She doesn’t need a man

But she could use a friend

When the new director of security, Nick West, arrives at Gallant Lake Resort, Cassie Smith’s carefully protected life is turned upside down. The handsome ex-cop insists on teaching her self-defense, and as Cassie learns she can indeed make it on her own, she starts wondering if she wants to! But when Cassie’s safety is threatened, she must choose: continue running from her past...or take a stand for a brighter future.

JO MCNALLY lives in coastal North Carolina with one hundred pounds of dog and two hundred pounds of husband—her slice of the bed is very small. When she’s not writing or reading romance novels (or clinging to the edge of the bed), she can often be found on the back porch sipping wine with friends while listening to great music. If the weather is absolutely perfect, Jo might join her husband on the golf course, where she tends to feel far more competitive than her actual skill level would suggest.

She likes writing stories about strong women and the men who love them. She’s a true believer that love can conquer all if given just half a chance.

You can follow Jo pretty much anywhere on social media (and she’d love it if you did!), but you can start at her website, jomcnallyromance.com

Also by Jo McNally

Nora’s Guy Next DoorShe’s Far From HollywoodThe Life She Wants

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk

A Man You Can Trust

Jo McNally

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-1-474-09156-5

A MAN YOU CAN TRUST

© 2019 Jo McNally

Published in Great Britain 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

This book, with a Genuine Good Guy as a hero, is

dedicated to the memory of a Genuine Good Guy—

my dad. He was quietly, yet fiercely,

devoted to the people he loved.

I love and miss you, Dad.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

About the Author

Booklist

Title Page

Copyright

Note to Readers

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

Extract

About the Publisher

Chapter One

The resort parking lot was quiet.

That was hardly surprising, since it was seven o’clock on a Monday morning.

But Cassandra Smith didn’t take chances.

Ever.

She backed into her reserved spot but didn’t turn the car off right away. She didn’t even put it in Park. First, she looked around—checking the mirrors, making sure she was going to stay. Pete Carter was walking from his car toward the Gallant Lake Resort. He waved as he passed her, and she waved back, then pretended to look at something on the passenger seat as she turned off the ignition. Pete worked at the front desk, and he was a nice enough guy. He’d offer to walk her inside if she got out now. And maybe that would be a good idea. Or maybe not. How well did she really know him?

Her fingers tightened on the steering wheel. She was being ridiculous—Pete was thirty years her senior and happily married. But some habits were hard to shake, and really—why take the chance? By the time she finished arguing with herself, Pete was gone.

She checked the mirrors one last time before getting out of the car, threading the keys through her fingers in a move as natural to her as breathing. As she closed the door, a warm breeze brushed a tangle of auburn hair across her face. She tucked it back behind her ear and took a moment to appreciate the morning. Beyond the sprawling 200-room fieldstone-and-timber resort where Cassie worked, Gallant Lake shimmered like polished blue steel. It was encircled by the Catskill Mountains, which were just beginning to show a blush of green in the trees. The air was brisk but smelled like spring, earthy and fresh. It reminded her of new beginnings.

It had been six months since Aunt Cathy offered her sanctuary in this small resort town nestled in the Catskills. Gallant Lake was beginning to feel like home, and she was grateful for it. The sound of car tires crunching on the driveway behind her propelled her out of her thoughts and into the building. Other employees were starting to arrive.

Cassie crossed the lobby, doing her best to avoid making eye contact with the few guests wandering around at this hour. As usual, she opted for the stairs instead of dealing with the close confines of the elevator. The towering spiral staircase in the center of the lobby looked like a giant tree growing up toward the ceiling three stories above, complete with stylized copper leaves draping from the ceiling. The offices of Randall Resorts International were located on the second floor, overlooking the wide lawn that stretched to the lakeshore. Cassie’s desk was centered between four small offices. Or rather, three smaller offices and one huge one, which belonged to the boss. That boss was in earlier than usual today.

“G’morning, Cassie! Once you get settled, stop in, okay?”

Ugh. No employee wanted to be called into the boss’s office first thing on a Monday.

Blake Randall managed not only this resort from Gallant Lake, but half a dozen others around the world. It hadn’t taken long for Cassie to understand that Blake was one of those rare—at least in her world—men who wore their honor like a mantle. He took pride in protecting the people he cared for. Tall, with a swath of black hair that was constantly falling across his forehead, the man was ridiculously good-looking. His wife, Amanda, really hit the jackpot with this guy, and he adored her and their children.

Blake was all business in the office, though. Focused and driven, he’d intimidated the daylights out of Cassie at first. Amanda teasingly called him Tall, Dark and Broody, and the nickname fit. But Cassie had come to appreciate his steady leadership. He had high expectations, and he frowned on drama in the workplace.

He’d offered her a job at the resort’s front desk when she first arrived in Gallant Lake. It was a charity job—a favor to Cathy—and Cassie knew it. It took only one irate male guest venting at her during check-in for everyone to realize she wasn’t ready to be working with an unpredictable public. She’d frozen like a deer in headlights. Once she moved up here to the private offices, she’d found her footing and had impressed Blake with her problem-solving skills. Because Blake hated problems.

She tossed her purse into the bottom drawer of her desk and checked her computer quickly to make sure there weren’t any urgent issues to deal with. Then she made herself a cup of hot tea, loaded it with sugar and poured Blake a mug of black coffee before heading into his office.

He looked up from behind his massive desk and gave her a quick nod of thanks as she set his coffee down in front of him. Everyone knew to stay out of Blake’s way until they saw a cup of coffee in his hand. He was well-known for not being a morning person. He took a sip and sighed.

“I was ready to book a flight to Barbados after hearing about the wedding disaster down there this weekend, but then I heard that apparently I—” he emphasized the one-letter word with air quotes “—already resolved everything by flying some photographer in to take wedding photos yesterday, along with discounting some rooms. Not at our resort, but at a competitor. I hear I’m quite the hero to the bride’s mother, but I’ll be damned if I remember doing any of it.”

Blake’s dark brows furrowed as he studied her over the rim of his coffee cup, but she could see a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. The tension in her shoulders eased. Despite his tone, he wasn’t really angry.

“The manager called Saturday looking for you,” she explained. “Monique was in a panic, so I made a few calls. The bride’s mother used the son of a ‘dear family friend’ to organize the wedding, instead of using our concierge service. The idiot didn’t book the rooms until the last minute, and we didn’t have enough available, which he neglected to mention to the bride’s mom. Then he booked the photographer for the wrong date.” She smiled at the look of horror on Blake’s face. “We’re talking wrong by a full month. It was quite a melodrama—none of which was our fault—but the bride is some internet fashion icon with half a million followers on Instagram. So we found rooms at the neighboring resort for the guests we couldn’t handle, and convinced the wedding party to get back into their gowns and tuxes for a full photo shoot the day after the wedding, which was the fastest we could get the photographer there. Mom’s happy. Bride’s happy. Social media is flooded with great photos and stories with the resort as a backdrop. I assumed you’d approve.”

