She needs his protection...

But can he protect his heart?

Radio personality Kelly Bonner isn’t convinced she needs a bodyguard, especially one as intensely good-looking as Detective Donovan Walsh. Yet beneath Donovan’s tough-guy facade is a man struggling to raise his sister’s children. A man Kelly could care about...if he’d let her. Now she’ll have to find a way to convince her big, bad bodyguard that his family—and his heart—are safe in her hands.

AMY VASTINE has been plotting stories in her head for as long as she can remember. An eternal optimist, she studied social work, hoping to teach others how to find their silver lining. Now she enjoys creating happily-ever-afters for all to read. Amy lives outside Chicago with her high school sweetheart husband, three teenagers who keep her on her toes and their two sweet but mischievous pups. Visit her at amyvastine.com.

Also by Amy Vastine

Grace Note Records

The Girl He Used to Love

Catch a Fallen Star

Love Songs and Lullabies

Chicago Sisters

The Better Man

The Best Laid Plans

The Hardest Fight

The Weather Girl

“Snow Day Baby” in A Heartwarming Thanksgiving

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk

Falling for Her Bodyguard

Amy Vastine

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-1-474-09746-8

FALLING FOR HER BODYGUARD

© 2019 Amy Vastine

Published in Great Bri tain 2019

by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF

All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.

By payment of the required fees, you are granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right and licence to download and install this e-book on your personal computer, tablet computer, smart phone or other electronic reading device only (each a “Licensed Device”) and to access, display and read the text of this e-book on-screen on your Licensed Device. Except to the extent any of these acts shall be permitted pursuant to any mandatory provision of applicable law but no further, no part of this e-book or its text or images may be reproduced, transmitted, distributed, translated, converted or adapted for use on another file format, communicated to the public, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher.

® and ™ are trademarks owned and used by the trademark owner and/or its licensee. Trademarks marked with ® are registered with the United Kingdom Patent Office and/or the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market and in other countries.

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Version: 2020-03-02

MILLS & BOON

Before you start reading, why not sign up?

Thank you for downloading this Mills & Boon book. If you want to hear about exclusive discounts, special offers and competitions, sign up to our email newsletter today!

SIGN ME UP!

Or simply visit

signup.millsandboon.co.uk

Mills & Boon emails are completely free to receive and you can unsubscribe at any time via the link in any email we send you.

Note to Readers

This ebook contains the following accessibility features which, if supported by your device, can be accessed via your ereader/accessibility settings:

 Change of font size and line height

 Change of background and font colours

 Change of font

 Change justification

 Text to speech

“I didn’t realize you were famous...”

“Do you think I’m in danger? That this person would hurt me?”

It was a question Donovan wasn’t sure he could answer. He didn’t want to scare Kelly, but he didn’t want to lie to her either. “Any time someone is delusional, believes things that aren’t real, it’s hard to predict what they’ll do. We don’t know how unstable this guy is, so it’s probably best to assume he is capable of anything just to be safe.”

Kelly took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Thank you,” she said.

“For what?”

“For helping to keep me safe. And for giving it to me straight instead of trying to scare me into doing what my uncle wants me to do.”

One day.

Donovan had known Kelly for all of one day, and yet he knew in his bones that nothing would stop him from keeping her safe.

Dear Reader,

When I was brainstorming ideas for another Grace Note Records story, I wanted to focus on a character connected to the music but not directly related to the making of it. I remembered how much I loved the disc jockey from Love Songs and Lullabies and how she had figured out Sawyer and Piper were meant for each other before they did. I decided to make Kelly the heroine, but who would be her hero?

Donovan is logical, rational. Feelings aren’t his thing. When he lets his feelings be in charge, he does things like get himself put on desk duty. He’s also the guardian for his niece and nephew, a job he doesn’t feel prepared to have. I love writing troubled teens and adorable littles, and Donovan got one of each.

Family plays a big part in this romance because our family is where we first learn about love and trust. Donovan and Kelly both carry some baggage from their pasts that shape how they view love and family. I hope you enjoy their roller-coaster ride to that HEA.

Visit me on Facebook and Twitter or on my website: amyvastine.com.

xoxo,

Amy Vastine

To all those who open their hearts and homes to kids without parents who can care for them. You’re truly a blessing!

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

About the Author

Booklist

Title Page

Copyright

Note to Readers

Introduction

Dear Reader

Dedication

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

CHAPTER NINETEEN

CHAPTER TWENTY

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Excerpt

About the Publisher

CHAPTER ONE

“OH, NO. NOT AGAIN.”

“They were here when I got in. I was going to warn you, but I didn’t want to ruin your morning.”

Kelly Bonner snatched the bright pink envelope that stuck out of the humongous bouquet of multicolored roses that overwhelmed the small office space at K104 Radio with their scent. She pulled out the card, knowing it wouldn’t shed much light on the sender. The flowers weren’t the first gift from an anonymous admirer to arrive at the radio station.

Pink symbolizes the happiness I feel when I think of you.

Lavender represents my love at first sight.

White reminds me of your purity.

Orange is for the deep desire I feel.

Red symbolizes the love we’ll share FOREVER.

A chill ran down her spine. Romantic words if they had been written by someone Kelly was in love with or even knew. These weren’t from a boyfriend. Kelly didn’t have one.

Another gift. Another note about them being in love. First, it had been the singing candy gram. She thought it was a joke, a prank courtesy of someone at the station. Then came the chocolate-covered strawberries, the earrings and the bottle of perfume. Something about these gifts and notes made her blood run cold.

She tossed the card down on the desk.

“No name again?” Nancy Oliver was the station’s production assistant and Kelly’s best friend. They had bonded when Nancy started as an intern around the same time Kelly landed her job as the afternoon on-air personality for the biggest country station in Nashville.

“Of course not. This guy wants to remain as creepy as he can.” Kelly tried to shake off the eerie feeling that overcame her every time one of these anonymous gifts showed up.

“I thought it was sort of romantic in the beginning. Now, I think it’s time to call your uncle. Maybe he can trace where the gifts are coming from, get you a name at least.”

“My uncle Hal has bigger fish to fry than some fan with a crush.”

Nancy adjusted her glasses. “Isn’t the advantage of having a cop for an uncle that he can scare away the stalkers?”

“He’s not a stalker. And knowing my uncle, I’d have a twenty-four-hour armed guard following me around for the rest of my life if he heard what was going on.” Kelly’s uncle was a captain for the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. He was also extremely overprotective, always had been, but his sense of obligation to watch over her increased tenfold when Kelly’s dad died three years ago.

“When I was little, I wanted to be so famous that I’d have to have a bodyguard who would clear a path for me through the throngs of wild fans who would always be trying to get to me,” Nancy said.

“I only want fans who let me come to them through the radio. No bodyguard needed.” What Kelly needed was this guy to reveal himself so she could let him down easy and be done with the gifts. “I have a show to do. Feel free to take those home with you or throw them away. I don’t care which,” Kelly said, gathering her notes for today’s show.

“Kelly, Kelly, Kelly. How are we this fine afternoon?” Stan Benson was the station’s promotion director. His thinning blond hair was parted to best maximize coverage of his growing bald spot. “We have the first round of charity concert tickets to give away today. And good news... They agreed to let you onstage to kick things off.”

“Me? Not Travis and Holly?” Travis and Holly were the morning team, who were usually assigned the fun promotional gigs.

“When I talked to Dean Presley over at Grace Note, he said they were hoping you would do it. You always treat their artists well when they come in here for some press. He likes you. And why wouldn’t he? You’re our rising star.”

She liked the sound of that. With her contract ending soon, she’d been working tirelessly to gain listeners, asking for more opportunity to promote the station and get her name and face out there so she’d have some bargaining power when they discussed her renewal. Stan’s willingness to give her a chance was huge.

“Well, I appreciate the chance to support the station. I’ve been looking forward to that concert. To get to be a part of it is awesome.”

Stan grinned and was back on the move. “The more you’re in front of the public, the better,” he said over his shoulder before turning the corner.

Kelly was determined to do whatever it took. If they wanted her to make public appearances every day, she would. Working in radio was a dream come true and she planned to do this for the rest of her life if they’d let her. Maybe they would if things kept going the way they were. She entered the studio with an extra bounce in her step.

“Someone looks extra happy today,” Lyle Conrad, the show’s producer, said once she put on her headphones. He sat in the control room, separated from Kelly’s studio by a glass wall. Off-air, he could talk to her through the headset and on-air, he typed her messages through the computer. “Anything to do with those flowers out front? I didn’t know you were dating someone.”

“I’m not.” The thought of the flowers had the opposite effect on her mood. “I think I might have a misguided fan. One who thinks we’re destined to be together.”

“Ah. We’ve had a couple of those over the years around here. Don’t worry. Eventually, they get the hint and move on with their life.”

“Let’s hope so.” Kelly didn’t need the distraction. She didn’t even have time for a real boyfriend, so Mr. Anonymous was out of luck.

“Caller number ten wins two tickets to the sold-out Grace Note Records Concert for the Kids on Saturday, June twenty-ninth,” Kelly announced about halfway through the show. “We’re talking Sawyer Stratton and Piper Starling, the Good Ol’ Boys, Finch and Wells, and the one and only Boone Williams. This is not a show you’ll want to miss, Nashville.”

She clicked the button to play the commercial she had cued up before answering the calls as they came in. Clicking through the lines, she let the non-winners down easy. “Hi, you’re caller eight. Thank you. Bye. Hi, you’re caller nine. So close! Have a good one.”

She switched on the VoxPro recorder before clicking on the winner. These calls were prerecorded just in case someone got a bit too excited and said something not exactly FCC-approved. Lyle gave her the thumbs-up and she pressed the last blinking red light.

“Hello, you are caller ten and our winner!” Usually, callers hollered or screeched when they heard they won, but this one was quiet. Another reason to record these calls—it allowed Kelly the chance to edit it and remove the dead air. “Hello, can I get your name?”

“That depends,” the deep voice on the other end of the line replied. “Is this Kelly?”

