Her Lawman Protector

by Patricia Johns

  “Oh, great...” she breathed.

  “Yeah.”

  Evan paused to talk to someone else—a man his age who laughed and gave him a rough hug. Evan wasn’t exactly hated in these parts, it seemed. He’d managed to cheat on Liv, dump her for another woman and still keep up relationships with her friends and family. It was creepy, and a little frightening. Jack would be truly amazed if Evan hadn’t spotted them yet, but the man was deftly ignoring them.

  Liv straightened her shoulders, and it was then that they both saw Tanya. She had just arrived, wearing a knit dress and knee-high brown boots. There was a hitch in her step as she saw Evan, and her face flooded with color. She hadn’t been expecting him, it seemed.

  “You didn’t know he’d be here,” Jack said quietly.

  “I knew it was a possibility. I was hoping he’d stay away,” she replied. “Tanya will be thrilled.”

  Liv’s voice was dry, and Jack watched as Tanya moved closer to Evan and glanced around uncomfortably before putting out a hand. Evan shook her hand obligingly, but her hand lingered in his several beats longer than necessary, and he leaned in closer to say something to Tanya that made her smile.

  “I’m not watching this.” Liv spun on her heel and marched into the church. Jack paused, watching the couple behind him for a beat or two until Evan looked up and met Jack’s gaze evenly. He smiled slightly—a thin, victorious-looking smile—and Jack’s skin crawled.

  Jack headed into the church after Liv and found her standing by the doors, her arms crossed over her stomach protectively.

  “Liv?”

  She was looking into the church, and he followed her gaze. It was lovely—the pews all decorated with fresh pink roses on the ends, and several candelabras lit at the front of the church. The lighting was low and a harpist played a soft tune—was that the Titanic theme song?—as people wandered in and took their seats.

  “Liv—”

  She looked up, and he saw tears sparkling in her crystal clear eyes. He longed to bend down, gather her up in his arms...or maybe he wanted to march back out there and slam a fist into Evan’s smug face. Either-or. In a perfect world, he’d get a chance at both.

  “It’s not him,” she said through gritted teeth.

  “No, it’s the fact that your cousin would do this to you,” he replied.

  Liv nodded, her chin quivering. “That sums it up.”

  “So what do you want?” he asked, his voice low. He fixed her with a steely look.

  “What?” She looked from him, back to the church door and the flood of autumn sunshine outside. “What do you mean?”

  “What’s the best outcome here?” he said. “Considering all our facts, what do you want from this?”

  “I want—” She seemed to straighten herself as she blinked back the tears. “I want to get through this with a little dignity. If possible.”

  “Very possible,” he said. “How are you going to do it?”

  She shrugged miserably. “How do you feel about a little more PDA in this sham of a relationship?”

  Jack grinned, and he was so tempted to stoop down right then and catch those beautiful lips with his, but he held himself back.

  “Just so we’re clear here,” he said, bending to keep his voice close to her ear. “You’re asking me to treat you like I treat a woman I’m interested in...very, very interested in.”

  Some pink tinged her cheeks, and he knew his words had hit home.

  “Yes.”

  “All right,” he agreed with a roguish grin. “Only if you’re sure.”

  The doorway darkened, and Jack turned to see Evan walk into the church. Tanya looked awkward next to him, and she kept a couple of feet between them and wouldn’t look at him directly. She wasn’t ready to announce that she was a known cheater’s mistress to her family, apparently.

  Jack slid an arm around Liv’s waist and leaned in to murmur in her ear.

  “I’m going to enjoy this. You mind?”

  She glanced up at him. He tugged her a little closer, relishing this chance to have her back in his arms.

  “Jack—” Then she smiled up into his eyes. “You’re a good actor, you know that?”

  “Who’s acting?” He bent down and pecked her lips.

  He knew this would mess with his emotions. He wasn’t the kind of guy who could get this close to a woman and not have his heart entangled, but he’d just have to deal with that later when he could be alone and lick his wounds.

