Page 7 of Protected By Him

I let out a sigh of relief at her sudden change in topic. Ella was a sponge, constantly absorbing new information and asking questions. And of course, she had a knack for asking me questions I struggled to answer. This question, however, was easy. “Yes, sweetie, we’re on our way to Grandma’s. Are you excited?”

“Yes! We are going to play dinosaurs and eat ice cream and watch Frozen!”

I smiled, grateful yet again for my wonderful parents and their involvement in Ella’s life, if only to give me a break from dinosaurs and Disney movies. There were only so many rounds of Frozen I could take before I was ready to tear my hair out.

“Are you going to stay at Grandma’s too, Daddy?” Ella asked.

“No, Ella Bear. It’s just going to be you, Grandma, and Grandpa tonight.”

“But won’t you be lonely?”

Warmth washed through me as I thought about my plans for the evening. If things went the way I hoped they would, I would be anything but lonely tonight. I wouldn’t be telling my four-year-old that, though.

“I’ll be alright,” I answered with a smile.

Chapter Four

Laura

Loudmusicandlaughtergreeted me when I walked into the Dock House Bar & Grill. My eyes danced around the room, taking in the worn tables and ancient jukebox next to the bar and searching for a familiar face. I spotted Leo in the corner, speaking to a waitress. I paused for a moment to take him in before approaching the table.

As if it was for the first time, I was struck by how attractive Leo was. He’d draped his suit jacket over the back of his chair and rolled up the sleeves of his white dress shirt, revealing strong forearms. His shirt was tight around wide shoulders and thick biceps, but looser at his trim waist. His wavy hair was slightly mussed, as if he’d been running his fingers through it all day.

There had been a time when I was younger that I believed myself in love with Leo. How could I not fall for the handsome boy next door who’d doted on me as much as my own brother had? Despite our closeness growing up, I had never thought of Leo as a brother, and the older I’d gotten, the more intense my feelings had become. My young heart had been certain that I’d marry him one day. So, I’d been absolutely crushed when he’d shown up to my twentieth birthday party with a beautiful blonde I’d never seen before and announced that they were engaged.

As the waitress left, Leo looked up and caught my eye. He waved me over, and I shook off my thoughts of the past as I made my way to the table. Leo stood to give me a hug and pulled out my chair.

I brushed a lock of my shoulder-length auburn hair away from my face as I settled in my seat. The waitress returned with Leo’s drink order and asked me for mine.

"Can I have a glass of the house white, please?"

"Coming right up!" the waitress said cheerfully, then left to fill my order.

I glanced around the bar, surprised to find that it wasn’t very busy. This was one of my favorite places in the city, and it was usually packed this time of night. It was definitely a hole-in-the-wall kind of place, but it had a loyal clientele in the local residents.

Leo cleared his throat, drawing my attention back to him. There was something different about him tonight, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it.

“Looks like your hangover finally went away,” he said.

“Oh, yeah. I told you, coffee and breakfast sandwiches are a miracle cure,” I replied, trying for a lightness I didn’t feel.

The waitress returned with my wine, and I let out a relaxed sigh after my first sip.

“So, are you going to tell me what was really bothering you this morning?”

“Leo, it was nothing. Just the hangover and work.”

He stared at me closely, and I couldn’t help but squirm. I wondered if this was how witnesses felt on the stand in front of him. I could feel my resolve weakening, and it irritated me. Finally, I couldn’t take it any longer and snapped, “Okay, fine. You win. God, why aren’t you a prosecutor? I swear, you’d be unbeatable.”

“I’m already unbeatable,” Leo said with a smirk. “Don’t try to change the subject. Spill.”

I huffed, then said, “I overheard something this morning that I shouldn’t have. It was a conversation between my boss and someone else. It sounded like my boss owes someone money and might be in danger if he doesn’t pay up soon. Then, someone from the accounting department said he’d noticed some weird charges on the company card. The whole thing just has me distracted.” I waved my hand in front of me, as if it was really no big deal.

“Laura, that sounds like it could be a simple misunderstanding or something serious. Either way, you need to stay out of it.”

I cringed at being told what to do. “I know. I’m not going to get involved,” I lied.

Leo snorted. “If I believed that, I wouldn’t be a very good lawyer. Promise me, you’ll stay out of it.”

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