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H onor was still floating on cloud nine when she entered her sister’s house. Okay, maybe cloud nine was rating her encounter with Gray too low. She’d call it cloud fifteen at least.

Her purse hit her bed, and she spun on her heel, humming to herself as she headed to the kitchen.

The day had been amazing.

Her time with Gray left her feeling light and alive in ways she hadn’t in…well, forever.

And then working with the vets had been unexpectedly fulfilling for her soul. Seeing those men unwind and relax… some of them had even laughed…it stirred her and gave her a renewed sense of purpose.

She always hoped her jewelry would incite joy and excitement in people, but the class was so rewarding in a different way.

Even her time spent talking with Gray’s sister today had been fantastic, full of real conversation and laughter. Since making the choice to come to Willowbrook, everything in her life seemed to suddenly fall into place.

So why did something feel…off?

Honor turned toward her bedroom.

When she entered the space, a cool draft washed over the back of her neck, and that was out of the ordinary. As she headed to her room, her brows knit.

At the threshold, she stopped as her gaze took in what had been off to her. The window—it wasn’t quite shut.

Stepping closer, her frown deepened. That didn’t make sense. She hadn’t opened it. And Felicity never would have, not in the summer. They ran the air conditioning, and they were both careful about conserving energy. They never would have left the window open.

Carefully, Honor crossed the space to inspect the window. The lock was intact—not broken. The screen was still there too. No one had tampered with it.

Maybe she really had opened it but forgot?

No, no. Rationalizing wasn’t working, and her heart was only hammering harder.

With a firm hand, she pushed down the window and locked it. She started to turn away but swung back, testing it twice before walking out.

She tried to push aside her unease and focused on fixing dinner. Chopping onions, paring carrots and stirring them in oil to get a fragrant mix didn’t help settle her nerves. She continued to work, adding the vegetables to a stock pot and then mixing up her sister’s favorite dish—dumplings.

The chicken had already been baked the night before, and she located the sealed container in the refrigerator. When she straightened up, she saw someone standing there and jumped.

Felicity had entered through the door linking the kitchen and garage. She let out a laugh at Honor’s reaction to seeing her. “Jeez. You must have really been in the zone not to hear me come in.”

She drew her lip between her teeth and worried it back and forth.

Felicity stopped laughing and her eyes widened, fixing a serious look on Honor. “You okay?”

“I…I’m not sure.” She set the container of chicken on the counter so she could face her sister.

Felicity looked at her harder.

“Something was weird with my bedroom window.”

Her sister’s eyelids fluttered with surprise. “What was weird about it?”

“It’s probably nothing.” She grabbed a dishtowel and wiped her hands. “It’s just that it was cracked open, and I don’t remember opening it. Maybe it didn’t latch all the way last time?”

Even as she said it, she knew she was still trying to fit a reason into something that made no sense whatsoever. At least not the kind of sense she was trying to force it to be.

Felicity could have been mistaken for a statue in the Willowbrook park. Her skin paled, making her freckles stand out in stark relief.

“Felicity, you’re scaring me.” She took a step toward her sister, and Felicity moved suddenly, swiping her fingers through her sun-streaked hair.

“When I was taking out the garbage earlier today,” she said slowly, “I’m positive I saw his van.”

Her stomach bottomed out. “Whose van?”

Her sister didn’t have to say it. She already knew. Her ex.

“Where?” Her voice was a croak.

“In the alley behind the house. It was only sitting there a second, then it was gone.”

A shiver ran down her spine. She couldn’t make sense of this. Sully had absolutely no reason to come to Willowbrook. The small town didn’t have anything to offer him.

Besides, he couldn’t be looking for her. Why would he rethink the end of the relationship when it had been bad for so long?

Felicity exhaled noisily. “I think we should move your van into the garage. I’ll park in the driveway from now on.”

She could only nod stiffly, her body on autopilot as she finished the meal she had no appetite for now. The unspoken worry settled between them, and they hardly had anything to say.

