Risky Return. Virginia Vaughan

       ONE

      It was her.

      Collin Walsh spotted Rebecca across the cashier stands at the local grocery store. He would know her anywhere, her long dark hair cascading over her shoulders as she picked up her groceries and walked out. He paid for his items then followed, watching her as she moved through the parking lot, oblivious to his presence. He’d wanted to play it cool when he saw her again but he wasn’t sure he could. Should he approach her? Say hello? Or turn and walk away and not open those old wounds? He didn’t even know what name she used these days. Had she kept the last name Walsh or gone back to her maiden name of Rebecca Mason?

      She stopped at a blue Toyota Camry and dug through her purse, presumably for keys. He’d known he might see her when he’d returned to their hometown, but he hadn’t expected the way his heart would be racing or how his mouth would be going dry when he finally did.

      He looked away. If he was smart, he would walk back to his car and drive away, pretending he’d never seen her. But when he glanced at her again, he couldn’t. She was beautiful. Just as beautiful as she’d been twelve years ago, and his brain reactivated memories he’d spent years pushing away. The feel of her in his arms. The taste of her lips. Running his hands through her hair. The way her eyes had gleamed as he’d slipped a pawnshop wedding ring on her long, slim finger.

      Man, how he’d loved her.

      Irritation bit at him. He’d faced down terrorists and some of the evilest people in the world in his jobs as both an army ranger and then a covert security specialist for the CIA, but saying a simple hello to the woman he’d once loved and married paralyzed him with fear.

      His good sense kicked in and he walked in the opposite direction, toward his car. He’d already let her down once. No need to revisit his failure. Yet, he couldn’t resist one last look. He turned back just in time to see a man approach her from behind, grab her and slam her head against the car.

      Collin didn’t even think as he dropped his bags and ran toward her, her cries of pain echoing in his ears. She slid to the ground but the man grabbed her hair and pulled her to her feet, this time whispering something in her ear. Collin couldn’t hear what he’d said but it didn’t matter. All that mattered was getting to Rebecca before this man could do any more damage.

      He screamed at the attacker, who spun to face him then whipped out a knife and slung Rebecca to the ground before lunging at Collin. Oh, how he wished he had his gun with him, but he didn’t need it to take down this man. It wasn’t the first time he’d had to fight hand-to-hand with an armed assailant. His instincts kicked in, and he batted away the knife, knocking it from the attacker’s hand as he kicked his legs out from under him. The attacker scrambled to his feet and took off running, disappearing around the corner of the store.

      Collin didn’t try to follow him. He was more concerned with making sure Rebecca was all right. He bent down beside her and called her name. When she didn’t move, he carefully turned her over. Blood was running from a wound above her eye and her hands and arms were scraped from the pavement, but she was alive. Her eyes fluttered as she regained consciousness and his heart hammered against his chest when he saw her beautiful brown eyes staring back at him. She blinked several times then tried to sit up, grabbing her head in pain as she did.

      “Take it easy,” he said as he helped her.

      “What—what happened?”

      “A man attacked you as you were leaving the store. Don’t you remember?”

      She glanced at him again, but her eyes held more confusion than fear. He suspected his presence was probably only adding to it. “We should get you to a hospital.”

      “No!” The confusion seemed to clear from her face. “I don’t need a hospital,” she told him. “I need to go.”

      “You’re bleeding.”

      She