Page 52 of Dangerous December
But after she pulled away from the curb and started down the block, she flicked a glance at the empty street in the rearview mirror.
It wasn’t hard to see how Elana had become so wary. Just being with her and sensing her fear had made Beth’s own heart rate escalate for a few beats.
What would it be like for a woman like Elana, whose bogeyman was real?
Once Elana and her son were safely inside Sloane House, Beth drove back to the bookstore and parked directly in front of the entrance.
The street was still empty and brightly lit...a street she’d lived on for some time now, without ever being afraid.
Her thoughts turned back to Elana and her son, who had obviously picked up on his mother’s fears tonight. What had they been through in the past to still affect them so deeply? What was it like to live in such terror?
The wonder of it was that Elana had found the courage to move here alone with her son and go out of the house every day for her job.
Headlights appeared at the far end of Hawthorne, coming her way. Devlin’s Jeep, she realized as the vehicle passed under a streetlight. Grabbing her purse and keys, she stepped out of her car and waved to him as she moved to the entryway leading up to her apartment.
He pulled to a stop behind her vehicle and jumped out. The soft light of the street lamps made his dark hair gleam and cast intriguing shadows on the planes and angles of his face.
He was still, and always would be, the only man who had ever made her pulse race just with his presence...though the days of wanting to recognize those feelings were long past.
So how long was it going to take for her heart to accept it?
“Am I ever glad you weren’t here twenty minutes ago,” she called out. “Elana was spooked by every shadow when we came out of the bookstore to take her and Cody home. She probably would have collapsed if she’d seen your Jeep come up the street.”
His tense expression softened. “That’s where you were? I tried calling the bookstore, but there was no answer. And you didn’t answer your cell phone, either.”
Surprised, she fished it out of her purse and studied the screen. “Oops. I had the ringer too low to hear when it was in my purse. What’s up?”
“I was worried.”
“Worried? There’s no reason to be.” But she could see he was breathing hard and his eyes were dark and dilated, and she knew he was telling the truth. “I think you’ve gotten overly cautious in your old age.”
“You shouldn’t be living down here, away from a residential area.”
“Ilovemy home.”
“It’s deserted at night. It isn’t safe.”
“It’s fine. The person who needs help is Elana. I think every sound and shadow is enough to stop her heart. How is she going to function independently unless she gains more confidence?”
He frowned and folded his arms across his chest. “Maybe you should start staying at Sloane House.”
Startled, she stared at him. “You’re not serious.”
“I mean it. There’s a maid’s apartment on the third floor that isn’t in use. Or there are some sofas on the main floor.”
She smiled at him. “I have a security system—not that I expect it will ever earn its keep. If someone breaks in, the police are summoned unless I press a code on the keypad.”
“But it’s an understaffed department that could be occupied by a fender bender or a cat up a tree. And if you don’t have really secure locks, an expert can get in anyway.”
“I’m not staying at Sloane House. The idea is ridiculous.”
He gave a long sigh. “When did you become this stubborn?”
“When did you become such a guardian angel?” she countered. Looking up at him, she had the oddest sensation that he wanted to kiss her.Where was that coming from?
He gave her a fierce hug, then stepped away, only to bend down to drop a swift kiss on her mouth.
From the dazed look in his eyes, he was nearly as surprised as she was.