Something about the way he said her name caused a shiver to run down her spine. “It is. Who is this?”

“Someone who’s been wondering if you’ve been receiving my gifts. It’s been very disappointing not to hear from you.”

Her secret admirer. Now was her chance to finally find out who he was. “I’ve gotten several gifts lately. I’ve been waiting for a name so I could thank you properly.”

“Which gift was your favorite?”

“That’s hard to say. I’d really like to know who you are.”

“Are you wearing the earrings I gave you?”

Kelly exchanged looks with Lyle. This guy wasn’t going to give up his name even for concert tickets. Her commercial break was almost over. There wasn’t time for all this creepy chitchat. Lyle typed her a message to put the call on hold so he could take over.

She did as Lyle suggested and turned the call over to him. Cutting their conversation short was the best option. Maybe being short with him would end this infatuation. Lyle messaged a few minutes later that the guy had hung up and the new winner was a very nice lady named Rhonda from Brentwood.

The rest of the show went off without a hitch. Kelly threw it to the next deejay and set her headset on the desk. She met Lyle in the hallway outside. He was tall and lanky with arms so long it was almost like he wouldn’t have to bend over to pick things up off the floor.

“Great show, Kel.”

“Thanks. Too bad we didn’t get the name of my secret admirer. I just want the gifts to stop.”

“You don’t have to worry about that guy anymore. Not only was he not happy when I took over the call, but he was downright annoyed when I told him you already had a boyfriend and weren’t interested in his gifts.”

“You what?”

“I solved your problem. Now, he thinks you have a boyfriend and maybe he’ll back off and start stalking someone else,” Lyle said with a shrug.

Kelly felt a calming sense of relief. “Let’s hope so. I mean, the part about him backing off, not the part about stalking some other woman.”

“I’m here to help whenever you need.”

“What about me, Lyle?” Nancy joined them in the hall. “Are you here to help me, too?”

Lyle’s cheeks flushed red. “Of course, Nancy. Do you have a stalker I can scare off?”

“You scared off Kelly’s stalker? Well, you’re our hero.” She touched his arm and his face got redder.

Kelly, Lyle and Nancy went to her office to plan for the next day’s show. When they finished, Kelly said goodbye to Nancy and she and Lyle headed out to the parking garage together.

“You and Nancy are close, right?” he asked as they entered the elevator.

“We are.”

“Do you think she’d ever be interested in getting dinner with someone like me?”

“Someone like you or the actual you?”

Lyle rolled his big blue eyes. “The actual me. I’m bad with rejection. If you could give me a heads-up on my chances, I would be forever in your debt.”

Kelly had suspected there was some interest on his side of things for a couple of months. He laughed at all of Nancy’s jokes. Especially the ones that weren’t even a little bit funny. He had memorized her coffee order even though it was some ridiculously long demand that would drive any barista to quit. And today, the man was completely flustered by a simple touch.

“Honestly, I don’t know, but I could ask.”

“Don’t be super obvious about it, though. If she’s not interested, I don’t want her to know I am.”

His fear of being vulnerable was relatable. Kelly wasn’t the biggest fan of being 100 percent up front about her feelings, either. Being open meant the possibility of being hurt. Being hurt was no fun. She would make sure Nancy knew nothing if there wasn’t a chance. “I’ve got your back on this one, buddy,” she assured him.

Instead of thanking her, Lyle stopped dead in his tracks.

“What’s the matter?”

“That’s your car, isn’t it?” He pointed behind her.

Kelly spun around and gasped. Both headlights had been smashed and on the hood of her car someone had keyed the word TEASE into the paint.

“This is my fault,” Lyle lamented.

Kelly’s heart beat double time and it was hard to breathe. She scanned the parking lot, fearing that her secret admirer turned hater was still nearby. No one else was around. The garage was eerily quiet. It was definitely time to call Uncle Hal.

* * *

“WALSH! GET IN HERE, right now.”

Hal Bonner was not the kind of boss you wanted to cross. He was similar to all of the commanding officers Donovan had ever had in the Marines. Unfortunately, Donovan had been on the captain’s bad side ever since he had lost his temper and broken the jaw of a known drug dealer. The guy completely deserved it but had better lawyers than Donovan had expected. While the case was under investigation with Internal Affairs, Donovan was stripped of his gun and badge and stuck on desk duty. It was worse than prison.

“Sir,” he said, standing in the captain’s doorway.

“Come in and shut the door.”

Donovan did as he was told and waited for permission to sit, something the military had ingrained in him. Captain Bonner didn’t look up from his computer because he was too busy typing. Two fingers pecked at the keys. Technology wasn’t his strong suit.

Captain glanced up and noticed Donovan standing there. “For the love— Sit down!” he snapped. He shook his head as Donovan complied. “If only I had been there to say, ‘Don’t break his jaw,’ you wouldn’t be in this mess, apparently.”

Donovan was very good at following commands but did have a tendency to let his emotions get the best of him in the field. That had been an issue in the Marines, as well.

Captain finished typing and rubbed his eyes. The man looked exhausted. “I’m putting you on a special assignment.”

Donovan sat up a little straighter. Special assignment sounded so much better than desk duty. “I’ll do anything you need me to do, sir.”

“Glad to hear that.” He jotted something on a scrap of paper and handed it to Donovan. “I need you to go to this address and pick up my niece, Kelly. You will then spend the rest of your shift watching her. I have squads sitting outside her place at night, but I need someone on her during the day. Wherever she goes, you go.”

Babysitting? Desk duty wasn’t sounding so bad all of a sudden. “Sir, I don’t—”

“You don’t what? You don’t think you want to help me keep my niece safe from harm?”

“No, sir. That’s not what I was going to say.”

“Good, then it’s settled. I’ve got some unidentified jerk running around Nashville obsessed with her. Yesterday, he vandalized her car. I want to make sure he doesn’t get the chance to lay a hand on her. You start now.”

Donovan tried to think of something to say that could get him out of this, but there was nothing. Nothing that would change Captain Bonner’s mind. Babysitting someone in relationship trouble was worse than desk duty.

“Goodness, Walsh! Stand up, walk to your car and go to the address I gave you,” Captain said in a huff.

Donovan did as he was told.

He said a silent prayer that she wasn’t in high school. If Donovan had to spend the whole day surrounded by teenagers, he might just quit. Living with one was bad enough.

“Where you headed, Walsh? Did they put you on administrative leave?” Detective Steven Dillon was Donovan’s partner.

“Special assignment. I have to go babysit his niece—” he pulled out the piece of paper with her name and address on it “—Kelly. Know anything about her?”

Dillon’s head fell back as he laughed. “Oh, man. My only words of advice are look but do not touch. Captain will crush anyone who even thinks about having inappropriate thoughts about that woman. Good luck with that.”

Not a teenager at least. Donovan wasn’t worried about having inappropriate thoughts about anyone. Once his niece and nephew were out of his house, he planned to live the rest of his life very much alone.

He drove to the apartment building and took note of his surroundings. It was a quiet street. Not a lot of cars. No traffic lights or businesses nearby with cameras, however. The complex was secure but there was no one manning the entrance. He punched in her apartment number in the intercom.

“Hello?” A voice came through the speaker.

“Miss Bonner, I’m Detective Walsh. Your uncle sent me. I’m supposed to—” he wasn’t sure she’d take too kindly to him calling it babysitting “—keep you company today.”

There was no answer and no opening of the door. Donovan buzzed the apartment again.

“Hang on.” She sounded exasperated.

She was annoyed? He was the one who had to follow her around doing whatever mundane things she had on her agenda for the day. This could be a bigger nightmare than he imagined.

A woman on her phone pushed open the door. “I understand you’re trying to protect me, but this is a little extreme don’t you think?” she said as she jogged down the steps and onto the sidewalk. Ending her call, she turned around and glanced up at Donovan. Her dark hair was pulled back into a ponytail and her eyes were covered by aviator sunglasses. “Well, come on. He’s going to send you to the station regardless of what I have to say about it.”

This must be the niece. Dressed in jeans and a black T-shirt knotted at her hip, she didn’t give him many clues as to what she might have to do today. Donovan could see why Dillon told him Captain was protective. She was attractive, albeit a tad rude. She stormed ahead before coming to an abrupt stop.

“I was about to call for a car, but I assume you have one?”

Donovan moseyed up beside her. “I do. Where are you headed in such a hurry?”

She took off her sunglasses, revealing the most stunning crystal-blue eyes. “The station,” she said in a flustered tone. “I have a meeting before my show.”

“Station?” The only station Donovan was aware of was the one he just left.

Kelly’s head rolled back and she sighed. “He didn’t tell you anything, did he?”

“I was directed to go where you go, miss. That’s what he told me and that’s what I’ll have to do.”

“I work at K104, the radio station. I need to get there in the next twenty minutes or my station manager is not going to be happy with me. This would be the same station manager who will hopefully be renewing my contract soon and I really don’t need her to be unhappy. Maybe I can drive? Which car is yours?” She held out her hand as if he might actually consider relinquishing his keys to her. That was not happening. No one drove his truck except him.

“I’m right over here,” he said, pointing to his black F150 and wishing he had asked for one of the station’s cars. Being on desk duty meant he was only allowed to use his personal vehicle.

Kelly didn’t follow him. “Since when does the Nashville PD drive around in pickup trucks?” she asked. “Can I see your badge?”

Donovan grimaced. That was a problem. No gun or badge. “Funny story,” he said, slowly spinning around to face her and the can of pepper spray that was pointed at him.

CHAPTER TWO

“STAY WHERE YOU ARE.” Kelly fumbled for her phone. How could she have been so stupid as to not ask for identification? She redialed her uncle. “Tell me your name again,” she demanded from the stranger.

“Walsh. Detective Walsh.”

Kelly’s heart was thumping so hard that it was becoming a distraction. Her hand shook so much that she feared she’d trigger the pepper spray before finding out who this guy was for sure. At the same time, she prayed he didn’t attack her before her uncle picked up. “I don’t know any detectives who forget their badge at home.”

“I didn’t forget it.” He sighed as if she was irritating him. “I can show you the piece of paper your uncle wrote your name and address on.”

