Page 6 of Spotted at Lighthouse Bay (Spotted Cottage #4)

Gravel crunched under the tires as he pulled into the driveway. Rick stopped the car and Adelaide sat up with a quick breath.

“Sorry,” she said. “I think I dozed off for a second.”

Must be nice, sleeping so easily. “No problem.”

He shut off the engine and opened the door, the cool evening air rushing in. A two-story house towered above with tall windows and knotted wooden accents. Trees bowed overhead, the hush of the wind blowing through the leaves, the ocean a whisper in the distance.

For this moment, he was suspended at the edge of the world. This was perfection. Peace was in reach…

The car door slammed and he snapped back to reality. He should’ve opened it for her.

“Home sweet home,” she said, taking a deep breath. She paused, looking at him. “Where were you going to stay if Russell didn’t have room?”

“I’ve got a sleeping bag,” he said, walking to the trunk.

Her brows shot up. “That can’t be comfortable. Sleeping on the ground?”

“On the ground, under the stars.” He paused. At least he had a view then, being up all night. “Depends how you look at it.”

“Optimistic.” She touched her pointer finger to her nose. “I like that, Rick. We can always use more positive attitudes around here.”

The last time he’d been optimistic was when he’d signed up for the army at eighteen. Rick kept it to himself. Life was a game of knowing when to speak up – or, more aptly, knowing how often silence was the right choice.

“Sure.”

He opened the back and pulled out two duffel bags. Normally he traveled lighter than this, but they’d told him to be ready to stay a while.

Adelaide stared at him for a moment, then walked to the front door. “Hopefully this will be more comfortable, even if you can’t watch the stars. In exchange you’ll get a toilet, and heat, and mandatory games of charades every night.”

If she was kidding, she didn’t betray a smile. He followed her, eyeing the property.

She pushed the front door and he walked into the open space. The kitchen was clean lines and granite. Straight ahead was a wall of glass with a view of the sea. A telescope and soft couches framed the view.

Rick had never wanted anything to do with fame. It seemed to seep into people’s minds and destroy whatever humanity they had, one ego burst at a time.

But this? Was there a way to get something like this without selling out?

Sheila and Russell sat at the kitchen island, Sheila’s face lighting up when she saw them. “You’re finally back! What took you so long?”

Adelaide smiled. “You know how it goes. Mom was hungry. She needed groceries. Then she wanted to know how the bus worked, in case we can’t drive her where she needs to go. And she needed to know the price of a manicure.”

“Uh huh,” Sheila said. “Then she wanted to tell you about her horoscope?”

It had actually been about a dream she kept having, but close enough.

Adelaide laughed. “Pretty much.”

“Terrific.” Sheila shook her head. “I almost felt guilty I wasn’t nicer to her. Almost .”

“That’s the cycle,” Adelaide said with a sigh. “I managed not to snap at her, so I’ll take that as a win.”

“Incredible. Let me get you a glass of wine.”

Russell stood, arm outstretched. “Can I help you with your bags, Rick?”

“I’m all right, thanks,” Rick said. “You have a beautiful home. I appreciate you letting me stay here.”

Russell waved a hand. “Please. You’re more than welcome. As long as Adelaide is in trouble, you’re the guest of honor.”

“I’m not in trouble,” Adelaide called out, empty wine glass in hand. “I’m in danger . Allegedly.”

“In danger,” Russell corrected. He frowned. “Thinking about it, I’m not going to kick you out if you manage to keep Addy away from danger, though, so…”

“What he’s trying to say is that you’re a welcome guest, Rick,” Sheila shouted over her shoulder. “Can I get you something to drink?”

Rick shook his head. “I’m all right, thanks.”

“Would you like the tour?” Russell asked.

“I would, yes.” Rick scanned the room. A bowl of oranges on the counter. Family pictures on the walls. Not nearly gaudy enough for a Hollywood star. “Do you have a security system?”

“I do, but to be honest, I never figured out how to use it.”

Sheila walked over. “Russell! You told me you got it working.”

“I thought I did, but turns out I was just flipping through the settings every night.”

She shook her head. “Unbelievable.”

“We’ll need to address that,” Rick said. “I’ll also need to walk around the property to see if there are any vulnerabilities.”

Sheila crossed her arms over her chest. “The biggest vulnerability is Russell forgetting to close the door. Last week I came over and it was wide open. Blowing in the wind.”

Russell laughed. “That was bad, but in my defense, Patty had told me Eliza had just pulled a cinnamon apple cake out of the oven and she needed someone to try it.”

