Page 19 of Cowboy’s Last Stand (His to Protect #1)

N atalie reported to work the following morning with an extra spring in her step.

She hadn’t slept well, between worrying about a hundred different things and replaying that explosive kiss with Jason. She felt off-center and on edge. And, at the same time, giddy with infatuation.

Men like him didn’t come along every day.

Outsiders were rare in Last Chance. Outsiders who rivaled Wade Hendricks, the hottest prospect in town, were unheard of.

She’d never met a stranger who was so attractive, so strong, so intelligent, and so enigmatic.

The fact that he seemed just as taken with her as she was with him made her head spin.

I don’t want you thinking about another man when I’m inside you.

Her cheeks heated with embarrassment and pleasure whenever she thought of him.

She had to force herself to focus on library matters and stop daydreaming.

When she’d left with Marcus this morning, he was already working on the upstairs unit.

They hadn’t discussed how long he would stay, but she felt safer with him around.

She’d said goodbye after breakfast. He’d stared at her mouth as if he wanted to kiss her again.

Before she knew it, her shift was over. She gathered her bag, along with three items she’d checked out during her break. One was a DVD entitled Tai Chi for Beginners . The other two were juvenile nonfiction books about the history of martial arts.

She’d decided, after some deliberation, to let Marcus study fighting.

He’d been obsessed with karate and kickboxing lately.

She hadn’t signed him up for classes, but she’d look into it.

Marcus took swimming lessons every summer, and she’d been considering another sport for him.

Missy’s boys played baseball. Mike had been a soccer fanatic.

Natalie had been involved in multiple sports as a child.

Marcus had a lot of energy, and he needed an outlet for it.

Walnut Elementary was four blocks from the library. She usually avoided the car pickup line and walked. It was a beautiful day, sunny and cool. She went to her car to drop off the books before she set out.

She always parked in the far corner of the lot, near the outdoor garden.

Although there were open spaces everywhere, there was a dark green panel van right next to her bug, almost completely obscuring it.

Her giddiness and good humor evaporated as she got closer.

Her heart rate increased as memories flashed in her mind.

Firecrackers and smashed mailboxes, bloody noses and black eyes.

Hands trembling, she removed the keys from her bag and held them in the way Jason had demonstrated to Marcus. She’d been aware of the technique before but rarely used it. She approached with caution, giving the van a wide berth.

“Hey,” a voice called out from behind.

She startled at the sound and almost jumped out of her shoes. The books she was holding fell from her arms. One landed on her foot and struck her toe hard enough to make her wince. She whirled to face Wade Hendricks in uniform.

“Sorry,” he said, hands raised. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

She still had her keys in a death grip, pointy end ready.

“Please don’t hurt me,” he teased.

Natalie dropped her hand, feeling self-conscious. She couldn’t defend herself against a man Wade’s size.

“I’m sorry,” he said again and crouched to help her. “I shouldn’t have made fun of you. The key thing is good. Pepper spray is better.”

“What if I’d sprayed you? Isn’t that assaulting an officer?”

He handed her a book. “I’d let it slide.”

She unlocked her car and put the books inside.

“Studying martial arts?”

“Marcus is. Where did you come from?”

“The coffee shop.” He gestured across the street, where his squad car was parked. “I thought we could sit down for a minute to talk.”

She didn’t have time for coffee. “Can we talk here? School gets out at two thirty.”

“Sure,” Wade conceded.

They sat down at a nearby picnic table in the library’s outdoor garden. It was quiet and sun-dappled, the trees lively with birdsong.

“Are you all right?” he asked.

She didn’t feel the need to explain her jangled nerves. “I’m fine.”

He leaned toward her, his voice low. “I tracked down Billy last night. He was with Gabe Luna and two girls at the Lookout on Temple Heights Lane. They were all drinking. One of them was your neighbor. Brooklyn, or something.”

“London.”

“That’s her.”

Natalie shook her head, sighing. The news didn’t surprise her. “She’s my son’s babysitter.”

“I took the girls home because they weren’t old enough to drink.”

“Neither is Gabe.”

“I know. For the record, he didn’t admit to being involved in the mailbox incident, but he went pale when I mentioned it.”

She blinked in surprise. “I don’t believe it.”

“Billy didn’t act alone, Natalie. He had help.”

“Not Gabe.”

Instead of arguing with her, Wade moved on. “I told Billy I’d arrest him if he went anywhere near you. The Night Owl is off-limits too. You probably don’t have to worry about him coming to the library. Reading isn’t his strong suit.”

She smiled wanly. “Will he listen to you?”

“If he doesn’t, he’ll be sorry. I want you to call me if you see Billy or Gabe in your neighborhood or if anything out of the ordinary happens.”

She weighed this advice. “Gabe wouldn’t hurt me or Marcus.”

“He’d hurt your mailbox.”

“Are you sure?”

“It’s hard to be sure without evidence. I can ask your neighbors if they have video. Lots of people do these days.”

Natalie twisted her hands in her lap. “If he did it, I don’t want to know.”

Wade squinted into the distance. “You should set up a door camera for extra security. I can do it for you.”

“I’ll think about it.”

“Speaking of home security, let’s talk about the stranger you’ve invited to live with you.”

“Let’s not.”