“I’m not going to argue with you, Kelly,” her uncle said when he answered the phone. “I won’t pull him, so get used to it while I hunt your stalker down.”

“The guy here says his name is Detective Walsh, but he doesn’t have a badge or a cop car. He’s about six-three, has short-cropped brown hair, no facial hair. Built like he could wrestle an alligator and win. He’s wearing navy pants, a pale blue button-down and a green tie. No jacket.”

With his hands on his hips, her possible stalker stared down at his feet. If he wasn’t who he said he was, he didn’t seem very nervous about a real detective showing up.

Uncle Hal gave a little chuckle. “That’s my guy, Kell Bell. He is who he says he is. He’s doing this as a favor to me, so he isn’t carrying his badge.”

Kelly lowered her pepper spray and took a deep breath in hopes her heart would slow down now. “I don’t love this plan, Uncle Hal.”

“I know, sweetheart. But it’s the only one I’ve got right now. If anything happened to you...”

Kelly understood he was only doing what he thought best. She was the daughter of police officers. Her dad had been a homicide detective and her mom was a desk sergeant in Knoxville. Growing up, her curfew was earlier than all of her friends’ because her parents couldn’t bear it if anything bad ever happened to her because they knew exactly what kind of bad things could happen.

“Okay, he says you are who you say you are,” she said as she hung up the phone.

Detective Walsh acted as if this was how he spent every Wednesday. He unlocked his truck, completely unfazed by what had happened. “Pepper spray is a terrible way to protect yourself, by the way.”

“It stopped you cold,” she replied, feeling defensive. She’d spent her life trying to prove she could take care of herself and now another cop was telling her that she couldn’t do it.

“That’s because I had no intent to do you harm. If I had, I could have easily turned your pepper spray against you.”

Who did this guy think he was? “Oh, really? Well, I wouldn’t have hesitated to spray you in the face, and this stuff will incapacitate anyone.”

He shook his head and opened the passenger door for her. “First of all, the wind was blowing away from me and toward you. Secondly, pepper spray is not guaranteed to stop everyone. If your attacker is drunk or on drugs, he might just get angrier.”

Kelly climbed in the truck and put her seat belt on, letting his comments sink in. She hadn’t noticed the wind. It couldn’t have been strong enough to blow it back at her, could it? Detective Walsh got in the driver’s seat.

“And what if that little girl over there was asthmatic or that older lady and her dog walked through the cloud and inhaled it?” he asked. “You could have done serious damage to some innocent people.”

Kelly hadn’t considered how it could affect anyone other than the attacker. She suddenly had the urge to throw her pepper spray in the garbage. “So, what would you suggest I do to keep myself safe?”

“Have you ever taken a self-defense class before? Your body is really the best weapon.”

Her mother had been trying to get her to take one for years, which was probably why she hadn’t. She lived in a safe neighborhood, didn’t run around at night alone and believed people—for the most part—were good. Until yesterday, she had never felt like she needed to protect herself that way. The pepper spray was an emotional impulse buy last night after she dropped her car off at the body shop.

“I’ll have to look into it.”

Their drive continued in silence once she gave him the address of the station to put into his phone’s GPS. The quiet unnerved her. Detective Walsh only seemed to speak when he needed to. Kelly, on the other hand, talked for a living. Silence was dead air.

“I wish I had time to stop for coffee. Everything in my life feels off because of this.” The meeting with Caroline was important and Kelly was so distracted. The impression she wanted to make today was not of some discombobulated airhead. Detective Walsh had nothing to add. He was not helping ease her anxiety in the slightest.

“So what did you do?” she asked as they came to a stop at a busy intersection. His eyebrows pinched together. She clarified, “To lose your badge and gain the responsibility of babysitting me?”

His jaw ticked. “Let’s just say I am not a big fan of drug dealers and they aren’t fans of me, either.”

“Well, I have the opposite problem. I have a fan who thinks he’s in love with me and that I cheated on him with a make-believe boyfriend.”

The line between his brows reappeared. “He thinks you have a make-believe boyfriend?”

“No, he thinks I have a real boyfriend who is really a make-believe boyfriend. I don’t have a boyfriend. I’m single. And not dating. Not because I can’t find someone, I just don’t have the time to put into a relationship. My job keeps me busy,” she rambled. Detective Walsh clearly didn’t care if she had a boyfriend or not. “Are you married?”

He glanced at her for a quick second. “How about we keep the personal business sharing to a minimum?”

“Right.” Kelly fidgeted with her hands. He wasn’t wearing a wedding ring, so chances were he wasn’t married. His brown hair was cut short like they wore in the military. He sure looked a lot like those Navy SEAL guys on the covers of her mom’s old romance novels.

His phone rang just as they neared the station. The caller ID showed it was a high school calling. Detective Walsh groaned and clicked the phone icon on his steering wheel.

“Hello?”

“Mr. Walsh? This is Dean Higgins again. I’m sorry to bother you,” the voice said through the car speakers.

“What can I do for you, Mr. Higgins?”

“Well, I’m sorry to say I have Graham here in my office.”

Detective Walsh pinched the bridge of his nose. “What did he do this time?”

No ring, but he had a kid. Maybe he was divorced. Or didn’t like wearing rings. Either was possible.

“He decided to skip math class again and we found him vandalizing the library.”

“I wasn’t vandalizing,” a new voice shouted in the background. “It’s called art. I was improving the overall aesthetics of this dump you call a school. You should be thanking me, not giving me detention.”

“You’ve surpassed the limit for detentions, young man. Vandalism is a crime. I could have turned this over to the police.”

“You called him, didn’t you? You just turned it over to the police. Thanks a lot. Now I’m dead.”

Oh, boy, could Kelly relate to this poor kid. She knew better than anyone the fear associated with a call home from school when your parents were cops.

“Tell him to stop with the dramatics,” Detective Walsh said, cutting in. “He has no one to blame for this other than himself.”

“We have a lot of concerns about the acting out Graham has been doing lately. We’ve tried to be understanding and compassionate. I know that things have been hard since his mom—”

Detective Walsh didn’t let the man finish. “What’s his punishment? In-school suspension? Saturday school? Does he have to pay to clean up the graffiti?”

“Well, sir, because he not only was truant from class but also vandalized school property, we’re going to issue an out-of-school suspension for the rest of today. We need you to come pick him up.”

Detective Walsh pulled the car over. “Hang on a second.” He pressed the mute button on his phone. “You good getting out right here?” he asked Kelly.

She was still a block and a half from the radio station, but who was she to argue with him? It was obvious he needed to handle this situation with his son. “Um, sure.”

“I’m guessing there are people at work who can watch you until I get back?”

Kelly felt a burning sensation in her chest. She wasn’t a child. She didn’t need to be watched. “I’ll be fine,” she replied, unlatching her seat belt and getting out of the truck. “You don’t have to come back. I’m sure I’ll survive.”

“Your uncle gave me orders. I’ll be back.”

“Sounds like you already have your hands full.”

Detective Walsh scowled. “I’ll be back.”

Kelly shut the door and watched him make a quick U-turn. Some bodyguard he turned out to be. Not that she needed one. Once she was inside the station, no one could get to her. She just needed to get inside the station.

A block and a half never seemed so far. Kelly was suddenly hyperaware of how many people walked along 16th Avenue. Since when did downtown Nashville feel like New York City? Someone rammed his shoulder into hers and didn’t even bother to apologize. Someone else brushed past her in all kinds of a hurry. She clutched the bottle of pepper spray in her pocket. Of course, she’d never be able to use it. What if some innocent person had an asthma attack because she released a cloud of pepper in the middle of this busy sidewalk?

She entered the building that housed the station and paused in the entryway to catch her breath and slow down her racing heart. She made it. Without her bodyguard. Kelly could do this. She didn’t need anyone to babysit her. As she got on the elevator, she made a mental note to look into some self-defense classes at the gym. Couldn’t hurt to be a bit more prepared.

“Kelly!” Stan greeted her. “You made it. I heard about what happened yesterday. You okay?”

“I’m good. My car, on the other hand...”

“I don’t understand what possesses people to do hateful things,” he said, shaking his head. “We really should get some security cameras in the parking garage.”

As much as Kelly appreciated Stan’s sympathy, she had a meeting to get to. Caroline Yates, the station manager, would not accept any excuses for being late.

“I’m actually on my way to talk to Caroline. Maybe I’ll bring that up with her.”

“Oh, didn’t she call you this morning? She decided last-minute to have you be on location at the opening of the new Great Barbecue over on 4th. They’re a huge sponsor of the show and offered to let us do a remote broadcast. Lyle is already over there setting things up and Travis and Holly have been talking about it all morning.”

Kelly had to push down the anger that was building at not being given ample warning about this. She couldn’t let it get back to Caroline that she wasn’t up for anything the woman threw at her. If Caroline asked her to jump out of an airplane while juggling flaming bowling pins, she would have to strap on that parachute and give it her best shot.

She plastered on a smile. “Good thing I skipped breakfast. Sounds like I might get to eat some brisket for lunch.”

* * *

IF GRAHAM KNEW what was good for him, he would not say one word on their ride home.

“I can’t believe they’re dumb enough to send me home for ditching class. Obviously, I didn’t want to be in class. They’re actually giving me exactly what I wanted by suspending me.”

Apparently, he did not.

Dressed in his usual jeans and ’90s band T-shirt, the troubled teen flipped down the visor and checked his reflection in the small mirror. He had blond hair and a narrow nose like his mom but green eyes and a strong, wide jaw like his dad. Their oldest was truly a perfect blend of the two of them. Too bad he didn’t act like either of them.

“I wonder what I have to do to get expelled.”

Donovan gripped the steering wheel tighter. “You do not want to find out what will happen to you if you get expelled. Trust me on that.”

“You gonna beat me up like you beat up the other bad guys in this town? Huh, Uncle Donovan?”

“You’re really working hard to make your mother and father proud, aren’t you?”

“Yeah, well, dead people can’t be proud or disappointed, can they?”