By the time they sat down to eat, the atmosphere wasn’t just quiet. It was thick.

Honor’s phone buzzed on the table. When she glanced down at the screen, a soft, involuntary smile spread across her face.

Gray.

Thinking about you.

Her heart gave a funny hitch, followed by a trickle of warmth that stretched over her nerves like a calming balm.

Felicity caught her reaction and smiled, breaking the tension in the air. “What’s that smile for, hmm?”

She shook her head, but Felicity wasn’t letting it go.

“It’s Gray, isn’t it? Let me guess. It’s something ridiculously sweet.”

“He says he’s thinking about me.”

Her sister let out a low whistle. “Damn. It’s only been a few days too. You must have put a spell on him.”

The rightness of a message from Gray stood out in stark contrast to everything with her ex. With Sully, she’d always been waiting around for him to show her that he cared.

With Gray, there was no question.

Warmth bloomed inside her. She quickly texted back. Thinking of you too.

But the unease sat there, a question hovering like a gray raincloud over the exchange with her lover.

She sent him another message. Can I run something by you? Wondering if I’m overreacting…

Her phone vibrated, but it wasn’t with a text message.

Gray was calling.

Her breath caught. The immediate action from him was kind of…hot. Her stomach flipped at the way the man operated without hesitation.

She answered. “Hey.”

“What’s going on?” His question filled her ear and made her pulse hum with a fresh wave of unease.

She exhaled, running her fingers through her hair. “It’s probably nothing, but…”

“Tell me.”

The command in his tone sent another shiver through her, a mixture of pleasure at how protective he sounded and the fear that her ex was hanging around but not making himself known.

So she told him. The window. The van. The nagging feeling she couldn’t quite shake.

The entire time, Felicity sat back in her seat, unmoving, not eating the dish she loved so much.

Gray didn’t hesitate now either. “I’m on my way. Right now.”

Her stomach wobbled. “Gray, you don’t have to—”

“I’m on my way.”

The sheer, raw finality in his voice made her throat dry out.

“Lock all the doors and windows. Don’t open the door for anybody but me.”

The line went dead.

Honor lowered the phone to the table and stared at her sister, who was gaping back at her with total shock on her face.

“What’s going on?”

“He’s coming over. He told me to lock all the doors and windows and don’t let anybody in but him.”

Her sister gripped the edge of the table. “It sounds like you got yourself a serious man.” She pushed the chair back and jumped up. “We better do what he says.”

Honor barely registered what was going on as she went through the motions of checking all the windows and doors in the house. As much as Gray’s protectiveness thrilled her, an icy cold crept into her bones.

What if she wasn’t overreacting at all?

* * * * *

Gray didn’t hesitate. The minute Honor told him something felt off, he was out the door and behind the wheel of his truck, his gun secured in the glove box.

He wasn’t the type to overreact.

But neither was she.

He may have known her just a couple of weeks, but he knew one thing. Honor wasn’t someone who sought out drama. In fact, she was practically Xanax in human form, she was so calm and easy to be with.

It was hard for him not to be affected by the quiver he detected in her voice. If she was freaked out, something was wrong.

The drive was a blur of headlights and worst-case scenarios playing through his mind. By the time he pulled into the driveway, his jaw ached from being locked for so long.

Before he moved a muscle to get out of the truck, he took in his surroundings. Without turning his head, he checked the side mirrors as well as the rearview for sign of anything strange, and especially for a van.

Then he swept a look over the front of the house, focusing on the front entrance, the windows that faced the street and the garage. Nothing looked out of place. Felicity and Honor kept the home tidy, without even a trash can in view for someone to hide behind.

The thought of a man hiding behind a trash can while lying in wait with plans to ambush Honor or her sister made his hands snap into fists.

He got out of the truck and approached the house, his footsteps quiet on the brick paver sidewalk. When he rapped on the front door, it opened immediately. Honor stood there wearing the same clothes from her day on the ranch. Her hair being tied back off her face and the strains of worry around her full lips were new, though.

