Joselyn blushed. "What's your name?"
"Shasta. Shasta Bruins. I... could you... I mean, is it okay?" She stooped, recovered three books and looked at Joselyn expectantly. "I was afraid I would miss you. I came all the way from Memphis to see you. Traffic was bad but parking here is horrible. I had to park three blocks over. I just knew I was going to miss you." She glanced at Maddox and swallowed. "Are you sure it's alright?"
"Of course Shasta, come over here and we'll get you all fixed up. I promise he won't bite."
Shasta glanced at Maddox again but followed Joselyn back to her table. Joselyn spent several minutes with the girl, talking and taking pictures. She even dug out a few swag items which make Shasta almost cry. She laughed when Shasta posted the pictures to social media with the hashtags #joselynrocks, #squeallikeafangirl, #thisjusthappened and #theDeidrefiles. She would never forget the girl's face when Joselyn leaned in and whispered a couple of spoilers for the new book currently residing with her editor. By the time Shasta left with her treasures, Joselyn was smiling again and had even forgiven River for tackling the girl. Joselyn wanted to make a note to add a character named Shasta to a future novel but stopped when she remembered her cell phone was missing. Pulling out a piece of paper, she jotted down a few notes and shoved it into her satchel. Hopefully, she would find it again soon.
With the event finished, they gathered her materials and with a wave to the owner, exited the store. River piled what was left of her stuff into the back seat, got in and started the engine. Glancing over at her he spoke.
"I'm sorry about your cell phone."
"Me too. It's my lifeline. I hadn't upgraded in the past three years because I didn't want to have to move everything. There's contacts, story plots, appointments, book ideas, not to mention pictures I would cry over if I lost. Supposedly, everything was backed up to a cloud but I never feel overly confident in that technology."
"I can understand." He closed his eyes for a minute. Making a decision he blew out a breath. "Everything in me is screaming to get you home where I can keep you safe but I think for your own ease of mind we should go ahead get you a new one. The sooner you feel comfortable, the better."
She felt a wave of gratitude wash over her. After the incident with Sasha, she knew too well how on edge he was. She wasn't going to ask to go but since he offered. "Yes, I would like that. Thank you, River." She reached over and squeezed his arm. "I don't think I've said it enough. Thank you for your service to our country and thank you for your help now. You have done so much to keep me safe and I appreciate it deeply."
The ice blue of his eyes warmed and he gave her a genuine smile. Covering her hand with his, he laced their fingers together and pulled out of the parking place. "No place I'd rather be," he stated simply as if it were only too obvious.
Looking at his fingers tangled with hers, she felt the hummingbirds turn to swans. They still needed to talk about what he meant by calling her his but it could wait. Right now, she wanted to bask in the moment and the warmth of his hand in her lap. Even if nothing else came of it, she would carry this memory with her for a lifetime.
She sighed.
Best. Day. Ever.
Chapter 9
River's nerves were frayed. Gritting his teeth, he planted his feet and stood stoically beside Joselyn trying to keep her from getting knocked over in the small, lavish electronics store. People pushed against them time and time again. He wondered why they didn't order online. In front of him, Joselyn's attention was on a display of different cases for the latest models. An elbow caught him in the back and he grimaced. Gritting his teeth, he barely held back a snarl as a woman muttered a hasty "Excuse me".
"So, what do you think, River?"
He turned his attention back to Joselyn. Raising an eyebrow he asked, "What do I think about what?"
She huffed and waved three different cases. "These. Which one do you like?"
He wrinkled his brow and glanced at the boxes in her hand. "Ahh..." He swallowed and looked at her face. She watched him as he hemmed and hawed. "Honestly, they are all the same to me."
"Well, which one would you choose for yourself."
He laughed. "These are all sparkly, flowery and glittery! I wouldn't choose any of them for myself."
She chuckled and nodded. "Yeah, I guess you wouldn't and I'm not sure I like them either. I'm more of a clear, no-frills kind of gal. I was thinking if I picked one that was bright, maybe I wouldn't leave it again. I still can't believe I lost mine. Normally I take better care of my things." She turned her attention back to the three boxes in her hand and chewed her bottom lip.
