Chapter Ten
Ten
Justin
Iclocked everything about Colomba Dance Academy within minutes. I drove around, circling the exterior and made thorough mental notes—the back was a narrow alleyway with a small dumpster. In front were large gleaming windows, signage with a simple, sleek logo and an elegant font and a soaring dove nestled inside the curve of the C, plenty of lighting around the lot, plenty of foot traffic. I casually made my way inside and was able to take in the layout of the lobby and most of the main dance areas. Then, on the walk to Olivia’s office, I found where the changing area and restrooms were, a small break room, and what looked to be a storage space, as well as a rear exit. Two doors, two security panels, no cameras. Not gonna work. What it did have going for it was its bright, open location on a busy street not too far from the university campus.
I’d also made quick mental notes about the people inside. Mostly students, mostly young girls and a few young women. No surprises there. The couple of young men probably shouldn’t have surprised me, but they did. Still, they seemed harmless enough, engrossed in their lessons.
There was a blonde teaching in one room and a brunette in another, and of course the young girl with the skittish eyes at the front desk.
And Olivia Creed. Wrapped up in a black leotard and tights with a black filmy skirt, her hair in a messy bun, and her face pink and shiny with exertion. She was beautiful.
When she called me out for being an asshole? Fucking glorious.
I tucked that wayward thought as far away as I could and called out a cheery goodbye and a thank you for everyone else’s benefit before scooting out, but not before the brunette dance teacher popped her head out in the hall and eyed me up and down.
“Who are you?” she demanded, her gaze moving from me to Olivia, then back with clear interest.
“Justin,” I said, maintaining my friendly cover and offering my hand. “An old friend of Olivia’s.”
“Olivia’s...” Her expression cleared as something obviously clicked. “Friend. Right.” Her smile bloomed like she was in on some kind of joke. “Of course.” She took my hand and shot her pal a grin. “She’s told me so much about you.”
“She has?”
“Of course. I’m her best friend, Whitney, by the way.”
I nodded, filing that bit of info away. “Nice to meet you.” I stepped toward the door. “If you’ll both excuse me, I need to get going. I’ve got some things to do.”
Whitney nodded, still taking me in like she knew something I didn’t. “Sure thing. See you later.”
I offered them both a quick salute, then strode out, giving the quiet girl at the front desk a nod.
Outside, I hopped into my grandpa’s 1987 Chevy truck that I’d traded out with my Porsche at home when I packed my bag. Figured it would work better for the whole down-on-my-luck story.
I put the truck into gear and rolled out to head toward Olivia’s place, my cab full of supplies I’d picked up on the way. Camden Creed had basically given me carte blanche on an unlimited spending account for his sister’s safety, and I’d already purchased a few items. Had a few more ideas as well. He’d just given me the go-ahead that morning, reiterating that he didn’t care about the cost, but I would still be emailing him full invoices and updates on every penny spent so there were no questions.
And first thing on the agenda? Making my presence known.
I rolled up into her driveway and slammed my truck door, making sure to take my time in the front yard, looking around, hoping to be seen by anyone who cared to see me. I checked the mail, pulled a few weeds from her small flower bed, coiled up her errant hose, and waved at a couple of cars as they passed by.
When it was all quiet on the street, I hustled around to the side gate and let myself into her backyard, keeping my eyes open. I’d already looked her house over, but I did it again without her there to distract me with her sweet scent and big amber eyes. My plan solidified in my mind as I bent to retrieve the key from under the mat.
I let myself in and steeled myself against the gut punch that I knew would come when I inhaled. The place did smell of her, but also of the remnants of a syrupy breakfast. Elizabeth’s high chair sat askew next to the dining room table, a bib hanging over the side, a few errant Cheerios left on the tray as if she was saving those for next time.
I moved farther into the living room with its bright windows, heading toward the front door so I could go grab my stuff from the truck. I stopped short at the wall of family photos. I’d seen it the first time I was there, but I hadn’t taken the time to study them. I had other things to focus on.
I took the time now.
There were a couple of full family portraits of Olivia with her parents and siblings, one older, one more recent that included Elizabeth as well as Camden’s wife. There were what looked to be professional shots of her dancing in a ballet stage production, full makeup and a sleek bun. There were a few of just her and her brothers, one of her brother in his Air Force blues, one of Camden in his NFL jersey, some other family members I didn’t recognize, a couple of her grinning with her girlfriends in different fun spots, and about a dozen of Elizabeth.
No men other than family. Nothing whatsoever to acknowledge Elizabeth’s father was ever a part of her life in any significant way. I knew I’d have to talk to her about that again soon and find out what had put that fear in her eyes. But today I could focus on making her home a safe place.
I went out the front door and unloaded my truck, making sure to take my time again so folks would see a man around the property. Then I got to work.
I was maybe an hour into setting up her new security system when my phone buzzed in my pocket. Distracted, I finagled the screwdriver to my other hand and hit accept without looking at the screen.
“Ashford,” I mumbled, still focused on the task at hand.
“Justin?”
Shit. I sighed, internally kicking myself for not checking the caller ID. I set down my tools to run a hand over my head. “Hey, Tricia.”