Blake chuckled. “Approve? It was freaking brilliant, Cassie. That kind of problem-solving is more along the lines of a VP than an executive assistant. You should have an office of your own.”

She still wasn’t used to receiving compliments, and her cheeks warmed. When she’d first arrived, she’d barely been able to handle answering calls and emails, always afraid of doing something wrong, of disappointing someone. But as the months went by, she’d started to polish her rusty professional skills and found she was pretty good at getting things done, especially over the phone. Face-to-face confrontation was a different story.

This wasn’t the first time Blake had mentioned a promotion, but she wasn’t ready. Oh, she was plenty qualified, with a bachelor’s degree in business admin. But if things went bad back in Milwaukee, she’d have to change her name again and vanish, so it didn’t make sense to put down roots anywhere. She let Blake’s comment hang in the air without responding. He finally shook his head.

“Fine. Keep whatever job title you want, but I need your help with something.”

Cassie frowned when Blake hesitated. “What is it?”

“You know I hired a new director of security.” Cassie nodded. She was going to miss Ken Taylor, who was retiring to the Carolinas with his wife, Dianne. Ken had taken the job on a temporary basis after Blake’s last security guy left for a job in Boston. Ken was soft-spoken and kind, and he looked like Mr. Rogers, right down to the cardigan sweaters. He was aware of Cassie’s situation, and he’d made every effort to make sure she felt safe here, including arranging her reserved parking space.

“Nick West starts today. I’d like you to work with him.”

“Me? Why?” Cassie blurted the words without thinking. She laughed nervously. “I don’t know anything about security!”

But she knew all about needing security.

Blake held up his hand. “Relax. I’m not putting you on the security team. He’ll need help with putting data together and learning our processes. I need someone I can trust to make sure he has a smooth transition.”

“So...I’m going to be his executive assistant instead of yours?” Her palms went clammy at the thought of working for a stranger.

“First, we’ve already established you’re a hell of a lot more than my EA. And this is just temporary, to help him get settled in the office.” Blake drained his coffee mug and set it down with a thunk, not noticing the way Cassie flinched at the sound. “He’s a good guy. Talented. Educated. He’s got a master’s in criminal justice, and he was literally a hero cop in LA—recognized by the mayor, the whole deal.”

A shiver traced its way down Cassie’s spine. Her ex had been a “hero cop,” too. Blake’s next words barely registered.

“I’m a little worried about him making the shift from the hustle of LA to quiet Gallant Lake, but he says he’s looking for a change of pace. His thesis was on predictive policing—using data to spot trouble before it reaches a critical point.” That explained why Blake hired the guy. Blake was all about preventing problems before they happened. He did not like surprises. “It’ll be interesting to see how he applies that to facility security. His approach requires a ton of data to build predictive models, and that’s where you come in. You create reports faster than anyone else here.”

Cassie loved crunching numbers and analyzing results. She started to relax. If Blake wanted her to do some research for the new guy, she could handle that.

“I also want you to mentor him a bit, help him get acclimated.”

“Meaning...?”

“Amanda and I are headed to Vegas this week for that conference and a little vacation time. Nick’s going to need someone to show him around, make introductions and answer any questions that come up. He just got to town this weekend, and he doesn’t know anyone or anything in Gallant Lake.”

“So what, I’m supposed to be his babysitter?”

Blake’s brow rose at the uncharacteristically bold question.

“Uh, no. Just walk him around the resort so he’s familiar with it, and be a friendly face for the guy.” He leaned forward. “Look, I get why you might be anxious, but he’s the director of security. That’s about as safe as it gets.”

Her emotions roiled around in her chest. She hated that her employer felt he had to constantly reassure her about her safety. Yes, the guy in charge of security should be safe. All men should be.

“Cassie? Is this going to be a problem?” The worry in Blake’s eyes made her sit straighter in her chair. What was it Sun Tzu wrote in The Art of War? The latest in a long line of self-help books she’d picked up was based on quotes from the ancient Chinese tome.

Appear strong when you are weak...

“No, I’m sure it will be fine. And the data analysis sounds interesting. Does he know...?”

“About your situation? No. I wouldn’t do that without your permission. I only told Ken because you’d just arrived and...”

She was hardly strong now, but she’d been a complete basket case back then.

“I understand. I don’t think the new guy needs to know. I don’t want to be treated differently.”

Blake frowned. “I don’t want that, either. But I do want you to feel safe here.”

“I know, Blake. And thank you. If I change my mind, I’ll tell him myself.” She was getting tired of people having conversations about her as if she was a problem to be solved, no matter how well-meaning they were. “When will I meet him?”

“He’s getting his rental house situated this morning, then he’ll be in. I’m planning on having lunch with him, then giving him a quick tour. He dropped some boxes off yesterday. Can you make sure he has a functioning office? You know, computer, phone, internet access and all that? I told Brad to set it up, but you know how scattered that kid can be.”

Two hours later, Cassie was finishing the last touches in West’s office. The computer and voice mail were set up with temporary passwords. The security team had delivered his passes and key cards—his master key would open any door in the resort. Brad, their IT whiz, had been busy over the weekend, and a huge flat-screen hung on one wall. On it, twelve different feeds from the security surveillance room downstairs were scrolling in black and white. It looked like a scene straight out of some crime-fighter TV show.

A familiar voice rang out in the office. “Hel-lo? Damn, no one’s here.”

Cassie stepped to the doorway and waved to Blake’s wife. “I’m here!”

Amanda Randall rushed to give Cassie a tight hug. Cassie hated hugs, but Amanda got a free pass. The woman simply couldn’t help herself—she was a serial hugger. She was also Cassie’s best friend in Gallant Lake. They’d bonded one night over a bottle of wine and the discovery they shared similar ghosts from their pasts. Other than that, the two women couldn’t be any more different. Amanda was petite, with curves everywhere a woman wanted curves. Cassie was average height and definitely not curvy—her nervous energy left her with a lean build. Amanda had long golden curls, while Cassie’s straight auburn hair was usually pulled back and under control. Amanda was a bouncing bundle of laughing, loving, hugging energy. Cassie was much more reserved, and sometimes found her friend’s enthusiasm overwhelming.

“I brought chocolate chip cookies for everyone, but I guess you and I will have to eat them all.” Amanda held up a basket that smelled like heaven.

“You won’t have to twist my arm. Come on in and keep me company.”

Amanda followed her into the new guy’s office.

“Wow—this is some pretty high-tech stuff, huh?” Amanda walked over to the flat-screen and watched the video feeds change from camera to camera. One feed was from a camera in front of Blake and Amanda’s stone mansion next door to the resort. The private drive was visible in the view from above their front door. “I really need to talk to Blake about those cameras. I don’t like the feeds popping up in some stranger’s office.”

“Hasn’t resort security always been responsible for the house, too?”