No frills? Yeah, it sounded about right. Joselyn was not one to call attention to herself. Maybe it had something to do with all those years she spent in hiding but he felt it probably was also her beautiful character shining through. He remembered how she had been with Sasha in the store. Joselyn had been caring, understanding, and giving. Yes, those three words all described this woman. He flinched when he thought about his little faux pas. His woman. He hadn't meant to say it out loud. He hoped she had forgotten about it but something told him she never forgot anything. There was going to be one extremely uncomfortable talk later. He glanced at her as she gnawed on her lip. Reaching over, he gently brushed his thumb over it, nudging it from the grip of her teeth. It was swollen and pink. Fire shot through his body as he imagined taking it into his mouth to taste. He wanted to suck and tease, run his tongue over and between until neither of them had breath left. So beautiful. So amazing. He groaned as she licked it and raised her eyes to him. His heart lurched and raced. So much faith with a touch of fear swam in the caramel colored depths. No matter how afraid she was, she trusted him to keep her safe. He wanted to puff out his chest in pride. He was taking care of her, keeping her safe and she knew without a doubt she was secure.
The moment was lost as they were jostled again. He bit back a growl and pulled her tightly against his side. This was insane! The push of the crowd reminded River how unprotected Joselyn was and his patience was running out. When he had enough and was about to grab his charge and march out of the store, a young woman dressed in the store's distinctive gear approached them. Touching the tablet in her hands, she flashed them a smile.
"Hi. I'm Clarisse. How may I help you today."
Immediately, Joselyn warmed to the woman and explained her old telephone had been lost and she needed a new one. Flashing her a million watt smile, Clarisse motioned for them to follow her to one of the quieter kiosks in the back where additional sales people were helping other customers. "We can get you all set, no problem," she assured them before launching into a spiel about the different models of cell phones and features of each. River listened half-heartedly to the two discuss things as he continued to scan the area. He was being paranoid. Joselyn was safe. Nobody would dare to make an attempt on her with a hundred people nearby. He felt a little of the tension drain away.
"And what do you think, Mr. Kendrik?"
River's attention drew back to Clarisse and he frowned. "I'm sorry what?"
Joselyn gave out a half laugh as her cheeks flushed. "Oh, he's not my husband," she assured the woman. "He's... ah..."
River chuckled at Joselyn's stammering. She looked so cute and he couldn't help himself from teasing her. "I'm her boy toy," he whispered with a wink and laughed softly as Joselyn's blush deepened to a dark red. "You know she's got all kinds of money." He shrugged. "She supports me in a life in which I have become accustomed."
Clarisse looked from one to the other, her jaw dropped open and eyes round.
"You are not!" Joselyn squeaked and smacked his arm. "Cheebus, River, don't say things like that. People will believe it." Turning her attention back to the woman, she winced. "He's really not my boy toy. He's my... my friend." She turned her gaze to him and smiled. "He's my good friend."
Friend.
River tasted the word and found it wasn't quite right. Okay, yes, he was her friend but there was more to it besides
the whole bodyguard thing. The revelation he had this morning said it all. She was more than a client, more than an acquaintance. She was slowly becoming everything and it brought forth an unfamiliar feeling. In the twenty years he had served his country, he had known fear on several different levels. Only a fool would not feel anxiety after some of the situations he had found himself. Tracking down terrorists, defusing hostile situations and generally taking care of whatever business his country demanded had given him a healthy respect for fear. But what he was feeling toward the petite author scared him more than all the Taliban in the world. She had wiggled past the walls he had erected until she was bigger than anything else in his universe. If anything happened to her... He slammed a door on the thought. No. Nothing would happen because he wouldn't allow it. He would keep her safe, regardless the consequences.