“You’ve been ignoring my calls.”
“I’ve been busy.”
Her breath moved over the line as she composed herself and lowered her voice. “How’ve you been?”
Nope. Wasn’t doing this today. Not with her. Not with anybody. “What do you want, Tricia? The last time I saw you was at the divorce hearing, so why are you blowing up my phone today?”
“That’s not fair... you know it’s not like that.”
“No? What’s it like, then?”
“I care about you. You know I do. It was just...” She sniffed. “It was too hard. I was all alone and you—”
“Hard for who?” I said, my voice low and deadly as I cut her off. It was all I could do to contain the rage. Now, here she was, turning up the fire to get it simmering again.
She was full-on crying now, and as angry as I was, a part of me still hated to hear her tears. Still, I wasn’t about to be used again.
“Why are you calling, Tricia?” I was more than ready to get this call over with and get back to work.
“Keith wants a divorce.”
That stopped me cold. I glanced up at the sound of a car pulling into the driveway. I strode over and pulled back the curtains to find Olivia stepping out of the driver’s door and moving to open the back, a wiggling and smiling Elizabeth looking up at her adoringly.
“Justin?” Tricia said. “Did you hear me?”
“Yeah.” I drew back and paced away from the window. “I’m just not sure why you’d call me about that.”
A long beat of silence filled the line as I pictured her splotchy cheeks and big green eyes full of tears. “He’s leaving because he says...” She sucked in a loud breath. “He thinks I’m still in love with you.”
Olivia’s key hit the front door lock.
“Well, we both know that’s not true,” I bit out. “I’ve gotta go.” I did not bother with a goodbye. I ended the call and pocketed my phone, swinging around just as the door opened.
Olivia looked at me as if she’d never seen a man in her house before, and I wasn’t sure how to feel about that.
“Hey,” I said, stuffing away my baggage and offering her a half smile as a sort of truce. I may be paid security, but I didn’t want her to be totally uncomfortable in her own home.
“Hey.” She dropped her keys in a shallow bowl by the front door, let her bag fall to the floor, then stepped my way with Elizabeth still on her hip, her body language carefully neutral.
The little one tucked in closer to her mom, eying me with hesitance.
“Hello, Elizabeth.” I purposely kept my voice soft, hoping to not scare her.
Olivia jiggled her and offered a reassuring smile. “Say hi to Mommy’s friend, Mr. Justin.”
She ducked her head into Olivia’s shoulder but peeked out at me with one hazel eye.
“She’ll warm up to you eventually,” Olivia promised.
“It’s no problem.”
She glanced around. “So, what’re you doing?”
“Working on your new security system.”
Surprised eyes shot back to me. “Security system?”
“We talked about this.”
“I know, I just... I didn’t think you’d be moving so fast.”
“I call it efficient.”
She nodded, her expression a mix between anxious and impressed. “Right. Well, great.” She tilted her head toward the hallway. “Did you get settled in, then?”
“I dropped my bag in there. Not much else to do.”
“I’ll get you a pillow and bedding,” she said as she moved toward the kitchen. “Let me know if you need anything else.” She set Elizabeth on the ground next to her while she began pulling things out of the fridge. “I hope tacos work for you? You’re not allergic to anything, are you? I’ve got avocado—” She glanced my way and stopped, a package of ground beef in hand. “What?”
“You don’t have to go to any trouble. I’m working for you, remember?”
Pink colored her cheeks and her words seemed to falter a bit. “I remember. But you may as well be comfortable while you’re here. I call it hospitality.”
I nodded as something warm and foreign hit my chest. “Touché, Ms. Creed. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
“And, no, I’m not allergic to anything, especially tacos.” I smiled, making her blush deepen. “I was in the Navy. Not much you could feed me that would be worse than some of the slop I had to survive on back then.”
“Duly noted.” She turned and got to work on dinner while Elizabeth kept close to her legs, shooting me furtive glances every once in a while.
I waved at her with what I hoped was a convincing smile and got back to work.
After a while, the amazing scent of tacos filled the air and my stomach rumbled. Guess I was hungrier than I realized.
“Dinner’s ready.”
I glanced over my shoulder at her soft call to find her at the kitchen threshold, her cheeks flushed, a throw towel over her shoulder, those huge eyes on me like she still wasn’t sure if I was friend or foe. “Okay.”
She turned, giving me a glimpse of her curves in her tight workout pants over her leotard, and disappeared.
I cleared my throat, then put down what I was doing to head to the kitchen. She already had Elizabeth in her high chair, happily eating away on a tortilla, and was serving up our plates as I moved toward the sink to wash my hands.
“What would you like to drink?” she asked. “I’ve got sodas, tea, water... beer?”
I sat where she indicated. “Water’s fine, thanks.”
Her gaze tracked over my face for a brief moment. “Not a beer guy, huh?”
“I didn’t say that. I just don’t drink while I’m working.”
“Working. Right.” She spun and got me ice water and some iced tea for herself before sitting next to Elizabeth. “Do you need anything else?”
Between us, there was every condiment a taco could need plus chips and salsa. “No, thank you. This is more than enough.” I waited until she met my gaze. “As I said before, I don’t expect you to cook for me. I’m your employee here, Olivia.”
