Page 21 of Vanishing Legacy

Rocco and Penny held hands and skipped a few steps ahead, leaving him and Alana alone in a way that made him feel like the fifth wheel. She didn’t want to be here with him. Inviting her had seemed like a great idea in the moment, but now it was plain weird. He needed to give Alana an escape. “You and Rocco can feel free to explore on your own. You don’t have to stay with us.”

Alana nodded to the kids. “They seem to be having a great time together.”

The kids were cute together. Rocco really looked out for Penny. But no one could mistake them for siblings, with his thick, dark hair and sepia skin that mirrored Alana’s. Penny’s pale skin and straight, strawberry-blonde hair came right from his side of the gene pool.

“Okay but let me know if you want to leave early. I don’t want to keep you out too late.”

“No worries. I can handle a late night if it means getting everything sorted out for Penny’s safety. Besides, Rocco and I are night owls, and I let him stay up a little extra on the weekends anyway.”

“Oh, right, it’s mornings you’re not so great at.”

“Well, they aren’t my favorite, especially after a long shift.”

This seemed like a good segue into the real reason he’d invited Alana to come along. “Speaking of long shifts, how does the Elite Guardian Agency manage to protect a client when the threat is so vague?”

Alana didn’t answer right away. Her eyes scanned the crowd on high alert. “Much of what we do is provide security for a VIP during a specific period of time. Say, a movie premier or a speaking engagement. When the potential threat is imminent, we can provide round-the-clock protection.”

“Round-the-clock? How does that work?”

“We do it all the time. The agency will assign a regular rotation of as many bodyguards needed. Usually, two on a rotating schedule of twelve-hour shifts.”

“Ah, I see what you mean by long shifts.”

“About the same for doctors and nurses, right?”

Cash nodded. “Those hours tend to fly by most days. What about Rocco? Can you ever take him to work?”

Alana waffled her hand. “It’s not ideal. Rocco could be a pretty big distraction. If there was a threat, I’d have to choose between protecting my son or protecting my client.”

“Makes sense,” he said. “Doesn’t it make clients nervous to have someone following them around twenty-four seven?”

“We try and stay invisible and blend in where we can.”

“Like how you blended in with the crowd at Forsyth Park yesterday?” He suppressed a smile, testing the waters to see how much teasing Alana could handle. The short article about Alana’s stalker takedown didn’t share many details, but the multiple videos on social media painted a pretty good picture of her capabilities.

“Oh, yeah. That. Well, all in a day’s work, I guess.” She laughed. “But really, we try to be invisible until we’re needed. And then we’re not.”

“I know what you mean. It was like that with the SEALs. Those guys were invisible until they wound up on my operating table.” They were wading into serious topics he’d rather not delve into. At least, not now. Not in public. He shifted the conversation. “It must have been quite a culture shock moving from Los Angeles to Savannah.”

She made a puffing noise with her mouth. “It’s definitely different. But it’s worth it to have more time with Rocco. Give him a better life than I could in L.A.”

“I don’t mean to pry, but divorced?”

Alana sputtered a laugh. “No. I’ve never been married.”

“Okay, so not married. Not divorced.” He twisted his lips and pretended to think. “Dating anyone?”

She laughed again. This time the sound caught in her throat. “Nope, no way. What about you?”

“Me? No, I’m clueless about women. I’m no ladies’ man. In fact, I married my first girlfriend.” And look where that had landed him.

Alana glanced at him, skeptical. “You haven’t dated all this time?”

“Oh, sure, I’ve been dragged to a few social events where some well-meaning friends tried to set me up, but honestly, I wasn’t the slightest bit interested.” He shrugged. “I always thought I’d bump into the right woman when I least expected it. But with my grueling hours at the hospital, chaotic on-call schedule, and Penny, a social life is pretty much out of the question.”

“I get that. All of it. Add in being the new girl in town with a brand-new career, and our situations are identical.”

The sky darkened and the hot air balloons began to inflate. The low roar of the burners intensified, and the fabric of the balloons rustled and crinkled as they expanded. A rock band had started playing. Blue and white lights flashed over the audience packed in front of the stage. The music ratcheted up. Cash watched Penny for any sign of overstimulation. It didn’t seem to bother her. She stood beside Rocco, transfixed, watching the massive hot air balloons grow to towering heights. The warm, multicolored glow of the balloons illuminated the night sky.

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