“I was never crazy about that, but Blake insisted. And it was different when it was Paul, whom I’d known from the first week I was here. And then Ken. I mean, he’s like having a favorite uncle watching over the house. But some hotshot ex-cop from LA watching me and the kids coming and going?” Amanda shuddered. “I don’t think so. Have you met him yet?”

“Who?”

“The new guy? Superhero cop coming to save us all? The one who has my husband drooling?”

“No, I haven’t met him yet.” Cassie set a stack of legal pads on the corner of the desk, opposite the corner Amanda now occupied as she devoured a cookie. “What do you know about him?”

“What don’t I know? He’s all Blake talked about this weekend. ‘Nick is so brave!’ ‘Nick is so brilliant!’ ‘Oh, no! What if Nick doesn’t like it here?’ ‘What if Nick leaves?’” Amanda acted out each comment dramatically, and Cassie couldn’t help laughing. “But seriously, he really wants this guy to work out. You know Blake—he believes in preventing problems before they happen, and that wasn’t Ken’s strong suit. He’s so anxious for this guy to be happy here that he actually suggested we skip our trip to Vegas so he could be here all week for Nick! That was a ‘hell no’ from me. We haven’t been away together without the kids in ages.” Amanda finished off the last of her cookie, licking her fingers. “And this girl is ready to par-tay in Vegas, baby! Whatcha doin’?”

“Blake said Nick dropped off these boxes. I’ll unpack them, and he can organize later.” Cassie pulled the top off one of the boxes on the credenza. It was filled with books on criminal science and forensics. She put them on the bookshelves in the order they were packed. Police work was usually a life’s calling. What made this guy walk away from it?

She stopped after pulling the cover off the second box. It contained more books and binders, but sitting on top was a framed photo. She lifted it out and Amanda came around the desk to study it with her.

It was a wedding portrait. The tall man in the image looked damned fine in a tuxedo, like a real-life James Bond. His hair was dark and cropped short, military style. His features were angular and sharp, softened only by the affectionate smile he was giving the bride. Her skin was dark and her wedding gown was the color of champagne. Her close-cropped Afro highlighted her high cheekbones and long, graceful neck. She was looking up at the man proudly, exuding confidence and joy. Cassie felt a sting of regret. When was the last time anyone thought that about her?

“Wow—are those two gorgeous or what?” Amanda took the silver frame from Cassie and whistled softly. “I wonder who it is.” She turned the frame over as if there might be an answer on the back.

“I’m assuming it’s Nick West and his wife.”

“No. Blake told me he’s single.”

“Maybe she’s an ex?”

Amanda rolled her eyes. “Who keeps photos like this of their ex? Maybe it’s not him at all—could be a brother or a friend. But if it is Nick, he’s hot as hell, isn’t he?”

Cassie took the picture back and set it on a shelf. “I hadn’t noticed.”

“Yeah, I call BS on that. There isn’t a woman under the age of eighty who wouldn’t notice how hot that guy is. You’d better be careful, especially now that you’re living in the love shack.”

“The what?”

“Nora’s apartment—we call it the love shack. First it was her and Asher. Then Mel moved in there and met Shane. And now you’re there, so...”

Cassie’s aunt had sold her coffee shop in the village to Amanda’s cousin Nora a few years ago but still worked there part-time. The apartment above the Gallant Brew had been a godsend when it came vacant shortly after Cassie’s arrival. But a love shack?

“I don’t believe in fairy tales. And even if Nora’s place did have magic powers, they’d be wasted on me.” She started to pull more books out of the box, but Amanda stopped her.

“Hey, I’m sorry. I don’t mean to push you. Sometimes my mouth gets ahead of my brain. But someday you’re going to find someone...”

Cassie shook her head abruptly. “That ship has sailed, Amanda. I have zero interest in any kind of...whatever.” She glanced back to the photo and studied the man’s dark eyes, sparkling with love for the bride. Her heart squeezed just a little, but she ignored it. “I can’t take the chance. Not again.”

“Not every guy is Don. In fact, there are millions of guys who aren’t Don.”

Amanda meant well, but they were straying onto thin and dangerous ice here. Cassie had wedding photos, too. They were packed away somewhere, and they showed a smiling couple just like this one. She’d been so innocent back then. And stupid. She was never going to be either again.

“Look, I have a ton of work to do, and this guy—my coworker—is going to be here any time now. No more talk about love shacks and hotness, okay?”

Amanda stared at her long and hard, her blue eyes darkening in concern. But thankfully, she decided to let it go. She picked up the basket of cookies. “Fine. I have to finish packing for the trip anyway. I’ll leave these out on the coffee counter.” She started to walk away, then spun suddenly and threw her arms around Cassie in an attack hug. “We leave in the morning, but we’ll be back next week. If you need anything at all—anything—you call Nora or Mel and they’ll be there in a heartbeat.”

Cassie bit back the surprising rebuke that sat on the tip of her tongue. She was fed up with everyone hovering and fretting, but she knew it was her own damn fault. How many times had she called Amanda those first few months, crying and terror-stricken because of a bad dream or some random noise she heard? Sure, she’d changed her name and moved about as far away from Milwaukee as she could get, but Don was an ex-cop with all the right connections. That’s why she kept a “go-bag” packed and ready at her door. She took a deep breath, nodded and wished Amanda a safe and fun trip. But after she left, Cassie was too agitated to sit at her desk. She ended up back in Nick West’s office, unpacking the last box.

A little flicker of anger flared deep inside. It had been nudging at her more and more lately, first as an occasional spark of frustration, but now it was turning into a steady flame. She wanted her life back. She wanted a life where she could rely on herself and stand up for herself. She looked at the wedding photo again. She wanted a life where she smiled more. Where she didn’t jump every time someone...

A shadow filled the doorway.

“Hey! Whatcha doin’ in here?”

Chapter Two

Nick West knew he’d startled the woman, but he was just trying to be funny. It was a joke. He figured the auburn-haired stranger would jump, then they’d both have a good laugh as he introduced himself. Humor was always a good icebreaker, right?

He never figured she’d send a stapler flying at his head.

He managed to swat it down before it connected with his face, but it ricocheted off the corner of his desk and smacked him in the shin.

“Ow!” He hopped on one leg. “Damn, woman! I was just kidding around.” He rubbed his throbbing shin, unable to keep from laughing at the way his joke had backfired on him.

But the woman wasn’t laughing. She was wide-eyed and pale, her chest rising and falling sharply. Her eyes were an interesting mix of green and gold. Her hair was a mix, too—not quite red, but more than just brown. It was pulled back off her face and into a low ponytail. She was pretty, in a fresh-scrubbed, natural way. Then he noticed her hand, which was clutching a pair of scissors like she was getting ready to go all Norman Bates on him.

The desk was still between them, but he raised his hands as if she was holding a loaded gun. He’d already seen how good her aim was.

