Interesting way to phrase it. “What prompted you to look at the time?”
“I was keeping track of how long I watered the grass.”
That made sense though I wasn’t sure I bought his story. Something about this didn’t quite jibe with me, but I wasn’t sure why I thought that. He was acting strangely, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t telling the truth.
Kayla nodded. “Did anything look suspicious to you?”
Tom frowned and shook his head. “Nothing at all. Victor’s mother often came by.”
Kayla nodded again, appearing uncertain. “I never asked you this, but did you ever have problems with Victor? It wasn’t a secret that Daniel and I had a few run-ins with him. He even accused Daniel of killing his dog.”
“That’s right, I remember that. His dog was a menace. He let him run loose without a leash all the time. He attacked Linda Winthrop’s cat once.”
“I didn’t know that,” Kayla said. She glanced at me. “She lives down the street.”
“Yeah, she threatened to call animal control, but I’m not sure if she ever did.” Tom chuckled softly. “We all think she’s the one who poisoned his dog.”
That wasn’t something to laugh about. This guy was starting to rub me the wrong way.
“Is there anything else?” Tom asked, standing. He seemed eager to get rid of us.
Kayla bit down on her bottom lip, appearing unsettled, but we both remained seated. “No, I suppose not. The police told me about Victor’s alibi when they were investigating, but I guess I just needed to hear it from you. I always doubted Victor’s innocence, but that was probably my own negative feelings about him getting in the way.”
Tom nodded, moving behind the other couch and resting his hands on the back. His eyes softened. “I’m sorry about what happened to Daniel.” He sounded sincere, and for the first time, I caught a glimpse of kindness buried underneath his gruff demeanor. “I wanted to tell you after he died, but you left so quickly…”
“Thank you for saying that. I do appreciate it.” Kayla let out a long breath and her eyes moistened. “There were too many memories. I couldn’t stay.” She shifted uncomfortably in her seat. “Is Bev at work? I didn’t see her car in the driveway. I wish we’d come when she was home so I could say hello.”
Tom winced and ran a hand over the back of his head, clearly not thrilled by the question. “No…we uh…we got a divorce.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry,” Kayla said, appearing distressed. “I didn’t know.”
“It’s okay. We had some troubles we weren’t able to work through.” He glanced from me to her. “Relationships are hard, but then again, you and Daniel always seemed to manage okay.” His gaze turned back to me, and he studied me for a moment. “I never did catch your name. Are you two…together?”
“I’m Troy, and, no, we’re…” I wasn’t sure what the right word was, so I went with the easiest. “We’re friends.”
“He used to be my bodyguard,” Kayla said in an attempt to explain our relationship.
Tom frowned and cocked his head to the side as if curious. “Why did you need a bodyguard?”
“I was attacked not long ago. It was most likely a crazed fan, but he got away and the police haven’t found him yet. And then I got a strange phone call that scared me.”
“From who?”
Kayla swallowed hard, and she took a few seconds to gather her wits. “You probably aren’t aware of this since we didn’t talk after the incident, but the guy who mugged Daniel and me said, ‘You don’t have a prayer,’ right before he shot Daniel. Recently, a man called and said the same thing.”
The blood rushed from Tom’s face, and he stared at us like he’d seen a ghost, seeming genuinely horrified by the news. “That’s horrible. Threatening a woman is pretty low in my book.”
“Attacking a woman is even worse,” I said, dryly.
“That’s right,” he said adamantly. “Didn’t mean to imply otherwise. But who would do something like that?”
Kayla leaned forward and clutched her knees with both hands, gripping them so hard her knuckles turned white. “A murderer, that’s who.”
He stared back at her, stunned, the skin underneath his left eye twitching ever so slightly. “I’m sorry, Kayla. I’m so sorry you had to go through any of that.”
