Chapter 10
Chapter Ten
T he little bed and breakfast rental house was laid out well for visibility, but that didn’t leave Connor feeling any better about staying there. Whoever was after Lacy, assuming it was Melinda’s husband, knew where she was while they were there.
Lacy hid a yawn behind her hand. “So, the plan is to go there early in the morning and make a stink until he let her go. That’s legal. We aren’t going in his house.” She frowned slightly. “I’m just not clear on what we’ll do if he won’t let her near the door.”
“That’s when we call the police,” Randy said, drumming his fingers on the table. He was the only one of the three of them that looked wide awake. “Though, I don’t think we’ll have to. He’s just like his brother, and he doesn’t get up until at least ten in the morning. We were told to never call him, under any circumstances, between the hours of three in the morning and ten.”
Somehow, that knowledge made Connor like him even less. “We’ll pray that he’s fast asleep and she is able to answer the door. That’s a big ask, but we serve a big God.”
Randy looked away and took a deep breath. “Since I’m the one who’s used to staying up, I’ll sit out here and keep an eye on things. I’m not familiar with weapons unless they are on computer, but I’m good at making noise if I need to. All I ask is that I have somewhere I can close the blinds and crash around seven in the morning.”
“How many rooms are there in this place?” Connor glanced over at the small love seats in the living room. They were great for making the area look bigger than it was, but trying to shimmy his six-foot-five frame into that tiny space was going to be an issue.
“Just one and my dad intentionally got furniture for the living room that people can’t sleep on. He wanted couples or singles to rent this place, not people with kids and not groups. That way, less stuff gets damaged. I guess the only good thing is the bed is huge.”
Lacy looked at him with an apologetic glance. “Look, we were married. It’s not a big deal. Randy has offered to watch. You take the side closest to the door because I know you’ll want to get up first if he sees anything.”
“You know it.” He automatically touched the weapon at his side. “I don’t like the idea of leaving someone unarmed to watch the door though.”
“Like I told Lacy, the nighttime is probably the safest time. Tod and Cal will be out drinking with their group of friends like they do every night. It’s the daytime that we’re in the most danger. So, knowing that, get your sleep now so you can handle whatever comes at us tomorrow.”
Connor looked between Lacy and Randy. Lacy seemed to agree with his assessment, and she would know better because she’d already dealt with this guy for two days. He stood and Lacy led him to the bedroom. His mind fired in a million directions. Sleeping next to Lacy would be a temptation. He hadn’t given her more than a hug in so long and his arms longed to hold her again.
Lacy flicked on the light and blinked sleepily in the bright overhead light. “Sorry, that was a lot harsher than I expected.” She blocked it with her hand then headed for a small lamp at the bedside. The moment she turned it on, he turned off the big light.
“Thanks.” Lacy wrapped her arms around her stomach. “I know this shouldn’t make me nervous, but it’s been a long time.”
He nodded. “It has. What would make you the most comfortable?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. This isn’t something I thought about when I asked you to come. It literally never crossed my mind.” She bit her lip. “We’re probably just fine getting ready for bed and going to sleep like we do every other night, right?” Her eyes met his and they were full of questions.
He wondered what she would ask him if she felt she could. Then he wondered why she thought she couldn’t. “What is it, hon?” He opened his arms slightly and she stepped into them.
“I don’t know. I’m nervous. There’s so much going on in my head and I feel like I’ve failed.”
He pulled back slightly and cupped both of her cheeks in his hands. “Never. You haven’t failed anything. You thought you were safe to let her be out of your sight for a minute to take a shower.”
She closed her eyes. “That’s not what I meant, but thank you.” She took his hands from her cheeks and held them loosely at her side. “I’m glad that after I left, you were still willing to come.”
“I told you I would.” He thought he’d been clear about that. What he wasn’t sure about were all these strange signals from Lacy. He’d always been good at reading her. She was easy to understand. Now, she wasn’t. She’d needed time away from him. Then she’d called him to come and help her not 48 hours later. She hadn’t balked when he’d called her his wife, yet she was clearly worried about sleeping near him. What should he believe?
“Still. I think it’s important to thank you.” She took a step back and let his hands fall. “I’m going to use the bathroom and get ready, then you can. Okay?” Her glance dodged to the other door in the room that he assumed was the en suite.
“Sounds fine. I’ll probably sleep in my jeans just in case I have to get up quickly.” And so there was more than a few layers between them.
