The Bodyguard's Return by Carla Cassidy Page B

mutual friends they had shared, but none of those friends had been able to tell him where she was or what she might be doing. Nobody had seen her at the usual places for the past week.
    It had been a frustrating week on all levels as far as Joshua was concerned. He’d not only fought against his own desire for Savannah and failed atfinding out what Lauren might be up to, but their investigation had stalled as well.
    They had spent the week getting in touch with family members of the victims of the accidental deaths. Most had moved away, others weren’t interested in rehashing the tragedies and nothing they had learned had indicated there was foul play at hand.
    And yet despite that they’d hit nothing but dead ends, over the past week Joshua’s instincts had begun to whisper that maybe Savannah was right. Maybe something bad was happening in the town he loved.
    It was Charlie’s death that made him believe something wasn’t right. As the week had progressed and he’d gained some emotional distance from the trauma of finding Charlie dead, he’d found it hard to believe that Charlie would have done such a thing under his own volition.
    Although his logic battled with his instinct, he’d decided to go with his instinct for the moment. He glanced back at Savannah, who had changed partners and was now dancing with Joe Steward, a middle-aged widower with four kids at home.
    Joshua thought about cutting in, but the idea of holding Savannah in his arms, feeling her lush curves against him sent an uncomfortable shot of desire through him.
    “Heard you’re moving.”
    Joshua turned and smiled at his brother Zack. “Yeah, I’ve decided to move into the cabin.” Thecabin was a little two-bedroom place down the lane from the big house. At one time or another almost all the brothers had lived there. Zack had been the last and had left to move in with Kate.
    “Any reason why you decided to make the move?”
    “Nothing in particular. I just got used to having my own space while I was in New York.” Certainly that was part of the reason he’d decided to move, but not the main one.
    Each time his father looked at him Joshua felt a silent pressure to bend to his father’s will, to agree to go back into the family business.
    “You need help moving your things?” Zack asked.
    “Nah, it’s just a matter of taking a couple of suitcases to the cabin.” At that moment Kate joined them.
    “Hey, Joshua, you look as handsome as ever,” she said. “All you Wests look fine in a tux.”
    Zack tugged at his collar. “Personally, I can’t wait to get out of this monkey suit.”
    “I couldn’t agree more,” Joshua said with a laugh.
    “If you’ll excuse us, I believe my husband has promised me at least one spin around the dance floor.” Kate grabbed Zack’s hand, who moaned loudly but allowed his wife to pull him to the dance floor.
    Once again his attention was captured by Savannah, who was twirling on the arm of yetanother man. Didn’t the woman ever take a break? She’d been dancing nonstop almost since the moment the band had begun playing.
    “Nice party.”
    Joshua turned to see a familiar face. “Hi, Ms. Burnwell,” he said to the flashy-dressed woman who worked as a Realtor in Cotter Creek.
    “It’s Wadsworth now, Sheila Wadsworth.” She smiled. “While you were in New York I went and got myself married.”
    “Congratulations,” Joshua replied. “Have you retired from the real estate business?”
    “Heavens, no, I’m busier than I’ve ever been. Thomas, that’s my husband, he’s always complaining that the only way he can get any attention from me is if he wears a For Sale sign around his neck. And speaking of Thomas, I’d better go find him. That man has an unusual fondness for the spiked punch.”
    As she hurried off Joshua stared after her. So, the real estate business was booming in Cotter Creek. He frowned, a thought niggling at the back of his head. As the thought took full form, he looked