Page 15 of Mistletoe and Malice
While she enjoyed spending time here at the estate with Mom and Dad, she missed the home she’d made for herself. Missed her bed in her cozy townhouse. Missed having her stuff, living in her own space. And it hadn’t even been one night yet.
Still, there was no denying that as far as safety went, she couldn’t be in a better place. While her townhome sat in a gated community, its security paled in comparison to the massive electronic gate and stone wall around the estate. If somebody wanted to get through the gate at her complex, they would only have to follow a car inside, while it would practically take a military strike to get onto the estate.
Deciding a heaping helping of ice cream was in order, she climbed out of bed, donned her robe, and slipped out the door ofher suite. Walking on tiptoe, she passed the room where her new security goon slept. Last thing she wanted was for him to think she was making a getaway into the night. Thankful that he made no surprise appearance, she took the main stairs down through the formal living room and into the kitchen.
“Mom?” She stopped at the sight of her mother sitting at the breakfast nook table, a steaming cup of hot chocolate and her Bible open in front of her. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, Riley, honey.” Her gentle smile couldn’t mask the apprehension in the same eyes Riley saw every day in the mirror. “Woke up and couldn’t fall back to sleep, so I decided some one-on-one time with God was in order.”
“Did a little of that myself before bed.” Riley grabbed a half-gallon carton of butter pecan from the freezer and a spoon before joining her mother. “Nothing like a talk with Jesus to get some perspective.”
Mom chuckled when Riley plunged her spoon into the carton and dug out a bite. Not at all ladylike. “And ice cream, apparently.”
“Definitely.” She stuck the entire thing in her mouth.
“Grab me a spoon.” Mom closed her Bible and set it aside.
Riley got up to grab another spoon and pushed the carton to the middle of the table so they could enjoy it together. “Why couldn’t you sleep?”
“Hmm, let’s see. My daughter was nearly abducted at gunpoint today. What could possibly be keeping me awake?”
Her father appeared at the foot of the back stairs and strode into the kitchen in a robe and pajamas. “Probably what’s keeping us all awake.”
“Hey, Daddy. Come join us.”
“I’ll do that.” He grabbed a spoon from the drawer and sat on the other side of Mom before scooping a bite out of the carton. “Does this mean I’m forgiven?”
“I can’t ever stay mad at you for long. You know that.”
He threw her a wink. “That’s what I was counting on.”
Riley studied her parents across the small table. At fifty-nine and fifty-seven, they were a striking pair. Her dad, CEO of the worldwide Hudson Financial Corporation, had a full head of salt and pepper hair, dark eyes, and a fit physique. And her mother, the one-time beauty-queen daughter of a Houston physician and his homemaker wife, was the perfect complement to him, with her creamy complexion, shoulder-length black hair, and still-slender figure.
They’d met at church as teenagers and were married after her father graduated from college, before starting his MBA program at Harvard Business School. He then worked his way up in the company his grandfather had founded almost sixty years ago. Riley’s older brothers followed in their father’s footsteps, but, although invited to join the legal department after passing the bar, Riley had other ambitions. Different aspirations. And her family had supported her in the decision to open her own practice.
Her family’s legacy of ambition, hard work, and philanthropy was born of the belief they owed much because they’d been blessed with much. This foundation of faith they’d built their house upon was the legacy that meant the most to her. That’s why it came as no surprise her mother had turned to Scripture when overcome with worry.
“I’m so sorry. I never meant to cause you both so much trouble.”
Her father’s brow creased. “Trouble? Honey, you’re not causing us any trouble. It’s this … person … out there who’s causing the trouble. We have to trust God he’ll be found and you’ll be safe. But in the meantime, we do want you to stay here.”
She rolled her eyes. “Not that I could go home and have that … man stay there with me.”
“You mean Colton? The man who’s protecting your life with his own?”
With a sigh, she leveled a mock-glare at her father. “Not fair, Daddy. You’ve always known my opinion about bodyguards. And that was before one actually stayed around the clock. Seems a bit extreme.”
“No such thing when it comes to keeping my baby girl safe.”
Against her will, her heart softened, and she took another bite of ice cream, her overly tired brain trying to come up with the words to explain. “It’s not that I don’t love being here with you. It’s just that I want to be—it’s important that I forge my own path.”
Her mother reached over and covered her hand. “And we couldn’t be prouder of the woman you’ve become, sweetheart. Smart, accomplished, selfless, independent. We don’t want to take any of that away from you, but we also need to know you’re safe.”
Her father nodded in agreement.
She understood they were worried, but she’d gone through high school with a bodyguard after the young daughter of another wealthy American family had been kidnapped and held for ransom. At least she’d been assigned a female agent, but Riley had still hated every minute of it. Not that she’d wanted to get into any mischief, but no teenager wanted their every move scrutinized. No more so than she wanted it now.
“I’ll try to keep a good attitude about that ma—Mr. Blankenship. Besides, with God on my side, I already have the best bodyguard there is.”
