Chapter 5
Nina threw herself into what was left of the work day, doing her best to forget the man who kept drifting through the shop. Her day might’ve gotten off to a rocky start, but she could wrap it up with a smile and happy attitude.
A warm breeze blew through the front door, carrying the salt of the nearby ocean and the yeasty aroma of the Bread Basket bakery next door.
Though it was uncomfortable for her, Boone had kept his word. He’d been conscientious all afternoon, staying out of the way and yet somehow never letting her feel alone. He was present without being domineering or anything else she might’ve expected a bodyguard to be. He’d even carried plants back and forth when Connie and Lila, the grandmother and granddaughter co-owners of the bakery, needed some advice about a wilting peace lily.
“Are you feeling better?” Molly asked.
“Yes.” Boone was currently somewhere outside of the shop and she could breathe a bit easier when his sexy masculine scent wasn’t crowding her. “I’m sorry for being awful. It’s been such a weird day, though that doesn’t excuse my foul mood.”
“Not your fault.” Molly grabbed a broom to clean up the debris around her work space. “I can’t imagine how I’d feel in your shoes. ”
“You’d be taking it all in stride,” Nina replied confidently. “You’re one of the toughest women I know.”
Molly froze, hands locked around the broom handle. “You mean that.”
Nina thought Molly might be on the verge of tears. “Of course I do. You’re a single mom building a great life for your son. Why do you doubt yourself?”
Molly chuckled. “Probably because I’m the single mother of an active little boy.” She resumed her sweeping. “Some days the smallest decisions feel gigantic. Without Aunt Sharon and you and the rest of the island I’d constantly be wading through a puddle of panic.”
“That’s just not a picture I can see when I think of you.”
“Are you nervous about this whole thing?” Molly wondered. “I mean, if you need a bodyguard at least he’s polite. And handsome.”
“The anxiety attack speaks for itself,” Nina said. “I’m not thrilled that the police think I need protection, but we’ll get through it. Boone seems nice enough and he’s not constantly underfoot.”
That was as far as she’d go with singing praises about the man she never expected to see again.
Molly glanced around and lowered her voice. “He seems into you.”
Nina couldn’t let her assistant fall down that romantic rabbit hole. “He’s supposed to be attentive.” She might’ve said more, but a commotion near the door caught her full attention.
Her shoulders locked up and her heart lurched until she recognized Lila chatting with someone on the sidewalk. A moment later, her friend came into the shop, still wearing her bakery apron. Her dark red hair was gathered into a top knot, with stray curls framing her face. Her gaze was full of concern as she hurried into the design area.
“Nina! I just heard.” She set a bag on the work table and pulled Nina into a hug .
Over Lila’s shoulder she saw Boone walk inside. “Heard what?” She suspected Boone had been chatting with store owners on the street, asking them to keep an eye out for the criminal she’d caught on video.
Lila stepped back. “About the incident this morning,” she said, confirming Nina’s suspicions. “How are you holding up?”
Other than being a nervous wreck and utterly crabby? “I’ve had better days.” What an understatement. “Just be careful, okay. I didn’t mean to bring trouble down on all our heads.”
Lila planted her hands on her hips. “That is a load of crap.”
“She’s not wrong,” Molly added.
“Boone shouldn’t have stirred up worry.”
Lila shook her head. “I heard about it from Travis, since Jess put him on standby. And Gram just heard about the carjacking on the news.”
She would not collapse or complain. In the long run, it was probably for the best that the entire island would know what happened and why there was a new face lurking over her shoulder. But she could regret that Lila’s fiancé was involved. Like Boone, he was a Guardian Agency protector, but he and Lila shouldn’t be worrying about anything other than settling in and planning their wedding. “I wish I knew what to say.”
“I’ll say what matters. You’re a hero,” Lila stated. “Without you stepping in, that guy might’ve gotten away.”
She didn’t feel like a hero. All she’d done was take a video. A video that might have put her family and business in danger. Maybe going into hiding until the escapee was captured again was the better option. If Jess could hide her somewhere from Boone too, that would be the best .
“Don’t worry about us,” Lila said. “Boone warned me he might show up. We have Travis, of course. Trust me, he’s told Gram and me what to do if we see anything suspicious.”
“That’s…good.” What else could she say?
Lila’s gaze sharpened. “Do you need to talk?”
She shook her head as Boone walked into the design room and Molly slipped out front to help a customer. “I’m glad you have Travis.”
“The more people aware of the risk, the better,” Boone said. “The best security is often an alert community.”
She realized he was right. Even though that meant more people were aware of her current dilemma. Grapevine gossip was a powerful force in Brookwell, but most of the chatter in this instance would be backed with a healthy concern. “As long as he doesn’t hurt anyone else.”
