Yuletide Protector (Love Inspired Suspense)

by Lisa Mondello

  The truck was empty.

  “Kevin?” she called out in a heavy whisper. A chill rocketed through her as she swung around, searching the darkness with widened eyes.

  At the heavy bark of the dog on the next block, she twisted her body yet again, her arms nearly dropping the blanket and thermos in her hands. From inside Mrs. Hildebrand’s house, Spot came to life, adding in what sounded like a round-robin between the two animals. In the distance, another dog added to the chorus.

  “What are you doing out here?”

  Even knowing the sound of Kevin’s voice, Daria still yelped. He had to have been walking on air, because she hadn’t heard his approach. She’d been distracted by the dogs and her own rampant imagination.

  Clutching the blanket and the thermos to her chest, she said, “Don’t sneak up on me like that! You nearly gave me a heart attack.”

  “What are you doing out of the house this time of night? It could be dangerous. For a minute, I thought you were a prowler.”

  “I’m sorry,” she said.

  Kevin appeared oblivious to her annoyance. He waved the flashlight he gripped in his hands back and forth through the yard, sometimes looking at her, sometimes seeming to look through her, as if she weren’t even there.

  She cleared her throat. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

  He glanced at her then and his gaze held. “You didn’t,” he said quietly. “I heard the dogs barking and thought I’d check the yard. You must have come out the front door while I was in the backyard.”

  “I can open the front door easily enough from the inside. It’s only from the outside that I have a hard time.”

  “Are you okay?”

  Taken aback by the sudden concern in his voice, Daria shrugged and said, “I’m fine. I was just having trouble sleeping. The house has a lot of drafts and the wind gets pretty loud at night.”

  Kevin went back to panning the surrounding yards with his flashlight. “Do the dogs always make this much noise?”

  “Sometimes. We don’t get a lot of stray dogs in this part of the city, but there are cats, and that’s pretty much all Spot needs to see outside to start barking.”

  Kevin turned to her with a weak smile and flicked off the flashlight. “And once one starts, they all join in.” His eyes were glassy from being hit with the cold wind. But the black jacket with the Providence PD emblem on it looked bulky and warm.

  The mist from Kevin’s breath escaped his mouth as he spoke, then evaporated instantly. The collar of his jacket was flipped up to protect his neck from the biting wind. Even with the jacket, he had to be cold, adding to the guilt Daria felt, but he didn’t let on any discomfort.

  “Tonight is a little more frigid than it’s been in the last few days so I brought you a blanket and hot chocolate.” She thrust the blanket and thermos out to him.

  “If you insist on freezing yourself out here like this, it’s the least I can do,” she added when all he did was stare at her.

  “You made me hot chocolate?”

  “Yes. It’s not homemade or anything. Just instant with a little bit of the half-and-half I bought the other day.”

  Kevin let out a slow sigh and reached for the carafe. “Oh, man, I think I love you.”

  Daria blinked, and then laughed. “No wonder Mrs. Hildebrand made you cookies. If you go around saying things like that to sweet-talk women, you’ll be fattened up before Christmas.”

  “No, really. This is great. The coffee I got earlier is long gone. This should keep me warm tonight.”

  “Well, the blanket should keep you a little more comfortable. It’s not electric or anything but it is wool. It kept me warm many nights when I didn’t have any heat. Oh, here. Take it,” she said as she shoved the blanket into his arms.

  Kevin’s smile was so bright it had her heart beating rampantly. It was only a blanket and some hot chocolate, after all. But he was grinning at her as if she’d given him the grand prize at a carnival.

  Her arms were now empty. She crossed them in front of her chest to give them something to do. “It’s just, I won’t be able to sleep at all tonight if I think you’re freezing out here. I don’t know why. It’s your decision to be here like this. Not mine.”

  He adjusted the blanket in his arms and repositioned the flashlight. A slow smile played at the corner of his lips as he gazed down at her.

  “What are you smiling about?”

  Kevin lifted his shoulder in a slight shrug. “Nothing. It was just a really nice thing for you to do, giving me a blanket. And the hot chocolate, too. Thanks.”

  His eyes never left hers and Daria didn’t know what to say to him. He was wearing her down, getting her used to having him around. And that wasn’t good at all. Although she had to admit that she’d been glad Kevin was there when she’d seen that bird on her door, she had to remind herself why Kevin was really there. It had nothing to do with her, he just wanted to catch George. When the danger left, he would, too. She couldn’t let herself get attached, no matter how hard it was to remember to keep her distance when he smiled at her like that.

  She cleared her throat, amazed that the words she was about to say were harder to say than she’d rehearsed in the house. “Then you should note for the record that I think you’ve made your point and that staying here like this is ridiculous. You’re insane if you think you can possibly keep up for very long working all day and staying up all night watching my house. This is my problem. Not yours.”

  “You’re worried about me?”

  “Don’t change the subject.”

  “I thought I was the subject a few seconds ago. You’re worried about how I’m holding up? Well, I’ll tell you. It’s not easy. But I know it’s the right thing to do. Your ex-husband is quiet now, but the next time he makes a move, he’s coming after you. And since I’m a police officer in this city, that makes it very much my problem, too.”