He stood to Joselyn's left with his back to the wall and the remainder of the store spread out before him. Paying little attention to the conversation about storage size and case colors, he scanned the room methodically. People mulled around the brightly lit space, checking out the latest devices. Everything looked normal, so why were the fine hairs on the back of his neck standing at attention? Reaching back, he smoothed them down and resumed his watchful perusal of the area. Several people glanced at him curiously and at the weapon on his hip. Thank God, Louisiana was an open carry state so nobody questioned its presence. Not that he wasn't as deadly with his bare hands but the sidearm was a clear warning. It's here for a reason... back off!
"Alright, Ms. Kendrik, I've deactivated your old one and got this one turned on. Restoring everything from the cloud is going to take a few minutes. If you will stay here as it finishes, we'll check everything out. In the meantime, I'm going to help another customer. We are so busy today. Saturday afternoons are like this."
Joselyn waved her off, her eyes on the screen as the progress bar inched across. "Please, go ahead. We're fine."
Flashing a grateful smile, Clarisse nodded. "I'll be right back to see you in a few minutes. Just let the update run." Turning, she checked her tablet and moved to an older woman examining earphones. River chuckled as he heard her ask Clarisse about a pair for her grandson's birthday.
"Have you been to New Orleans before?"
Joselyn's question took him by surprise. When he looked at her he saw her attention was fixed on the three case boxes in her hand. "It's one of my favorite places," River said. "I have a lot of memories here. See, I have four older sisters but am the only boy. They gave me absolute hell all the time. My mom has pictures of them dressing me up as their own personal little doll. When I got older, my parents, God bless them, had mercy on me and sent me to my Aunt and Uncle's every summer. Their son, Shaun, saved my sanity. We were tight even though he was a couple years older. So every year from the time I was about ten until I joined the Navy at eighteen, I would spend the summer with him at their farm outside of Meridian. It was long, hard, hot work but man, I loved it. We woke before dawn and worked until the sun went down and it was too dark to see. When he turned sixteen we started taking trips in his old pickup on the weekends. Usually, we would horse around town or go to the local lake. That year, right before school started, we took off on one last trip and found ourselves in New Orleans. Now, don't get me wrong, I'd been there a few times with my family and the occasional field trip but two teenagers roaming around was the ultimate adventure. By the time we dragged our butts into the house on Sunday morning, his parents were furious. When I got home later the same night, mine grounded me for a month and threatened to never let me go back. Thank God, they eventually relented. Even with all the trouble we got into, it was worth it. Afterward, it became a tradition of sorts and we ended our summers here. Mom and Dad pretended to not know about it and Uncle Aaron made us call him every four hours on the dot to ensure we were alright. It was even the last thing we did together before I left for training."
She leaned against him, placing her hand on his chest. "And what about now?"
He curled his arm around her shoulders, marveling at how well she fit there. "After a long engagement, Shaun got married to the sweetest little angel. They met right out of college and hit it off immediately. I was supposed to be his best man but we got called away at the last minute. He knew how much it meant to me to serve so he wasn't angry. They waited until I got back to have a party though. Hannah is a travel nurse so they have this big RV and they travel together. He is a graphic design artist so he can work from anywhere. He called me a couple of months ago and told me they are expecting their first baby. I'm to be the Godfather." He puffed his chest out proudly. "Hannah is finishing a contract now and next month they will head back to Mississippi. He said they are done traveling for a while and are ready to settle down. I kind of envy them because they know what they want. I'm almost forty and have no clue where to go from here."
She leaned against him. "Maybe you should stay here where there are so many good memories," she whispered.
He thought about it a minute and found it didn't freak him out. In fact, settling after two decades of wandering held a certain appeal. He placed a kiss on her head and froze. What did he just do? Taking his gesture in stride, she snuggled closer to his side. He'd figure out everything between them later. He wanted her and for some reason, she seemed to want him too; everything else was negotiable. "Maybe," he answered.
On the table before them, a ding sounded and she retrieved her new cell. "All done?" Clarisse had returned and glanced at the screen.
"Looks like it," Joselyn replied.
"Take a minute and check your personal stuff. See if it all downloaded correctly."