“With your video, I’m sure they’ll find him fast. Then we can all relax again. Enjoy the treats!”
Nina appreciated Lila’s confidence as much as the bag of pastries she’d brought over. She watched her friend leave, admiring her breezy way with everyone and longing to be that comfortable again.
Surely, she would be once Boone was done here and off to another case.
At last, the front door was locked, the closed sign in place, and Molly was headed home. Boone had her set up a temporary code for him on the security panel and then she had to deal with reality.
Nina looked up into his handsome face. “I suppose you need to come home with me?”
“That’s the job,” he reminded her. “At the very least, I need to do a walk-through. Then, if it’s better for you, I’ll keep watch from the truck. ”
What a ridiculous idea. Job or not, she’d been raised to be welcoming. She could practically hear the scolding her mother would dish out if that got around. And it would.
“Come on upstairs.” Though she wanted nothing more than to be alone, she opened the door to the stairway that led to her apartment above the flower shop. It wasn’t Boone’s fault he didn’t understand the rumor mill or her persistent effort to avoid it.
“I thought this was a closet.” He trailed after her, his heavier footsteps landing on the treads a half-beat after hers. A strange syncopation that reminded her of how exciting it had been dancing with him.
She wasn’t afraid of him—never that. More afraid that her self-control would snap the moment they were alone and she’d throw herself at him. The inevitable conversation loomed large in her mind, overshadowing nearly everything else.
Everything except the carjacker.
At the landing, with the soft evening light pouring through the window, she unlocked the door and started forward. Boone touched her arm and she stilled as the heat of his touch sizzled across her skin.
“Let me go first,” he said.
He was working and she was infatuated. Not good. She wanted to wallow a little in the unfairness of it all. One-night stands were supposed to be just that—one and done. Why did the universe throw him back in her lap and on the worst day of her life, no less?
She waited just inside her door, watching him scour her home. Her stomach growled and she realized she was starving. Opening the bakery bag, she inhaled a blend of sweet aromas. Lila had given them blueberry muffins and thick chunks of her grandmother’s famous strudel. Good friends were the best.
“All clear,” Boone said .
Her mouth was too full of blueberry goodness to reply, so she simply walked in and kicked the door closed. Before she could throw the lock, Boone was there, handling the task himself.
“Muffin?” She held out the bag. He’d better choose quickly or she was likely to wolf down all of them on her own. “I’m suddenly starving.”
“Same,” he admitted.
He was watching her with a slow smile that was too familiar. That was the smile she’d been drawn to. Not pushy or overconfident. Not sly or assuming. Just a sexy expression that made her want to move in close.
Yanking herself out of the memories, she moved away from the table under the window toward the fridge. “I can fix dinner for us.”
“You could,” he agreed. “Or I can go down and grab something. A couple food trucks out there looked interesting.”
“Sure.” Nina gladly supported the food trucks that came out to the island. In the name of community engagement, of course. “That’s a great idea.”
Her parents had been serious about preparing their kids for the real world. They’d taught her and her brother how to cook—not just the basics—but Nina found cooking for only herself a challenge. For whatever reason her mind did not equate food trucks with restaurants, but it hadn’t taken long for her hips to decide the effect was the same.
Still, what difference would one more take-out meal make? Especially after the day she’d had.
Besides, his absence would give her a few minutes to get her head screwed on straight.
“That’s all you’re going to give me?”
“Oh! Of course not.” She dug into her purse for her wallet. He was her bodyguard, not her boyfriend. Bad form to assume he’d buy .
“Money isn’t what I meant, Nina.”
She didn’t care for the way he stared at her. He was clearly annoyed and yet there was a heat in his eyes that set off fireworks in her belly. She fought to keep her voice even and her hands to herself. “I’m obviously missing something here. What exactly do you mean?”
The words didn’t come out as polite. She sounded prim and patronizing.
“Nina.”
“Boone.”
She could finally let down her guard and be honest with him. There wasn’t anyone around to overhear a conversation now and be shocked that they’d met weeks ago.
Except that seemed like one hurdle too many today.
Her stomach growled. Maybe it was best to wait and save honesty for after dinner.
His expression cleared in a hurry. “Food. I was asking about food.”
She didn’t quite believe him, but she wasn’t about to deny the reprieve. “Right.”
“Any allergies?”
The question seemed bigger than this conversation. He’d said he wanted to know her. Could she handle that? “No allergies,” she replied.
“All right. Any preferences?”
Automatically, she looked for her phone before recalling it was with the police. “Do you remember which trucks are here today?”
“Burgers and sliders, Greek food, and empanadas.”
Thankfully, she knew all three of those menus. The chicken empanadas—usually her favorite—didn’t sound good tonight. “I’d like a lamb gyro with Greek salad, please.” She hesitated. “Do you—”
His eyes clouded over again. “No, I don’t want your cash.” He turned for the door. “Lock this behind me. And open it when I come back.”