She nodded and pressed her lips together. He suddenly wished he could press his to them and make her forget about the danger to her life and to her friend’s life for just a minute. Okay, maybe more than a minute.
She unzipped her bag, and he noted that everything inside was haphazardly thrown in. That was unlike her, but they’d had to leave the hotel quickly that morning. The moment she closed the door, he headed for the living room to grab his duffle. While in the military, he’d learned how to pack light and live on only what he needed. This trip was no different.
When Lacy came out of the bathroom, she wore her typical flannel pjs with her long hair up in a messy bun. He’d seen her ready for bed for years, since they usually sat together with the TV on at night, though he was usually the only one to watch. She often had her nose in a book.
Lacy fluffed the pillow on the side of the bed furthest from the door, but she still looked nervous. He glanced around the room to assess what he could do to make her more comfortable. A large TV hung on the wall opposite the bed. He grabbed the remote off the nightstand and turned it on quietly. “There, now it’s just like home.” He smiled, hoping she would relax.
“Right. Just like home.” She pulled back the bedding and climbed in, then yawned again. “Are you going to stay up for a while?”
“Not sure.” That completely depended on her. He wasn’t likely to fall asleep at all if she was restless next to him.
He hurried through brushing his teeth and changing into a clean tee, then headed for bed. Lacy was curled on her side, her head tucked almost under the covers. She looked so serene there and absolutely beautiful to him. He sat on the bed and heard her sigh deeply.
Shutting off the lamp, he let the glow of the television give him the light he needed to get the blankets settled. As soon as he was comfortable enough, he shut the television off. Lacy’s breathing was even and deep. She was sleeping. He leaned over and kissed the top of her head.
In that instant, her eyes flew open, he could see them even in the dark, framed by her pale skin. “I know I shouldn’t ask this, but would you hold me? When I close my eyes, I still see the dripping letters of the writing on the mirror.” She shivered.
He motioned for her to roll over, just like they used to. She did so, then slid back to the center of the bed. He slipped his hand along her waist and splayed his fingers over her belly. She was warm and soft. She smelled exactly as he remembered, and he finally relaxed. This was what he was made for. He wanted to protect and hold his wife, if only she would let him.
Warmth spread down Lacy’s back where Connor laid flush next to her. Where his hand wrapped around her, flutters filled her belly. Those hadn’t happened in a long time. Maybe in some ways, she was blessed. How many women got to feel that way about the man they married more than just at first? While she’d never wish separation on anyone, the giddiness of falling again was something she was sure she’d never feel a second time.
While she’d waited for Connor to arrive, the hours had felt like days. The only positive had been that Randy was there. If he hadn’t been, she’d have had nothing to do but pace and worry. She may have even tried to go after Melinda on her own, because there was no telling if she was even still alive.
Connor hadn’t understood what she’d meant when she’d said she’d failed, but she she’d really meant it in two ways. She hadn’t kept Melinda safe, and she’d failed to stay away from Connor long enough for him to know she would return. While he was acting like he cared, that was exactly the problem. They hadn’t dealt with the fact that he still wouldn’t trust her with his heart. If she couldn’t have the good, bad, and the ugly of Connor, she wasn’t willing to think about a second chance. They had to do it right this time or not at all.
Connor shifted in his sleep and his hand moved to her hip, possessively heavy. When they’d first married, they’d slept right next to each other. That had partly been due to the fact that they’d only been able to afford a full-sized bed. With Connor taking most of the real-estate, they’d had to sleep close, or she’d have had to find somewhere else.
This bed was more than spacious enough for both of them, but she’d wanted him near her. He’d probably taken her hesitation as actual nerves, but it had been because this was what her heart wanted. She wanted Connor as her husband again. Not her boss. Not her coworker. Not even just as her friend.
She wanted him as her husband.
A noise from outside their room made Connor immediately tense. He’d always been a light sleeper, but she’d forgotten how light. “I’ll go check that out, stay here,” he whispered right behind her ear, sending warm breath over her cheek and making her shiver slightly.
He squeezed her hip as he got up and tucked her back in to keep her warm. It didn’t matter, the blankets weren’t nearly as warm as her bear of an ex-husband. Lacy kept as still as possible and listened for any noise from the other room. Connor had closed the door, probably for her safety and privacy but she wished she could hear.
Muffled voices carried down the short hall to her, but she couldn’t make out what was said. Outside, darkness still cloaked the window. Exhaustion weighed her down. Now that Connor wasn’t there to keep her heart pattering a little too fast to sleep, she let her thoughts wander. A moment later, the door opened again.
