Page 274 of Cold Case, Warm Hearts

He nodded. “My friend Gavin is in private security. He’ll know exactly what you need. I’ll call him tonight.”

“If you think it’s necessary, I won’t argue.”

“In the meantime, is there someone you can stay with?”

“I can stay with Sam, but it’ll be a long drive to work, so I’d rather not.”

“Stay with her tonight. I’ll do what I can to get the security set up tomorrow, so you’ll be safe to stay in your own home.”

“I guess I can do that.” She disappeared down the hall, and he listened to her murmured words as she spoke with her friend. A few minutes later, she returned. “She’s happy to have me, so I’ll head over to her place in Benton after you leave.”

“If it’s okay with you, I’d rather we left at the same time. Leaving you here doesn’t sit right with me.” He made eye contact and held it. “Whatever you do, keep a low profile. Don’t do anything to antagonize this guy.”

“I won’t.” She tugged on her ponytail holder. “Give me a few minutes to pack an overnight bag.”

His heartbeat didn’t return to normal until he watched her drive out of her community.

Wade parkedhis truck outside of Emily’s house and hustled to her door. He hoped to get a few minutes alone with her before his friend arrived to install the security system. He’d spoken to Gavin the night before as he’d promised Emily he would. As expected, Gavin had cleared his schedule to help him out.

After he’d confirmed the details, he’d texted Emily to let her know they’d be at her house first thing. He wasn’t sure what time she’d had to leave Sam’s to get back so early, but her car was parked out front.

A single knock on the door brought Emily to him. “Hi,” he said.

“Come in.” She opened the door for him to enter. As he passed her, his arm brushed hers, and something sizzled between them. Her eyes searched his, making him wish he could turn the clock back and handle things differently. What wasdone was done, but he wouldn’t make the same mistakes twice. This time he’d be there for her. He might not be able to have her for his own, but he could protect her.

“Gavin will be here soon to install your new system.”

She cleared her throat. “Did he say how much it would cost?”

“Don’t worry about that, Em. Whatever he charges, it’s on me.”

“I can’t allow you to pay for my security.” She tugged on her ponytail. “That’s not something friends do for one another.”

Three raps drew their attention to the front door. He knew it was his friend, since it was his usual knock. “I’ll get it.” He answered the door with a grin. “Hey, man. Long time.”

“Not long enough. You couldn’t stay out of trouble, huh? Needed me again.”

“My friend Emily needs you. I’m just the one who made the call.”

His gaze searched the room until it landed on Emily. “When a beautiful woman needs help, I’m here in a hurry.”

Wade scowled at his friend. “She doesn’t need a boyfriend. She needs a security system.”

“If she wants me to, I’d be happy to provide both services.”

Emily let out a nervous laugh. “That’s kind of you, but the security is all I need right now.”

“She has a boyfriend.”

“Tell me you’re not dating this guy.” He hitched his thumb in Wade’s direction.

“Emily’s dating someone she works with,” Wade said.

“How do you two know each other?” Gavin asked.

“We dated back in high school.”

Gavin’s eyes widened, and he took in the two of them again. “Oh. I see.” He pulled at his collar. “I didn’t realize you werethatEmily.” He glanced over his shoulder at Wade. “Sorry, man. My bad. You know, I was kidding around.”

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