“You’ll have the food, so…”
With a shake of his head, he walked out. She threw the lock, listening at the door until his steps faded.
In the sudden quiet, she wanted to call her mom, but she couldn’t. The closest phone was downstairs in the shop and she could just imagine how frustrated Boone would be if she did that without clearing it with him first.
She finished off her muffin and stored the rest of the pastries for later. Then she set the small table with plates and napkins, ignoring the domesticity of it all. If she could get through this sticky situation and come out the other side with a friendship with Boone, that would be enough.
It was certainly more than she’d ever anticipated.
The knock on the door startled her. “Nina, it’s me.”
She hurried over and let him in. He held a stack of three containers with a bag balanced on top. The smells were heavenly.
“You got fries,” she said as he set everything on the table.
“Enough to share.”
“You’re my favorite person,” she gushed. “What do you want to drink?” She rattled off the list of options ranging from water to beer.
He chose water and she poured glasses for them both.
Sitting across from him brought a fresh wave of awkwardness, but it was quickly muted by the food. They ate in an easy silence, sharing the fries, until they’d polished off every bite.
She sat back, feeling better than she had all day. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
He stared at her expectantly. “Sorry I’ve been so difficult today.”
“It’s been a helluva day,” he agreed. “Are you sorry for walking out on me?”
She closed her eyes. Still feeling exposed, she covered her face with her hands. One deep breath and a few uneven heartbeats later, she dared to look at him once more. Sure enough, he was waiting patiently.
“You’re right. I owe you an explanation.”
She didn’t feel one hundred percent convinced of that. What they’d shared was wonderful. And inherently temporary. They’d deliberately refused to share names. At least she had.
He sighed before she could find the right place to start. “You don’t owe me anything. Especially if it’s this hard for you.”
She couldn’t fault him for being perturbed. Her feelings then and now were a jumble, impossibly tangled up with her memories of the best sexy night of her life.
“I’m not going to walk away while you need protection, Nina. No matter what you say, until Jess moves me to another case, I’m here.”
The reassurance seemed to be exactly what she needed. Which might not be fair. “Thank you. Everything is off. Unbalanced, you know?”
He frowned. “Because?”
She paused, gathering her thoughts. She didn’t want either of them to be hurt—emotionally—from this unexpected reunion. “We were on even footing that night.” No need to clarify which night. “Having fun, possibly too much fun, with a stranger.”
“You said that’s not your normal routine.”
“The one-night-stands? No. I do love to go out and enjoy good music. I know how to have a fun night that doesn’t end with sex.”
“Great sex,” he said.
“Agreed.” Apparently, her quick reply was exactly what he needed to hear. His frown lifted and he almost smiled. That was just fine. She couldn’t handle the full force of his real smile right now. “I just want to be clear that I don’t make a habit of hopping into bed with every cute guy I meet on the dance floor.”
“Cute?”
Had she managed to bruise his ego? “You don’t like cute?”
“Cute is for button noses. And puppies. Maybe frat guys.”
Funny, she found him all sorts of cute and adorable right now. “Frat guys? Um, no.”
He chuckled. “Cute is also for that face you’re making.”
Now she was chuckling with him. “I’ll make a note.”
This was exactly why she’d wound up in bed with him that night. He was special, able to converse and laugh and make her feel as if she was his sole focus during a casual conversation or out on the dance floor.
In bed.
She yanked herself away from those memories again. “You’re really good at putting people at ease.”
His eyebrows lifted. “And that’s a bad thing?”
“No, not at all. It must help with the job.”
“Yes.”
“You didn’t mention your line of work when we, um, met.”
“Neither did you.”
It hadn’t seemed relevant at the time. She grinned. “Why does this suddenly feel like a first date?”
He studied her closely as he sipped his water. “Maybe that’s how we should look at it.” He set the glass on the table, his fingers tracing the condensation. She couldn’t tear her gaze away from the way his hands moved. “We have a second chance to explore something that could be special. Obviously, we like each other.”
“Obviously? ”
His response—one she was eager to hear—was cut short by a loud buzzer. “My doorbell,” she explained.
“Is there a camera?” He spun out of his chair, shifting so swiftly into protector-mode it stole her breath
“N-no. Just the intercom.” She bristled under his glare. “There wasn’t any reason. No one shows up after hours. Anyone who visits, sends me a text when they arrive.”
“But you don’t have your phone.” He moved to the door. “Wait here and—”
“Lock the door,” she finished for him.
With a brisk nod, he pulled a handgun from under his shirt as he left. Had he been hiding that all day? She hadn’t noticed at all. He really was good at being discreet.
