Four forty-five. Fifteen more minutes before their extended Thanksgiving holiday began. Margaret, the receptionist, had dashed off right behind the final client of the day, eager to hit the grocery store and begin cooking for her large brood. The benefits and expectations of being a grandmother, she’d pointed out. That left Lily to clean and stock up after the harried day, while the doctor finished his notes.

Lily pulled the last bag from the trash can, adding it to her increasing pile to be taken out as she left work for the day. Mundane chores didn’t care if she was a housekeeper or a nurse like she was—all part of the job. A job she was more than happy to have after her life had toppled like a deck of playing cards.

If there ever was an angel, Carson fit the bill. If he wasn’t married, probably every woman in a fifty-mile radius would be banging on his door for some undivided attention from the handsome, smart, and friendly doctor. He radiated compassion and caring, working long and often late hours in order to see any client with a need—all his dedication along with a smile, kind word, and gentle hand. He’d given her a job when she had needed it most. For that, she’d happily spend the rest of her working life picking up the trash and whatever other task needed doing in his small practice.

Quickly, Lily tied up the final garbage bag, before stuffing a clean replacement in the plastic can near the back door while mentally checking off the closing routine chores.

The back door whined as it opened.

Spinning around, Lily saw a tall, dark-headed man step confidently through the back door, camouflage covering a powerful build. Her attention quickly moved from the man to the weapon he carried in his right hand. A rifle for sure, but not one used for hunting game. More like what she would expect someone in the military or even a SWAT team to use. Her heart raced as she kicked her stunned brain into action.

The newcomer’s stark blue gaze quickly raked over the room before landing on her. His grim mouth, with a deep scowl, spoke of his current mood. Black smudges covered his face, sending her fear skyrocketing.

She opened her mouth to scream, only to find the strange man’s hand immediately covering her mouth. His other arm wrapped around her middle, keeping her in place, facing away from him, but easily under his control. Instinctively, she began to struggle, kicking and pulling at his arm, anything to try to break free.

“Hold still. I’m not here to hurt you.” The deep husky voice penetrated her brain.

That’s probably what all the villains told their victims, lured them into a false sense of safety then did their worst. A momentary pause later, she renewed her fight.

He shook her a bit, the strong, tanned hand immobile over her mouth. “Stop it. I don’t have time for this.”

The sheer frustration and annoyance in his voice stilled her endeavors for release. That and the brute strength she felt in the body holding her told her that this man possessed the ability to do just about anything he wanted to her and there would be little she could do about it.

“Mayberry!” he shouted through the clinic.

Confused, Lily focused on breathing and searching for any opening to escape. Mayberry? What did that mean?

Carson strode quickly into the back room, coming to an abrupt stop when he spied the situation. A frown covered his face as he blinked a couple of times, as if trying to figure out some complex puzzle. His hands clenched into fists before his body stance relaxed. “Tiger?”

If the man acknowledged the name, Lily couldn’t tell. Instead, she watched her employer’s face, hoping that recognition meant a happy reunion, not a past of hatred. Her fear lessened as she heard her captor’s voice once more.

“Sorry to barge in like this, Mayberry, but it’s Dillon.”

Immediately, Carson stepped forward. “Release my nurse and tell me what you need.”

His hand loosened slowly along with the snug hold he had on her body. “No screaming.” With that warning he set her free.

Without thought, she slammed her elbow back into the guy’s gut, grumbling when he stepped away in the nick of time, only receiving a whisper of the impact.

“Damn she-cat.”

She turned to glare up at the man who scared the living daylights out of her, even opened her mouth to give him a piece of her mind, but the doctor quickly interrupted.

“Dillon? What happened? Where is he?”

Both men hurried out the back door.

A minute later, they re-entered the room, supporting a man between them. They both wrapped an arm around him from each side, carrying him in a standing position.

Lily moved into action, clearing the path to the exam table, noting the state of the obviously injured newcomer. Close-cropped hair made the color difference between dark blond and sandy brown too difficult to call. Not quite as tall as the first guy, he still carried muscle and mass enough to impress. Both had scruffy whiskers, hinting at a few days without seeing a razor. Dust and dirt clung to his camouflage clothing just like the other man’s with one major distinction. A large tear ran down the left thigh. Blood soaked the area, both fresh and dried.

