is a friend of sorts, not even that, really. More of a business associate.” Max had made that clear when he’d taken Charlotte home. Thankfully, she’d told him she hadn’t felt a connection, either. “That isn’t what I want to discuss with you . . .”
Prim looked up at him with that sweet, trusting expression. What did it matter if she still had Rory on the shelf? It wasn’t his business. She’d made it clear she wasn’t wanting to date.
She touched his hand. “Max?”
His heart swelled with love, and he knew that even if she never loved him back, couldn’t love him back, he would do whatever he could to protect her. “About the burglaries. If you see or hear anything unusual, I want you to call me. Day or night.”
“No one is going to—”
“Promise me, Prim.”
“I promise.” She smiled that bright, sunny smile that always warmed his heart, then tugged on his hand. “Now, let’s go watch the video. Eliza won’t be happy unless the parade is a smashing success.”
“You don’t know the half of it,” he muttered and let her lead him to the sofa.
Boris’s barking yanked Prim from a sound sleep. She opened one eye and found a hundred pounds of fury standing beside her bed. The ruff on the wolfhound’s neck stood straight up, as if he’d just received an electrical shock.
He gave three more staccato barks, then raced from the room. She scurried out of bed, her heart slamming against her ribs.
Had something happened to one of the boys?
Bile rose in her throat, but when she flung open the door to the room, she found both sleeping peacefully.
Thank you, God.
Boris had disappeared down the hall and the barking continued, sounding as if it was coming from the kitchen now. Prim lifted the baseball bat leaning against the wall, hugging it to her while she gently closed the door.
Keeping her eyes on the hall, she zipped into her room. Prim scooped up her phone, then stood guard outside her sons’ room.
Call me , Max had said.
As she hit his number, she hoped he’d meant it when he’d emphasized at any time . She supposed she could call the sheriff, but if it ended up being a skunk or a possum that had gotten Boris riled, she’d feel like a fool.
Max answered on the third ring, his voice groggy with sleep. “Hello.”
“It’s Prim,” she whispered. “Boris is barking like crazy. I think there might be something—or someone—in the backyard.”
“Where are you and the boys?”
“They’re sleeping. I’m in the hall outside their room.”
“Go in there now. Lock the door. Take your phone.”
She could hear him stumbling around, swearing. “I’ll be right there. Don’t leave that room until you hear my voice.”
“Be careful.” She slipped into the bedroom and locked the door. Setting her phone on a nearby dresser, she stood at the end of the boys’ beds, bat in hand.
Prim couldn’t have said how much time went by before she heard footsteps in the hall and a quiet voice on the other side.
“It’s me, Max. You can open the door.”
The breath she must have been holding came out in a whoosh. With trembling fingers Prim set down the bat. She stepped out of the bedroom and right into his waiting arms.
“I’m sorry,” she murmured against his shirtfront. “This burglar thing has me more spooked than I realized.”
“It’s okay.” With gentle fingers he stroked her hair and held her until she quit shaking. “I’m here. I’m not going to let anyone hurt you.”
She breathed in the scent of him, shampoo and soap and that indefinable male scent. The strength in his arms gave her comfort, and she found her world steady. Finally, she eased back and gazed up at him.
His cheeks were shaded by golden stubble. His jeans were worn and the faded red T-shirt he’d tossed on had clearly seen better days. He looked magnificent.
“Was it an animal?” Even as she asked the question, Prim saw the answer in his eyes.
“It was a man.”
Her heart gave a solid
Prim looked up at him with that sweet, trusting expression. What did it matter if she still had Rory on the shelf? It wasn’t his business. She’d made it clear she wasn’t wanting to date.
She touched his hand. “Max?”
His heart swelled with love, and he knew that even if she never loved him back, couldn’t love him back, he would do whatever he could to protect her. “About the burglaries. If you see or hear anything unusual, I want you to call me. Day or night.”
“No one is going to—”
“Promise me, Prim.”
“I promise.” She smiled that bright, sunny smile that always warmed his heart, then tugged on his hand. “Now, let’s go watch the video. Eliza won’t be happy unless the parade is a smashing success.”
“You don’t know the half of it,” he muttered and let her lead him to the sofa.
Boris’s barking yanked Prim from a sound sleep. She opened one eye and found a hundred pounds of fury standing beside her bed. The ruff on the wolfhound’s neck stood straight up, as if he’d just received an electrical shock.
He gave three more staccato barks, then raced from the room. She scurried out of bed, her heart slamming against her ribs.
Had something happened to one of the boys?
Bile rose in her throat, but when she flung open the door to the room, she found both sleeping peacefully.
Thank you, God.
Boris had disappeared down the hall and the barking continued, sounding as if it was coming from the kitchen now. Prim lifted the baseball bat leaning against the wall, hugging it to her while she gently closed the door.
Keeping her eyes on the hall, she zipped into her room. Prim scooped up her phone, then stood guard outside her sons’ room.
Call me , Max had said.
As she hit his number, she hoped he’d meant it when he’d emphasized at any time . She supposed she could call the sheriff, but if it ended up being a skunk or a possum that had gotten Boris riled, she’d feel like a fool.
Max answered on the third ring, his voice groggy with sleep. “Hello.”
“It’s Prim,” she whispered. “Boris is barking like crazy. I think there might be something—or someone—in the backyard.”
“Where are you and the boys?”
“They’re sleeping. I’m in the hall outside their room.”
“Go in there now. Lock the door. Take your phone.”
She could hear him stumbling around, swearing. “I’ll be right there. Don’t leave that room until you hear my voice.”
“Be careful.” She slipped into the bedroom and locked the door. Setting her phone on a nearby dresser, she stood at the end of the boys’ beds, bat in hand.
Prim couldn’t have said how much time went by before she heard footsteps in the hall and a quiet voice on the other side.
“It’s me, Max. You can open the door.”
The breath she must have been holding came out in a whoosh. With trembling fingers Prim set down the bat. She stepped out of the bedroom and right into his waiting arms.
“I’m sorry,” she murmured against his shirtfront. “This burglar thing has me more spooked than I realized.”
“It’s okay.” With gentle fingers he stroked her hair and held her until she quit shaking. “I’m here. I’m not going to let anyone hurt you.”
She breathed in the scent of him, shampoo and soap and that indefinable male scent. The strength in his arms gave her comfort, and she found her world steady. Finally, she eased back and gazed up at him.
His cheeks were shaded by golden stubble. His jeans were worn and the faded red T-shirt he’d tossed on had clearly seen better days. He looked magnificent.
“Was it an animal?” Even as she asked the question, Prim saw the answer in his eyes.
“It was a man.”
Her heart gave a solid
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