Donovan couldn’t really argue with the kid about that. He understood Graham was angry at the world for taking both his parents way too early. The fifteen-year-old and his little sister, Avery, had been dealt the worst hand life could deal, but that didn’t give Graham permission to make things worse.

“Point is, you should want to act in a way that would have made your parents proud,” Donovan said. “I guess we can talk about why you aren’t when we meet with your guidance counselor tomorrow morning. All this posturing and acting out isn’t getting you anywhere.”

“That’s where you’re wrong. It’s getting me out of school, isn’t it? I’d say it’s getting me exactly where I want to be.”

There was no talking to this kid. Why Donovan’s sister would have named him the guardian of her kids after she died, he’d never know. He was not cut out for this parenting stuff. He didn’t have the patience for obnoxious, know-it-all teenagers. The only reason Avery liked him was because she was seven and liked everyone. Kids were still sweet at seven, but give that little girl seven more years and some hormones... Donovan might not survive it.

“Give me your phone,” he demanded when they pulled up to his house a few minutes later. “No phone when you’re grounded. Which you are, by the way.”

“What if there’s a fire and I have to call 9-1-1 for help?”

“Run over to the neighbor’s house and ask them to call for you.”

“But what if I fall down the stairs and break my leg? I can’t run to the neighbor’s house then. I could bleed out because I couldn’t call for help.”

“I guess you better be extra careful walking up and down the stairs.”

Graham let out an exaggerated sigh. “I hate you,” he said before throwing his phone in the back instead of handing it to Donovan. He climbed out of the truck, slamming the door behind him.

This must be some kind of karmic payback for the things Donovan said to his parents in anger growing up. He rolled down the window. “No friends allowed in the house and bring me your video game controller!” If Graham was going to hate him, might as well give him enough reasons.

Graham stormed up the driveway. “Come get it yourself!”

Inhale. Exhale. Days like this made Donovan feel like he was completely in over his head. He had no idea how to get through to his nephew or if he was handling all of these discipline issues the right way or not. He knew he should talk to him, but talking about feelings wasn’t exactly Donovan’s thing.

After retrieving the game controller, Donovan headed back to the radio station. Hopefully, Miss Bonner wouldn’t mention his disappearing act to Captain. Thanks to Graham, she had been unguarded for almost an hour. How much danger could she be in while at work? It wasn’t like anyone could get to her while she was at the station.

He made it to the reception desk and waited patiently for the receptionist to get off the phone. Instead of Muzak, a live stream of the station played in the background. As soon as the receptionist hung up the phone, he stepped up to the desk.

“Hi, I’m Detective Walsh. I’m here for Miss Bonner,” he said, realizing once again how much harder it was to introduce himself without a badge to flash.

“Is this about what happened to her car? It’s terrible someone would do that to someone as sweet as Kelly.”

“That’s why I’m here.”

“Well, I’m glad the Nashville PD is taking this seriously.”

Donovan was glad she was glad, but he’d be happier if she called Miss Bonner out here so he didn’t have to worry about Captain finding out he had been MIA. “Can I speak with her?”

The woman grimaced. “Oh, she’s not here.”

That was impossible. He had dropped her off almost an hour ago. There was no way she got kidnapped just outside this place. He could feel the sweat begin to bead on his forehead. Donovan couldn’t imagine what the captain would do to him if he had to call and say he lost the man’s niece.

“Are you sure? I actually drove her to work this morning. Maybe she slipped past you?” A guy could hope.

“No one slips past Juliette Delgado. I see everyone who comes in. I saw Kelly arrive this morning, but I also saw her leave.”

Why did this assignment feel more like dealing with a certain class-skipping teenager than a reasonable adult?

“Any chance you know where she went?”

Ms. Delgado’s expression didn’t give him much hope that she had the answer he was looking for. “I do not, but I can find you someone who might.”

“Perfect.”

While he waited for her to make a call, a voice came over the radio. “I have to admit, I’m a bit jealous of Kelly today. She’s going to be coming to you live from the brand-new Great Barbecue over on 4th Street. If you love barbecue as much as I do or just want to see Kelly Bonner in person, you should really head on over there for lunch today.”

Donovan didn’t have to wait for Ms. Delgado, but he did need to get over to Great Barbecue before Miss Bonner’s stalker beat him to her.

CHAPTER THREE

“IS THERE ANYTHING else you need?”

Kelly plugged in her laptop and checked to make sure she had a Wi-Fi connection. “I think I have everything,” she said to Dominick, the manager of Great Barbecue. She looked to Lyle. “Are you good?”

Lyle was busy shoving some coleslaw in his mouth. He nodded and gave her a thumbs-up.

Kelly couldn’t help but laugh. “We’re good.”

Dominick was decked out in jeans and a black Great Barbecue collared shirt. He had an easy smile and twinkling blue eyes. “You sure you don’t want to sample something before your show starts?”

“I am definitely going to pig out, just not right now.”

Barbecue was messy and Kelly didn’t want to get their small work area dirty. They were given a table against the back wall in the dining area of the new Great Barbecue. It was a small restaurant in an older part of Nashville that was undergoing rapid gentrification. What it didn’t have in terms of square feet, it made up for in charm. From the exposed brick walls to the picnic table–style seating, everything had a down-home feel. There were even paper towel rolls at every table for those messy fingers.

“You should try everything on the menu,” Lyle said, giving the corners of his mouth a wipe. “This place is amazing.”

“Maybe this is where you can bring Nancy on your first date.”

Lyle’s eyes went wide. “Did you talk to her? Did she say she’s interested? Does she like barbecue?” Kelly smirked, making Lyle a bit paranoid. “What? Did you talk to her?”

She pulled her phone out of her back pocket. “Maybe I did, maybe I didn’t.” Pretending to scroll through her text messages, she could see Lyle’s face turning red.

“Come on, Kelly. Don’t mess with me.” He came around to her side of the table and tried to get a look at her phone screen.

“I’m not messing with you,” she said with a giggle, holding her phone against her chest so he couldn’t see.

“That’s exactly what you’re doing. Come on! Did you ask her? What did you say? What did she say?” He gently tried to tug the phone away from her.

“Stop,” she protested as he almost succeeded. She turned her back to him and he wrapped his arms around her. They playfully wrestled for the phone until Lyle flew backward. In the blink of an eye, he was facedown on the ground with Detective Walsh on top of him, growling at him not to move. As if poor Lyle would fight back.

All eyes were on them and everyone was frozen in their spot. It was as if they believed Detective Walsh’s words were meant for them, as well. Kelly was the only one who had the ability to intervene.

“What are you doing?” she asked as she attempted to push the detective off her friend and producer. He was as strong as a bull and as stubborn as a mule. He wouldn’t budge.

“What am I doing? I’m doing my job. This guy was all over you.”

“This guy is my producer. Please let him up.” Kelly scanned the room. People whispered to one another. Phones were out and texts were definitely being sent about what just happened. This would end up on someone’s social media. Caroline would not be happy if the station got bad press because of her.

Detective Walsh helped Lyle back on his feet and apologized for the misunderstanding.

“Are you okay?” Kelly scanned Lyle for any injuries. He wasn’t bleeding. She prayed there were no broken bones.

He did still appear a bit dazed. “I’m fine,” he said, giving his neck a rub. “You could have told me you hired a guard dog.”

“I didn’t. My uncle sent him, and I thought I had gotten rid of him.”

“Yeah, we need to talk about that,” Detective Walsh said. “I left you at work. That was where you were supposed to stay until I got back.”

He had some nerve. She motioned for him to follow her away from all the prying eyes and ears to the back hall by the restrooms.

Once they were alone, she laid into him. “Let me make something clear. I did not ask for you to be assigned as my bodyguard. I have a job to do—”

“So do I,” he interrupted. “And when you aren’t where you’re supposed to be, it makes my job a little harder.”

“It makes your job harder? You were the one who abandoned your duties. My boss sent me here. What was I supposed to do? Tell her I couldn’t go on location because the cop my uncle sent to babysit me had to go deal with some personal issues?”

With his hands on his hips, his head fell forward. “I’m sorry about that,” he mumbled at the ground.

“What was that? Did I hear an ‘I’m sorry’?”

His head lifted and their eyes met. “I’m sorry I had to leave. I take my job seriously, and you know your uncle. I don’t want him to think that I wasn’t making your safety a priority.”

Of course he was more worried about her uncle than her. Truthfully, she was more worried about Caroline than anyone else.

“Listen, I am under a microscope right now. I can’t have you attacking innocent people while you’re watching me. My contract at the station is on the line. I don’t want to get you in trouble with my uncle, but I have to call him and get him to back off on this bodyguard idea.”

Detective Walsh held his palms up. “Whatever you want to do is fine by me. I’m not going to stop you from calling your uncle, but I am asking you not to throw me under the bus when you do. Your job is on the line and so is mine.”

She didn’t want to get the guy in trouble, but she had to make a case for getting rid of him at the same time. “I’ll do my best,” she promised.

Kelly started back to her makeshift work area but Detective Walsh touched her arm. “This is a bad idea, by the way. Leaving yourself out in the open like this. Shouting it from the treetops exactly where you are and how long you’ll be here. It makes you an easy target.”

“How is it any different than being at the studio? He knows where I am every day I work.”

“Yeah, but can he walk right into your studio? Can he sit a few feet away from you during your entire show? Whoever your little stalker is, he can get his hands on you here if he wants that.”

Kelly wrapped her arms around herself. She sure hoped he didn’t want that. There wasn’t a chance this guy would really show his face. Was there?

“Well, you’re here now. If he was spying on me and saw what you did to Lyle, I should be fine.”

Detective Walsh tipped his chin. “For today. Until you call your uncle. In the future, you need to think about this kind of stuff.”

She had been so gung ho about getting rid of her bodyguard a few seconds ago, but now, it seemed like one of Uncle Hal’s better ideas. Her uncle would catch this stalker, obsessed fan, whatever he was. She wouldn’t need someone to protect her forever.

