Page 17 of Protecting Clove (Loved by the SEAL #5)

C love missed Bud, but he was busy. She shouldn’t get her hopes up about the man.

She may have feelings for him, and him giving her a key might mean something if they were more than friends.

He was just the guy who lived next door, nothing more.

Other people might want to read something into his actions, but she knew there wasn’t anything to what had happened.

If she got too excited about seeing him, it might jinx her.

She would play it cool and calm when she saw him instead of acting like a fool.

She had a few more days left teaching before summer started. She was looking forward to spending the summer with Neo, though she really liked her job.

The last of the students had left, and she was finishing set up for the next day when the door opened. “Did you forget something?” she called out without looking up.

“Only how pretty you are.”

Clove spun around, seeing Keith standing in the classroom. His voice sent a chill through her, but seeing him made her stomach turn. How had he found her? She thought he was in Georgia, and now here he was.

“You should have stayed with me. Now you’re going to pay for leaving.”

Clove glanced at the table in front of her. The only knife near her wasn’t sharp since it was a butter knife. If she was in a savory kitchen, she would have loads of knives at her disposal but they rarely needed big pokey knives at the ready in the pastry kitchen.

“You shouldn’t be here.”

Keith shook his head. “No, Clove, you shouldn’t be here. You should have stayed with me.”

“How did you find me?”

His lips curled up into a cruel smile. “It took some convincing, but that woman who worked in the office at the place in Colorado told me where to look.”

Shock coursed through her. She wanted to ask what he’d done, but she knew it couldn’t be good. Keith was especially mean when he wanted to be.

“You’re sick.”

He shook his head. “No, you’re sick leaving me like you did. Our little girl needs a father.”

“No! You had no interest in me sticking around and you had no interest in Neo. You just want to use me and use Neo.”

“Give me some money and I’ll leave.”

It always came back to money with him. He didn’t want her or Neo in his life. “No.”

“I don’t think you’re in any position to turn me down. I’ll just take Neo, and you can pay to get her back.”

Anger rose, and she had to clench her fists. “You’re not getting close to her.”

“Wanna bet? I’ll follow you, and she will be mine.”

Clove froze. She had to do something to keep Keith away from her child.

Neo would be destroyed if this bastard got her.

He’d never expressed any interest in her and didn’t know how special she was.

It pissed her off that Keith could show up here and think he had any right to Neo. The bastard didn’t even know her.

“No! You won’t come close to Neo because you don’t know her. You will never know her.”

The door opened, and the security guard stepped in.

Relief filled her. She’d met Rickey the first day she’d come to work here and spoke to him every day since.

Rickey was young and fit. This was his second job because he wanted to save money to open his own boxing gym.

The man was intimidating and had been a boxer for over a decade.

“Anything wrong, Miss Cook?” Rickey asked.

“Leave!” Keith yelled without even turning to see who’d walked in. That was one thing she hated about Keith. He thought people would just obey him because he wanted something.

Rickey shook his head. “I don’t think so. I think you’re the one who is going to leave now.”

Keith spun around, obviously expecting someone who wasn’t young and fit. She noticed Keith jerking back, trying to get out of Rickey’s reach. She would have laughed, but Keith being here in California worried her.

“You’re leaving,” Rickey growled. “Either in cuffs or on your own, but you’re leaving. Now, come on. It’s time for you to go.”

For a second, Clove thought Keith wasn’t going to comply, but he must have some sense left in his head because he didn’t argue and left with Rickey.

The sigh of relief slipped out, but panic rose quickly. Keith was here in California. She would have to be careful. If he followed her from here, he would find Neo. That wasn’t an option. He couldn’t have access to her daughter. No way would she ever let him close to Neo.