“What happened?”
“Randy was playing an online game with a few friends. He’s still watching the door, but he was talking. He certainly is sure that nothing will happen. I’m not so certain. Will it bother you if I stay up and keep my own eyes on the door?”
She hated that he was going to end up being awake all night, but if Connor suggested it, he wouldn’t be able to sleep feeling like he should be doing something. “If you feel you need to, then you should.”
He lifted one side of his mouth, not quite hidden in his short beard and mustache. She’d always liked it when he kept his facial hair trimmed so it didn’t aggravate her skin. But she couldn’t imagine him ever shaving his face completely clean. “Good. Get some sleep. I’ll wake you in the morning.” He came around and made sure her blankets were pulled up enough to keep her warm.
Connor’s presence was so welcome, she wanted to follow him out to the living room, but he wouldn’t be able to watch like he would want to with her there talking to him. She still needed to sleep after getting up early to call him.
There was so much they had to do the next day, and she was a big part of it. At least she no longer had to do everything on her own. Once Melinda was safe, she’d have to think of a new way to show Connor that she could be trusted with his heart. She just wasn’t sure how.
Connor quietly closed the door and prayed Lacy got some sleep. He’d had the feeling that she hadn’t gotten any while he’d been there. He’d hoped his presence would be calming. Instead, he’d done the opposite.
In the living room, Randy sat on the sofa. The soft glow of his phone gave his face an eerie green tint. He headed for the window and glanced through the wooden blinds. Out on the street, nothing moved. All the neighbors had security lights, leaving wide arcs at the front of their homes. Dogs didn’t bark. Cars didn’t drive by. He glanced at his watch, and it read 3 A.M., a full hour until Tod headed home and the perfect time for him to make poor decisions.
Randy clicked his phone and tossed it to the other end of the love seat. “See anything?”
Connor shook his head. Though he was only about fifteen years older than Randy, that could just as well be a lifetime. Randy was far different from him. He wasn’t military. He hadn’t started a family. He was still young enough to be in college.
“What do you hope to achieve by befriending my wife?” He glanced at the younger man.
“You mean your ex-wife, right? I don’t hope anything. I saw a way to help her and help myself. If I helped her, I could get a few days off, paid. She’s nice and I’d like to see her friend in a safe place. I know Tod is like my boss and that makes him too bad to ignore. I can’t imagine being married to someone like him.”
“So, you’re not completely altruistic, but mainly you want to help.” He filled in the blanks.
“Yeah. I also wouldn’t mind if this leads me somewhere else. I live at home because I have to, but I don’t want to anymore. Since I go to college online, I can live anywhere that has internet. I was adopted, so I don’t know if I have family anywhere else.”
He wasn’t right for Wayside. There were necessary skills his men had to have, and Randy didn’t possess those. There was always helping in the kitchen, but with Randy’s microwave skills he probably wouldn’t want that job. “What were you hoping would happen?”
Randy took a deep breath as he stared at the window, then squinted. “Friendship. That’s what I hoped for. I thought, maybe, if I made myself available, I could have friendship with someone who wasn’t online. My friends from school all moved away. When I saw Lacy sitting out in the hallway at the hotel, there was something about her that said she was nice and that I should be kind to her. I’m not attracted to her, in case you’re worried.”
Connor couldn’t help snorting. Randy wasn’t the type of guy Lacy would be attracted to, but at least he didn’t have to have that conversation. “I’m not going to give you false hope. I run a ranch where people come to heal from some very bad things. My guys are all trained to do their jobs.”
“Do you have internet there?” Randy asked with sarcasm dripping from his barely over teen voice.
“Yes, we do. Why?”
Randy finally met his eyes. “Because if I can prove to you that I can be trusted, you might let me come with you. I’ll clean bathrooms if you want me to, but I’ve got to get out of this place. I’m so tired of feeling trapped.”
He could relate. Maybe not to his feelings about his family, since his own father had always been supportive, but feeling stuck. “I’ll do my best.”
“Thanks.” Randy squinted again and lifted one of the blinds.
A car drove by outside slowly and lowered its window.
“Do you recognize that car?” Connor asked.
“No. I’ve never seen Tod’s car. I’ve only seen him in the hotel.”
Something about that car made him instantly tense. What were they doing? He reached for his gun.
“Connor, duck!” Randy dove to the side as the living room glass shattered.
Lacy’s scream echoed down the hall.