Rachel couldn't help but blame herself for the shooting and the hours spent in the hospital. She had broken a personal rule, never drink on the job, when she'd agreed to share a few glasses of wine with Winona. At the time it had been an innocent opportunity to understand the mind of the woman who kept Raylan Givens entranced like a fourteen year old boy who just lost his virginity. Sure the two women had exchanged a few sarcasm laced exchanges on elevators and in stairwells to get under one another's skin but they had never talked. Dare she say she understood the former Mrs. Givens?

Winona Hawkins was confused and probably a little scared. She was facing her second divorce and the possible reunion with the man who at one time she'd promised forever. Trusting Raylan was never the issue, it was always about trusting yourself with your heart and his anytime you dealt with that man. The concept made Rachel groan. She knew things were lighter, easier, and a hell of a lot healthier with Tim. Her head was clear and her mind made up until she let her eyes drift to him.

Raylan wasn't the type of man you got over easily.

The sex was indescribable.

His sense of humor was riot inducing.

And the way he filled out a pair of jeans should have been a sin.

He was also fiercely protective.

There was truth to Winona's words from the night before.

Rachel had seen it earlier when Raylan was ready to burn the tread of the tires in a race to end the life of her unknown assailant. That was also when Deputy Marshal Brooks realized, her love life was a conundrum and despite her growing feelings for Tim there were some deeply - rooted, latent issues between her and the Harlan county boy.

She felt his eyes boring holes into the back of her head as they rode in silence.

Tim was behind the wheel, the professional façade tossed to the wind since the moment he gathered her in his arms outside of the ER. He had refused to let go. Even now his free hand was wrapped tightly around hers. Every few seconds he would pause and study her profile before shaking his head and cursing softly under his breath.

"I almost lost you."

Her ears deciphered the words he spoke and they did something to her heart. The muscle in the center of her chest tightened and tensed. Her emotions overwhelmed her and she swallowed the lump in her throat and forced the tears behind the wall of her lids. He cared, maybe more, and that knowledge terrified her.

Raylan shifted and sighed on the second row of the Denali with Winona nestled safely beside him. His fingers had gripped her shoulder and she'd winced and he'd apologized forgetting that was the shoulder that had the pleasure of being pierced by a bullet. He stretched his legs and kicked the back of her seat.

"Shit...sorry Rach."

Just hearing his voice confused the situation more. Her eyes fell to the hand entwined with hers. What the hell was she going to do?

Hadn't she told him to stop calling her that?

They were less than a mile from her home, traveling in a discreet caravan of unmarked cars. Until the mystery of who wanted Gary Hawkins dead, was solved, the five of them would be under the protection of the US Marshals. It was destined to be the sleepover from hell.

~`~

Gary Hawkins was the first to comment when they entered the house.

"Ms. Brooks, I love this home."

He switched to smarmy, low rent real estate agent.

"Are these the original hardwoods?" He ran his fingers along the molding and intricate detail of the foyer walls, "I know even with today's market, I can get you at least ten to twelve percent above the appraised value of the home."

She shook her head, "Not interested."

"Well, if you should..."

She cut him off with a pointed look, "I'm not interested."

The man opened his mouth to speak and quickly shut it when Raylan cocked his gun. Rachel walked away from the disaster waiting to happen and Tim followed. He placed his arm at the small of her back and rubbed before he leaned into her hair, "Why don't you go get some rest."

He made the word rest sound dirty.

"I need to get..."

His hand brushing the hair from her face made her body tingle and her tongue go numb, "Rest."

She slipped from his hold, "I need to get everyone settled," before he could argue, "then I will rest."

He deposited her bag in the closet by the door. He flicked on the low lights she preferred, grabbed the remote and laughed at the sight that the channel was still set to ESPN where he'd left it the morning before.  He slipped into the chair closest to the plasma and it felt normal, minus the three onlookers who stood in utter disbelief.

"Rachel where's the bath..."

Before Winona could complete her question and Rachel could fix her mouth to form a reply, Tim chimed in.

"Down the hall on the left," He was up and walking towards the group, "She's got that fancy soap that smells like food, but don't use the towels with her initials on them or she'll get all pissy."

A hard knock on the door saved Rachel from the intense look of disapproval on Raylan's face. There was no concern about what awaited her on the other side of the door. Her house was surrounded by deputies and she suspected that this was one such person doing his first check - in of the afternoon. Her thinking had been correct and she listened patiently and kindly as the bright - eyed man detailed their findings and relayed the shifts for the evening per Art's instructions.

She was in mid- conversation when she felt the heat at her back. She knew it wasn't Tim when the sheer look of terror registered on the young man's face in front of her. Raylan's reputation preceded him. She hurried to finish the de-briefing, so that she could swallow a pain pill and sink into the comfort of her bed.

When door closed, Raylan wrapped his arms around her waist, and kissed the top of her head.

Rachel turned to face him, "Raylan..."

"Tim took Gary and Winona upstairs," There was a shit - eating grin brimming on his lips, "So y'all playing house now."

"Not now," She shifted her shoulder and bit on her bottom lip when the pain tore through her muscle.

His face softened and his hands cupped her face.

"We almost lost you Brooks, do you know how...what...hell..." He threw his hands in the air, "forget it."

Rachel reached up and held his hand against her face, "I'm sorry."

She knew what he was doing when he moved in closer. She understood the signs; the twinkling eyes, the crooked grin, and that slight intake of breath, just before his lips would meet hers.

He held her for a moment; running his nose and lips along the curves of her face. The first kiss was gentle and sweet. It made her body warm and breath heavy. The second was forceful and passionate. Sweat covered her skin and there was a noticeable wetness in her panties. She was slipping, yielding control to him, and then...

"Raylan we can't." She took a few steps back, "I won't hurt Tim."

Rachel could hear three sets of feet on the stairs, she knew it was a matter of time before they returned to the room and it would only take Tim a few seconds to pick up on the tension between them. She tried to walk away and distance herself from the confusion Raylan birthed, but he pulled her back again.

"When this is over," His eyes were hard and cold, "The Bennetts, Gary and his crap, Boyd, you name it," He slid his palm against hers, "Me and you are gonna finish this and you won't be able to hide behind Tim."

And like that she went from a conundrum to a complete cluster - fuck.