  When he looked up again, Evan brushed past them, shooting a dark look in Jack’s direction. Was that jealousy Jack saw? For Liv’s sake, he hoped it was. Let her have this—let her rub a real man in that scoundrel’s face. Because Liv deserved a guy like Jack—someone strong enough to protect her, man enough to stand by her and passionate enough to bring pink to those cheeks just by murmuring a few words in her ear.

  “Let’s go sit down,” Liv said.

  Suddenly, Jack knew exactly what he was missing in his life—and it was her. Liv Hylton, the woman who had intrigued him for years. Except he couldn’t have Liv and chase justice the way he wanted to. He could be her hero, or he could get in the thick of it and root out the cancer in the department in the most effective way he knew how. It was Liv, or it was Berto’s cause. One or the other.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  THE WEDDING WAS TOUCHING—though Liv couldn’t fully enjoy the occasion. Rick and Amy said their vows, and Liv sat two rows behind Evan, staring at the back of his head the entire time. Tanya sat a row ahead of Evan, perhaps afraid to make her mistress status too obvious. Anger simmered as Liv looked at her cousin.

  Relationships changed, but Liv had counted on that one to be enduring. How wrong could one woman be?

  Jack played the role of doting boyfriend to a T, and Liv appreciated that he was helping her to avoid the pity she resented so much. He kept his arm behind her, comforting and warm. And while she knew she was foolhardy to enjoy it, she did. She’d miss Jack when he was out of her life again. This might have been playacting from the start, but it had begun to feel ever so real.

  The reception was held two miles down the road from the church. The hall overlooked the lake, which glistened with the golden reflection of autumn trees. Inside the hall, all was decorated with twinkling lights. Liv heaved a sigh.

  “How long do you want to stay?” Jack asked quietly as they found their table—they were seated a stone’s throw from the head table, where the bride and groom were just taking their places.

  Liv looked over at Jack helplessly. “They’d see us leave. Rick would never forgive me.”

  And that was part of the problem with a hometown—along with the support and the comfort came the duty. This was Rick and Amy’s day. She needed to be here for them.

  Dinner was served—chicken—and the music started up for dancing. Rick and Amy had their first dance as husband and wife, and Liv watched mistily as her cousin looked down into his new bride’s upturned face.

  “They’re happy,” she said, and Jack slid an arm around her and tugged her gently against his solid shoulder. Liv tipped her head over and heaved a sigh.

  “That’s what happiness looks like, huh?” Jack murmured.

  “Yeah...”

  Rick dipped Amy, and then the music changed to something more upbeat and people started to stand up to join them on the dance floor. Here was hoping that this new couple was happier than she and Evan had been. And Liv also hoped that she’d have that kind of happiness again—except this time, the kind that lasted.

  Jack moved the tips of his fingers up and down her arm, and she closed her eyes, enjoying the sensation.

  “Jack, you’re supposed to convince onlookers, not me,” she murmured.

  “I’m not that good of a liar, Liv.” His obsidian gaze met hers, and something sizzled between them. Neither was she a good liar, for
that matter. The room seemed to quiet around them, blurring into the background as the dancers swept around the floor laughing. She was going to miss him when all of this was over, because despite the lies, despite the spying and trickery, she’d foolishly fallen for this cop.

  “Am I interrupting?” a deep voice asked, and Liv whipped around to see Evan standing in front of them, a half-cocked smile on his face. “Hi, Liv.”

  “Evan.” She swallowed. “You know Jack Talbott.”

  Jack’s posture hadn’t changed a bit, but she could feel the tension of his muscles. He was taut, alert, ready to spring into action—and yet his fingers kept moving in slow circles over that one spot on her arm.

  “Jack...yeah...” Evan’s tone chilled. “What brings you to Eagle’s Rest?”

  “I’m on duty—looking out for Liv,” Jack said easily.

  “Then she’s in good hands, because there’s two of us,” Evan said with a slow smile.

  “And what brings you here?” Jack asked.