A mixture of relief and unease swirled in the depths of her blue eyes.

“You okay?” His quiet question seemed to be swallowed by the evening sounds of crickets in the nearby bushes.

She stepped back to allow him inside. He entered, closing the door behind him and locking it.

Felicity gave him a nod of greeting, but she remained silent and let Honor handle things.

“Mind if I have a look around?” He shifted his stare from her to Felicity. They both shook their heads, and he set off through the space, sweeping every corner and closet. Luckily, he came up empty-handed.

“All clear,” he informed the ladies when he returned to the living room. I’m going to check the perimeter now.” He pulled a flashlight out of his pocket. “Stay inside. Lock the doors behind me.”

Honor’s eyes were wide with concern. Gray turned toward the door, but she reached out and grabbed his arm.

Gazing down at her, he saw what she needed—reassurance.

He took her hand and squeezed it lightly. Her fingers were chilled, and he chafed them briefly. “I’ll be back.”

She gave him a small nod and stepped away. Once he was outside, he listened for the click of the lock before switching on the flashlight. With measured steps, he searched every corner of the property. It was small, the perfect size for town life, but nothing compared to the acreage he was used to living on.

In the back, he carefully checked behind every bush, shining the light through the foliage and against the foundation of the house. He continued on, searching every shadowed corner. His eyes were trained for catching any disturbance even in the dark.

In the back alley, he approached a small round object, already knowing it was a kid’s ball abandoned in some game. Then he rounded the corner and set off along the front of the house.

The low shrubs beneath one window—a bedroom from what he could tell—gave Gray pause. He crouched to examine a few snapped branches. When he straightened, he examined the window frame.

Small gouges and scrapes marked the frame.

He never doubted Honor’s claim about the window. But this was proof.

Cold fury throbbed in Gray’s temples. A chunk of steel sank to the bottom of his stomach.

Someone had tried to force the window. He leaned close to the glass pane, cupping his hand to block all light from other houses on the street, and peered inside. When his gaze washed over the small room, he spotted something familiar—a crocheted sweater that he just knew, with everything in him, belonged to Honor.

Her ex being in town, sighted by her sister and even Honor herself, was no coincidence.

Gray finished his sweep of the perimeter and returned to the front door. When he knocked, Honor was there to open it immediately, as if she’d been waiting just behind it.

He met Honor’s gaze. The tension thickened.

“You weren’t imagining things.”

Felicity let out a gasp, and Honor’s face drained of color. He locked up and guided the ladies to the cozy sofa. He wanted to tuck Honor close to his side but didn’t know how accepting she’d be of that, so he remained standing.

“What did you find?” Felicity asked.

“Tool marks around the window frame, indicating someone tried to force entry.”

“Someone tried to break in?” Honor’s voice wobbled as she repeated what he said.

First, he needed to calm the women down, then he’d gather more information about what was going on. He already had ten plans in place. Most of them involved getting his family’s security company involved.

“Do we call the police? What do we do?” Her eyes were familiar enough to him by now that he noted the fear in the depths that he’d seen back at the post office.

“I’ll make the calls in a minute. I’m going to stay here tonight. I’ll sleep on the couch.”

“On the couch?” Felicity echoed.

“I’ve got my gun. I have everything I need.”

Felicity tipped her chin up. “You don’t have to sleep on the couch if you and Honor want to make another arrangement. I’m no prude.”

He met Honor’s stare, waiting for her reaction to her sister urging them to share a bed.

If we do, I won’t be able to keep my hands off you.

She gave him a faint nod as though she understood and maybe even felt the same way. “We’ll figure that out. What do we do now?”

“I’m going to step out and make those calls. Lock the door—”

“Behind you,” Honor filled in the rest of his statement. She stood and drifted to the door, Felicity trailing along in their wake. Before he slipped outside, he noticed the way Felicity eyed Honor, then jabbed the air with her fingers to indicate that she would leave the room and give them some privacy.

