Page 44 of The Bodyguard

Leaning back against the low wall that separates this cottage from the road and the beach on the opposite side, I pull out my phone and hold it to my ear as I wait for the person on the other end of the line to answer.

“What do you need?”

I glance up at the cottage, but it’s okay. Lena’s still busy, she’s not interested in what I’m doing. “I need to get Tawnee Nielsen out of the house.”

“How long for?”

“As long as possible. Couple of hours, minimum.”

“Leave it with me.”

I end the call, slide my phone into my pocket, and walk back towards the house, just as Lena comes out of the back door.

“I’ll see you later,” she says, tugging on her ponytail as she slips past me, and for some reason I stop her. I reach out, circle her waist, and I stop her. And she drops her gaze to my arm around her, and I quickly drop it.

“I’m sorry…”

“No. Don’t be.” She smiles, and it’s beautiful:she’sbeautiful. And I want her like I’ve never wanted anyone before…

Big mistake. Big. Fucking. Mistake.

But I can’t have her. I can’t even think those thoughts, this isn’t going to happen.

“You know where I am, if you need me.”

She just looks at me, and she’s still smiling. “I always know where you are.”

She throws me one more smile before she walks away, and I watch her head back towards the main house, keeping her in my line of sight until she’s safely through the door.

She thinks she’s got a day without me there by her side, but she’s going to find out very soon that that’s just not going to happen.

Lena

Mum’s in the main living-room when I wander in. She’s standing by the mantlepiece, and she’s on the phone, looking slightly flustered as she makes hurried notes on a small pink notepad.

“Everything okay?” I ask, sitting down on the arm of the couch.

“There’s a bit of an emergency at the village hall.”

I frown. “What kind of emergency could possibly be going on at the village hall?”

She shoots me a look, and I flinch back slightly. What the hell wasthatfor?

“I know you think all we do at the Women’s Institute is bake cakes and run fetes but there’s a lot more to it than that. It’s an important part of the community. It’s essential for networking, and it wouldn’t hurt for you to become more involved, as a prominent local business woman.”

“Okay, well, maybe I’ll think about it.”

“You do that. Anyway, I need to go. Cynthia’s starting to panic and that’s never a good sign.” She looks in the mirror and rearranges her perfect hair, a new style – the sleekest, most on-point bob I’ve ever seen – before grabbing her pink Valentino Roman Stud tote handbag from the table. “I might be gone for a few hours, but there’s plenty of food in the kitchen. I’m sure you’re more than capable of making something for yourself.”

Sometimes I think everyone around here forgets that I lived on my own for a good few years before David made his now un-welcome appearance in my life. And then I lived alone, again, once he’d fucked off. I like living alone, and I still don’t understand why I can’t go back to the cottage, it’s what I want to do, and surely it would be safe, with Bodie in tow.

“Call Bodie!” Mum shouts through from the hallway, her heels click-clacking on the wooden floor. “You can’t be left alone. Ollie’s already gone and your father will be leaving soon. I’ll see you this afternoon!”

I throw myself down onto the couch and let out a frustrated moan. So much for my Bodie-at-arm’s-length day.

Is that such a bad thing…?

I don’t know, actually.

---