* * *

DONOVAN HAD BEEN on a few stakeouts in his day. This wasn’t exactly like those but close. Instead of sitting in a car all day, he got to hang out at one of his favorite barbecue places and eat the free food the manager kept bringing him. Standing behind the table where the radio station crew sat to do their show, he slathered the pulled pork in some of the tangy and sweet Kansas City–style sauce.

“How’s it taste?” the manager asked, checking in for the third time. Donovan wasn’t sure if he was simply being generous or was afraid of getting slammed to the floor like that Lyle guy.

“It’s delicious, sir. This might be even better than the brisket, and that was heaven.”

The man’s whole face lit up. He took pride in what he did and it showed. “Glad you like it. Can I get you anything else? Did you get some cornbread?”

“I’m good, thank you. I’ve had two pieces of cornbread. You guys make the best.”

“Appreciate that. Let me know if there’s anything else we can do for you while you’re here.”

Donovan gave him a will-do nod before the manager did a quick check on Kelly and her crew. She was off-air at the moment and chatting it up with a couple of female customers. Kelly laughed at something they said and thanked them for stopping by. She had a way with people. There was something very down-to-earth about her that people seemed to be attracted to.

“Kelly Bonner, I am your biggest fan.” A man the size and height of a professional basketball player appeared at the table. Donovan could see Kelly’s back straighten and her shoulders tense. He set his sandwich down on the counter behind him and quickly wiped his hands. He had let the food distract him from watching the room.

“Glad to hear it. Would you like to spin our wheel and win yourself a prize?” she offered. Kelly’s producer had set up a prize wheel that listeners could spin for radio station paraphernalia or free food from the restaurant.

“Can I win a dinner date with you if I spin?” he asked, causing Donovan to inch closer.

“You can definitely win dinner,” she replied, ignoring the come-on.

“This place is fine for lunch, but I want to take you somewhere real nice. I know this great Italian place on the north side of town.” He placed his hands on the table and smiled down at her like a fox in the henhouse.

Donovan stepped in. “Sir, I’m going to need you to back away from Miss Bonner, please. Either spin the wheel for your chance to get your hands on a free can cozy or get in line for lunch.”

The man stood up and reached into the inside pocket of his suit coat, pulling out a business card. “I don’t need any can cozies, but if you want to have some of the best lasagna you’ve ever tasted, give me a call.” He slid the card across the table.

Kelly’s producer picked up the card. “I love lasagna. I’ll drop your card in our drawing for tickets to the Grace Note concert.”

The guy looked like he was about to say something when Kelly said, “Good luck and thanks for listening to K104.”

Taking the hint, he made his way to the register to buy himself some lunch. Donovan hoped he himself had never made a woman feel that uncomfortable before and been so clueless about it. He prided himself in being able to read people better than that.

“Sorry we had to interrupt your lunch back there,” Kelly said, cracking a smile. “I think this is the first time since we’ve been on the air that I’ve seen you empty-handed.”

Donovan tried not to roll his eyes.

“Do you think that was the guy?” her producer asked. “I listened to him talk, hoping I would recognize his voice.”

“That wasn’t him,” Donovan said.

“How do you know? You didn’t hear the guy when he called yesterday,” Kelly challenged.

“I know because you told me your stalker is angry at you for saying you had a boyfriend. That guy strode up to you like there wasn’t a chance you’d reject him. I’m less concerned about the men who approach you than the guys who hang back and watch you without saying a word.”

Kelly scanned the room with wary eyes. She bit down on her bottom lip.

Her producer put a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t worry, Kel. Between me and Detective Walsh, no creep is going to touch you.”

“You’re sweet, Lyle, but I’d like to be able to take care of myself.”

Donovan admired the way she thought, and given the ease with which he took Lyle down earlier, her friend wasn’t going to be much help if things got physical. It was best she learned to defend herself.

“Maybe you could get some pepper spray,” Lyle suggested.

Kelly glanced back at Donovan and fought a smile. “I hear that’s not the best idea, actually.”

Maybe she wasn’t as stubborn as he’d assumed.

Lyle’s computer chimed. “Shoot, you’re on in thirty seconds.”

Kelly put on her headphones and Donovan slipped back behind her. It was his turn to scan the room for anyone out of the ordinary.

There was a group of women gathered around one of the tables. Their laughter came in bursts in between their raucous conversation. There was a dad and his two kids at another table. Both kids had to be under the age of five. The older child knocked over his cup and spilled red punch. His dad jumped up and grabbed the roll of paper towels off the holder at the other end of the table to wipe it up. The man’s patience was admirable. He didn’t yell or make the little boy feel bad for spilling; he simply had his son help clean it up.

Donovan wished he had that kind of patience with Graham and Avery. He was a military man who was used to always having things in order. Clutter wasn’t something that existed on a military base. Kids created clutter without even trying. His niece and nephew were like two tiny tornadoes who could mess up a room in the blink of an eye.

A group of thirtysomething professionals walked in together. Behind them was someone wearing a dark blue hooded sweatshirt. He wasn’t with them but stayed close enough to them that Donovan couldn’t get a good look at him.

“We’re going to be hanging out for another hour, so I hope you’ll come on in and spin our wheel of prizes and enter for your chance to win two tickets to the Grace Note Records Concert for the Kids,” Kelly said into her microphone. “Speaking of Grace Note, let’s play the new song from Boone Williams. This is ‘One Mountain at a Time.’” She clicked a button on her laptop and took off her headphones. “I cannot wait until the real promo for this show starts. You think I’ll get an in-studio interview with Boone Williams? I have been in love with him since I was six years old.”

Lyle laughed. “Careful, you don’t want him getting a bodyguard because you’re the obsessed fan.”

Donovan’s attention was split between Kelly and the guy in the hoodie ordering his lunch. The group of work buddies came over to the table and took turns spinning the wheel and chatting it up with Kelly and Lyle. The lone wolf sat in the far corner with his back to the radio station’s setup. It began to irk Donovan that he couldn’t see the guy’s face. He didn’t even know what color his hair was.

Something inside his head told him to get a better look, so he waltzed over to the mystery man’s table. “Want to spin the wheel for some prizes? They’re giving away free pulled pork sandwiches on your next visit.”

The guy didn’t move. “No, thanks.”

“Come on.” Donovan tried to cajole him. “You can sign up to win tickets to some big concert, too. Boone Williams is going to be there.”

The guy kind of chuckled. “Don’t need any tickets. Especially to Boone Williams.”

Donovan still couldn’t see his face but could tell he had a baseball hat on under that hood and sunglasses on. “You got something against Boone Williams? Kelly over there loves him. You know, Kelly Bonner. From the local radio station.”

“Everything all right over here?” The restaurant manager was back with a worried expression and a tray full of cornbread slices. “Can I offer you gentlemen some cornbread while you wait for your food?”

Finally, the guy turned and looked over his shoulder. “I’m not going to say no to that.”

The manager’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. “Boone Williams?”

“He’s not interested,” Donovan said, getting a good look at this creeper. The man was in his forties. Dark hair under his hat and hood. Strong jaw. No visible scars on his face.

“Boone Williams!” a petite brunette from the table of women shrieked.

Before Donovan knew it, pretty much everyone in the place, save the dad and his two kids, was huddled around them asking for pictures and autographs. That was when it hit him.

“Ah, Boone Williams.”

CHAPTER FOUR

“I CAN’T BELIEVE that Boone Williams walked into my Great Barbecue for lunch.” Kelly helped Lyle load up the station van with the last of the equipment.

“Oh, it’s your Great Barbecue now, is it?” Lyle slammed the doors shut.

Kelly smirked. “You know what I mean. He must have heard me on the radio and couldn’t stay away.”

“I’m pretty sure the guy had no idea there was a radio station inside. He was definitely trying to avoid being recognized. My guess is he did not plan to show up where someone was playing his song and giving away tickets to see him in concert. Walking into your show was probably his biggest nightmare.” Detective Walsh had an affinity for being no fun.

“Okay, so I know he’s a private guy, but I don’t think he’d call it his biggest nightmare to walk into a restaurant where I’m doing my show.”

“Your Great Barbecue. Your show. Someone sure is all about what’s hers,” Lyle teased.

Kelly nudged him with her elbow. “Keep it up and I won’t put in a good word for you with a certain someone we both know.”

“Did I mention what a great show you had today?” Lyle asked, changing his tune. “Top-notch, Kel.”

“I’ll meet you back at the station,” Detective Walsh said, backing away.

She was happy to be free of her shadow even if it was only for the short drive to the radio station. When she got back to her office, she would call her uncle and see if there was any other possible solution to this problem. Maybe she could convince him there wasn’t really a problem. Yes, the guy messed up her car yesterday, but maybe that was it. He was mad, got his revenge and now he would move on.

She could hope.

“It’s overkill to have a bodyguard, don’t you think?” she asked Lyle. She wanted him to agree with her and put the lingering doubts she had to rest.

“Maybe,” he answered quickly. He glanced her way. “I don’t know. Maybe it’s not. This guy had to know what car you drove to mess with it, which means he’s watched you come and go. That’s a bigger deal than someone sending you gifts in the mail. A bodyguard might be what you need until your uncle finds the guy.”

It bothered her to think about being watched. How long had that been going on? Was he still watching without her being aware? The thought made her skin crawl.

At the station, Kelly contemplated asking the detective to stay in the parking garage instead of coming inside. She hadn’t yet explained to Caroline that she had been given private security and wasn’t sure how that would go over with the boss yet. He was there to open her door as soon as Lyle parked the van, however.

“If you can give me a quick tour of your office, I should be able to wait outside for you to finish up. It would be helpful for me to have a lay of the land in case anything was to happen while you were inside,” he said.

The relief was immediate. Kelly’s shoulders were no longer tight. “That sounds like a good idea. I’ll show you around right now.”

He offered to help Lyle carry the equipment into the building. With his arms full, he used his body to hold the elevator doors open for her. Kelly noticed the scar on the left side of his neck as they rode the tiny elevator up. She wondered how he got it but didn’t ask.

“Do you have a first name?” she asked instead. “I’d like to be able to introduce you as a friend of mine if we run into my boss.”