Shaking his head, Gray stepped out into the driveway and dialed Carson. Swinging toward the house, he took in the faint glow of lights from inside. His heart gave another angry squeeze.

He could have just as easily phoned his brother from inside, but he didn’t want to alarm the women with anything he had to say.

Carson answered on the first ring. “What’s up?”

“That was quick.”

“Maybe I’m waiting for your answer about my job offer.”

“Funny you should bring that up. I need to bounce this off you.”

“I’m listening.” The sharper edge in his brother’s voice told him that he was picking up the vibes Gray must be putting down. Hell, he felt the thick anger coming off him in waves.

“I’m at Honor’s place.”

“The woman you were in bed with this afternoon?”

He scrubbed a hand over his face. “Fuck. Does the whole family know? Forget I asked. Look, this isn’t about my personal life. Someone tried to break into the house she lives in with her sister. The window was open when she came home.”

“You think the person took off when she got there?”

“Possible. Or he was just trying to scare her. Let me pose this scenario to you. She and her sister both think they’ve spotted her ex in town. Apparently, the guy drives a very distinct-looking van that we don’t see a lot of around here.”

“Where’s this guy living?”

“They lived four to five hours away from here. They broke up, and Honor came to live here.”

“Doesn’t sound like a coincidence.”

“As far as I know, there’s no reason for him to be in this area.” Gray relayed everything he knew—about the van, the window and even Honor’s claim that she felt things were just…off.

“It’s definitely a significant distance to travel to just drive around and not make contact with her. Could be stalking.”

“That’s what I think.”

“This sounds dangerous.” The harsh tone of his brother’s voice reminded Gray that Carson’s fiancée Layne had also had a stalker. One who kidnapped her after his obsession with her went too far and there was nothing left to lose.

He clamped his hand into a fist and turned slowly in a circle, taking in the night sounds and assigning them to their source. One noise out of place, a single footstep, and he wouldn’t hesitate to take action in the name of protecting Honor.

“You need security cameras everywhere. A doorbell cam and new locks too. Small town like this, I wouldn’t be surprised if the sister has a key hidden that could have been found and duplicated.”

He groaned. “I hadn’t thought of that. Thanks for bringing it up and putting me even more on edge.”

“You have to stay one step ahead of this guy. Or whoever it is.”

“That reminds me. I need you to inform the police, but I don’t want them coming over here to question Honor or Felicity tonight. Can you make that happen?”

He snorted. “Can I make that happen? I’m a goddamn Malone. I can make almost anything happen.”

Gray rarely considered the amount of wealth he and his siblings had accumulated in the years since their old man died and they sold the ranch in Texas. Since then, an almost obscene amount of money seemed to build itself around every one of them, the family amassing a fortune that kept growing.

None of them threw around the fact that they had enough money to buy people out if it came down to it. But it reminded Gray the option was there if he needed to tap into it.

“I’ll pull every string I can. Maybe someone else noticed this guy. And I’ll send Colt out with the supplies you need. He can help you set things up.”

“Tomorrow morning will be soon enough. I’m going to spend the night here.”

“Gray, how much do you know about this ex of hers?”

“Not nearly enough. I’m about to go back inside and learn everything about him that I can. Then we can run background checks.”

“Great minds think alike. You’re actually a natural at this, Gray.”

“Yeah, yeah. You can save your sales pitch about the job. I know where to find you if I’m interested.”

Carson huffed out a low sound of amusement. “Gray, one more thing.”

“What’s that?”

“You sound invested.”

He didn’t need to ask his brother what he meant by that. His heart gave a hard squeeze.

“I am.” And unlike those on the USS Valor Heights, he refused to fail Honor.

“I’ll get started on this.”

He ended the call and went back inside. Honor and Felicity huddled together while he relayed information about the security system he and his brother would set up first thing in the morning.

“Thank you, Gray. We both feel safer with you here.” Felicity touched Honor’s arm. They exchanged a look, then her sister drifted down the short hallway leading to the back of the house.

She was barely out of view when Honor took a rushing step toward Gray…and threw herself into his arms.