“Natalie, come on. You’re too kind and trusting for your own good. You think Gabe Luna needs a hug instead of jail time.”

She stiffened at the criticism. “You should worry about your brother. If anyone belongs in jail, it’s him.”

Wade fell silent for a moment. He seemed ashamed of the family he’d been born into.

His father and brother were bad people. She wondered why he’d stayed in Last Chance instead of moving away to join another police force.

His mouth twisted as he considered his next words.

“Why didn’t you call? After that night?”

“Why didn’t you?”

“I thought you needed space.”

“I did.”

“Less than I figured, apparently.”

“It was a mistake. We both know that.”

“No, we don’t.”

She gaped at him in shock. He’d fled her bedroom like it was on fire. “You couldn’t get out fast enough.”

“I didn’t leave because I regretted it,” he said in an even tone. “I left because you were still grieving Mike.”

Heat rose to her cheeks.

“It’s not a big deal,” he said, referring to her slip of the tongue. “I don’t blame you for missing him or for needing more time. I wanted to be patient and let you come to me. I thought we could try again when you were ready.”

Her mouth dropped open.

“I can see that I should have communicated this to you.”

“I had no idea.”

He stared at her in taut silence.

She realized that Wade Hendricks had been waiting for her, and she’d never had a clue. “You brought a date last night.”

“I didn’t go home with her.”

She doubted he’d been abstinent since their hookup six months ago—and she didn’t care, regardless. A sense of calm settled over her. She wanted Jason, not Wade. “This might have made a difference if you’d told me earlier.”

“Now it’s too late?”

“Yes.”

Wade’s lips thinned with displeasure. “Are you sleeping with him?”

She stood abruptly. “None of your business.”

Wade stood with her, his tone conciliatory. “You just met this guy. He walked into town like a drifter. He could be a criminal or…evading child support. Why don’t you let me run a background check on him?”

“Absolutely not. He’s a war veteran, not a criminal.”

“There are men who pretend to be veterans. Men who prey on war widows.”

This statement gave her pause. Something was off about Jason, but it wasn’t that. “You’re paranoid.”

“I told Mike I’d take care of you.”

“Do you think he’d approve of the job you’ve done so far?”

His brow furrowed. “I’m sure he wouldn’t.”

She crossed her arms over her chest, contrite. “I’m sorry. That wasn’t fair.”

“It was fair.”

She wished she could take the question back. She watched while a middle-aged woman got into the green van and drove away. Then she broached another unpleasant subject. “Your father talked to Jason last night at the VFW.”

“What did he say?”

“He said he wanted Billy’s brass knuckles back.”

Wade dragged a hand down his face.

“He claimed they’re a family heirloom.”

“They are.”

“That’s appalling.”

“Yes.”

“He basically accused Jason of theft and told him to leave town.”

“What do you expect me to do, arrest my dad for being an asshole?”

She gave him an exasperated glance. “I didn’t ask you to do anything.”

“Good, because I’m not sticking my neck out for your new boyfriend. He looks like he can take care of himself.”

She sighed heavily. “I have to go get Marcus.”

“All right,” he said, squaring his shoulders.

Although the conversation hadn’t gone his way, he wasn’t the type to dwell on disappointment.

He’d never had trouble getting dates, either.

He was one of the most eligible bachelors in town, hotly pursued by single women.

“Call me if you need me. Think about installing a security system, and buy some pepper spray.”

“I will.”

“Be careful, OK?”

She appreciated his friendship and his honesty. She wanted to express her affection, so she stood on tiptoe to kiss his cheek. He flinched at the gesture, as if her kindness stung more than her rejection. “You too.”

Although she was a few minutes late to Walnut Elementary, Marcus wasn’t waiting in the usual spot.

She stood on the sidewalk while a dozen other parents arrived and left.

She tapped her fingertips against her arms, starting to worry.

She was about to go to the office to inquire about him when he raced toward her with a lopsided grin.

His backpack was askew, his jacket dangling. She accepted his tackle-hug warmly.

“What happened to you?”

“I forgot my lunch box. I had to go search for it.”

This wasn’t an uncommon occurrence. He misplaced his jacket, backpack, water bottle, or lunch box on a weekly basis.

“I was worried,” she said, kissing his head.

“Because of the firecrackers?”

“Yes.”

They walked toward the library, talking about his day. He chattered about an art project and a game he’d played.

“Did you move your clip?”

“Just to yellow.”

“Marcus…”

“Yellow isn’t bad, Mom. It’s medium.”

“Will you try to stay on green?”

“I always try.”

She knew he did. They climbed into her car, where Marcus studied the martial arts books with interest. Some days, she felt exhausted by the responsibilities of single parenting.

Other days, she was deeply contented by it.

Marcus was so precious to her. Without him, she wouldn’t have survived those grim weeks after Mike’s death.

“Can Jason teach me how to fight?” Marcus asked.

“He might be busy.”

“Doing what?”

“Fixing the upstairs apartment.”

“He can take a break.”

Natalie fiddled with the radio, noncommittal.

She appreciated Jason’s suggestion about tai chi, but she was reluctant to encourage Marcus to spend time with him.

Jason’s future plans were uncertain. He had a job lined up in California.

Sooner or later, he would leave. As much as she hated to admit it, Wade was right.

It was better—for all of them—to maintain an emotional distance.