“Whoa, there! Let’s dial it back a notch, okay? I’m Nick West and this is my office...I think. Am I in the wrong place?” The thought didn’t occur to him until he said it out loud. Shit. Had he just burst into some woman’s office and scared the bejesus out of her? What if this was the boss’s wife? He’d heard Randall’s wife was involved in the resorts somehow. Even if it wasn’t her, traumatizing a coworker wasn’t a good way to start his first day here.

The hand holding the scissors lowered and color came back to her previously white knuckles. She lifted her chin, but it trembled, and there was genuine fear in her eyes. It made him feel like a jerk.

“Look, I’m sorry. I was kidding around. I do that sometimes.”

“You scared the hell out of me, and you did it on purpose!” Those green-gold eyes flashed in anger. “Is that how you plan on introducing yourself to everyone here? Because I’ve got news for you—it won’t go over well.” She reached up to push her hair behind her ear and took a steadying breath. “This is your office, Mr. West. I’m Cassie...um...Smith, and I’ll be working with you. I was setting up your desk.”

Great. He’d never had a secretary before, and he’d just traumatized the first one he got. Smooth move, West. He grunted out a short laugh, rubbing the back of his neck as he tried to figure out how to fix this mess.

“Let’s rewind and start over, okay? You’re my first secretary.” He stopped when her eyes narrowed. “What? What’d I say wrong now?”

“I am not your secretary. I’m Mr. Randall’s executive assistant, and I’ll be supporting you with some of your projects. I’ll provide data. I’ll run reports. But I don’t take dictation and I won’t be fetching your damned coffee.”

Well, well, well. The jumpy lady had a backbone after all. Nick knew how to be a good cop. He had no damned clue how to be a good executive.

“Not a secretary. Got it. Like I said, I’m new at this corporate thing. In LA, I had a dispatcher and a desk sergeant. Something tells me you’ll be closer to the latter.” He nodded down to her hand. “I’d be a lot happier if you’d put those down.”

Cassie looked down and appeared surprised to see the scissors still in her hand. She dropped them to the desk like they were burning her.

“Sorry,” she mumbled. She continued to look down, lost in thought.

Her body language was all over the place, causing his cop’s sixth sense to kick in. First she was jumpy and defensive. Then proud and outspoken. And now, as she apologized, she visibly shrank. He didn’t like timid women. They reminded him of victims, and he’d had his fill of victims. But then again, victims didn’t fling staplers at people’s heads.

“Don’t apologize,” he said. “That was a juvenile thing for me to do. I gotta remember I’m not in a police precinct anymore.” And he’d never be in one again. He rubbed his thigh absently. Shoving that thought aside, he flashed her a rueful grin. “I’ll probably need your help monitoring my corporate behavior.”

She nodded, not returning the smile, but straightening a bit. “I don’t like practical jokes, but I’m sure you’ll do fine here. It’s a good group of people, and they like to have fun.”

Interesting. She said they like to have fun, not we. He looked around the office. He’d barely noticed it yesterday, just dropping off his boxes and checking in to his room to crash after the long cross-country drive. The view of Gallant Lake was sweet. The giant flat-screen on the wall with all the changing camera feeds was even sweeter. He saw the photo on the bookshelf and blinked. Jada. It was her death that chased him out of LA and into this new life. The picture was a reminder of how quickly good things could go bad.

A large hand clamped down on his shoulder from behind, and Nick restrained himself from spinning around swinging. Old habits were hard to break. In this case, it would have been especially bad, since it was his new boss.

“Sorry I missed your arrival, Nick. We had a guest giving the desk staff a hard time about the five movies on his room bill. Turns out his ten-year-old has a thing for superheroes and didn’t realize movies are fifteen bucks a pop.” There weren’t many men who could make Nick tip his head back and look up, but Blake Randall was one of them. He was a few years older than Nick, but he had no doubt Randall could hold his own in a physical challenge. Blake spotted Cassie on the other side of the desk. “Oh, good, you’ve met Cassie. You’re going to want to treat this girl right because she’s the one who can make or break you, man.”

Nick met Cassie’s gaze. Her moods were as changeable as her eyes. Now that Blake was here, she was clearly more relaxed.

...she’s the one who can make or break you...

Even after Blake’s warning, Nick couldn’t resist teasing her.

“Oh, don’t worry, Blake. Cassie’s made quite an impression already.” Her eyes narrowed in suspicion. “She’s already throwing things...I mean...ideas...at me.” Her hands clenched into fists, and he was surprised his skin wasn’t blistering under the heat of her glare. “She even took a stab at trying to define her job responsibilities.”

Blake was oblivious to the tension buzzing in the room. “Trust me, there is no way to define her job duties. Cassie’s always surprising you by doing more than expected.” Nick’s smirk grew into a wide smile.

“Yeah, she’s full of surprises. Oh, look, the stapler fell off the desk.” He bent over to pick it up from where it had landed earlier. He couldn’t help wondering if exposing his back to the woman, with scissors still nearby, was a good idea. “We don’t want the boss to think you were throwing things at me, now, do we?”

“No, we don’t.” She watched as he set the stapler on the desk. Her voice was cold as ice. “But Blake knows me well enough to know I’d never launch an unprovoked attack.”

Nick looked up in surprise. Touché. She was playing along. He winked at her, and a little crease appeared between her brows.

Blake chuckled behind him. “I can’t imagine Cassie throwing things at anyone.” Her cheeks went pink, but Blake didn’t seem to notice. “Come on, Nick, let’s grab lunch and I’ll make some introductions. Would you like to join us, Cass?”

“No, thanks. I have work to do. You and Mr. West go ahead and...”

“Mr. West?” Blake looked at Nick and frowned. “We’re on a first-name basis up here, Nick.”

“No problem. Cassie and I were joking around earlier and she’s just trying to get a rise out of me.” Now it was her turn to be surprised. She looked at him and her mouth opened, but she didn’t speak.

For the first time, Blake seemed to pick up on the undercurrent of...something...that was swirling around them.

“Really?” He looked at Cassie with clear surprise. Apparently she wasn’t known for cracking jokes. She gave Blake a quick nod and smiled. It was the first smile Nick had seen from her, and it was worth waiting for, even if it was aimed at someone else. Her whole face softened, and her eyes went more green than gold.

“You two go on to lunch, and let me get back to work, okay?”

His curiosity was definitely piqued. Cassie Smith had a story.

* * *

On Thursday morning, Cassie was still trying to put a finger on her riled-up emotions. It started before Nick West’s arrival, so she couldn’t place all the blame on him for this low rumble of frustration and anger that simmered in her. In no mood to deal with her tangled hair, she pulled it into a messy knot on top of her head and frowned at the mirror. Simple khakis, sensible shoes and a dark green Gallant Lake polo shirt. Practical attire for a busy day. She was giving Nick a tour of the grounds today and wanted to be able to keep up with his long strides.