  “A wedding—” Evan spread his arms. “When you marry a woman, you marry a family, right?”

  “What about when you divorce a woman?” Liv asked curtly.

  “Liv, it’s never so easy, is it?” Evan’s attention was back on Liv again. “Dance with me.”

  “I’d rather not,” Liv retorted.

  “Liv...” Evan’s tone got that slightly paternal sound to it. “I just want to...talk. Please.”

  He held out his hand, and Liv considered for a moment, then sighed. Evan wanted to talk—maybe he’d let spill something she could use in her own defense.

  “Fine.” Liv rose and reluctantly took his hand. “A short dance.”

  She felt cold where Jack’s body had been warming her, and she glanced back at Jack, but Evan was pulling her into the midst of the dancers. Then he slid a hand into the small of her back and positioned her so that she couldn’t see Jack without craning her neck. She turned once more, and she caught a glimpse of Jack staring at them, those glittering dark eyes fixed on them like a drill. And she felt better. She wasn’t alone in this, and if Evan thought he could separate her from her bodyguard with a simple dance, he was very wrong.

  “What do you want, Evan?” Liv asked, moving into step with her ex-husband. This was a two-step, and Liv’s body fell into the rhythm without any thought from her.

  Evan tugged her a little closer—too close for her comfort—and moved her in slow, languid circles over the dance floor.

  “Just checking in,” Evan said with a shrug. “When you called the other night, I started to worry.”

  “Where’s Serena?” she asked pointedly.

  “Home. She’s tired—needed some me-time.”

  He was off the leash for a couple of days, it seemed, and there was something familiar in the way he was looking down at her.

  “I’ve missed you,” he said, then pivoted them again, her breath jumping as he did so. He knew how to dance, how to make her heart leap with the joy of simple movement.

  “Apparently, you’ve been missing Tanya, too,” Liv replied with an icy smile.

  Evan lost the rhythm for a second, then he caught up. “Liv, you know me. I’m no angel. And now Serena has to put up with me. What can I say?”

  That was probably the best response he could have given, because Liv had zero sympathy for Officer Hot Pants.

  “But I owe you something—” Evan went on.

  “The books,” Liv replied.

  “The books?” Evan looked mildly confused. “Oh, yes. But I was talking about something...deeper. I owe you some help. Some protection. You matter to me still, Liv.”

  “And you want me to back up your story about buying my property,” Liv replied.

  “That would be helpful,” Evan said, pulling her in a little closer as the music slowed once more. She doubted he simply wanted her on the record as his business partner—he had something lined up to blame the whole thing on her. That was more Evan’s style—his priority was always number one.

  He sighed. “Liv, I heard from Tanya that you’re being threatened by someone...”

  They were nearing their table again where Jack sat. She turned to look at him and found his gaze still locked on her. She was safe as long as Jack had her back, and her courage returned.

  “That’s why Jack is here,” she said. “I’m not your problem, Evan.”

  “Sure you are.” Evan’s voice lowered seductively. “You’ll always have a piece of me, Liv—”

  “Oh, cut that out,” she retorted. “I’m fine.”

  “You’re not,” he countered. “I know you.”

  “And what do you propose?” she asked, shaking her head. “Unless you know who’s doing this—”

  “Of course I don’t know,” Evan replied. “But I could help you out here. From what I hear, someone wants you out of town. And Liv, Eagle’s Rest was a step backward for you. I’m sure you feel it by now. You aren’t the same woman who left.”

  “What’s that to you?” Liv snapped, but Evan spun her again, and she found herself almost floating through the air as Evan kept her moving with the music. When he pulled her back in against his lanky body, he shot her a playful smile.

  “I can make the problem go away. I’ll buy you out.”

  “Buy me out?” Liv pulled her hand out of his and stopped dancing. A couple nearly ran into them, and then another.

  “Liv, we’re causing a traffic jam here,” Evan said with a short laugh, reaching for her hand again.

  “No!” Liv took a step back and spotted a path of escape that would get her to the side of the dance floor. She took it, and when she was safely out of everyone’s way, she found Evan pinned to her side again.

