The Engagement (McIntyre Security Bodyguard #17)

Chapter 1 – Mack

Even as I’m making my security rounds through Clancy’s Bookshop, I always know Erin’s exact location.

Whether she’s at one of the check-out counters in the front of the store or in the back inventory room, I know exactly where she is.

When she’s out on the floor shelving books, I know it.

When she’s helping a customer find something or even dealing with an asshole, I know it.

It’s like I have extrasensory perception where she’s concerned.

She’s not just the manager of the bookstore. She’s the love of my life. And that’s why I’m here. It’s why I’ll always be here.

I work hard to keep things low-key in the store.

I don’t want her to know I watch her like a hawk because that would make her feel self-conscious, and that’s the last thing I want.

She already feels self-conscious enough as it is.

Erin’s always been shy, but the attack two years ago obliterated what little confidence she had.

Right now, she’s straightening the shelves in the Mystery section.

I watch as some smarmy fifty-year-old in a business suit strikes up a conversation with her. This jackass is at least twice her age. I don’t want to jump to conclusions, but my gut instinct has the hairs on the back of my neck standing tall.

Maybe this guy’s just asking her to help him find a title. Or maybe he’s asking her to recommend a book.

Or, maybe he’s hitting on her.

My pulse picks up as I move in closer.

Unfortunately, she has guys hitting on her quite often. Honestly, I’m not surprised. She’s so damn appealing. She’s petite, soft-spoken, and gentle, and she has the prettiest smile I’ve ever seen. Her blue eyes contrast dramatically with her pale complexion and chin-length dark hair.

A lot of guys take one look at her and see a young woman they think they can dominate. I see a vulnerable young woman who survived hell and lived to tell the tale. Just looking at her makes my chest tighten.

I watch the interaction between Erin and this guy who’s chatting her up. I don’t like how close he’s standing. Or the way he’s looking at her—like he wants to eat her up.

I study her body language, looking for signs that I need to step in. I try to give Erin as much space as I can. I don’t want to baby her or smother her, but I won’t tolerate some asshole disrupting her peace.

At first, she seems relaxed enough, comfortable and unconcerned. The guy asks her a question, and she smiles and nods. Yes.

He asks her another question. Her smile falters as she shakes her head. No.

When he asks her a third question, her eyes widen and she steps back, emphatically shaking her head. No!

That’s my cue.

I’m already on the move, heading down the aisle I’m currently in to round the corner and head up her aisle. She’s walking away from him, but the guy’s following her, still talking. And she’s still shaking her head. When he reaches out to grab her arm, she pulls away.

Oh, hell no!

Anger burns through me as I catch up to them. It’s all I can do not to punch him in the face right there and knock him out cold. “Erin!”

She stops and turns, and the instant she spots me, she smiles in relief. “Mack!”

I walk right past the guy, intentionally knocking him off balance, to get between them. As I face the asswipe, who’s sputtering in indignation, I glance back at Erin. “Are you okay?”

She steps close and grabs the back of my jacket. “Mack, I’m fine. Just forget him.”

I glare down at the guy, because yeah, I’ve got a good six inches on him. “What the hell is your problem? The lady said no. Now, walk away.”

I’m willing to give this guy a chance to do the right thing. I don’t want to think the worst of every man who looks at Erin. But where she’s concerned, my patience is thin.

He cranes his head up to meet my gaze. “What the hell is your problem? I’m speaking to her . Mind your own business.”

“Well, now you’re speaking to me ,” I say. Part of me hopes he does something out of line so I can kick him out of the store and ban him from returning. “I’ll be happy to help you—”

“Forget it,” he sneers as he turns and walks away, muttering, “Stupid bitch.”

I’m sure as hell not letting him get away with calling her that. I lunge after him and grab him by the back of his suit jacket collar. “Out now,” I growl as I march him to the doors. He tries to break free, but I have an ironclad grasp on him.

When we reach the doors, I push them open and shove him out onto the sidewalk. “If I see you step foot in this store again, I’ll call the cops and have you arrested for trespassing.”

“You’re a fucking asshole, you know that!” The jerk flips me the bird as he storms off.

When I turn, I see Erin standing nearby, watching warily. “What did he say to you?” I ask her.