The man was always in motion, leaving her constantly on edge. He paced when he talked and bounced when he sat. He had a foam basketball that he tossed around his office when he was alone in there, and it drove her crazy. Yesterday she’d moved her computer so her back was to his door, trying to avoid the distraction of the ball flying through the air. Nick started laughing the minute he walked into the office and saw the new arrangement, and laughed every time he walked by. Jerk.

She went downstairs in the loft apartment and poured herself a cup of tea, adding three spoonfuls of sugar. She usually joined Nora in the coffee shop before heading to the resort, but Nora had her hands full watching Amanda and Blake’s teenaged son and toddler daughter this week. Mel might be down in the shop, but it was more likely Amanda’s other cousin would be enjoying her coffee with her fiancé on the deck of their waterfront home. So Cassie fixed herself a bagel and sat at the kitchen island, feeling almost as restless as Nick West.

Ugh! She’d known the man only three days, and he was in her head constantly. His big laugh when he was kidding around with employees—who all seemed to adore both him and his practical jokes. The way he started every conversation with a booming “Hey! Whatcha doing?” The way he rapped the corner of everyone’s desk sharply with his knuckles every time he passed it. Except hers. After the first time he did it and she’d squeaked in surprise, he’d left her desk alone.

But she hadn’t managed to stop his infuriating running joke of putting her stapler—the bright blue one she’d flung at him on their first meeting—in a different place every day. Monday afternoon she’d found it on her chair. Tuesday, it was next to the coffee maker. And yesterday, when she attended a meeting in the surveillance room with Nick and the entire security staff, the blue stapler was sitting on the circular console that faced the wall of monitors. She spotted it immediately and turned to glare at him, only to find him laughing at her. Ass.

Sure enough, when she walked into the office later that morning, the stapler was sitting next to a small vase of daffodils on her desk. Wait. Where did the daffodils come from? The sunny flowers were in a simple vase, which on closer inspection turned out to be a water glass.

“They reminded me of you, slugger.”

Nick West was leaning against the doorway to his office. He’d taken his jacket and tie off and rolled up the sleeves of his dress shirt. That was his usual uniform during the day. He always looked ready for action.

“Excuse me?”

“You know—sunny and bright and happy?” He was baiting her. Yesterday, he’d asked her why she was so serious all the time. Deciding the misogynistic question didn’t deserve an answer, she’d walked away, but she should have known he wouldn’t drop it. She dropped her purse into a drawer and clarified her comment.

“I was referring to the ‘slugger’ part.”

“Well, you’ve got pretty good aim with that arm of yours, and you’re a fighter. Slugger seems to fit you.”

Cassie’s breath caught in her throat. He thought she was a fighter?

“And what should I call you? Ducky, for how fast you dodged the stapler?” He gave her an odd look, somewhere between surprise and admiration. Then his face scrunched up.

“Ducky is a hard pass. Let’s stick with Nick.”

She looked at the flowers. “Please tell me the director of security didn’t steal these flowers from the garden in front of the resort.”

Nick winked at her. He was a big winker. She did her best to tell herself those twinkling brown eyes of his had no effect on her. “They actually haven’t left the property, so at best, the director of security has just misappropriated them. I think they look nice there, don’t you?” She rolled her eyes.

“I’m sure a cheating accountant thinks misappropriated funds look nice in his bank account, too, but that doesn’t make it any less a crime.”

He barked out a loud laugh. “And here I thought I left all the attorneys back in LA. You missed your calling.” He turned back to his office, but stopped cold when she called out.

“Oh, Mr. West?” His exaggerated slow turn almost made her laugh out loud, and she hadn’t done that in a long time. He admittedly had a goofy charm. “Don’t forget the stapler. You seem to prefer mine to the one you have in your office, so maybe we should switch.” She picked it up and tossed it gently in his direction, surprised at her own moxie. He was equally surprised, catching the stapler with one hand. She nodded at the daffodils. “And thank you for the stolen goods.”

He gave her a crooked grin. “Just following orders. Blake told me to treat you right, remember?”

Cassie rolled her eyes again and turned away, ignoring his chuckle behind her.

A couple hours later, Nick was surprisingly all business during their tour of the grounds, jotting notes on his tablet and snapping pictures. It was a gorgeous early May day, warming dramatically from earlier in the week. A breeze raised gentle waves on the lake, which were shushing against the shoreline.

They started by walking around the exterior of Blake and Amanda’s home, a rambling stone castle named Halcyon, then worked their way down the hill past the resort, all the way to the golf course that hugged the shoreline. The entire complex, including the residence, covered over one hundred acres, and by lunchtime, Cassie felt as though they’d walked every one of them.

She rattled off anecdotes as they walked. Nick’s security staff had been showing him around all week, but Blake instructed her, in his absence, to give Nick a tour that included the stories behind the business. This place, with lots of help from Amanda, had changed Blake’s life. He wanted his employees to understand its importance. Nick listened and nodded, busy with his notes.

She told him the history of Halcyon and how close the mansion had come to being destroyed, along with the resort. The rebirth of the resort, thanks to Amanda’s designer eye and Blake’s hotel fortune. The coinciding growth of the town of Gallant Lake, where most of the employees lived and many guests shopped and dined. The upscale weddings the resort specialized in, often for well-heeled Manhattanites. And the new championship golf course, already home to several prominent charity tournaments.

He glanced at her several times as they headed back from the golf course, but she was careful not to make eye contact. His chocolate eyes had a way of knocking her thoughts off track. The waves were larger now that the wind had picked up. Above them was the sprawling clubhouse, a stunning blend of glass and timber, with a slate tile roof.

“Where’s the best place to launch a kayak around here?”

“What?”

“I want to get my kayak in the water this weekend, and my rental doesn’t have a dock yet. Does the resort have a launch site?”

Cassie stopped walking and looked at him, brushing away the stray strands of hair that blew across her face. She knew her mouth had fallen open, but it took her a moment to actually speak.

“You’re asking me about kayaking?”

“You live in a mountain town. You must do something outdoors. Are there mountain bike trails here? Places to rock climb?”

Her chest jumped and it startled her so much she put her hand over her heart. That had been dangerously close to a laugh. She shook her head. “You are definitely asking the wrong person. I’m sure those things exist around here, but I don’t know anything about them. You should ask Terry at the front desk—he’s outdoorsy.”

“Outdoorsy?” His shoulders straightened. “I’m not ‘outdoorsy.’ I enjoy outdoor activities. There’s a difference.”

“And that difference would be?”

Nick stuttered for a minute, then rubbed the back of his neck. “I don’t know. But it’s different, trust me. You’ve never kayaked here?”

“Uh...no. My idea of a good time is curling up with a book and a cup of tea.”

He shook his head. “Well, that’s just sad. I’ll think of you tomorrow night when I’m out on the water taking in the scenery and you’re stuck at home reading some boring book.”

She turned away and started walking. “I’m working tomorrow night.”