He stared at her with his hazel eyes. Outside they had looked greener, but inside they were a golden brown. “You can call me Donovan.”

“Okay, cool. You can call me Kelly instead of Miss Bonner. That sounds so formal and I’m not really a formal person,” she said. Donovan nodded and Lyle snickered. If he had been close enough, Kelly would have given Lyle’s shins a little kick. She hated that the detective made her feel so awkward. Maybe now that they were on a first-name basis, he would lighten up and things would be a bit more relaxed. “Donovan. That’s a good name.”

“My mom thought so,” he replied.

For some reason the elevator was taking forever and silence made Kelly nervous. “Anyone ever call you Don? Donnie? Dono?”

“No. And please don’t try to be the first.”

The elevator signaled they had arrived at their floor and the doors opened. No nicknames for the detective. At least he had a first name. Calling him Donovan made things feel less threatening. Hopefully, the only person she’d have to introduce him to was Nancy. Caroline liked to stay in her office anyway. It was unlikely they’d bump into her during the quick tour.

“Kelly, you’re back already?” Caroline, in her red power suit and killer heels, stood next to the reception desk because of course she wasn’t in her office like she usually always was. Kelly’s luck lately kind of stank.

“We’re baaaack.” Kelly regretted saying it that way the moment it came out of her mouth.

Caroline’s sense of humor was nonexistent. She appeared more annoyed than amused. “I need to talk to you. Who is this?” she asked, staring at Donovan, who had a box full of K104 promotional material in his hands.

Kelly hoped her broad smile didn’t come across as fake as it was. “This is my friend Donovan. He was kind enough to help us carry things up from the van.”

Juliette, the receptionist, frowned. Her eyebrows pinched together behind her glasses. “Aren’t you the police officer investigating what happened in the parking garage?”

Donovan looked to Kelly for help. Of course, he must have introduced himself to Juliette when he was here earlier, and Juliette never forgot a face.

“He is,” Kelly answered. “He’s a friend, who also happens to work for the police department. It’s nice to have friends on the force, right?”

“Nice indeed. Well, I hope you figure out what happened,” Caroline said to Donovan before turning to Kelly. “You remembered to lock your car, right?”

“My car wasn’t broken into. It was vandalized.”

“Oh, well, it’s still important to lock up. When you don’t, you invite trouble. That’s all I was trying to say.”

Kelly reminded herself not to take offense. Caroline didn’t get where she was by thinking bad things just happened. She was a strong believer in being in control of one’s destiny. In Caroline’s mind, if Kelly wanted something, she simply had to work hard for it and she’d get it.

Kelly wanted a new contract.

“You wanted to talk to me?”

Caroline fiddled with her earring. “I did. Come on back to my office.”

“Lyle, can you show Donovan around before he has to go?” Kelly asked, wanting to get the detective out of there as quickly as possible.

“Yeah, sure,” Lyle replied even though it looked as if he’d rather do anything other than that.

“Thank you,” she mouthed as she followed Caroline back to her big, corner office.

Caroline’s office was immaculate. Everything was in its place. The only thing on her desk was her mammoth computer monitor and keyboard. Her tidiness was as intimidating as she was.

“I know you’re anxious about your contract coming to an end soon. I want to reassure you that there is a place for you here at K104.”

Kelly nearly leaped out of her seat. “That’s great. Thank you. I love it here and I definitely don’t want to be anywhere else.”

“That’s good. But I do need to put some serious thought into where you fit in the lineup. There’s been some discussion about moving you to the morning spot. I need to know you’re willing to do what it takes to help this station maintain its top spot in the ratings.”

The coveted morning spot? The most listened-to time of the day? Kelly wanted to do cartwheels across Caroline’s spacious office. “I am willing to do whatever you want me to do. I have some great ideas that I wanted to run by you, as well.”

Caroline held up a hand. “Hold on. I’m not looking to brainstorm with you. I want to challenge you.”

Kelly swallowed hard. She was up for any challenge, but the way Caroline said it made it seem a bit scary.

“Whatever you want.”

Caroline opened a file drawer to her left. She pulled out a folder and set it on the desk. She handed Kelly a flyer for the farmers market near Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park.

“I’ve heard you’ve been asking to do some more promo for us. Stan keeps trying to convince me that you’re the next big thing here and I should let him find more ways to use your popularity,” Caroline said, making it clear she didn’t agree with him yet. “I’d like to see what kind of draw you really are. I’ve agreed to let you make more public appearances. We’ll start with sending you out to this farmers market every Friday after your show for the rest of the summer. There are also a few smaller concerts we’re sponsoring that I’d like you to attend before we have you onstage at the Grace Note fund-raiser.”

“I’m happy to do all of that.” This was what she had been begging Stan to let her do. Finally, Caroline was on board.

“Great. Once we see how things go, we can meet to discuss your new contract and a possible move to mornings.”

“Thank you so much, Caroline. You won’t be sorry you gave me this chance.”

Kelly practically floated back to her office, where Lyle and Donovan were chatting with Nancy.

“Someone looks happy,” Nancy said when Kelly walked in.

“Maybe that’s because Stan has finally convinced Caroline to give me a chance to prove my worth around here.”

Lyle and Nancy applauded. “That’s awesome!” Lyle said. “Did she offer you a new contract?”

“Not yet.” Kelly stepped over the pile of promo material on the floor and sat down on the corner of her desk that surprisingly didn’t have anything on it. “But she’s going to. She wants me to get out and do more promotion at some of the concerts we’re sponsoring and at the farmers market every week.”

“But you told her about your stalker and how it would be safer if you were here in the studio instead of out there in the public for the time being,” Donovan chimed in. It felt like he took a pin and popped her balloon.

“No, I didn’t tell her that because that would have made her very unhappy, and a very unhappy boss means bad things for my impending contract negotiations.”

Donovan rubbed his forehead as if she had given him a headache. “The detectives working on your case aren’t going to crack it in one day, Kelly. Having you out in the public is going to make it a lot harder to keep you safe.”

“Maybe there’s nothing to worry about. Maybe he’s done with me. He messed up my car and thinks I have a boyfriend. It could all be over.”

Donovan shook his head. “It’s not over.”

* * *

DONOVAN DIDN’T KNOW why he was so sure that Kelly’s stalker wasn’t through with her yet, but he had such a strong feeling about it, he couldn’t ignore it. Hearing that her job was going to take her out of the studio and out in the spotlight again (and on the regular) made him uneasy.

His phone alerted him to a text. The officers investigating the vandalism had some luck getting some surveillance camera footage from outside the parking garage and were going to follow up on a couple leads. Perhaps they would wrap this up faster than he thought.

“What’s your cell number?”

Kelly rattled off the number. Donovan put it in his phone and sent her a text message so she could contact him.

“That’s me,” he said when her phone chimed. “Let me know when you’re ready to leave and I’ll be waiting in the station’s lobby for you.” He wanted to do a little investigating on his own while he had some time.

“I just need to plan for tomorrow’s show and I’ll be ready to go.”

Donovan left her and her friends to finish their work. He stopped to talk to Ms. Delgado before heading down to the parking garage.

“Can I ask you a question about the items that were delivered here for Miss Bonner?”

The observant receptionist tilted her head. “Sure, what do you want to know?”

“I’m wondering if you remember how the packages were delivered. Did they come through the regular mail? Or maybe delivered by someone from wherever the gift was purchased?”

Juliette shook her head. “Same guy every time. Except for the singing telegram. That was a different guy, obviously. But all the rest were delivered by a young guy with sandy blond hair.”

“Can you remember anything else? Was he tall or short, fat or thin?”

“He was about your height. Sturdy-looking guy. I remember faces better than I remember other things about a person.”

“Did he appear to work for a delivery service? Was he wearing a uniform?”

“No uniform. One time he was wearing a hat, but it wasn’t from a delivery company.” She paused for a moment. She pursed her lips and rubbed her chin. “It was a college hat. Alabama maybe. Their colors are red and white, right?”

That was an excellent observation. “You are a gem, Juliette. If you see this man again, would you please call me?” He snatched a pen out of the holder on her desk and wrote his cell number on a scrap of paper. “And if he comes when Kelly is here, could you contact me right away so I can ask him a few questions. If she’s here, I’ll be nearby.”

“Absolutely. Whatever you need, Detective.”

Donovan headed down to the parking garage to take a look around. The officers who were investigating had probably done their due diligence, but it never hurt to have an extra pair of eyes searching for any clues that the stalker may have left behind.

There were no cameras in the garage. No way to be sure who had vandalized Kelly’s car. On the lower level, there was a valet. The officers had surely asked them if they had seen anyone suspicious. Donovan had one question for them the officers wouldn’t have known to ask, however.

Two men with jackets that clearly identified them as the valets were finishing up with a customer, who tipped the one who had retrieved the car. Once the man had driven off, he counted the wad of dollar bills.

“Hey there, can I ask you guys a couple questions?” Donovan asked.

“Questions about what?” one of them asked. He had a young face and dark hair the same color as Kelly’s.

“My name is Detective Walsh and I was wondering if you guys were working here yesterday afternoon.”

“We already talked to some cops earlier today,” the other one said. His hair was light brown and his complexion pale, like he didn’t get out in the sun much. He was built like a marine. Strong and thick.

“Yeah, I know. I’m just following up.”

“You got some ID?” the dark-haired one asked.

Why was it that when he didn’t have his badge, everyone wanted to see it? “You two aren’t in trouble. I just need to know if you were working yesterday and if you saw anyone suspicious hanging around.”

“He asked you if you have any ID,” the light-haired one said. “If you’re a cop, you should have a badge or something.”

Donovan inhaled sharply. “I don’t have my badge on me, but I—”

The dark-haired one pulled his phone out. “Maybe we should call those cops from this morning and tell them someone real suspicious is nosing around and asking weird questions, pretending to be a cop.”

“Go right ahead. They’ll be able to vouch for me and then you two can finally answer some questions.”

“I wasn’t working yesterday,” the dark-haired one said, putting his phone back in his pocket. “That’s what I told the cops this morning, so it doesn’t matter if you’re a cop or not. I can’t help you either way.”