“You left the door open because of cake?”

Russell shook his head. “I left the door open because of Patty .”

Seemed fair. Though Marilyn ruined every quiet moment with her demands and musings, Patty was the one Rick needed to watch. She was the gravitas granny.

He looked down. Was that what this job would end up being? Assessing grandma threat levels?

“Should we do the walk-through now?” Rick asked.

“Sure.” Russell nodded. “We’ll drop your bags off and start upstairs.”

“Do I have to come along for the walk-through?” Adelaide asked.

Rick looked at her. She was perched on a stool at the kitchen island, a glass of white wine in her hand. He didn’t want to disturb her, but… “It shouldn’t take long.”

She nodded, smiling brightly. “Okay!”

“I’m coming too!” Sheila said, rushing over. “I don’t want to be left out.”

Rick followed Russell up the stairs and dropped his bags in his room. He had a private bathroom and a window with a view of the ocean through the trees. Above the bed, a deep window cut through the ceiling. He’d still have a view of the stars.

They wove through each room, checking window locks and dark corners while Adelaide and Sheila chatted behind them. Outside, they walked the property line down to the shoreline. Sheila made a video call to Russell’s daughter, Mia, and asked Rick to say hello.

“I’ve never met a bodyguard before!” Mia said, waving and smiling.

He nodded. “Hello.”

He never knew what to say when people commented on him being a bodyguard. In truth, it wasn’t so different from being in the army. Hurry up and wait. Boredom randomly interrupted by terror.

Hopefully there wouldn’t be any terror this time. He needed this job to stay easy. Enough of a challenge to keep him sharp, but not enough to rouse his nerves. The confidence boost might be all he needed to get back to normal. To himself.

If anyone suspected him of being less than capable, they didn’t betray their thoughts. The trio followed Rick as he walked on, inspecting the dock on Russell’s property, then returning inside to set up the security system.

It was more advanced than he’d expected, and impressive in a way. Russell didn’t know what he had going for him.

He was busy fiddling with the keypad when Sheila offered him a glass of wine.

Rick didn’t look up from the security keypad. “I don’t drink on the job.”

Or ever, but that wasn’t for her to know or for him to explain.

So much of life was knowing what to keep private.

That was what most people were missing. Talking too much, telling everyone their problems. It was probably half the reason Marilyn got scammed.

The lady couldn’t stand birds getting a chance to be louder than she was.

He shook his head, forcing himself to focus. Even if this job wasn’t high stakes, he couldn’t keep letting his mind wander. He had been hired for a reason, and he was going to do it to his own standard.

Once the alarm was set up, he took a seat on the couch.

Sheila asked him to join their game of cards, but he declined.

It was never a good idea to get too comfortable with the clients.

They should get comfortable with him – view him as part of the scenery, even – but he always needed to be on guard.

When Adelaide announced she was retiring for the night, Rick walked her upstairs and cleared her room before shutting the door.

Inside his own room, he opened the window. Clean, crisp air blew in. He closed his eyes, breathing deep breaths. A good end to a long day.

Rick broke away from the window and took a shower. It was a fancy thing, white marble and glass walls. The shower head sprinkled above him like a summer rain, relaxing his muscles.

After the shower, he laid in bed and stared at the ceiling. The stars had been blocked by clouds.

The next morning, he woke with a start when he heard Adelaide’s shower kick on. He got dressed quickly and stood outside her bedroom door.

She screamed when she opened it and walked into him.

“Sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to surprise you.”

“No, I’m sorry. I never knew it was so easy to sneak up on me until now.” She smoothed her hair with her hand. “How’d you sleep?”

He could only remember one nightmare, and he’d gotten at least three hours. “Pretty well. And you?”

“I had a weird dream about someone following me. I guess I’m more creeped out by the threat than I realized.” She rubbed the back of her head. “Would you like some breakfast?”

“I’m fine, thanks.”

The company had provided him with a credit card for his expenses. He’d grab something on the way or eat a protein bar from his bag.

She turned, walking down the stairs. “I make a mean breakfast sandwich. If I made one and left it in front of you, would you leave it there? Or would you eat it?”

“Uh…”

“Would you waste a sandwich, Rick?” She leaned in, forehead creased. “Or do you have some dietary restrictions I should know about?”

“No, but –”

She spun. “One sandwich, coming up!”

He sighed and followed her to the kitchen. She had four slices of bread in the toaster and a frying pan heating up within seconds.