  “I can’t imagine the stress you must be under,” Evan went on. “Threats from God knows who, all the pressures of starting up a new business... I also heard about the hike in property taxes. I mean, that’s not going to be easy on you. You came back to Eagle’s Rest in order to breathe for a bit, and I get that. I wasn’t much of a husband, and you needed some time to yourself. But I feel bad. I knew this wouldn’t be what you thought when I signed that property over to you—”

  “Evan, shut up!” Liv shook her head, anger boiling up inside her. “My life—my stress—is none of your business! You caused most of it!”

  “I’m just offering some help here,” Evan said. “I’m in a position where I could offer you a fair amount for that property. Not what we paid, mind you. A little less. But it would be fair.”

  “From what I hear, it’s worth a whole lot more than that,” Liv said with a short laugh. “If I’m going to sell, it’s going to be directly to a mining company.”

  Evan’s face blanched, and the cajoling stance evaporated. He had nothing to say, and for the first time, she saw him falter. He still thought that little detail was a secret.

  “You still want to help me out?” she asked innocently.

  “Liv—” Evan reached for her again, and this time he clamped down on her arm with an iron grip. She tried to jerk free, with no effect.

  “Someone wants to hurt you,” Evan said, his voice low and flat. “And I’m willing to help you. Think about that. What’s money worth if you’re dead?”

  Liv’s heart hammered in her throat, and she stared at him in shock. Was that a threat? She wasn’t even sure! But Evan wanted her property—that much was obvious. She swallowed hard, and a dancing couple bumped up against them on their way past, knocking Liv off-balance. But then a warm hand slid along her waist, and she heard Jack’s voice just behind her. “Evan, let her go.”

  Evan dropped her arm, and the smile was back. “Thanks for the dance, Liv. Just like old times.”

  * * *

  JACK’S ENTIRE BODY was tensed in response to that look of horror on Liv’s ashen face. He’d been watching them dance, watching the way Evan mov
ed her around the room so effortlessly. At first he’d wondered if what he was feeling was jealousy, but then he saw Liv pull away from Evan, her whole body recoiling from his touch. That was when Jack had stood up and started moving around the dance floor toward them. Liv could talk to anyone she wanted...she could dance with anyone she wanted. But when a man laid a hand on her in an effort to control her, scare her, hurt her—that was no longer okay.

  And now, with his hand on her waist, Jack could feel her straighten, get her balance back.

  “Are you okay?” he asked Liv.

  She rubbed her wrist but nodded. “I’m fine.”

  “She’s fine,” Evan said with a shake of his head. “We were having a conversation that didn’t include you.”

  “Well, now that conversation does include me,” Jack snapped. “Keep your hands to yourself.”

  “Jealous?” Evan asked with a short laugh. “You always did have a thing for my wife, didn’t you? Did you think I didn’t notice? You were pathetic! Sitting on the sidelines staring at a woman who didn’t even know you existed.”

  Jack glared at the other man. “She isn’t your wife, Evan.”

  Evan didn’t answer that, but a muscle along his jaw began to twitch. Jack had hit a nerve there. Evan liked to own turf, and he liked to keep women jumping. Liv wasn’t jumping anymore—and that made Evan a whole lot more dangerous.

  “You haven’t changed,” Evan went on with a sneer. “You’re still the loser who came from the wrong side of the tracks looking in at how the big boys play.”

  Jack’s anger rose, but he wouldn’t take the bait. Evan wanted a fight, and Jack wasn’t interested in that. He needed evidence, and when he came for Evan, it would be with the authority of the law behind him, not his fists. But it was tempting—really tempting.

  “Have a good evening, Evan,” Jack said, keeping his voice low, and nudging Liv close to him. Liv moved in tandem with him, and they headed away from the dance floor, leaving Evan behind them. He claimed to be part of this family still, and he had a mistress staring at him from across the room, misery all over her face. Evan should have his hands full without them in the mix.