“Yeah? On a Friday night?”

“There’s a big wedding this weekend, and the rehearsal dinner is tomorrow. One of our events people is on vacation, so I’m helping our manager make sure everything runs smoothly.”

“The manager is Julie, right? I spent yesterday afternoon with her. She seems on top of things.” Cassie nodded. Julie Brown was nice. If Cassie was sure she’d be staying in Gallant Lake, they’d probably be better friends. But she couldn’t afford to get too comfortable. Nick, walking at her side, shook his head with a smile. “Blake wasn’t kidding when he said you don’t have a defined job description—you’re everywhere.”

“I’m wherever I’m needed. That’s my job description.”

He studied her intently, then shrugged.

“Hey, if you’d rather work than join me on the water, that’s your loss.”

This laughing whirlwind of a man was making her crazy. Because for just a moment, she wondered if it really would be her loss if she didn’t go kayaking with him.

She quickly dismissed the thought. Her in a kayak with Nick West? Not happening.

Chapter Three

Nick leaned back in his office chair, turning away from the security feeds to watch Cassie through the open door. She was on the phone with someone, typing furiously and glancing at the schedule on the tablet propped up on the desk by her computer. The woman could seriously multitask. Was she the calm, cool professional he saw right now? Or was she the meek woman who’d flinched when he’d dropped a pile of papers on her desk this morning? Was she the woman who got uptight if there were more than a couple people in a room? Or was she the woman he saw yesterday, giving him a tour of the property with pride and confidence?

He’d checked her employee file—a perk of his job title. The information was pretty thin. She’d been here only a few months. She’d managed an insurance office in Milwaukee for a while but had been unemployed for over a year before moving here six months ago. Not exactly a red flag. She could have been going to school or job hunting or whatever. She’d clearly won Blake Randall’s confidence, but she didn’t give off a sense of having a lot of confidence in herself. Instead, Cassie seemed all twisted up with anxiety. Unless she was busy. Then she was cool and...controlled. It was as if being productive was her comfort zone.

She hung up the phone, then immediately dialed someone else. Her back was to him, ramrod straight. Her auburn hair was gathered in a knot at the base of her slender neck. He wondered what she’d look like if she ever let that hair loose. She was dressed in dark trousers and a pale blue sweater. Sensible. Practical. Almost calculatedly so. He grimaced. This was what happened when you spent eight years as a detective—you started profiling everyone you met.

“Margo? It’s Cassandra Smith, Mr. Randall’s assistant. Did you see the email I sent you last week? I didn’t receive a reply and thought perhaps you missed it...”

Nick’s eyes narrowed. There was an edge to Cassie’s voice he hadn’t heard until now. She was a whole new person. Again. He picked up his foam basketball and started bouncing it off the wall by the doorway. He smirked when Cassie stiffened—the fact that she hated his throwing the ball around was half the fun of doing it.

“Yes... Well, if Mr. Randall saw these numbers, he’d definitely be concerned... Right. And if Mr. Randall is concerned, he might be on the next flight to Miami for a conversation... Exactly. The restaurant is consistently selling less alcohol than they’re ordering every week. That inventory has to be going somewhere... What’s that?... Oh, I see. The bartender had his own family restaurant and was ordering a little extra for himself? I’m assuming he’s no longer employed with us?” She was scribbling furiously on a notepad on her desk. “You know, Margo, you have access to the same reports I do, so you may want to start reading them more closely... I’m sure you will. I’m glad we had a chance to talk... Yes, you, too. Have a great weekend.”

Nick moved to the doorway while she talked, working her diplomatic magic with the Miami manager. As she hung up, he leaned against the doorjamb and started to clap slowly. Being Cassie, she just about jumped out of her skin, spinning in her chair with a squeak of alarm. He really was going to have to be more careful around her.

“Sorry, I couldn’t help but overhear. Those were some good people skills, Cassie. I’m impressed, but since I’m responsible for loss management, I’m also concerned. Do we have a problem in Miami?”

Color returned to her cheeks and her chin lifted. “Not anymore. I saw the discrepancy last week. It was only a case or two here and there, but it’s something the hotel manager should have spotted herself. She won’t be ignoring any more of the reports I send out.”

“And you really weren’t going to tell Blake? Or me?” That might be taking her job responsibility a step too far. She stuttered for a moment, then met his gaze with the slightest of smiles, causing his chest to tighten in an odd way.

“It happened before you arrived, and I told Blake the minute I saw it.”

Nick replayed the conversation in his head. Cassie let Margo believe Blake wasn’t aware, but she hadn’t actually stated that. Clever girl.

“Bravo, Miss Smith.” She shrugged off the compliment, as usual. “Are you still planning on working the rehearsal dinner tonight?”

“Yes. It will probably run like clockwork as usual, but with Blake out of town and one of our managers off this week, Julie doesn’t want anyone thinking they can slack off.” She checked the time on her phone. “I should probably get down there. Have fun kayaking.”

Nick nodded and wished her a good evening, not bothering to tell her he wouldn’t be paddling on the water tonight after all. He’d be sitting in the surveillance room with Brad, learning how everything worked in there. Turned out Brad was in IT and also worked security on the weekends.

Three hours later, his head was spinning with all the information Brad was throwing at him. Nick was comfortable with technology, but remembering which control moved the images from the smaller monitors up to the large wall monitors mounted around the room, which control sped up or reversed the feeds, how to copy a feed to the permanent drive rather than the temporary one that saved them for only fourteen days... It was enough to make his head hurt. And to have it rattled off to him by some geeky kid barely out of college didn’t help his mood any.

There were digital cameras all over the resort, both in the public areas as well as in all the employee passageways and the kitchen. He’d spotted Cassie repeatedly. She seemed to be everywhere behind the scenes tonight, clipboard in hand, watching all the action. She’d changed into a crisp white shirt and dark slacks to match the rest of the staff. She didn’t interact with a lot of people. He saw her speaking with the manager, Julie. Then she’d been with Dario, the head chef, gesturing toward the plates being prepared.

He’d seen that pattern with her before—if she knew and trusted someone, she was relaxed and looked them straight in the eye when she spoke. But if she wasn’t comfortable with someone, her body language was completely different. She avoided both eye contact and conversation. She kept her body turned at a slight angle instead of facing them directly. Was she just painfully shy, or had something happened in her past to make her this way? Nick leaned back in his chair, chewing on the cap of his pen and scanning the monitors.

He spotted her a little while later, heading across the lobby toward the side door, purse slung over her shoulder. She was heading home. He frowned and checked the time. It was after ten o’clock and she was alone. They had cameras in the lots, but he’d noticed most of them were trained on customer parking, not the employee lot. He stood and shook Brad’s hand.

“This has been a great session, man. Thanks. But I think I’ll call it a night.” He looked around and frowned. “You’re on your own tonight?” Brad was a good kid, but he looked like a younger version of Paul Blart, the mall cop. Nick had doubts about Brad’s ability to handle the type of situations that could come up when a wedding crowd got to drinking. “You’ve got my mobile number, right?”

