Page 109 of Family Jewels

A small grin tipped the corners of his mouth. “Jed.”

“But Neely Kate—”

The grin was gone. “I don’t give a damn if those two were goin’ at it with bayonets. I don’t know what’s goin’ on with Wagner and Reynolds, and there’s no one else I trust to protect you like Jed will.” He studied my face, and his expression softened. “You good with that?”

He’d done this for me. He knew I felt safer with Jed than I would with someone else. The knowledge sent a shiver down my back. I tried to convince myself that it meant nothing. Last winter he’d made sure to put his most trusted man in charge of protecting me, but at the time he’d been protecting his business asset. What was he protecting now? “Other than you, there’s no one else I trust more with my life.”

His eyes changed, and I saw a longing that hadn’t been there before. My nerves tingled. He was going to close the distance between us and kiss me; I was sure of it. But that poker face of his slid into place again. He gave me a small nod, then stood and moved to the doorway. “You’ll need to drive your truck to your office, but it’s been moved. Now that you’re up and ready, I’ll tell Jed to come get you in fifteen minutes. Once he takes you to your truck, you’ll need to head to your office. You’re usually there around nine, and if you’re out at your farm changing clothes, people will notice you’re straying from your normal schedule.”

I stood too. “Can I take a quick shower?”

“You don’t need one,” he said, his voice low. “You smell—” But he cut himself off and stalked into the house.

“James.”

He turned around to face me. “Take fifteen minutes, but then we have to go. Your life depends on it.”

I shook my head. I’d spent months living in jeans and a T-shirt, with ponytails and no makeup. Why worry about what I looked like now? The forecast for today was hot and sunny, so if I was working outside, I’d be sweating long before noon. “No. Just tell Jed to come get me.”

Because the only person I wanted to impress was walking away from me.

Boy, was I stupid or what?

Chapter 23

Neely Kate lookedup in surprise when she saw me walk through the office door. “Hey.”

Muffy was curled up on her dog bed next to Neely Kate’s desk. I made a beeline for her, then knelt beside her and rubbed behind her ears. “Hey, girl. Did you miss me?”

She was wagging her tail so hard I worried she’d dislocate something.

“I gave Muffy half her medicine,” Neely Kate said. “She seems more alert today.”

She did look a little perkier. “Thank goodness.”

“I’m surprised to see you here.”

I ran a hand down Muffy’s back. “We decided it would be safest for me to go about my business.”

“So Skeeterdidkill Raddy.”

I shot her a glare. “No. He swore he didn’t. And what would that have to do with anything?”

“If he was protecting you because of what Raddy knew, and one of his guys took care of the problem, then he eliminated any threat. You don’t need to be under twenty-four watch. Besides,” she continued, “if that man cares about you half as much as I suspect he does, then he wouldn’t let you out of his sight if he thought you were in danger.” She searched my face. “Did you ask him if he killed Raddy?”

“Yeah, and I already told you that he told me no. His guy found Raddy facedown on his car, shot in the head.”

“So how is it that you’re here now? He wouldn’t leave you alone.” By sheer coincidence, that was the exact moment three raps landed on the back door. Her brow furrowed. “No.”

“Now, Neely Kate . . .” I said as I moved to the back.

“That better not be who I think it is.”

This was about to get ugly.

I stood in front of the steel back door and looked out the peephole at Jed’s distorted face. I let him in and then closed and bolted the door behind him.

Jed pushed past me, all business as he stood in the short hallway and scanned the office space. “I’m going up to the roof to make sure nothing’s amiss up there.”