She looks away, as if she’s embarrassed to say.

“He asked me if I work here, and I said yes. But then he started asking me personal questions. When do I get off work? Would I like to go out for a drink with him tonight? ” She shudders.

“But don’t mind me.” Erin runs her hand down my sleeve and snags my hand.

“I’m sorry if I overreacted. He just wouldn’t take no for an answer.

I can’t freak out every time a stranger talks to me. ”

“Hey.” I brush back her hair. “You have nothing to apologize for. You’re entitled to react any way you want.” I pull her into my arms and hold her close, rubbing her back.

Erin has come so far. She’s made great strides taking her life back after the assault. Therapy has helped. And of course she has a strong support system—me, Beth, Sam, Haley, Lia, and the employees here at the bookstore.

Erin pulls away when her phone chimes with an incoming text message. She checks the screen, and her expression immediately brightens. “It’s Haley. She’s asking if she can come over this evening. We can do some online browsing to get dress ideas for her Homecoming Dance.”

I smile at my daughter’s impeccable timing. I’m planning to sneak out this evening to take care of an important errand. And that’s where Haley comes in. I asked her to come over tonight and distract Erin while I’m out.

“Homecoming Dance? ” I say, going along with the ruse. “So soon? God, don’t remind me.”

My daughter is in her final year of high school. After she graduates, she can date Philip Underwood. That’s the agreement we all made—Haley, Philip, Haley’s mom, and I. And I am so not ready for this. Haley’s my baby .

Phil’s a really good guy. That’s not the problem. The problem is he’s twenty-six, and she’s only seventeen. He’s a grown-ass man—all six-foot-four-inches of him—and she’s still a teenager.

“Actually, tonight would be perfect,” I say, getting back to the subject at hand. “Shane asked me to go out for a drink with him this evening.” Shane McIntyre, my boss, is in on the plan, as is his wife, Beth, who’s coming with me. “Haley can keep you company.”

Erin texts Haley back and receives an immediate reply. “She says Dave will drop her off at our building at six-thirty and wants to know if you can take her home later.”

“Sure, that’s no problem.”

Haley’s stepfather, Dave, is a pretty decent guy. We get along well. Her mom, Chrissy, met Dave when they were students in law school, and now they’re both practicing attorneys. Chrissy is a civil rights attorney, and Dave is a prosecutor for the city of Chicago.

“Looks like we’re all set for tonight,” Erin says as she tucks her phone in her pocket. “I guess it’s back to work for me.” She rises up on her toes, and I lean down, so she can kiss me. “See you around, handsome.”

While Erin gets back to work, so do I, keeping one eye on the store and the other on her.

When I get a chance, I text Beth McIntyre, who’s upstairs in her office.

Me: We’re all set. Haley is coming over at 6:30. Meet me at the jewelry store at 7?

Beth: Perfect. See you there.

Me: Thx

I’m going to propose to Erin O’Connor, but I need an engagement ring first. I’ve asked Beth to help me pick one out because she knows Erin better than anyone else—besides me, that is. But I need a woman’s opinion.

Haley adores Erin, and I think she’s as excited as I am at the prospect of the two of us getting married. Erin will finally become her official stepmom.

The rest of the afternoon passes without incident. I don’t have to chase off any more admirers hoping to ask Erin out on a date. The sooner I get that ring on her finger, the better. Maybe it will deter would-be suitors. She can just flash her ring, and hopefully they’ll get the hint and move on.

After work, we head home. Shortly after we arrive at our apartment, the doorbell rings. I go to the door to let Haley in.

She glances around the living room to make sure we’re alone. “Is everything set for this evening?” she whispers.

I nod. “Beth is meeting me at the jewelry store at seven.”

Haley grins as she claps her hands together. “Eeek!” she whispers. “I’m so excited. When are you going to pop the question?”

Before I can reply, Erin walks into the living room, followed by our fluffy, rescued calico named Lizzie, after Erin’s favorite book heroine, Elizabeth Bennet of Pride and Prejudice fame.

“Haley!” She gives my daughter a hug. “I’m so glad you could come over tonight. Mack has plans, but you and I are going to order in food and have a girls’ night. What sounds good? Pizza? Chinese? Mexican?”