Brad laughed. “I’m not alone. Tim’s on vacation, but Bill’s out doing the first night check on doors and gates.” The team made the rounds to all exterior access points to the buildings three times every night. Nick nodded and left the room, waiting until he got to the hallway before closing his eyes in frustration.

Bill Chesnutt was even older than Ken Taylor had been. The guy was a retired marine, but he’d retired a long time ago. So basically they had Paul Blart and Andy Griffith watching over the resort on a Friday night. Perfect. He was going to need to make some changes here, but he didn’t want to rock the boat too early. He’d have a sit-down with Blake when he returned and discuss the options—better training, better people or both. He headed out the side door toward the employee parking lot.

Cassie was walking in the next row over from him, head down and looking tired. There were nowhere near enough lights in this damn lot. Nick headed in her direction, making a mental note to talk to the employees about using a buddy system to walk to their cars after dark until he could get more lights out here. This might not be the streets of LA, but there were bad guys everywhere.

Nick walked up behind Cassie, not happy that he was able to get this close without her noticing. She should be more aware of her surroundings. He was only a few feet away and she didn’t even know...

In the blink of an eye, Cassie spun and swung her fist at him. He dodged just in time, and something glinted in the light. Her car keys were sticking out between her fingers. That would have left a mark if she’d connected. She was digging in her purse with her other hand.

He barely had time to register what was happening before the pepper spray hit him in the face.

Chapter Four

“Agh! Son of a bitch! What the hell is wrong with you? God damn it, that hurts!”

Cassie watched in horror as Nick West covered the side of his face and doubled over, yelling in pain and letting out a string of curse words.

“Oh, my God. I didn’t know it was you!” She stepped forward to help, but her lungs started to burn and she couldn’t get a good breath. She started coughing, her chest burning. Still hunched over, Nick grabbed her arm, spinning her around and shoving her away with a hand to her back.

“What are you...?”

“Get away from me!” Nick’s growl was rough and loud. “Get away!”

He was angry. He pushed her. She immediately fell back on a practiced reaction.

“I’m sorry...”

That wasn’t what she was thinking. She was thinking Nick was an idiot to frighten her like that. But before she could take back her apology, coughing overtook her. Tears ran down her face.

“Damn it!” Nick’s hand wrapped around her wrist and he dragged her to the grass along the dark edge of the lot. Then he propelled her even farther away from the cars, sending her stumbling. He was bent over, looking up at her with one eye tightly closed, like the Hunchback of Notre Dame. Rage burned in that one open eye. His voice was tightly controlled. Almost calm.

“Stay back. You inhaled some of your own pepper spray. Hell, Cassie...” He dropped to his knees, raising his hands to his face but not touching them to his skin. “Water...”

She dived back into her bag and pulled out a water bottle. She started to hand it to him, then realized he couldn’t see her. “Turn your face up toward me, Nick. I’ll pour the water.”

He tilted his head. “Just the left side...” She poured the water slowly over the side of his face, and he took a deep, ragged breath. She did the same, noticing her lungs didn’t feel like they were in spasms any more.

“What were you thinking, sneaking up on me like that? I thought you were kayaking.” He didn’t answer, just sat on the grass, his head between his knees, both eyes tightly closed. A low, steady groan was the only sound he made. She sat next to him. “I was only defending myself...”

Sun Tzu said it perfectly. Invincibility lies in defense.

His whole body went rigid and he raised his head, glaring at her with his right eye. The left side of his face and neck were bright red in the glow of the parking lot light, his left eye tightly closed.

“Defending yourself? I could write an entire training manual on what not to do from your performance just now.” He closed his good eye and grimaced. “Damn, that hurts.”

Cassie was caught between sympathy and anger. Anger seemed easier. “A training manual, huh? Since you’re doubled over in pain right now, I’d say I did a pretty good job of rendering you harmless.”

Before she could blink, Nick’s hand snaked out and grabbed her wrist, yanking her almost onto his lap. His face was so close to hers that she could smell the pepper spray on his skin. She was too stunned to scream, but her heart felt like it was going to leap straight out of her chest.

“Do I look harmless to you right now, Cassie? If I’d been an attacker, you’d be dead, or worse. I could have forced you into your car and...” He growled to himself and released her with another curse, driving his fist into the ground at his side. “You did everything wrong. You let me get too close. You used the keys first when you should have used the spray. The keys-in-the-fingers trick only works when you’re in close hand-to-hand combat, which should be your last resort. You took so long getting the pepper spray that I would have had your purse away from you before you could reach it.”

Nick picked up the water bottle and poured what was left down the side of his face and neck. “You gave me time to turn away, so you didn’t completely incapacitate me. And then, instead of running when you had the chance, you stepped forward, right into your own cloud of pepper spray, and nearly incapacitated yourself.” He turned to focus his good eye on her. “So, yes. A whole training manual. On what not to do.”

Cassie stared at the dark ground, focused on bringing her pulse under control. Nick had been careful not to hurt her when he’d grabbed her, but he’d still frightened her. On purpose. She’d hate him for it if it weren’t for the truth of what he’d said. If he had been some random attacker—if he’d been Don—she would have been a victim. Again.

“Why are you armed with pepper spray? Did something happen to you?”

She didn’t look up.

“Yes. Something happened.”

“Here?”

She shook her head, her body trembling so badly she didn’t trust her voice. The only sound was his wheezing breath. He finally cleared his throat.

“Okay. Something happened. Somewhere.” His voice was gravelly from the pepper spray, but it was calmer than it had been a few minutes ago. “And you wanted to protect yourself. That’s smart. But you need to do it right. I’ll teach you.”

Her head snapped up. He was doing his best to look at her, even though his left eye was still closed.

“What are you talking about?”

“I’ll teach you self-defense, Cassie. The kind that actually works.”

“Are you talking karate or something? I thought the pepper spray...”

“It’s a tool, but you need more than that. If some guy’s amped up on drugs, he’ll just be temporarily blind and really ticked off.” He picked up the pepper spray canister from the grass at her side. “This stuff will spray up to ten feet away. You never should have let me get so close before using it.”

“I didn’t know that.”

“Exactly.” He grimaced and swore again. “I need to get home and dunk my face in a bowl full of ice water.” He stood and reached a hand down to help her up. She hesitated, then took it.

“Are you okay to drive, Nick? Do you want me to...”

“I’m fine. I’m only a couple miles from here, and I have one functioning eye. How about you?”

She was rattled to the core and definitely wouldn’t get any sleep tonight, but one of her favorite things about Nora’s place was that there were few places for anyone to hide in the wide-open loft. She always parked her car right next to the metal stairs that led to the back entrance. “I’m good. Don’t worry about me.”