My first impression of him hadn’t been good, but he was starting to seem like a halfway decent guy, at least in the sense that he was able to show empathy. As far as other aspects of his life—I didn’t have an opinion since I didn’t know him. If he’d cheated on his wife, then he might not be trustworthy since cheaters often had a problem with honesty in general. But all of that was speculation at this point.
“Thank you,” Kayla said. “God has been helping me to heal. It hasn’t been easy, but I’m finally getting to the place where the future doesn’t seem bleak anymore.” She stood and I did as well. “It was good to see you again, Tom. Thank you for taking the time to talk with us.”
“No problem.”
He led us out the front door and once we were back in my car, I glanced at Kayla. “How do you think that went?”
“Okay. He sounded reasonable in what he said.” She shook her head slightly. “I thought I would feel more closure after talking to him, but I don’t, really. Maybe I shouldn’t rely on my feelings so much.”
“No, you should listen to your gut. Something was a little off in there. I can’t put my finger on what it was, but…”
“Do you think he was lying?”
“I don’t know. I wasn’t too impressed with him in the beginning, but then he seemed genuinely upset by what happened to you.”
“Yes, he did.” She put a hand on my arm and let out a sigh. “Can we get out of here?”
“Absolutely.” I started up the engine and pulled away from the curb. “I have an idea. Are you up to going back to the gym to work on self-defense moves?”
Kayla smiled, and it was the first real smile I’d seen from her all day. “That sounds like a wonderful idea.”
Chapter 15
Kayla
Seeing my old neighborhood brought back feelings of wistfulness and sentimentality, remembering the good times Daniel and I had in our home, but there were also negative emotions as well that twisted in my stomach, leaving me with an uneasy sensation.
Towards the end, living there had been so awful that it colored everything in that light, almost like looking through a pair of navy sunglasses and seeing in shades of blue. My outlook had been tainted by the adverse relationship with Victor and Daniel’s untimely death, to the point that I couldn’t live there any longer.
Honestly, I didn’t ever want to go back.
But I intentionally relaxed my shoulders as we got closer to the same gym we went to the last time Troy gave me self-defense lessons. I was glad he suggested it because I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to him yet.
He’d said we would stay in touch, but I knew how that went. People often made promises they couldn’t keep because life got in the way. I wasn’t under any illusions that Troy wanted a relationship with me. If he had, he would have said something the moment he was no longer my bodyguard. His silence spoke volumes.
Hurt nestled deep in my gut, but I pushed it away. Unrequited love was not for the faint of heart, but I was a survivor and would make the most of the situation.
I had to accept this just as I had to accept so many other things in life that hadn’t gone my way. Disappointment. Grief. Loneliness. They were all familiar companions, every day, sometimes every hour. Don’t get me wrong, they were fading—at least the grief over losing Daniel was starting to lessen. The future was unknown, but I truly believed God had a plan for me.
Those plans didn’t seem to involve Troy, but, regardless, I was thankful the Lord had brought him into my life. He was a bright moment, not quite gone yet, but once he disappeared, I just hoped I had the courage to look for love again.
And that was what I was learning through all of this. I
wanted to love again. I believed there was someone else out there for me besides Daniel. My heart ached as longing washed over me like a rush of rain during a heavy storm. Why couldn’t it be Troy?
I touched the empty place on my left ring finger where my wedding band had been. When I’d taken it off, I’d thought for sure I’d feel the need to put it back on, but that hadn’t happened. By God’s grace, I was moving on little-by-little.
I shook my head to clear it. Time to concentrate on self-defense. That was where my focus needed to be, especially considering the circumstances I was in. I would have to fend for myself from here on out, and that was scary.
“You’re quiet,” Troy said as he pulled into the parking lot and found a spot to park. He unbuckled his seatbelt and glanced at me. “What are you thinking about?”
You don’t return my feelings. Yeah, like I was going to tell him that. “Just thinking I need to practice these moves so I feel more confident.”
He nodded. “Whenever you want to do this again, let me know and I’ll be there. We can meet every week if that works for you.”
