Lawfully Protected

by Evangeline Kelly

  Lawfully Protected

  Evangeline Kelly

  Lawfully Protected

  An Inspirational Christian Contemporary (K-9 Lawkeeper Romance)

  Evangeline Kelly

  Copyright © 2018 by Evangeline Kelly. All Rights Reserved.

  No part of this book shall be used or reproduced in any form or by any means without prior written permission of the author. Lawfully Protected is a work of fiction. Names, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination and are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locations, or people, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. https://www.esv.org/resources/esv-global-study-bible/copyright-page/

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  Contents

  Introduction to the Lawkeepers

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Epilogue

  Last Words

  Other Books by Evangeline Kelly

  More about the Lawkeepers

  Introduction to the Lawkeepers

  Introduction to the Lawkeepers

  There’s just something fascinating about a man wearing an emblem of authority. The way the light gleams off that shiny star on his badge makes us stare with respect. Couple that with a uniform hugging his body in just the right way, confidence, and mission to save and protect, it’s no wonder we want to know what lies underneath. Yes, what echoes deep inside those beating hearts is inspiring. Certainly appealing. Definitely enticing. Although those ripped muscles and strong shoulders can make a woman’s heart skip a beat—or two—it takes a strong, confident person to choose to love someone who risks it all every day. Anyone willing to become part of a lawkeeper’s world might have a story of their own to tell.

  The undeniable charisma lawmen possess make all of us pause and take note. It’s probably why there are so many movies and TV shows themed around the justice system. We’re enthralled by their ability to save babies, help strangers, and rescue damsels in distress. We’re captivated by their ability to protect and save, defend the innocent, risk their lives, and face danger without hesitation. Of course, we expect our heroes to stay solid when we’re in a mess. We count on them for safety, security, and peace of mind. From yesterday to today, that truth remains constant. Their valor inspires us, their integrity comforts, and their courage melts our hearts—irresistibly. But there’s far more to them than their courageous efforts. How do they deal with the difficulties they face? Can they balance work and life? And how do they find time for love outside their life of service? We want to invite you on a journey—come with us as we explore the complex lives of the men and women who serve and protect us every day. Join us in a fast-paced world of adventure. Walk into our tight-knit world of close friendships, extended family, and danger—as our super heroes navigate the most treacherous path of all—the road to love. The Lawkeepers. Historical and modern-day super heroes; men and women of bravery and valor, taking love and law seriously. A multi-author series, sure to lock up your attention and take your heart into custody.

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  The Lawkeepers is a multi-author series alternating between historical westerns and contemporary westerns featuring law enforcement heroes that span multiple agencies and generations. Join bestselling authors Jenna Brandt, Lorana Hoopes, Elle E. Kay, Patricia PacJac Caroll, Evangeline Kelly, Ginny Sterling and Barb Goss as they weave captivating, sweet, and inspirational stories of romance and suspense between the lawkeepers — and the women who love them. The Lawkeepers is a world like no other; a world where lawkeepers and heroes are honored with unforgettable stories, characters, and love. ** Note: Each book in The Lawkeepers series is a standalone book, and part of a mini-series of sorts, and you can read them in any order.

  Prologue

  I regularly purchased used items from a Facebook buy and sell group, and as I scanned the items for sale, one, in particular, caught my eye.

  Crocheted bodysuit with faux fur neckline. Great for medium-sized cats, especially during the winter months. $20 or best offer. Contact Jane Emory for more information.

  The moment my eyes landed on the ad, I knew I had to have that fur bodysuit for Snowball. Little did I know it would land me into loads of trouble . . . and bring me face-to-face with law enforcement.

  1

  The man of my dreams needed to be a cat lover.

  The thought ran through my mind as I watched my white Himalayan kitty, Snowball, play with one of her toys. She had a huge place in my heart, and I couldn’t imagine marrying someone who didn’t appreciate that.

  As if reading my thoughts, she gazed at me with her beautiful blue eyes, and rubbed herself against my leg, purring like she was on cloud nine. Cats, despite their bad reputation, were easy to please. You just had to know how to handle them. They weren’t like dogs, letting anyone pet them—in some cases even a burglar. Cats had a more discriminating nature, and they figured out very quickly if you were worth their attention.

  Once they decided you were good enough, they would follow you anywhere—literally.

  “Don’t you worry,” I crooned. “Mama’s going to buy you that outfit.”

  Snowball let out a mewing sound, and her tail flopped lazily up and down. Stooping down to pet behind her ears, I stroked her soft fur and checked the time. I’d promised Jane from the local buy and sell Facebook group I’d meet her husband in fifteen minutes at Rooster’s Nuggets, a fast food restaurant not far away. I regularly bought used items from that group and even though they came second hand, most of the items were top quality.

  Normally, when someone wanted to purchase something from the site, they would stop by the seller’s home. Maybe it made me untrusting, but I didn’t feel comfortable going to a stranger’s house if I didn’t have to. I’d read too many stories about serial killers finding unsuspecting victims that way, and I had a knack for attracting strange characters. It was better to be safe than sorry. Jane understood my uneasiness and had arranged to have her husband meet me at a neutral location.

  Thank goodness it was Friday, and after a long week, I looked forward to a little levity. Seeing that outfit on Snowball would make my day. She would look just adorable in the blue crocheted bodysuit and hat to match.