“What about you?” Donovan asked the other one.

“I was here, but I didn’t see anything.”

“Have you ever noticed someone coming here to deliver things? Going in with flowers or packages and coming right back out?”

The dark-haired one shook his head. “We don’t pay attention to people who aren’t asking us to park their cars, man.”

“I’ve seen a guy,” the other one said.

“What did he look like?”

“Skinny guy. Maybe as tall as you.”

“Do you remember what color hair he had or anything about what he was wearing?”

“I think he had red hair. Maybe. I don’t know. I wasn’t checking him out or anything. Yesterday he parked his car down here, got out with a bunch of flowers and was in and out in a matter of minutes.”

“Was he ever wearing a hat? Maybe you saw a red hat not red hair?”

The valet shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know. All I can tell you is I saw him a couple times. He was definitely a skinny guy.”

“If you guys think of anything else, please call the officers you talked to this morning. They would appreciate anything you can remember.”

They both agreed to do so but didn’t seem like they were going to lose any sleep over who was stalking Kelly Bonner. Donovan headed back to his truck to wait for Kelly’s call. His phone rang, but it was Avery.

“Hey, kiddo. How was school?”

“Fine,” Avery said. Based on the sounds in the background, she must have been rummaging around in the pantry, finding herself a snack.

“How was after-school club?” Donovan had Avery stay after school for a couple hours with one of the neighbor girls whose mom also worked. It cost more than he liked, but it was worth the peace of mind it brought him to have her supervised by someone other than her brother.

“Fun.” She wasn’t usually a one-word answer kind of kid. Graham was rubbing off on her regardless of Donovan’s attempt at preventing it.

“You thanked Mrs. Finnegan for dropping you off at home?”

“Of course I did, Uncle Donovan.”

“Good. I’ll be home at my regular time. Is Graham hiding in his room?”

“No. He’s watching Davey play some video game.”

Donovan moved his phone to the other ear. He must have misunderstood her. “What do you mean he’s watching Davey play a video game? He’s not supposed to have anyone in the house and he doesn’t have his controller.”

“Davey’s not in the house.”

“How is Graham watching him play if he’s not in the house?”

“He’s outside.”

“Davey’s outside or Graham is outside?”

“Davey is outside and Graham is inside.”

“And Davey is playing video games from outside.”

“Yep.”

Donovan pinched the bridge of his nose. The kid was creative. He’d have to give him that. “Don’t say anything to Graham. I don’t want him to know I know he’s watching Davey play video games, okay?”

“Okay. Can I watch TV in your room for a little bit?”

“Sure. I’ll be home soon.” Very soon. He hung up with Avery and dialed Kelly. She was going to have to leave work a little early whether she liked it or not. Donovan could only stand to stink at one job today and apparently parenting was what he was the best at failing.

CHAPTER FIVE

“YOU’RE REALLY NOT going to tell me why we have to go to your house right this second.” Kelly felt she had displayed an abundance of patience with Donovan today. He seemed to have a lot going on. Between whatever it was that got him put on desk duty and whatever these issues were at home, the man was a mess.

“I need to handle a situation at home. It should take me no more than a couple minutes. I promise.”

Speed limits did not seem to apply to the detective this afternoon and rolling stops were no big deal. Kelly held her breath as they ran a very late yellow light.

“If I drove the way you are, you would probably give me a ticket. Or ten.”

He didn’t slow down. “I’m not a traffic cop. I don’t write tickets.”

“I meant that I would get pulled over by a cop. You’re a cop.” Donovan was so literal it was painful. “You’re also breaking all the traffic laws. Can you ease up just a bit?”

“I need to get home. I promise to get you there safely.”

Kelly’s idea of safe must have been different than his. They crossed the Cumberland River and turned onto a residential street a couple miles east of it.

“You can stay in the truck,” he said, pulling into a driveway and jumping out.

Donovan’s white Craftsman had a bright red door. There was a detached garage in the back and an American flag hanging from the flagpole out front. From the outside, it was kind of cute. It wasn’t where Kelly expected someone like Donovan to live.

A teenage boy sprinted out of the backyard and down the street. Kelly wondered if that was Donovan’s son. No one was chasing after him, so maybe not. The front door opened and a little girl came out.

Two kids.

The little girl waved at Kelly. She couldn’t have been older than seven or eight. Kelly waved back. A smile spread across the girl’s face and she ran up to the truck. Kelly opened her door.

“What’s your name?” the girl asked.

“My name’s Kelly. What’s yours?”

“I’m Avery. Are you friends with my uncle?”

Uncle? That made more sense than Dad. “I am. Your uncle didn’t tell me he had such an adorable niece.”

Close up, Kelly could see that Avery was missing one of her front teeth when she smiled. She had brown pigtails that were tied up with ribbons. It was a fancy do for someone living with her uncle. Donovan didn’t strike her as the pigtail-making type. Maybe there was an aunt inside, as well.

“He didn’t? He likes me better than Graham. Did he tell you about Graham?”

“I heard about Graham this morning. Was that who just...went for a run?” she asked, choosing her words carefully.

“No, that was his friend Davey,” Avery replied. “Uncle Donovan said Graham couldn’t have friends over, but he didn’t listen. Uncle Donovan says Graham’s ears must be broken because he never listens.”

Kelly tried not to laugh. “You both live with your uncle?”

“Yeah, my mom and dad are in heaven, so he takes care of us.”

That wiped the smile right off Kelly’s face. “Oh, I’m so sorry, sweetheart.”

Avery didn’t seem bothered by her loss. The resiliency of youth was amazing. “Do you want to come inside? I bet Uncle Donovan is done yelling at Graham.”

“I don’t know. Maybe we should hang out here until your uncle comes outside. We wouldn’t want to get in the middle of whatever is going on in there.”

“Want to jump on my trampoline with me?” she asked with a tilt of her head.

Kelly decided there was no harm in getting out of the truck if she didn’t go in the house. “I can watch you jump on your trampoline. Do you know any tricks?”

“I know lots of tricks! Come on, I’ll show you.” Avery took Kelly by the hand and led her behind the house.

There was a paver patio off the back with a table and chairs for entertaining and outdoor dining. One of the chairs was pulled away from the table and sat right in front of the sliding glass door. The fenced-in yard was well maintained. There were flowering hydrangeas and manicured bushes around the house and in the corners of the lot.

“Watch me do a flip,” Avery said, kicking off her shoes and climbing up on the trampoline that sat in the center of it all.

“Okay, just be careful.” The last thing she needed was for the kid to break her neck on Kelly’s watch.

Avery and her pigtails bounced and bounced. Once she was high enough, she did a somersault in the air and landed on her bottom.

“That wasn’t a good one,” she said, getting to her feet.

“I thought it was pretty good.”

The sliding glass door opened and Donovan stepped out on the patio. “Avery, come on inside.” He didn’t sound angry, but he didn’t sound pleased, either.

“Everything okay in there?” Kelly asked.

“As okay as it’s going to get. Sorry she bothered you. She should have gone to her room like I asked her.”

“You guys were yelling too much. I hate when you yell,” Avery complained as Kelly helped her off the trampoline.

“I wasn’t yelling. Graham was yelling. I was talking in my normal voice.”

“Nope, it was your mad voice. I heard it.”

Kelly had known the man for less than twelve hours and even she knew what his mad voice sounded like. It could certainly make someone feel like they were being yelled at.

“Your mad voice is kind of scary,” Kelly said as they joined him on the patio.

He frowned. “I don’t have a mad voice. That’s not even a thing.”

“I’ll point it out the next time you use it, so you can be more self-aware,” Kelly offered.

“Wanna see my room?” Avery asked. Without waiting for an answer, she tugged Kelly toward the door.

Kelly resisted, not wanting to assume that Donovan was fine with her going into his house. “I would love to see your room...if it’s okay with your uncle.”

Avery had obviously been trained at the best adult manipulation school around. Her puppy-dog eyes were in full effect. She clasped her hands together and began to beg. “Pleeeeeeeease, Uncle Donovan. Pleeeeeeease let me show her my room.”

“I’m still working, Avery. I need to get Miss Bonner home.” The man was ice.

“It will only take a minute. I want to show her the mural Graham painted me.”

“Well, now I’m really curious,” Kelly said, waiting to see if he would give in.

“Please,” Avery continued to beg. “I never get to have friends over. I just want to show her for one minute.”

She was breaking Kelly’s heart. Both her parents were in heaven and she never got to have friends over. How could he say no? He couldn’t. He thawed immediately and was a puddle at her feet.

“Fine. Go ahead and show her your room, but I do need to get her home.”

“Yes! Come on, Kelly.”

Kelly smiled at Donovan as she followed the little munchkin inside. It was nice to see that he had a soft spot underneath that tough-guy exterior.

The inside of the house was just as unexpected as the outside. It wasn’t simply a house; it was a home. The open-concept layout made the first floor appear bigger than it was. The couches looked extremely comfortable and there were some of Avery’s art projects hanging on the refrigerator.

A bag of potato chips sat open on the coffee table along with several soda cans. There was no angry teenager, though. Something told Kelly he was probably locked in his room.

“My room is upstairs,” Avery said, leading the way. Her pigtails swished from side to side as she walked.

Avery’s room was magical. Three of the walls were painted a soft blue while the wall her bed sat against had the most beautiful mural of a castle in the sky. The stone castle sat on a pile of clouds. Each one of the four turrets had purple flags flying from the top and there was a large rainbow arching over it. Above that, there were two heart-shaped clouds with halos.

Kelly’s throat tightened and tears threatened to burst from her eyes. Little Avery had her mom and dad watching over her bed every night.

“I asked Graham to add a unicorn but he said he’s not that good at painting animals yet.”

“This is amazing, Avery. It’s so beautiful. Your brother is very talented.”

“Too bad he thinks he can draw on any wall he wants now.” Donovan leaned against the doorjamb with his arms crossed over his chest.