My eyebrows flew up because I hadn’t expected him to say that. At all. “Really?” I must have sounded surprised because he gave me a strange look.
“Of course. Why so confused?” He chuckled and lifted his eyebrows.
“You won’t have time. They’ll assign you to someone else and then—”
“You’re my last client. From this point on, I’ll be in the office interviewing and getting the new division running. You’re looking at the new manager.”
“That’s right. I forgot you mentioned that when we did paperwork in the beginning. Congratulations. It’s a promotion, isn’t it?”
“Yep.” He grinned, seeming pleased with himself. “A long-awaited promotion.”
“I hope that business with Robert doesn’t get in the way.”
“Nah. Will knows me and so does Ansel.” But he didn’t look convinced, and I was a little worried Robert may have messed with his career in some way.
“If you need me to speak to Ansel, I will.”
“I’m sure it won’t be necessary.” He got out of the car, and I followed.
We walked to the entrance and entered the gym. The moment we stepped through the doorway, I wrinkled my nose because it smelled like sweat and damp air. It was definitely not a high-end gym, but I was thankful Troy’s friend gave him access.
Troy snickered and shrugged when he saw my expression. “Hey, we get to use the room for free.”
I threw my hands up in the air. “Not complaining.” I would go just about anywhere if it meant spending more time with him.
“Good.” He put his arm around my shoulders and led me to the backroom, the firmness of his body pressed against mine. Warmth flooded through me at the contact, and a giddy feeling fluttered in my stomach like feathers falling from the sky. I could live off of these feelings. I could get high off of them. Endorphins pulsed through me, giving me an extra bounce to my step.
It was the first time Troy had ever touched me like this, aside from the moment he had to defend me at the police station when they were trying to handcuff that criminal. He must have felt it was safe now that I was no longer his client.
Or he was actually starting to have feelings for me. He had just suggested getting together every week to work on self-defense moves, hadn’t he?
Hope swelled in my chest, and I wanted so badly to believe there was something there. The emotion was so strong, it almost overwhelmed me. The yearning. The ache. It was so bad. And yet so good.
Oh, my goodness. I was writing a country song in my mind. Pretty soon I’d start humming a tune and doing a little dance. The thought cracked me up, and I laughed out loud. I had a serious crush on Troy Littman. I turned to find him looking at me like I was a weirdo.
“What’s so funny?” He let go of me and stepped away, and I sighed from the loss of his warmth.
“Nothing.”
His brows lowered, but one side of his mouth inched up in a dry smile. “I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t laugh for no reason at all. People don’t do that unless they’re not right in the head.” His smirk let me know he was teasing, and I shouldn’t take him too seriously.
I fluttered my eyelashes and smiled sweetly. “You wish you knew, but some things a lady has to keep to herself.”
He laughed, and his smile twisted my insides into knots. “Fair enough. Can’t say I’m not curious though.”
“Oh, I’m sure you are, but if you could read my mind right now, you’d probably blush.” The flirtation came out of my mouth without a moment’s pause, and I inwardly wanted to die the second I realized how bad that sounded. Why couldn’t I stop to think before I spoke? What was wrong with me? I’d never thrown myself at a man before, and here I was, making a fool of myself like I was sixteen all over again. Troy seemed to have that effect on me quite often. He made me want to act silly and as free as a bird.
And then an embarrassing realization crossed my mind. What if he thought I was picking out my wedding dress or something? Getting ultra-serious. Planning our engagement. Sure, I’d considered it briefly, but he didn’t need to know that.
“Oh! You don’t have to worry. I’m not...” I trailed off and my face heated to a boiling point. I couldn’t say “wedding dress” or anything wedding related around a man I wasn’t even dating, lest he thought I had designs on him. I had to stop before this got worse. Closing my eyes, I crossed my fingers, hoping the moment would pass. He was so quiet, I opened my eyes and found him watching me with an amused grin on his face.
“You’re not…what?”
