Page 14 of Wyoming Bodyguard
She couldn’t help but laugh. “Let me guess, you thought it’d be dark and gloomy. A lonely, desperate cellar for the lonely, desperate woman?”
“I’d never call you desperate.”
The somber tone of his voice turned her to face him. She braced her hands on the back of the sofa. “Only lonely?”
He shrugged. “Wouldn’t know that. Don’t know too much about your personal life.”
His remark reminded her that the reason he was here wasn’t personal. At least not in the “let’s sit and chat and get to know one another” way. Madden might be a means to an end, but he was still the main reason her ranch was failing.
He was still the enemy.
“Never mind. That doesn’t matter. I want to thank you, officially, for everything you did for me today. You’ve spent a lot of your time helping me. I want to pay you for that time.”
Irritation pinched his mouth. “I didn’t help you so you’d give me money. I did it because it was the right thing.”
“You can think that if you want, but I don’t want any charity. Not from you or anyone else in this town. Having you close has made me feel safe. I didn’t understand how important that was, and I don’t want to give that up until I know for certain whoever is after my father won’t set their sights on me.”
Anxiety danced up her spine. She straightened the moss green throw on the back of the couch, as if smoothing the soft fabric would sooth her nerves.
“That’s smart. Sunrise Security can offer you protection until it’s no longer needed.”
She lifted her chin. “I don’t just want protection. I want to figure out who is after my father and why. Can you help with that?”
Shifting his weight from his left leg to the right, he scratched the back of his neck and sighed. “I’m not an investigator, Lily. I’ve never worked with law enforcement. But I have experience with tracking down criminals. With solving problems and I tend to know how to ask the right questions. I can’t promise you I’ll figure out this mess, but if you want me to try, I will.”
Relief blossomed in her chest. “I’d be grateful if you started now. If you could stay close for the duration. I’m not sure how much sleep I’d get if I was here alone. There’s only one bedroom down here, but the couch pulls out to a bed. I can sleep on that if you want my room.”
“Not necessary. I’ll sleep upstairs and stay on the sofa in the living room. I want to be able to keep a closer eye on things.”
A pinch of disappointment shocked her, but she wouldn’t let him see it. Besides, she was only scared, and why wouldn’t she be? Her father had been attacked twice and someone had violated her home. Anyone would have the same reaction. “Sounds good. We can discuss the payment for your services in the morning.”
A vein ticked at the side of his head, but he nodded. “Sounds like a plan. Have a good night. Grab me if you need anything.”
Turning on her heel, she headed for the short hallway that led to her bedroom. As she readied herself for sleep, she couldn’t help but wonder if she’d just made a deal with the devil.
Chapter 6
The morning sun streamed through the wall of windows in the living room, baking Madden on the sofa. He kicked off the thin blanket and rolled his neck from side to side. His muscles screamed. Damn, he should have slept on the pullout couch in the basement and not the tough leather sofa that hadn’t even been big enough for his long legs.
Sitting, he snagged his T-shirt from the floor and yanked it over his head. He’d considered slipping out of his jeans, but the idea of Lily catching him in his boxers kept the stiff material in place all damn night.
Just another obstacle preventing him from getting much shut-eye.
The gurgle of a coffeepot chugging to life set him on his feet. He hadn’t heard anyone come into the kitchen, but he wasn’t exactly on his game. Not with the emotional hangover from dealing with Lily the day before and a crappy night’s sleep.
The kitchen was empty. He followed his nose to the machine on the counter and sent a silent prayer to whoever had set it to go off this morning. Needing caffeine more than he needed to respect boundaries, he opened cabinet doors until he found a colorful array of mugs.
“Can I help you find something?”
The amusement in Lily’s voice extinguished his initial impulse to apologize for snooping around her space. He took his time, picking out a bright red mug with a black X over a bull with the wordsSteer Clear of Bullwritten in white letters. Turning, he hoisted the mug in the air and grinned. “Nope. Found what I needed. Nice taste.”
She struggled around a growing smile of her own. “I got that for my dad. Don’t judge me.”
“Never. I might get one for myself. Want coffee?”
“Yes, please.”
He opted for a more dignified white porcelain mug for her, filling them both before handing hers over. “How’d you sleep?” If the dark circles under her eyes were any indication, her night had been as restless as his.
