He waves as he leaves the house, and I’m disappointed to see that Josh and the others are gone when I look back outside.

I miss him so much.

I gather my things and head for my car, surprised to find Josh standing in his driveway with the others.

“Hey.”

“Cara.” Josh’s head snaps around, his brown eyes wide, taking me in from head to toe as if he has missed me too.

Thank God.

He quickly walks to me and pulls me in for a long hug. I blink, keeping tears at bay, relieved that he’s holding me.

“We need to talk,” he whispers in my ear.

“I know.”

“I don’t have time now.” He backs away and brushes the backs of his fingers down my cheek and offers me a small smile, his dimple winking at me.

“Is everything okay?”

He sighs and shakes his head. “No. These guys”—he gestures and leads me over to where they’re standing—“are from the Fish and Wildlife department. The one wolf I thought I had killing my cattle is actually a pack of about eight.”

I gasp in surprise and take in everyone’s grim faces. “Eight?”

“Yeah,” Josh confirms as the others nod.

“We’re tracking them, but they’re sneaky bastards. We didn’t meet the last time I was here. I’m Erica.” She shakes my hand and smiles kindly.

“What will you do to them?” I ask.

“Kill them,” one of the other men replies matter-of-factly.

“Kill them?” I ask, surprised. “I thought they were endangered.”

“Not anymore.” Josh shakes his head and wipes his forehead on his sleeve again. “They’re overpopulated here now and can bankrupt a rancher or farmer if they’re not taken care of.”

“A small pack of wolves killed an entire flock of sheep east of the mountains last month,” the taller man agrees. “They don’t hunt to eat, they kill because they can. We’ve been tracking this particular pack. We didn’t realize they’d moved so close to the Lazy K.”

“I had no idea.” I slide my hands in my back pockets to keep from reaching out to Josh. “How many cattle have they killed?”

“Five calves since Monday,” Josh replies grimly.

“Oh my God, I’m sorry.”

“We’re pretty sure we know where they are. We’re heading out now to go track them.”

I stare longingly at Josh, wanting nothing more than a few minutes alone with him.

“Be safe,” I whisper instead.

“I’ll be fine, baby.” He kisses me quickly and turns to the others.

“I told you earlier, Josh,” Erica begins, “you don’t have to go with us.”

“My land, my problem.” His face is set in determined lines. “Let’s go.”

* * *

I lean my head back into the stream of hot water in my new and improved master bathroom and moan as it hits the tight muscles in my shoulders. I’m worried. I still haven’t heard from Josh, and now I don’t think I will today. It’s almost midnight.

I turn off the shower, twist my hair up in a towel, and when I begin drying off, I hear pounding. Loud, incessant pounding.

I secure the towel around me and hurry into the living room, toward the bam bam bam on my front door.

What the hell?

I fling the door wide, shocked to see Josh standing there, his jaw set and eyes intensely . . . fierce.

“I miss you,” he says, his voice strong, as his eyes roam over my face. “I miss you so damn much.”

I step back, allowing him to come inside, and once I shut the door, he gently cups my face in his palms and backs me against the wall.

“I’m so sorry about the other night, Cara.” He rests his lips on my forehead and takes a long, deep breath.

“You don’t have any reason not to trust me,” I remind him firmly, absorbing his heat, reveling in the strength of him against me.

“I know.” His lips glide softly down my temple to my cheek. “I do trust you. I wasn’t expecting Ty to answer your phone.”

I rest my hands on his hips. “Did you get the wolves?”

“We got them,” he confirms grimly.

His eyes are tired, and he has dark circles under them. I brush my thumbs over the dark smudges. “What else is bothering you?” I whisper.

“I miss you so much.” He closes his eyes, tightening his arms around me. “With everything happening at the Lazy K, not seeing you, not having you in my bed, I’m going crazy.” I start to answer, but he covers my lips with his finger. “I need you, Carolina. Please don’t send me away.”

“Oh, sweetheart.” Looping my arms around his neck, I pull him down to me as he tightens his arms around me again, and we hug each other close. “Stay with me.”

“Those are the words I should have said to you on Tuesday,” he murmurs softly against my forehead.

I kiss his chin and comb his hair soothingly in my fingers, my chest bursting with relief and love for this amazing man in my arms.

He hoists me against the wall, just like that night so many weeks ago, and kisses me aggressively, his mouth hot and demanding on mine, his tongue sliding against my own. He supports my center against his hips, wrapping my legs around his waist, and cups my face in his hands, never taking his lips away.

I open my eyes to find his on mine, hot and urgent.

He kisses his way across my cheek and to my ear, sucks the lobe in his mouth, making me moan.