Dillon, they’d called him.

He groaned as they laid him easily down on the exam table.

Lily raced for the bandage scissors, yanked them from the nearby drawer, and handed them over to Carson. As he cut the clothing, she dashed from cabinet to cabinet, gathering any supplies she thought might be needed. The men spoke softly in the background as she scurried around. Gauze, cleaning solutions, bandages, tape, and a sterile tray soon piled up on a nearby table, all within the reach of the doctor.

“How long ago was he shot?” Carson whispered across the space.

Tiger glanced at his watch. “Approximately fifteen hours ago.”

“Damn.” Carson continued with his work, cleaning and inspecting the wound. “Should have sought the nearest hospital, Tiger. This could be bad.”

“Couldn’t.” The words rasped out of Dillon.

“Bullshit. Flash any of those high security clearance government passes that I know you both have. The locals wouldn’t have batted an eye.”

Everyone watched while the doctor worked in silence for a bit longer. He turned Dillon over, asked him a dozen questions, and studied the leg thoroughly before releasing a breath. “It appears like you’re one damn lucky man, Bugle. I’ll grab a quick X-ray to make sure. Good thing you have all this baby fat for that bullet to go through instead of important parts.”

Dillon cracked open his eyes and snorted. “I’m not the one with the beer belly.”

Carson chuckled. “Good thing I’m not either. It doesn’t do to offend the guy caring for you, kid.”

“Bugle?” Lily asked from her position beside the doctor, feeling a bit small and dwarfed by the surrounding men who were all a good head taller than she. She was all about average—average height, average build, just average.

Tiger snapped at her with his bright blue gaze from across the table, but he didn’t speak.

She quelled the tremor running through her with such an intimidating expression aimed at her.

“Nickname. From years ago.” Carson answered, using the saline to wipe away more of the blood and clean the wound, revealing the true injury underneath.

She recalled the name Tiger had called when he arrived. “Mayberry?”

“Don’t ask.” The doctor sent her a warm, reassuring smile. “I’ll need more saline for irrigation, Lily.”

She rushed off to the storage room to gather up three more bottles, clutching each to her chest as she made her way back to the patient. “And an IV. He needs fluids. Normal saline.”

Before long, she had the IV going while the doctor stood to stretch out his back. “He needs antibiotics for a few days. Rest. Food, too.”

Tiger glanced from Dillon up to the doctor. “Give me the antibiotics. I’ll find somewhere to hole up. I’ve had basic medic training. Just get me the necessities.”

Carson shook his head. “No. I mean he needs IV antibiotics. I don’t think that pills are strong enough at this point to keep infection down. Besides, how are you going to lug all those supplies around with you, take care of your brother, and watch your back at the same time?”

“I’ve done it before.”

“Not this time. Stick around here for a few days, rest and rehab.” The corner of his mouth turned up, speaking when Tiger would have argued. “Doctor’s orders.”

They shared a long look before Carson spoke again. “Lily? You said you weren’t doing anything but staying home over the holiday. These men need some nursing care…”

She stared up at Carson, her mouth dropping open. He wasn’t saying what she thought he was saying? Was he? Even if she didn’t have any Thanksgiving family dinner to attend, it didn’t mean she wanted to take a couple of stray Terminator men home with her. “But… I… Don’t they need a doctor’s care?”

Dillon spoke up, pain lacing his voice. “Could be tails. Can’t take risk. Cale can…”

Lily appraised the young man and her heart melted. He certainly needed looking after and attention. It wasn’t his fault his brother possessed the manners of a bear with a thorn in his butt just out of hibernation.

“But…” Lily tried once more.

Carson held her gaze. “I would if I could. However, I can’t get out of this visit with the family. Don’t worry. I will just be a phone call away. I’ll make sure you have everything you need. And”—he raked both men with a stern look—“they may be a bit rough around the edges, but they do know how to be gentlemen.”