I waved a hand. “Forget it. It’s not important.”
“Just say what you were thinking. I want to know.”
“It’s not that interesting.”
“Let me be the judge of that.”
“No, it’s okay. It doesn’t matter.”
“It does. What were you about to—”
“Fine. I was going to tell you not to worry. I’m not picking out my wedding dress.”
He took a second to absorb my words. “But you said if I could read your mind, I’d blush. What were those thoughts?”
Now I really wanted to die. He was pushing me into a corner. “I just think you’re a very attractive man, okay? That’s all you need to know.”
His smile kicked up a few notches. “The things that come out of your mouth when you’re embarrassed…” He chuckled. “I’m enjoying this side of you.”
His eyes searched my face as if looking for something there. I was so caught up in his brown eyes that I sounded almost breathless when I spoke. “You’re getting a good laugh out of seeing me act foolishly, aren’t you?”
“No.” He ran a hand along the back of his neck, still grinning from ear-to-ear. “Every time I see a new side of you, I’m in awe. Must mean I really like you, Kayla Keller.”
His statement washed over me like a caress. Like a warm bath on a cold night or a flower in full bloom on a bright spring day. My head felt fuzzy as I allowed myself to get caught up in his gaze, his brown eyes beautiful and intense. “You said that once before.”
He stepped closer until we were just inches apart. Leaning down, his breath fanned over my face, sending goosebumps over the back of my neck. He eyed my lips as if he were about to come in for the kill. Like I was his prey. My pulse sped up and every nerve in my body snapped to attention. I wanted him to kiss me. Wanted it so badly.
He leaned down even further, lining his lips up with mine, yet still not touching me. He stayed there for several long moments, neither of us moving a muscle, almost as if we were afraid to breathe, to do anything that might spook the other person.
Letting out a contented sigh, I waited for the kiss to happen.
He stepped back, appearing bewildered. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have…” He ran a hand through his hair, and it was his turn to look mortified. “I overstepped.”
“No, I wanted you to kiss me.”
He seemed frustrated, his fist clenching and unclenching as if he were struggling with something, an inner conflict he wasn’t sure how to handle. “I can’t do this… Not now.” He put his hands on either side of his head and let a loud grunt.
“Oh. I thought… Never mind what I thought.” The high I’d felt crashed to the ground in a heap of ashes.
For whatever reason, he didn’t want to follow through with kissing me. Maybe he’d gotten caught up in the moment and was now regretting it. He was a good guy, but he didn’t feel the same way and was trying not to mislead me. I had to get that through my thick skull and stop encouraging something that wasn’t there.
“Give me a minute,” he said. “I’ll be right as rain in a bit.” And then he stormed out of the room like a thundercloud followed after him.
I sunk to the floor, my knees weak and unsteady, my heart splintering to pieces. Leaning forward, I rested my head in my hands and allowed a few tears to slip down my cheeks. Lord, this is so hard. Help me to get through this.
Troy returned fifteen minutes later appearing much more relaxed, a smile on his face and bounce in his step making it appear as if all was right in the world again.
Not for me. Definitely not for me. But at least he was in better spirits.
He headed straight for me, his stride determined, his attention focused like a laser beam. “Sorry about earlier. Things got out of hand—”
“It’s okay, you don’t have to explain.” I flinched, not wanting to hear his stream of thought, his reasoning as to why he didn’t kiss me. It would hurt too much, and I needed to stop thinking about it, anyway. Better to move on with the self-defense moves.
“Kayla, please, just listen to me.” He rested his hands on my shoulders, and then slowly, they slid down my arms until they reached my hands. He laced our fingers together and waited until I met his gaze.
The contact was reassuring, but my heart was practically beating out of my chest. “I’m listening.”
“I just called Will.”
“Okay…”
“Told him about what almost happened between us a few minutes ago.”
Protected By The Bad Boy (Bad Boy Bodyguards Book 1) Page 12
