Chapter 29
Jo
My heart flipped when Adam came in, right until it sank when I registered his demeanor. Not frazzled or concerned or even happy to see me. Just still. Calm.
But not calm in the serene way he made me feel when we sat on the couch and chatted, or the stillness that fell between us after a kiss.
This was different. The readiness in his posture spoke to the warrior side of him, and though he was a medic, he was absolutely a warrior, too. Sometimes, I forgot that. It was like forgetting Captain America wasn’t just an altruistic sweetheart who looked great in his uniform and knew how to wield a vibranium shield. He was also a deadly fighter and a superhuman.
And okay, yes, I’d recently watched some Marvel movies, and yes, Adam reminded me more than a little bit of Chris Evans’ bearded Cap.
Point being, this Adam Carter walked in with a subtext that read you can take the man out of the Army but the operator never leaves the man.
These thoughts flew by in a matter of seconds as he approached me where I was reorganizing our local-author shelf.
“Hey, did you talk to Dahlia?” Nerves knotted in my stomach as I searched his face for a clue or some crack in his preternaturally calm demeanor.
“Just stopped in. She called the girl who was working when the order was taken, so we’ll know more soon.”
His gaze felt heavy and purposeful as he surveyed me like he was checking for injuries, almost, and then he wrapped me in a hug. I slipped the book I’d been holding on to the nearest shelf behind him and hugged him back, resting my head against his shoulder.
He was so solid and built in a way that called to me. He was thoughtful and safe, and he smelled so good I had to stop myself from inhaling the scent of his skin.
We pulled back and he pressed a quick kiss to my cheek. “I’m going to bring you lunch later. Until then, I want you to stay in the store, hang with your dad, and I’ll be back in a few hours.”
“Is something wrong? You seem… something. I don’t know what, but you’re different.” There was no point in pretending this was normal—his solemn vibe or the way he’d just lightly ordered me to stay put.
His gaze softened and one side of his mouth slid up into a smile that made me want to kiss him. Though to be fair, most things kind of made me want to kiss him. Now that we’d broken the seal, there was no going back.
“Just focused on figuring things out. I don’t know for sure what’s going on, but I’m going to know a lot more in a few hours, and I just want you safe.”
The slow uptick in my pulse skyrocketed. “You think I won’t be safe leaving the store?”
He dipped his head and leveled our eyes. “You’ll be safe in the store because I have someone from Saint outside at all times now. Your dad’s here with you. And I’ll be back soon.”
I swallowed hard. If he felt like the store needed a guard, a professional bodyguard, this was worse than I’d feared.
“Okay. So… go, and then come back,” I said, my voice a little wobbly with adrenaline.
His eyes tracked between mine for a split second, and then he hauled me in for a hot, quick kiss before releasing me. “I’ll be back.”
In seconds, he was out the door, and I followed, glancing out the glass there to see Beast settling against the wall to the right of the doors. He dipped his chin when he noticed me, and I returned the gesture.
“That man is intense with you.” My dad came to stand next to me and gave Beast a friendly wave.
I chuckled. “That man is intense with everyone.”
“Well, true. I meant Adam.”
He waited for a moment, and I sifted through what he might mean. “Is that a bad thing in your mind?”
I couldn’t exactly tell him Adam was legitimately concerned for my safety.
Or maybe I could.
Maybe it was time to be honest.
Dad’s brows knitted together, and he scraped a hand over his graying beard. “I’m not sure. You’ve got so much life and vitality, and I can’t help feeling like he’s just so focused on you—like you’re his purpose. It’s not unlike Wilder is with Sarah at times, but they’ve got such history. I just wonder if he’s able to enjoy all of you, and the same goes for you with him.”
I glanced at the door to make sure no customers were about to step in, then drew him farther away so no one would overhear if they happened to pop in.
“I need to tell you something.”
Worry painted his face with lines. “Are you okay? Is he hurting you?”
“No! Gosh, no. Not at all. He’s wonderful. But the intensity you’ve noticed is for a reason.” A wave of nausea rolled over me as I began to explain. “I have a stalker.”
His eyes bulged. “What? How did this happen? Are you in danger?”
I set a hand on his arm. “That’s what Adam and the guys at Saint are trying to figure out. He asked Beast to hang out to deter anyone who might be up to no good, which I’m thinking means he has reason to believe the guy might be in town.”
A different kind of sick feeling invaded now—not one born of nerves and a small thrill at telling my dad, but one directly rooted in actual fear.
A crush of both kinds of anxiety flooded me as I finally said it out loud. “I’ve been publishing books as Josie Wade.”
He blinked, then looked to his right, toward the romance section. “Josie Wade.”
I nodded. He knew the name because we kept my books stocked thanks to my book club’s love and their proselytizing other readers to give them a chance.
The serious expression melted into one of wonder. “Josephine, that’s wonderful. That’s simply amazing! You’re so well loved by your readers. You’re—” He held my shoulders, then hauled me in for a hug. “You’ve been doing this for years now.”
Throat tight, I managed, “I have.”
“Why wouldn’t you tell me? And all your friends? They’ll be thrilled to know it. We’ll do signings and launches and?—”
“Dad, there are a few reasons I’ve kept this close, and they’re mostly still in play. One that’s developed over the last year or so is that Josie Wade started getting letters from a fan that turned into something more.”
He sobered and his voice emerged just above a whisper. “And now, this person is stalking you?”
My bottom lip trembled like an unruly child completely ignoring the reality that if I started crying over this, I likely wouldn’t stop. “Seems like it. I got flowers yesterday afternoon, and I told Adam thank you for them when he got to your house last night. We started putting pieces together, and that’s why he was so serious.” Weirdly, I felt the need for him to understand Adam could be intense, yes, but mostly, he was thoughtful and kind and forthright. “He can be really fun and he makes me laugh. He seems to like when I laugh. And he’s the only other person in the world who knows about Josie.”
“You trusted him to tell him…” His throat bobbed.
“He found out accidentally. I wouldn’t have told him, but I have to admit I’m so glad it happened. And I’m so glad I didn’t keep it to myself until something bad happened.” I was choosing to believe that now that Saint Security had gotten involved, this would end without anything other than me stressing out. There had to be a way to resolve this.
“I’m glad he’s involved, and Wilder. They’ll figure this out. They do amazing things and they’re highly trained. I know they’ll figure it out.” He glanced toward the door again. “And in the meantime, we’ll stay here in our little bookish world, and you can tell me all about what it’s been like to publish books.”
I grinned at his determination to distract me from the problem and turn toward something good. If only I thought Elizabeth would be able to celebrate with me instead of feeling disappointed.
But Dad was one person who mattered, and maybe this was a small step toward being more open with my family and friends and everyone…. Right after we figured out how not to make it even more dangerous.