Kelly remembered the call he had taken this morning. Graham had vandalized the library and been suspended. She could only imagine what a difficult time the kid was going through. She was a grown woman who had only lost one parent, and even that was unbearable sometimes.

“And this is my reading corner. Uncle Donovan built me this bookcase and got me this purple beanbag chair. Purple is my favorite color.” Avery plopped down on the chair and pulled a book off the shelf.

“Well, your uncle is full of surprises.”

“Want to read a book with me, Kelly?” Avery asked.

“We have to go, little one,” Donovan said, straightening up and dropping his arms to his sides. “I’ll read one with you after dinner.”

“But I want to read one with Kelly. Can’t she stay for dinner? We’re having spaghetti and meatballs. Uncle Donovan makes giant meatballs as big as my head. Do you like spaghetti and meatballs?” Avery asked Kelly.

“As big as your head?” The man was getting more interesting by the second.

“They are not as big as your head,” Donovan corrected his niece. “Come on and get your shoes on. You and Graham have to come with us because I can’t trust your brother here unsupervised.”

“But she loves spaghetti!”

Kelly giggled at her persistence. Donovan certainly had his hands full with his niece and nephew.

“She never said she loves spaghetti. Please go get your shoes on.”

It was clear that he did not want a dinner guest. No amount of adorable begging was going to get him to change his mind. Not that Kelly wanted to stay. Considering why they were here, dinner was likely to be a bit tense.

“I like spaghetti, but I really need to get home. Maybe we can have dinner another time, okay?”

Avery looked absolutely crestfallen. “Fine,” she grumbled as she brushed past him and out the door.

“Sorry about that. She lacks boundaries. I’m not sure how to teach her them without making her think she can’t talk to anyone. She’s at that age where everything is black or white. She never sees gray.”

Kelly shook her head. “She’s adorable. Don’t discourage her from being her sweet self.”

“Sweet until she doesn’t get her way. Lucky for her and unfortunately for me, I have a hard time telling her no. If you hadn’t turned her down, I fear I would have forced you to eat spaghetti with us.”

Had she not met Avery in person, it would have been harder to believe that she ruled this roost with her cuteness. Although that was clear, so much more was not. Kelly was naturally curious and she had about a million and one questions. How did Avery and Graham’s parents die? How did the kids end up with Donovan? Did he cook anything other than spaghetti and meatballs? Did he build other things besides bookcases?

“Well, I really do need to get home.” Kelly knew today was not the day to ask any of them. She walked past him and into the hall. “But you owe me spaghetti and meatballs as big as my head some other day because that I have to see.”

* * *

THE LAST THING Donovan imagined happening today was bringing a woman into his home and having to discourage Avery from inviting her over for dinner. One of Jessica’s final requests was that he promise not to bring women in and out of the kids’ lives. To be fair, his sister didn’t specifically ask him to remain single. In fact, Jess had begged him to try harder to let people in, but in his line of work, vulnerability meant death. Donovan understood it was unlikely a woman would kill him if he let her get close, but he was who he was and so far everyone he had ever dated wanted more than he was willing to give. That meant it was better he drop out of the dating game until the kids were grown.

Donovan’s biggest concern was that he’d be responsible for his niece and nephew having to suffer any more losses. A father and a mother were enough. He didn’t want them to get attached to someone only to have them disappear.

He knocked on Graham’s door. “We leave in two minutes. You better be in the back seat of my truck when I’m ready to pull out of the driveway or else.”

Donovan had no idea what the “else” would be but hoped the threat of the mysterious else would be enough to encourage Graham to do as he was told. Why did parenting have to be so hard?

“If it makes you feel any better, I hear that once you get through the teenage years, it’s smooth sailing,” Kelly said as they headed downstairs.

“Considering he’s only fifteen and she’s barely seven, I’m not sure if that’s good news or bad. The light at the end of the tunnel is so far away, it’s a tiny pinprick.”

“Well, maybe she’ll be less trouble. She might learn from some of the trouble he gets in.”

Kelly was quite the optimist. Donovan had lost the ability to see the bright side a long time ago. Since Oliver, Donovan’s best friend and Jessica’s husband, was killed in the line of duty and Jessica was diagnosed with incurable cancer, Donovan only expected the worst. Since his sister died, every day was similar to his time in the military. It was all about survival—his and the kids’. He didn’t have the luxury to hope for more than getting through each day still breathing.

“Can Kelly sit in the back with me?” Avery asked as she came skipping through the house.

“I would love to sit in the back with you, Miss Avery.” Kelly gave one of Avery’s pigtails a gentle tug. “Did you do these pigtails yourself?”

Avery giggled and the sound squeezed Donovan’s heart. His niece’s resiliency was her most amazing quality. She had more experience with tragedy than most adults, yet she could still smile, skip and laugh.

“Uncle Donovan always does my hair in the morning. I wanted a French braid today, but he said there wasn’t enough time.”

Donovan wasn’t surprised by the shocked look on Kelly’s face. Six months ago, no one would have been able to convince him that he would know how to do a little girl’s hair. “Someone was a sleepyhead this morning. If you want a French braid you have to get out of bed earlier.”

“You know how to French braid hair?” Kelly asked.

“Mommy taught him everything before she went to heaven. They had to practice every day because he used to hurt my head when he combed out my knots.”

Kelly pressed her lips together and had that look in her eye that always made him uncomfortable. Avery didn’t understand how talking about her mom might make other people feel and their sympathy was sometimes too much. The sooner he got Kelly back home, the better.

“Let’s get in the truck. It’s late.”

A door slammed upstairs and Graham came stomping down the steps. He had on a black sweatshirt with the hood pulled up. With his hands in the front pocket, he trudged past all of them and out the front door.

“Kelly might have to sit in the front seat, Avery. I don’t think Graham is going to want to sit in front with me.”

“No!” Avery chased after her brother. “Graham! I’m sitting in the back with Kelly. You have to sit in the front.”

As much as Graham hated Donovan, he loved Avery more. He didn’t even argue; he just got into the passenger’s seat. He might be trouble, but that boy would take care of his sister until the day he died.

He apologized to Kelly again. “Today has been kind of a nightmare. I promise it won’t always be like this.”

“It’s okay,” she said, placing a hand on his arm. The contact made him suck in a breath. “Don’t apologize for being a good uncle.”

He didn’t feel like a good uncle. He felt like he was barely cutting it. Maybe she was just being nice, maybe she saw something he didn’t. Either way, he appreciated the compliment.

They all got inside the truck and Donovan headed back to the city. Graham stared out the window and didn’t say a word. Avery, on the other hand, talked nonstop. Kelly patiently listened to her go on and on in excruciating detail about her day at school. She even described everything she ate for lunch.

“At recess, we played tag and I was only it one time because I am super fast. I had my fast shoes on.”

“You have fast shoes?” Kelly asked, making Donovan chuckle. Avery had a pair of sneakers that he told her would make her run faster. He had to be careful what he said around Avery because she did not doubt anything he told her.

“They’re pink with silver sparkles. I wanted purple ones, but Uncle Donovan said they were fast shoes and I would run faster in them and he was right.”

“I think I might need him to buy me some of those shoes,” Kelly said, making eye contact with him in the rearview mirror. Those blue eyes were mesmerizing. “At the gym, I run on the treadmill and I can never go as fast as the guy who works out next to me. He always teases me.”

“Uncle Donovan, do they make the fast shoes for grown-ups?”

“I don’t know, Avery. I’m guessing not the same exact ones.”

“Shoes don’t make you fast, Avery,” Graham said from under his hood. “You’re fast because you’re fast. You don’t need stupid shoes.”

“They are too fast shoes and they’re not stupid!” Avery asserted. “Uncle Donovan said they are, so they are.”

“Uncle Donovan lied.”

“That’s enough, Graham,” Donovan warned. “Don’t make your sister upset because you’re mad at me.”

Graham pushed back his hood and glared at his uncle. “Do the shoes really make her fast? Are they magic shoes or did you tell her that because you were tired of shopping and you couldn’t find any purple shoes like she wanted?”

Donovan gave him a pointed look. “I said that’s enough.”

“You’re such a hypocrite.” The hood went back up. “You punish me for every little thing I do, but you lie to my sister every day.”

Donovan had no rebuttal. He was wrong and he was right. They drove in silence for a full minute.

“They are fast shoes, Graham. They are,” Avery said in her tiny voice. No one said anything after that until they pulled up in front of Kelly’s building.

“Do you want me to check your apartment?” he offered. Her building wasn’t one of the most secure places to live. Someone could sneak their way in with a little patience.

“I’ll be fine,” she said, opening her door. “If I see anything suspicious, I’ll text you.”

She gave Avery a hug and promised to eat dinner with them next time she came over. That was a good answer. As long as they never ended up back at his house, they could avoid spending an awkward meal together.

“See ya tomorrow,” Donovan said before she shut the door. He waited until she was safely inside before putting on his blinker so he could pull out into traffic.

“I think she’s my new best friend,” Avery said.

It made perfect sense why he had decided not to bring people into the kids’ lives. Avery got attached so quickly. He had thought this would be easier since he had no intention of getting into a relationship with anyone. But Avery could bond with a complete stranger in five seconds flat, and Kelly wasn’t a girlfriend. She wasn’t even a friend. She was a job assignment.

“Who was that? Why did you offer to check her apartment? Why are you going to see her tomorrow?” Graham asked. Donovan was surprised he was curious enough to say something.

“That’s my boss’s niece. She works at a radio station and someone was...being mean to her. I have to help keep her safe until we can find that person.”

“Why would someone be mean to Kelly?” Avery asked. “She’s so nice.”

“It’s hard to explain, sweetie.”

“Is someone trying to kill her?” Graham asked.

“Someone is going to kill her?” Avery screeched and then burst into tears.

“Are you serious right now?” he said to Graham. Donovan was ready to tape the kid’s mouth shut. Did he not understand how saying something like that could scare his sister? He tried to console Avery. “No one is going to kill Kelly. She’s totally safe.”

His phone chimed with a text. Don’t leave! was all it said.

Adrenaline flooded Donovan’s body. He hoped he hadn’t told Avery another lie.

Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.