She glanced from Tiger to Dillon and sighed. Carson and his wife Casey had a newborn son, Adam, who happened also to be the first grandchild on both sides of the family. Carson had promised everyone weeks ago that they would spend the Thanksgiving holidays with the large family, savoring and sharing the adorable angel of a baby. Unfortunately, the grandparents lived several hours away, making it a long journey for the doctor and impossible for him to pop in each day to check on his patient. A small part of her mind picked up on an underlying deal sealer. If Dillon said people were after him, Carson would move heaven and earth to keep his young family safe. He couldn’t turn his back on friends, but finding them a safe venue while they received medical care with someone he trusted would fit the bill to a ‘T’. He had done so much for her. She simply couldn’t refuse a favor in return. In the scheme of things, she owed him this and more.

A long sigh declared her decision. “Okay. Fine. But there has to be some ground rules.”

“Of course.”

“I have clean sheets, so please get Dillon showered before he lays on them. I don’t have any food, since I was going to the store tomorrow, so I’ll have to find time to do that. I’ll need supplies and he certainly won’t fit in my car.”

“It will take me a while to get everything together.” Carson seemed to consider her demands. “Go shopping now, but make it quick. Tiger and I will see to Dillon. I’ll pull the IV antibiotics out of stock. We’ll make it work.” He nodded at her.

“One more thing.” Lily’s hands went to her hips as she frowned up at Tiger. “If they so much as upset my girls, there will be hell to pay.”

“Girls? She has children?” Tiger asked, his attention directed to Carson.

He received a wide smile in return. “Something like that.”

After spinning on her heels, she headed through the door to the office where her purse waited.

An hour and a half later, Lily pulled into her driveway, already weary from the long day at work and shopping for two extra mouths to feed for a few days. Big men with big appetites. Luckily, the grocery store clerk, exhausted and bored, paid her little attention with her overflowing basket of food and items she could hardly afford. Her budget lacked the flexibility to allow for such luxuries. Yet there was no help for the situation. She had to feed them. Besides, everything usually came out in the wash. Usually.

The small two-bedroom stone house looked old and cozy from the road, nothing that people paid much attention to. However, it was home for her. A large covered front porch gave her space for a plant or three during the summer. Two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen, a living room, and a laundry room fit into the small square footage. As the house was over a century old, hardwood floors graced each room. Carson kept it in good condition and repair. After all, it was his home, one he allowed her to rent for a small monthly charge. All the appliances boasted energy efficiency and shiny newness down to the central air and heat. A fireplace made up the west wall of the living room, a necessity when the house was built, but a nicety now in case of power loss during a blizzard or ice storm.

Lily didn’t have much furniture or belongings. A sleeper sofa and a small recliner sat quietly in the living room. Her king-sized bed filled the biggest of the bedrooms, the only real gift she had given herself after her mother’s death. Not having a spare bed, she had turned the second bedroom into a storage room for linens and supplies. On the other hand, the kitchen held tools for baking, cooking, and canning. All the essentials were there. Though not luxurious or fancy, the house gave her comfort and peace, which counted for everything in her book.

Once she had put the car in the garage, she hastily grabbed up bags of groceries out of the trunk, carrying them through the door and into the kitchen while keeping an eye out for small escape artists. Not seeing any fur kids running around, she proceeded with a quick search and find mission, smiling when she found the two kittens curled up asleep with their mother on the living room couch. “Hello, Hope. We have company coming. I hope you don’t mind. It’s not like we had much of a choice, you see.” When the calico lazily opened her eyes, Lily gently brushed her fingers over the cat’s head. One black ear and one orange ear stood out starkly against the pristine white coat while her tail combined all three colors into a pretty blend.

She smiled softly then got busy, her mind still whirling from the earlier incident and the latest monkey wrench in a life seemingly full of the metal troublemakers.

Before this year, she’d lived happily in a suburb, working at a large hospital as a floor nurse and staying in a modest house with her mother. Her sweet, happy-go-lucky mother and best friend rolled into one, who loved life and living. Then, suddenly, her mother had grown ill. An aggressive form of pancreatic cancer, the oncologist had called it. They’d fought it with chemotherapy until her mother—her body thin and frail and racked with pain and nausea—had sadly shaken her head, declining any more treatment, instead wishing to die comfortably. The hospice had taken over her care and a week later, Lily’s only living relative passed.