While the girls decide what they’re going to order for dinner, I disappear into our bedroom and raid Erin’s jewelry box.

She has a number of cherished rings she inherited from her grandmother.

I slip her favorite one into my pocket so I can take it with me to the jewelry store.

This ring fits her finger perfectly, so the jeweler will be able to use it to determine her ring size.

After I hug Haley goodbye and kiss Erin, I head out on my secret mission, with Erin none the wiser.

* * *

When I walk into a jewelry store on N. Michigan Avenue, I immediately spot Beth McIntyre and Sam Harrison looming over a display case. Sam’s pointing through the glass at something, talking, and Beth is nodding.

Beth and Sam are a package deal. She doesn’t go anywhere without him, unless she’s with her husband, Shane. Sam is her full-time bodyguard—a perk that comes from having a very wealthy, and very protective, husband who owns a security company.

Shortly after the two of them met, Beth was attacked and beaten nearly to death at the university library where she worked at the time. Since then, Shane doesn’t take any chances with her safety.

“That’s the wedding band I’d want,” Sam says as he points out a man’s solid gold band.

“Classic, no-frills. And I’d want Cooper’s name engraved on the inside, of course.

It should say Property of Cooper .” He winks at Beth.

“It’s an inside joke. Remember that when Cooper asks you to go ring shopping with him. ”

“You’re so sure he’ll ask me?” she says.

Sam makes a duh face. “Of course. Everyone wants your opinion.”

Beth laughs. And then she notices me approaching and gives me a huge smile. “Mack!” She pulls me in for a bear hug. “Are you ready for this?”

“You bet I am.” I scan the shop, taking in dozens of glass display cases. Everywhere I look, I see sparkling gemstones of every color imaginable and lots and lots of diamonds. Feeling more than a bit overwhelmed, I look to Beth for some much-needed advice. “So, where do I start?”

Beth holds out her hand. “Did you bring one of Erin’s rings?”

“Yes.” I dig it out of my pocket and hand it over.

Beth looks at the ring and then waves over a sales assistant. “Would you mind sizing this for us, please?”

“Certainly,” the young brunette says as she takes the ring. “Just one moment.”

While we’re waiting for the sales assistant to return, Beth walks me over to one of the display cases.

“We got here early, so I had a chance to look around. I think she would love one of these.” She gestures to a grouping of diamond rings on display.

“Erin would like something simple. She’s not flashy, and she doesn’t like trendy.

She likes classic .” Beth points at a slender gold band set with a small, round diamond. “Like this one.”

The sales assistant joins us at the display case. “Size six,” she says as she hands me the ring. “What exactly are you looking for?” She gazes first at me, and then at Sam, who’s looming behind Beth.

Sam points at me. “ He is looking for an engagement ring for his girlfriend.”

The sales associate—Kaitlyn, according to her name tag—turns her attention to me. “Do you know what type of band you’re looking for? Silver? Gold? White gold? Rose gold?”

“I think gold,” I say. “Most of her jewelry is plain gold. I think she’d prefer that.” I turn to Beth for confirmation, and she nods.

“Do you like any of these?” Kaitlyn asks as she points to a display of diamond solitaires mounted on slender gold bands.

I stare at the rings. The diamonds are all sizes and shapes, from round to oval to square. Large ones, small ones, and everything in between. It’s a bit overwhelming.

“How about this one?” Sam asks as he points to a round diamond. “It’s classic and well-balanced.”

It’s not huge and it’s not small. It’s right in the middle. “That looks good,” I say. But I defer to Beth.

“Erin and I wear the same size,” she says. “I can model it for you.”

While Kaitlyn pulls the ring out of the display case, Beth removes her wedding band and diamond ring and hands them to Sam for safekeeping. The saleswoman slips the ring onto Beth’s finger.

“What do you think?” Beth asks as she models the ring.

I think it’s pretty, but what do I know? “Do you think she’ll like it?” I ask. “That’s what matters.”

Beth gives me a teary smile. “I guarantee she’ll love it, Mack.”

“Then I’ll take it,” I say. It’s simple and classic, and I know that’s what Erin likes.

My chest tightens. Getting my ring on Erin’s finger will put me one step closer to my goal of becoming her husband.

Sam pats me on the back. “Congratulations, man.”