  She trembled with a gust of wind and she pulled her robe tighter. “This whole thing is insane.”

  “I can’t really argue with that. But your decision to stay really leaves me no choice.”

  A fingernail of irritation scraped up her spine. Not at Kevin, but at her own predicament. “I’ve already told you I can’t go.”

  His expression softened to something warm and caring and did loads to disintegrate her frustration.

  “Yes, you did. I know it took a lot for you to admit that to me earlier. I’m glad you did. At least I know you understand the potential danger you’re in right now, and you’re not just being stubborn.”

  Surprised, she cocked her head. “Is that what you thought?”

  “Initially, yes. A lot of women are in this situation.”

  “I’m not stupid, Kevin. I’d get out of danger if I could. I just feel stuck. I’m surprised you didn’t know this already.”

  “About the money? No. I checked out the basics on you, but despite what most people think, the police can’t check your bank account without a warrant. There was no justification to check yours.”

  Shifting in place to keep the cold from making her shudder, she said, “How basic? Do you have my SAT scores and elementary school records on file?”

  He smiled. “You did really well in math. It’s no wonder you went into accounting.”

  Her mouth dropped open.

  “I’m kidding,” he said with a chuckle.

  She couldn’t help laughing, too, but the seriousness of her situation soon took over.

  “It wasn’t your fault,” she finally said. “You’re not responsible.”

  He made a small grunt as if he was uncomfortable with her perceptiveness. “That’s not the way I see it. And whether it is my fault or not, it is my responsibility. That’s why I became a cop.”

  Daria sighed softly. “Good night, Kevin,” she said and turned away from him.

  He wouldn’t sleep tonight because he was a man on a mission. She wouldn’t sleep tonight either, but for an entirely different reason. And that reason would be the man
, not the cop, staring at her window.

  The next morning Daria fried an extra egg and slapped it on a toasted bagel with a few slices of bacon. She wasn’t trying to impress Kevin, she told herself. She’d cooked for men before. Well, okay, it was only her father and her ex, but that counted, didn’t it? It was only a stupid breakfast sandwich. And it wasn’t like she was going out of her way to make it, either. She was making one for herself, too.

  Frost had grown on the windowpane overnight, stretching crystal fingers that made it hard to look out the window, but she knew Kevin would still be there.

  Slipping her feet into her boots, Daria wrapped the sandwich in wax paper and tossed it into a brown bag. She’d bring the sandwich out to Kevin and then start her truck to warm it up before leaving.

  She stepped outside using the front door even though she’d have to come back in this way and lock the door from the inside before she left for work. Still, if she could possibly avoid the back door for a little bit longer, she would.

  It was irrational. Daria knew she’d get over it in time, but for right now, it felt too raw.

  Kevin rolled down the window as she approached.

  “Good morning, sunshine,” he said with a smile that instantly warmed her insides despite the frosty morning.

  Feeling flattered, Daria smiled stupidly and held out the bag with the sandwich. As she did, she saw the plate of muffins on the seat next to him and her spirits fell. Hilda had beaten her to the punch.

  Suddenly annoyed, she huffed, and pulled back her hand.

  Kevin just gave her a sleepy grin. “What’s that? Did you make something for me?”

  “I thought you might be hungry, but I guess you’re all set.”

  “No way. I can smell what’s in that bag and it smells great.”

  Kevin reached his arm out through the open window to grab the bag. Daria tossed it to him. “If you keep eating all the baked goodies Mrs. Hildebrand gives you, you’re going to get crumbs all over your seats.”

  A slow smile crept into the corner of his mouth. “Climb in. We can eat our breakfast together.”

  “I can’t. I have to finish getting ready for work. But if you want to warm up in the house while you’re eating, you’re free to do so.”

  “Nah, it’s okay. You look like you’re almost ready to go and I don’t want to get in your way.” He opened the bag and breathed in the scent of the breakfast she’d made with longing. “My sister would be appalled. Judy tells me just one of these breakfast sandwiches has about three days’ worth of fat, and that eating it clogs your arteries in a matter of minutes.”

  “Oh, really?”

  “It’s what she says.”

  “Since you’re so concerned with your health I guess I’ll toss it in the garbage.”

  He pulled the bag out of Daria’s way as she reached in to grab it. “My sister is the health nut of the family. Not me.”

  “I’m surprised you’re even still hungry. Mrs. Hildebrand seems to be keeping you well fed.”

  “I’m a guy. We’re always hungry. Besides, Mrs. H. found my weakness. I lived my whole life having to eat my sister’s granola biscuits and wheat-germ cookies just to please my mother. Who ever heard of putting wheat germ in cookies? Mrs. Hildebrand’s muffins are amazing.”

  Terrific. Upstaged by muffins.

  It was a distressing start to what stood to be a very frustrating day. Trying to obtain an unsecured personal loan without any real equity in her house, stocks or other assets was going to be tough. But if she was going to be able to get away from George for any length of time and stop all this nonsense, she’d have to break down and at least try to get a loan. If she was really careful, she might be able to stay in a room somewhere and still be able to pay her mortgage for a couple of months until she could think of a way out of this mess.