Something in her face softened and she shrugged as she picked up a tortilla. “I don’t mind. I don’t get the chance to cook for someone other than Lizzy that often, so it’s nice.”
I picked up my own tortilla and started loading it up. “You like to cook?”
“I’m no chef, but yeah. I do. It’s relaxing.”
I took a bite at the same time she did, our eyes locking. I couldn’t help the groan that escaped me, which made her face light in a smile.
“Good?” she asked.
I swallowed and wiped my lips. “I thought you said you’re not a chef.”
This made her laugh. “Shut up.”
“I’m serious. This is delicious.”
“I’m glad you like it.”
In that moment, something thawed between us. We both felt it. We ate without the tension that had been a boulder in our way since the moment we met. Just two people sharing a meal with a little girl giggling as she stuffed bits of tortilla and cheese in her mouth.
“So, what happened to your fancy car?” she asked after she’d demolished two tacos and was twirling a chip in salsa on her plate.
“Nothing. It’s at home in Houston.”
Her whiskey eyes glittered playfully. “Part of your collection, then?”
“Do I look like a collector to you?”
“Do collectors have a look?”
“Old and pudgy. Dress like pretentious rich assholes in golf shorts and baseball caps.”
This made her choke on her sip of tea with a laugh. “Seriously? Golf shorts and baseball caps?”
I shrugged, taking another bite. “Just what comes to mind.”
“That could be a million old men on any golf course in America right now.”
I studied her face as she smiled at me. She had a point. “Still. Not me.”
“Ooookay,” she said, elongating the word. “You’re an enigma. You own a fancy... what is it anyway?”
“Porsche nine-eleven turbo.”
“Right. That.” She reached over and wiped her daughter’s mouth with a napkin. “And an old Chevy truck. They don’t exactly seem to go together. What gives, if you don’t mind me asking?”
I caught the sippy cup before it toppled off the high chair and offered it to Elizabeth.
Big hazel eyes studied me for several seconds before she took it and began to chug away.
I turned back to Olivia. “I don’t mind you asking, and nothing gives. I wanted a Porsche since I was a kid. Bought it the minute I’d earned enough from my job. I inherited the truck from my grandfather when he passed away a couple of years ago. I’ve been restoring it ever since.”
This seemed to take her aback. “Oh. I’m so... I’m sorry, Justin.”
“No need to be.” In their own way, both vehicles had helped keep me sane. The Porsche because I’d earned it all on my own, a dream I got to sink into after so much had been broken. The truck because it represented something good from my past. I didn’t have the time I’d like to devote to it, which was why it wasn’t done yet, but it helped me decompress between jobs. Its worn red paint had seen better days, but that was last on my to-do list. The fully restored and upgraded 454 big block V-8 currently rumbling under the hood? Now that was in her prime, and I knew Pops would be proud.
She cleared her throat and stood, indicating my empty plate. “Would you like more?”
“I’m good. Thanks. It was amazing.”
She nodded and reached for my dish, but I waved her off. “You don’t have to wait on me.” I rose and grabbed both our plates to take them to the sink.
She followed with our glasses, shooting me strange looks. What, had no man ever helped her clean up before?
I rinsed and loaded the dishwasher while she put away what was left of the condiments. “So...” I loaded the soap and started the washer before leaning against the counter to face her.
She glanced up from wiping Elizabeth’s face and hands. Her gaze dropped from my mouth to my arms folded across my chest before moving back up to my eyes. “So?”
Unexpected heat unfurled in my chest at the thought of her checking me out, but I quickly tamped it down. “I’m almost done getting your security cameras set up in the house. I’ll mount the ones outside first thing in the morning.”
She nodded and Elizabeth began to slap her hands on the tray with glee, obviously used to me now.
We both glanced her way.
“It’s bath time,” Olivia said.
Immediately, my mind filled with images of her in a bathtub, her hair slicked back, her eyes feral as they locked on me. I bit back a growl at my inability to contain my own wayward thoughts. “Right.” My voice came out low and rough. “We can talk later.”
“Talk?”
“Yes. About my security plans for you outside of this house.”
Her eyes got big as if I’d just proposed a trip to Mars.
“Your brother is paying me a lot of money to keep you safe,” I reminded her. “I intend to do just that, and you’re not exactly a hermit.”
“No. You’re right.”
I nodded. Of course I was right.
She turned to get Elizabeth from the high chair, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Ready for a bath, sweetie?”
Two little legs began to swing wildly. “Bath!” the little girl began to chant with a grin.
Olivia moved past me, her scent mixing with the remnants of our dinner. She was almost to the doorway, and I couldn’t help myself. I wanted to see how she would react. If she would react.
“I also need you to look over my suspect list. See if anyone jumps out so I can question them before having Kade run background checks.”
I gotta hand it to her. She only faltered for a split second. If I hadn’t been looking for it, I might’ve missed it. But it was there, a nervous little misstep, as if she wanted to either drop to her knees or bolt for the door. She did neither. She kept her spine steel straight, her shoulders back, and with a nearly imperceptible nod, kept walking toward the bathroom and out of sight.