Natural-Born Protector / Saved by the Monarch by Carla Cassidy Read Free Book Online

pull her into his arms and offer comfort, promise her that the pain would pass and life would go on. But how could he promise her that when he wasn’t at all sure it was the truth? It had been two years, and his pain was still as raw as it had been the night that Rebecca slipped from this world.
    “Tell me about your life in Chicago,” he said, hopingthe change of subject would take away the shadows from her eyes. “Lainie told me you’re a teacher.”
    “Third grade. I love kids that age, around Maddie’s age.”
    “You always wanted to be a teacher?”
    “Not always.” She leaned back in the chair and for the first time since the evening had begun she looked relaxed. The tiny line of stress that had streaked across her forehead had disappeared and her mouth looked less tense. “For the first two years of college I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with my life.”
    “You went to Maple Park College?” he asked, knowing the small school was a mere twenty minutes away.
    She smiled. “I think almost everyone who lives in Cotter Creek attends Maple Park Community College at one time or another.” She took a sip of the water, then continued. “For a long time I thought my job in life was going to be taking care of Lainie. She never wanted me to be too far away from her.”
    “But you moved to Chicago.”
    She leaned forward, the line of stress once again creasing her forehead. “By the time I graduated and realized I wanted to teach, there were no jobs here in Cotter Creek. Actually, it was Lainie who initially encouraged me to take a job wherever I could get one. She was feeling particularly good at the time, strong and independent. So I got the offer from the school in Chicago and decided to take it. I was thrilled when I heard that Lainie had decided to move out of Mom’s home and into her own place. But I could tell by her phone calls that she wasn’t having an easy time withoutme.” She sighed, as if the long explanation had exhausted her.
    “Lainie mentioned you didn’t date much. You have somebody special in Chicago?”
    She laughed. “Nobody special, nobody even casual. I haven’t had time to do much of anything except work and settle into my apartment. I did have one serious relationship when I was in college, but in the end I broke it off. He told me he was tired of Lainie’s phone calls interrupting us when we were together and basically gave me a him-or-her choice.”
    “And blood is thicker than water,” he replied.
    “In this case, definitely. But that’s enough about me. Tell me about you. Did you always want to be a bodyguard?”
    “Never entered my mind until about six months ago. I needed a change. I was tired of ranching. My mom lived here and it seemed a logical choice. As far as the bodyguard work, Dalton West is an old friend of mine and he’s the one who initially suggested it to me.”
    “Isn’t it dangerous?” she asked.
    The only danger he felt at the moment was from the glossy shine of her lips, which seemed to beg for a kiss, and the scent of her fragrance, which eddied in the air and made him want to explore exactly where on her body it came from.
    “I served in the military for four years, I’m a crack shot with a gun and I’ve been trained in hand-to-hand combat. I feel fairly confident that I can handle whatever comes my way,” he replied.
    He stood, realizing that it was time to go. He wasfinding her nearness far too appealing and had a feeling that if he remained she’d ask questions he didn’t want to answer. “It’s late,” he said.
    She got up as well. “I’ve taken up far too much of your time,” she said as she walked with him to the front door. “Thank you, Hank, for going with me.” She placed a hand on his arm and smiled up at him, and the muscles in his stomach tightened in response.
    “What’s your next plan?” he asked.
    She dropped her hand to her side. “I think sometime tomorrow I’ll take my rental car in for an oil change at Car