With her world turned upside down, Lily had made a hasty decision to start over. After all, nothing remained but memories and those had only seemed to drag her mood into the doldrums more often than not. She’d paid off the medical bills with money from the sale of their once-shared home, leaving her with little to survive on. A quick phone call and letter resigned her from her nursing position in the hospital. She’d packed and planned, all the while searching for a new job, a new lease on life.

In Cooperstown, she’d found just that. The small rural area consisted of hard-working farmers and down to earth people, with one family practice doctor in the area. Dr Carson Snider had happened to be searching for an office nurse. Lily’s lucky stars had located the help wanted ad, taken her to his door, and landed her the position. The kind young doctor’s generosity went much further. He’d moved her into his sole rental house at the edge of six hundred acres of prime pastureland where he raised cattle and horses in his spare time. Obviously guessing at her lack of funds, he’d made her a deal, namely low rent in exchange for watching out for the livestock, keeping their water tank full and clean, and checking the fences often for any needed repairs. Insisting she call him by his first name, Carson had become a good friend.

She’d taken a large pay cut compared to what she’d made at the hospital, but she’d felt the decision was right with every ounce of her being. The town, the people, the job—everything had called to her on a basic level. Peaceful and content described her feelings since moving here.

Her thoughts turned to the two men who would show up at her doorstep at any moment. Big and built, they appeared more like present-day warriors—soldiers of fortune, even. She’d read the intelligence in their eyes along with the firm resolve on their faces. They might be in a pinch at the moment, but they were nowhere near ready to toss in the towel. In fact, she doubted they knew the word ‘quit’.

Tiger, the taller one, drew her focus. He’d scared the crap out of her earlier, for good reason, she understood now. Secrecy had obviously been needed in order to help his brother and provide for the safety of all involved. While she might not wish to repeat the scary experience, she could forgive his methods this once.

His image flashed through her mind as she absently unloaded the bags, storing the food in cabinets and the refrigerator, quickly and efficiently making use of the short time span before her company arrived. Tall, dark, and handsome—the old adage fit him. Even the smudged dirt couldn’t take away from the muscular body hidden beneath camouflage fatigues. Hardness poured from Tiger, both in attitude and in sheer presence. The only hint of softness she could see revolved around his feelings for his brother. Externally, his full lips were the only feature that even began to come close. The rest of him made excellent eye candy if one ignored the intense scowl on his face. Predator. Dominant. Determined. Protective. All the words described the man she’d met just over an hour before. If one believed in past lives, she would bet Tiger took after his wild namesake—alpha, fearless, and territorial.

The more she considered Tiger, the more she realized two things. He demanded respect and came across as a bit off-putting. Yet, at the same time, something intrigued her about Tiger who just might snap her neck if she let anything happen to his injured brother.

She bit her lip, already worrying about the man with the gunshot wound. She had never been an emergency room nurse and honestly felt a bit in over her head caring for such injuries completely on her own. Carson had promised to be a phone call away. That certainly helped, but didn’t add to her confidence much. At least she could email him pictures if things started to go downhill with the wound.

“I can do this. Besides, it’s not like there’s much choice.” The spoken words offered her only a smidgen of comfort.

Dillon, they called him. Dillon and Bugle. A nickname, according to Carson. Interesting. She’d watched enough movies to understand that military personnel gave one another monikers on a regular basis—nothing unusual there. Yet, something tickled her curiosity. Ordinarily injured military men would be taken to the nearest military hospital for treatment. Not to mention, one shouldn’t be running around in her quiet neck of the woods with such a wound to begin with. All the facts pointed toward something more.

A chill raced up her spine.

Her first Thanksgiving alone in the world and she’d been saddled with private nursing duty to gun-toting men who could probably snap her like a stick and bury her in the backyard with no one the wiser, with possible exception of Carson who wouldn’t return for a few days. Too late to be of much help. Wonderful.

Once more she glanced at the small feline family and sighed. “It’ll be okay. I promise.” With that said, she scurried back to work, trying to beat the clock on her chores before the new roommates arrived.