  Daria shifted uncomfortably in place, glancing down her short road to the intersection. “Look, I need to get to work early so I can take care of paperwork. I’m…trying to work on something that will enable me to leave here for a while.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah.”

  “What is it?”

  “I don’t know if it will come together or not, so I don’t want to say much.”

  Kevin’s expression changed and he stared down at his breakfast and back at her. Shame flamed her cheeks.

  “You can’t go on like this, Kevin.”

  “No?”

  “And your friends. How long are they going to be able to keep watching George?”

  “As long as the funds hold.”

  Her eyes widened. “You mean, you’re paying them? From your money?”

  He shrugged. “The department’s budget isn’t what it used to be.”

  He tried to make a joke of it, and yet, knowing Kevin was paying for her protection out of his funds and time made matters worse.

  Kevin pushed the truck door open and stepped out. As if reading her mind, he said, “Look, it’s no big deal.”

  “It is to me. Money is not just something you throw around.”

  “I agree.”

  She swallowed hard. “I don’t have the money to pay you back.”

  “I don’t expect you to. It was my decision to do it. If I didn’t want to do it, I wouldn’t have.”

  She shook her head. “I don’t understand. A few days ago you didn’t even know me and now you’re paying other police officers to do work on my behalf?”

  “The way I was raised, you give help when it’s needed. That is, if you can. We do this sort of thing in my church all the time.”

  “Your church?”

  “Yes. When someone needs assistance, others step in and help. Sometimes it’s financial. But sometimes it’s giving time and a little sweat. Like when one of the women in our congregation lost her husband after a long illness last year, and needed her roof replaced. She couldn’t afford to pay for supplies and labor, so some people pitched in for supplies, and a bunch of us got together, and over the course of the weekend we did the work for free. It helped her out.”

  “And you expected nothing for it?”

  “I got the satisfaction of knowing I’d helped someone who wasn’t going to be able to get the job done otherwise. I’m a firm believer that God works through each of us.”

  “Is that what you’re doing for me?”

  “You don’t believe me?”

  “I don’t know what to believe.”

  It was clear from the way Kevin spoke about his church that he took his Christian faith seriously. While Daria had known other people with strong Christian values throughout her life, she’d never felt a desire to understand what made them faithful. Hearing Kevin talk about his faith and giving of himself made her curious, and eager to learn more.

  “Maybe we can continue this discussion over dinner,” he said.

  “Dinner?”

  “Yeah. It’d have to be here though. I don’t want to risk having you out in public any more than you need to be. I’ll bring some takeout with me after my shift. Do you like Chinese?”

  “I’ll cook,” she finally said. “It’ll be better than getting a sugar rush from muffins and cookies.” And if things went well today, maybe there would be something for both of them to celebrate tonight.

  He chuckled. “Sounds great.”

  Resisting the urge to place her hand over her rapidly beating heart, she forced a smile. It would do no good to let Kevin see just how much he had affected her. “Good. I’ll be home around sixish.”

  As she was about to turn back to the house, Kevin stopped her with a light hand on her arm.

  “I want you to think about something today.”

  She peered up at his serious expression. “What?”

  “I was thinking last night that we may have to pull an Al Capone to get your ex-husband behind bars.”

  She chuckled, but then frowned in confusion. “Wait, an Al Capone? What’s that?”

  “You know, Al Capone wasn’t taken down for bootleggin
g alcohol. He was convicted on tax evasion. I know George had some business with a loan shark, but there’s nothing illegal we can pin on him. I want you to think about his dealings and tonight, you can tell me what you remember. Even if you think it’s insignificant. It might lead us somewhere.”

  “I don’t know anything about his business dealings. He never really talked about them because he knew I was sensitive about the money he spent.”

  “Just think about it.”

  She nodded, uncomfortable with the notion of having to revisit her relationship with her ex-husband yet again. She wanted that to be the past, but George clearly was making himself part of her present.

  Daria walked the length of the driveway back to the house. After locking up and braving her exit through the back door, she climbed into her truck. Kevin was still sitting at the curb, his engine warmed and exhaust from his tailpipe making a cloud into the street.

  She started her truck, then pulled out of the driveway carefully. When she got to the intersection, she glanced in the rearview mirror. Kevin had pulled his SUV behind her truck, put his signal lights on to indicate he was going in her direction.

  She couldn’t help the smile that tugged at her lips. He’d follow her to the office again, just as he had yesterday. And while yesterday it had annoyed her, today she felt differently. She wasn’t going to pretend to understand exactly what those feelings were. She just knew that he made her feel safe.

  She’d never met anyone quite like him. He gave willingly and without seeming to want anything as payment in return. It was about time she did her part and helped him in his quest to arrest George.

  But more than anything, Daria was looking forward to their dinner tonight and exploring exactly what made Kevin the Christian and the man that he was today.

  SEVEN

  “You look like roadkill.”

  Kevin looked up from the paperwork on his desk to Jake’s amused face. “I think I am roadkill. I’ve been looking through Carlisle’s file all morning and I can’t find so much as a business card to connect him to anyone in Providence with illegal dealings. No phone calls. No business connections. Nothing.”