carefully at the target that was seven yards away, and squeezed the trigger. Even though she had steeled herself, she still jumped when the shot went off. The empty casing landed on the concrete floor near his foot. She was impressed to see the bullet hole only a half inch away from the bull’s-eye.

“Now you try.”

“If you think my shot is going to even hit that target, you’re kidding yourself.”

He grinned. “If anyone hits the bull’s-eye on their first shot, it would be a miracle,” he said with a wink. “I didn’t keep the target from my first shooting experience for a reason.”

Laughing, Laurie gave a nod. “Alright, then.” Trying to appear more certain of herself than she felt, she took the gun and aimed it at the target. She felt a touch on her shoulder and jumped. Feeling heat flood her cheeks, she knew there was no way she was going to hide her red face before Tuck saw it. Instead, she decided to pretend it hadn’t happened.

He motioned down range. “Here, let me bring the target up to a distance of three yards. That’s a good place to start.” His voice was low and husky. He showed her where to place her hands on the grip. “Now, look down the sights. Take your time. When you’re ready to shoot, blow the air out of your lungs and wait to draw more in until you’ve squeezed the trigger.”

He was no longer touching Laurie and she missed it. Trying to remember everything he told her, she focused and finally pulled the trigger. The kick from the gun made her flinch, but what was even more shocking was the fact that the bullet pierced the target. It might have been the farthest edge, but it was the target none the less. “Did you see that?” She laid the gun on the table and turned to look at him, triumphant. “I hit it!”

“You sure did.” He beamed at her. “Shoot this gun a few more times and then I’ll get a different one. I have three I want you to try before you decide on which one you might get for yourself.”

She managed to hit the edge of the target again, which was more than she could hope for. By the time she had emptied the magazine, she was feeling a lot more confident.

“Wait here and I’ll come back with the next one.”

Laurie watched him leave. She leaned against a wall and took in a deep breath.

Tuck’s presence was affecting her way more than she wanted to admit.  Thinking about how close he had been standing brought the memory of his hands on hers. Working together – laughing and joking – it had all felt right. What amazed her the most was how quickly she had felt so at ease with him.

There were several instances the past couple of times they were together that made her think he might feel the same way about her. If only she knew whether or not she was imagining the whole thing.

~

Tuck walked back into the room, a Glock 26 in his hand. The moment he saw Laurie, he felt as though his breath had been stolen from him. The woman was positively gorgeous, especially the way those curls cascaded down her back. He couldn’t deny how badly he wanted to run his fingers through them and see if they were as soft as he thought they would be.

Clearing his throat, he made a point of starting to explain the new gun and how it was similar to the first. He didn’t have to get as close as he had before to help her correctly hold the gun. Instead, he watched her as she took her time aiming and squeezing the trigger. She was getting better, that’s for sure. He took pride in that. The more time he spent with her, the more glimpses he gained into her life and her personality. He liked what he saw.

Just the thought of not spending time with her after the photo shoot left him feeling incredibly frustrated and with a pit in his stomach that physically hurt.

When she had emptied the magazine, she turned to him and smiled. “I do like this one, but I think I prefer the first gun a bit. Something about how the grip feels. I also found it a lot easier to pull back.”

“I kind of thought that might be the case. Okay, let me go get the last one.”

He paid for the last rental and returned. “I actually saved the best for last. This is a Smith & Wesson Shield.” He had chosen the gun based on some articles he had read online. There were a number of reasons why he thought it might be the perfect fit for her.

He could tell by the way she handled the gun that she preferred it. Her shots were more consistent as well. Tuck had a feeling she could be a good shot with a decent amount of practice. “What do you think?”

“I like this one a lot.” She turned the gun over in her hand to inspect it closer. “Of the three, it was easily the most comfortable to hold.”

“I would agree, especially for your first gun.” Tuck reached out to take it from her. “I’ll go return this.”

When they got everything together, they left the shooting range. As he walked her to her car, he remembered something.

“Oh! I wanted to warn you. Lexi is planning to call and invite you over for birthday cake for Serenity this Saturday. I know it’s last minute, but she hoped you might go.”

Laurie stopped walking and turned towards him, surprise evident in her expression. “Invite me? Why?”