Nick walked slowly to his Jeep, still cradling the side of his face with one hand. She felt bad that he was suffering, but she also felt a tiny spark of pride. Maybe she hadn’t fought back successfully, but she’d fought. That was something, right?

* * *

Nick went into the office for a few hours on Saturday morning, but there was no sign of Cassie. He should have been relieved, considering she about killed him with that damn pepper spray the night before. Instead, he felt a nudge of disappointment, and more than a nudge of concern.

Something happened.

One of the reasons he wasn’t a cop anymore was that he’d run out of patience with victims. He looked at Jada’s wedding photo on his shelf. No, that wasn’t completely true. He’d run out of patience with victims who didn’t help themselves. Who willingly allowed themselves to be victims. That’s why his partner was dead. If Beth Washington hadn’t gone back to her husband, Jada would still be alive.

But Cassie had armed herself with pepper spray and she hadn’t hesitated to use it. She’d used it badly, but she’d used it. It was a good thing she was so bad with the stuff—at least she’d blinded him in only one eye.

He slid his notes from his time with Brad into a manila folder and put it on the corner of his desk to review on Monday. Blake Randall would be back in the office, and Nick’s orientation period would come to an end. He looked forward to getting down to business. But first, he needed to finish unpacking and get himself settled in the small house he’d rented on Gallant Lake. He was getting sick of living out of cardboard boxes.

It was weird not seeing Cassie sitting at her desk when he left the office. He wondered if she’d take him up on his offer to teach her self-defense. She didn’t need to become a Krav Maga expert to protect herself. But she was so damn jumpy and twitchy about everything. She’d have to lose that spookiness to be effective at self-defense, which was all about outthinking the enemy. Nick frowned. He didn’t like the thought of the quiet brunette having enemies. Especially the kind who drove her to have such a quick trigger finger on a canister of pepper spray.

The heavy blue stapler sat on the corner of her desk, just begging to be hidden somewhere. Maybe he should leave her alone, especially with the boss coming back next week. But what was the fun in that? He set the stapler on the windowsill, tucking it behind the curtains that were pulled back to show the view of Gallant Lake and the surrounding mountains. Maybe he’d get out in the kayak tomorrow if the nice weather held.

But he woke the next morning to the sound of rain pounding on the metal roof. Kayaking was out of the question. He slid out of bed and opened the blinds on the window facing the water. Looked like a good day to do some shopping for the basics he needed to fill his pantry and refrigerator. He liked to cook healthy meals, but this transition week had seen him settling for far too many pizzas and frozen dinners. Time to get back on track. But first, there was an interesting-looking little coffee shop in Gallant Lake that he’d been meaning to try, and this was a hot-coffee sort of morning.

Apparently lots of people felt the same way, because the Gallant Brew was busy. As he stood in line, he studied the local artwork that lined the brick walls. A large bulletin board was filled with fliers about local events—a quilt show at the library, a spring concert at the elementary school, a senior travel group meeting at one of the churches. Slices of a small-town life he had no idea how to navigate.

His rising sense of panic settled when he saw the notice from the Rebel Rockers climbing club. The group was advertising a spring multipitch climb at the Gunks. The famous Shawangunk Ridge was known to be one of the best rock-climbing sites in the country, and a group climb like this would be a great way for him to learn his way around the cliffs. He’d get to know some local climbers, too. He tore off one of the paper strips with a phone number on it. Maybe this wouldn’t be such a bad place after all.

There was a collective burst of female laughter from the back of the shop, and one of the voices sounded oddly familiar. There were two women bustling behind the counter, trying to serve the large group ahead of Nick. One was older and tall, with a long braid of pewter-colored hair. The other was petite, with dark hair and a bright smile. She said something over her shoulder toward the hallway that disappeared into the back of the shop. That’s where Cassie Smith stood, juggling a large cardboard box in her arms.

The shorter brunette was filling a metal pitcher with frothy steamed milk, her voice rising over the hiss of the high-tech espresso maker. “Just set those mugs in the kitchen, Cass. I had no idea how low we’d gotten. You’re a lifesaver!”

“No problem. I’ll go get the second box for you.” Cassie, dressed in snug jeans and a short pink sweater that teased a bit of skin at her waist, turned away. Hot damn, her auburn hair was swinging free this morning, falling past her shoulders thick and straight. The box struck the corner hard as she turned. Her grip slipped, and she threw a knee up to keep the box from hitting the floor as she tried to regain control.

Nick was there in three long strides, grabbing the box away from her. To his surprise, both women at the counter rounded on him like he’d gone after Cassie with a machete.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” The older one slammed the cash register shut, ignoring the protest of her customer and heading his way with fury in her eyes. The petite one was less confrontational.

“Sir, you can’t be back here...”

“Nick?” When Cassie spoke his name, both women stopped.

“You know this guy?” The taller woman looked him up and down, clearly unimpressed with what she saw. “I’ve never seen him in here before.”

“He works at the resort, Aunt Cathy. He’s okay.” She reached for the box. “I’ll take that.”

Nick shook his head. “It’s heavy. Tell me where you want it.”

She opened her mouth as if to argue, then reconsidered, pointing to the kitchen. “Anywhere in there. Thanks.” He set the box down on the stainless steel counter in the tiny kitchen, then turned to face her.

“That’s too heavy for you to be carrying.”

“Apparently not, since I managed to carry it down a long flight of stairs just fine. I didn’t steer very well, that’s all.” She turned away and headed down the hallway, then looked over her shoulder at him in confusion when he followed. “What are you doing?”

“You said there was a second box. I’ll get it.”

She turned slowly, her right brow rising.

“No. You won’t.”

Nick shook his head in frustration. “We can stand here and argue about it as long as you’d like, but I am going to carry the other box down. If you’d bumped that one into the wall on the stairs, you could have fallen and broken your neck. Do you care anything at all about your own safety?”

“Seriously? I pepper-sprayed you in the face Friday night. I think that shows how much I care about my safety.”

“Yeah? You still haven’t agreed to my offer to help you learn how to protect yourself. And you’re fighting me about carrying a box of coffee mugs when you know damn well I’m right.” His voice rose slightly on those last words, and she stepped back. Her voice, on the other hand, dropped so low he barely heard her.

“I’m sorry...” Her brows furrowed as soon as the words came out, as if she hadn’t expected them.

“You don’t have to be sorry, Cassie. Just be smart. And accept help when it’s offered. Come on...” His hand touched her arm and she flinched. What the hell? Was she afraid of him? He dropped the “cop voice” Jada always used to give him hell for and raised his hands in innocence. “Hey, I’m trying to be a nice guy here. Leave the door open. Tell your aunt to call the cops if we’re not back down here in five minutes. Do whatever you need to do, but I think you know in your heart you’re safe with me. And Cassie?” He waited until she made eye contact with him, eyes full of uncertainty. “Bring some comfortable clothes to the office tomorrow. We’re going to hit the workout room and you’re going to learn some self-defense moves.”

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.