She waited near the door, trying to remember the cost of adding a camera to the security system. It couldn’t be too much. Everyone seemed to have them. Living over the business and keeping the early hours that she did, there hadn’t been much point. When she socialized in town, it was at the Pelican, with her parents at their place, or with friends. Her place was perfect for her, but too small for any serious entertaining.
Hearing Boone’s relaxed voice, she knew the visitor had been cleared and she opened the door, ignoring his disapproving glare. But the sight of Jess turned her skin cold and clammy. Nina recognized Jess’s official cop face. Whatever news brought her over tonight wouldn’t be pleasant.
When they were inside and the door locked once more, Nina urged everyone toward the seating area that divided the kitchen end of the apartment from the two bedrooms.
“I brought you a phone.” Jess extended the device. “It’s a different number, but I set up forwarding for you. I also added the contact information for your parents, Nash, me, Boone, and Celeste. Along with Molly, Henry, and your primary supplier.”
“Wow, thanks.” It was a bit unnerving how much Jess knew about her life and business. “What else do you need to tell us?”
Jess gave her a sheepish smile. “I forget how good you are at reading people.”
“People I know, anyway.” She didn’t feel like she could read Boone well at all. “Did they catch the carjacker?”
“Not yet,” Jess replied in her all-business tone. “We have a name and more insight, though.”
“And more indication of a threat?” Boone asked.
“Unfortunately, yes.” Jess sat forward. “The carjacker’s name is Bob Spratt.”
Nina felt dizzy. Spratt had been on trial for a double homicide. His eventual conviction had been all over the news a few years ago. “I can’t believe I didn’t recognize him.”
“It’s been five years and you were in the middle of a crisis,” Jess soothed. “I didn’t recognize him either.”
Nina’s fingers dug into a pillow. “You didn’t live here then.”
“No, but—”
“This is bad, isn’t it?” She glanced at Boone. He was scowling at his cell phone, probably looking up Spratt’s criminal history. What she remembered of the case was enough to give anyone nightmares. A career criminal, Spratt had escalated from petty theft to assault to murder. The police suspected him of several homicides, but only convicted him in the last case. He’d been sentenced to life without parole, trading a death sentence for information on other cases.
Jess nodded. “Prison hasn’t reformed Spratt at all.”
Boone whistled. “He escaped while on a work release. With his record, that’s a dumb move. ”
“Obviously,” Jess agreed, her voice tight. “He’s got a reputation for cruelty and he rose to power among the criminal set by making an example of anyone who tried to undermine him or failed to carry out an order to his satisfaction.”
“You make him sound like a mob boss,” Boone observed.
Jess tipped her head to agree. “He had that kind of attitude. Those delusions. I can’t say he’s a mastermind, but he’s clever and determined. The car he stole after the van has yet to be found.”
Boone’s scowl deepened. “Meaning my presence isn’t an exercise in precaution anymore. You believe he will come after her.”
“I do, yes,” Jess said. “According to the research team, that’s the prevailing theory. This guy doesn’t leave loose ends. The video with his face and name is all over the news tonight. It wouldn’t be without Nina. She caught him committing a crime. Everything in his past indicates that he will try and make an example of her.”
“Safe house?”
“We have to consider it,” Jess replied. “I’m looking into the options.”
Nina felt as if she was several steps behind Jess and Boone. “Wait a minute. What are you talking about?”
“Your safety,” Boone said. “At a safe house we can put better controls in place until they have Spratt in custody again.”
“Odds are good he will figure out where to find you.”
“Boone is here.” She was a champ at stating the obvious. “Isn’t that enough?”
“He’s one of the best,” Jess assured her. “First and last line of protection. I’ve already called in some additional support, in case you weren’t interested in going to a safe house. ”
She thought of her business, her friends. “I don’t want to put anyone in jeopardy.” It would break her heart if her actions got someone else hurt.
“We don’t have any reason to think that’ll happen. He doesn’t know you, not really. His history is to be more direct.”
Maybe it was dumb, but that made her feel better. “Then I’m staying. If he knows where to find me, the authorities know where to look for him.”
Jess and Boone stared at her at length, but they didn’t argue with her.
“Can we make sure there’s someone looking out for Molly and Henry?” They were the two people most likely to get caught in any of Spratt’s potential revenge.
“Absolutely,” Jess stood. “I’ll update everyone and take care of it.”
“Thanks.” She gave her future sister-in-law a hug. “I appreciate everything you’re doing.” Stepping back, she excused herself. “I’ll let you two sort out the official details. I’m going to clean up and go to bed. Boone, make yourself at home.”
Ducking out and escaping the conversation Jess had interrupted was definitely cowardly. But it was only for tonight. Based on the news, she and Boone would have ample time to talk while they waited for the police to capture Spratt.