Joselyn cradled the cell in her fingers, swiping through contacts and notes. "So far so good. Everything looks to be here." She continued through her calendar before inspecting her photographs. He watched the smile blossom as she glanced through them and her eyes misted over. Looking at her new phone, he saw an older man in many of them and knew they must be the ones of her father. Giving her a bit of privacy, he backed up a step and turned slightly. He was happy she hadn't lost them and would speak to her later about ensuring they wouldn't be in danger again.
"River," she breathed and thrust the phone toward him.
He took the device and looked at the screen. A frown creased his brow as he tried to decipher what he was seeing. There was a picture of a couple standing in a parking lot in front of a large black truck. The photo was grainy, probably due to the low amount of light. Understanding dawned on him as he realized the man standing behind the woman held a gun.
It was a photo of them taken last night in the parking lot.
Quickly he swiped the screen. There was Joselyn, sitting in the hostess stand of the restaurant. Light reflected off the large window as the manager handed her a glass of water.
Next was his truck again, swarming with police as he and Bull stood to the side deep in conversation.
The following picture was of Joselyn sitting at a table, her blonde hair falling over her shoulders as she smiled at a young boy with a copy of her book in his hands. River stood behind her with arms crossed, glaring around the room.
Swipe, she was standing behind him as he shoved Sasha against the wall.
Swipe, Joselyn standing next to a thoroughly enchanted Sasha as they took a selfie.
Each photograph had been taken since she lost her old cell phone. Fury raged in him as he took each one in. But it was the last one which forced a curse from his lips.
It was a close up of them in front of a display of telephone cases. He was looking down at her with a gaze of adoration, his thumb touching her lip. Her eyes were shining brightly as she smiled at him. If he could ignore the whole disturbing ramifications of the picture, it could easily become his favorite photo ever.
Her stalker had her old phone; there was no other excuse. He had used it to take photographs of them, taunting them with his ability to get close to her and posted them to her cloud so she would see them.
His blo
od turned to ice in his veins and his training took over. Thrusting the device into her shaking hands, he pushed her gently back into the corner of the store and drew his gun. "Call 911," he hissed as he took a position between her and the rest of the room. Beside them, Clarisse gasped and dropped her tablet. It bounced and shattered before skittering across the floor. A woman noticed the drawn weapon and screamed. Pandemonium erupted. Quickly, the store emptied. Behind him, he heard Joselyn speaking low, the hand against his back trembling. He wanted to pull her into his arms and shelter her from the world but he couldn't. Right now, her safety trumped any personal feelings he had. Nothing else mattered but her.
Chapter 10
It had taken a while but everything was finally quiet at 2004 Sunset Place. Sitting on the wall overlooking the park, he turned until his back rested against a pillar. Bending his left leg until his foot was flat on the hard surface, he rested his elbow on his knee and turned his gaze toward the east. One road and two large houses separated him from his prey and one of those was unoccupied. He knew it was because the guest bedroom on the second story currently held his meager belongings.
Closing his eyes, he leaned his head back and grinned. The chaos today at the store was perfect. When the stupid soldier realized how close he had come to losing his charge, he pulled his gun and scared the crap out of everyone there. Afterward, it was easy to walk out of the door with the panicking crowd.
He chortled to himself and slipped off the wall on the housing side, working his way through the silent streets until he stood under the same tree once again. Staring at the two-story house a few doors away, he watched the lights go out one by one until there was only one remaining - Joselyn's room on the top left side.
A thrill raced through him as he thought of the soft comforter of beige and mint green adorning her queen size bed. He had run his fingers over her pillow and even lifted it to smell the unique fragrance that was all her before carefully replacing it exactly as he had found it. Stepping into her closet, he fingered the rows of blouses and pants before turning his attention on one item deep in the back. He hadn't been able to help it. He pulled out the beautiful deep purple dress and hugged it to him. He had meant to leave it behind, once again lost on the rack with the others but he couldn't. It belonged to her but it also belonged to him.
Special Forces: Operation Alpha: Protecting Joselyn (Kindle Worlds) Page 7