  Clucking my tongue, I picked up one of Snow’s toys and led her over to her bed so she wouldn’t follow me outside when I left. She seemed content to play, so I headed to the front entrance and swung open the door. A man stood on the porch, hand held high as if about to knock, and he wore a shirt that said: Sadie’s flower shop.

  “Hello, can I help you?” I asked.

  “Delivery for a Miss Allison McBride. Is that you?”

  A wave of uncertainty washed over me as I surveyed the plant in his hands. It had lush green leaves and huge red . . . lips. That was the only way I knew how to describe them—big puffy bloodshot smackers. Psychotria elata—that’s what the plant was called. I’d just had a conversation about it the previous evening at dinner with my coworkers, Melissa and Walter, and Walter had even shown me a picture online. Maybe one of them was playing a joke on me. “Uh . . . yes, I’m Allison, but I didn’t order—”

  “Someone else ordered this for you
, Miss McBride. It appears you have an admirer.” He handed me the plant, and I warily glanced down at the strange gift. It was beautiful for sure but not your typical flower bouquet from an admirer.

  Could it be from Walter? I was a career counselor at a private college, and Walter was one of the history professors there. Melissa worked in the administration office, and she’d known Walter for a while. Melissa and I regularly got together for dinner, and she had insisted Walter come along with us the last time we went out—said he had a little crush on me but not to worry because he was harmless.

  He was at least twenty years older and not my type, so I’d been reluctant at first. Since she’d already invited him, I went along with it so I wouldn’t hurt his feelings, though I’d instantly regretted that decision. He’d stared at me all evening with these huge bug eyes.

  “This is from Walter Henley, right?” I asked, looking for a card.

  The delivery guy smiled. “Sorry, Miss. The customer preferred to remain anonymous, and he didn’t want to include a note. He said to tell you,” he glanced down at a pad of paper in his hands, “you wanted to see this plant up close, and now I’ve made it possible for you.” He snickered. “He paid quite a bit for this. We don’t normally carry Psychotria elata—had to special order it.”

  Definitely Walter. After talking non-stop about the Irish potato famine in 1845, he’d brought up the plant randomly in conversation—awkwardly referred to it as “Hot Lips.” Apparently, it was actually called that because no one said, “I have a Psychotria elata plant.”

  I thanked the deliveryman and gave him a tip and then brought the plant to my kitchen counter. Walter probably thought he was wooing me with this strange gift, but it was having the opposite effect, and a queasy feeling took hold of my stomach as I stared at the puffy lips. This better not be a hint he wanted to kiss me.

  My phone rang and my friend, Emily’s name flashed across the screen.

  “Hey, Em. What’s up?”

  “What are you doing tomorrow night,” she asked without preamble.

  “Nothing. Why? You want to hang out?”

  She hesitated. “Ethan invited one of his long-time friends over for dinner, and he doesn’t know I’m doing this,” she lowered her voice, “but I thought you’d like to meet him. He’s a real catch. Besides, he’s fully vetted, and since you’re a weirdo-magnet, we both know how important that is.”

  I laughed. “Yeah, you can say that again. Remind me to tell you about my newest admirer.” I picked up my purse and headed out the door to the car. “As far as dinner, I don’t know. Set-ups are so awkward. Plus, he doesn’t know I’m coming and there’s nothing worse than being surprised with a date you didn’t know about.”

  “It won’t be anything like that. No set-ups, I promise. Ethan invited a friend to dinner, and as it just so happens, I need someone to share girl-talk with. That’s all it is. If you two happen to click . . .”

  “You won’t try to encourage anything, will you?”

  “Not if you don’t want me to, but I have a feeling you’re going to like this guy. He’s tall, has striking blue eyes and a smile to knock you off your feet.”

  “Fine,” I said, glancing again at the time. “I’ll come, but there’d better be no funny business on your end. I’ve got to run, but I’ll text you later.”

  I longed to get married and have a family one day, and being twenty-eight years old, I’d been a bridesmaid for many of my friends, Emily included. It was hard being one of the last ones who hadn’t found someone yet. But on the other hand, I wasn’t desperate. I liked my life. My job was pretty cool, and I had a great group of friends, an awesome church I attended, and parents who loved me and regularly stayed in touch, even though they lived about three hours away. For the most part, I’d been content with my singleness, but the yearning for marriage was always present, always lingering in my thoughts. I hadn’t given up, but I wouldn’t settle either.

  I slid into my car and backed out of the driveway, waving to Mrs. Chapman, my elderly next-door neighbor as she watered her flowers. A few minutes later, I pulled into a parking space at Rooster’s. An enormous sign with a picture of a feathery Rooster hung over the building like a beacon for all chicken-lovers. In my opinion, no one wanted to see a likeness of the animal they were about to eat, and needless to say, I avoided the place like the plague.

  Jane told me her husband would be waiting for me inside with the cat outfit, and he’d be wearing a red t-shirt. I got out of my car and entered the restaurant. The aroma of fried chicken and French fries hit my nose the second I stepped through the door, and my stomach rumbled. I planned on eating something when I got home since this food couldn’t be very healthy, and I had to watch my diet like a hawk. Not being sixteen anymore, I couldn’t eat anything I wanted and not gain a pound. Still, I managed to keep a slender figure through careful decisions and regular exercise.

  Scanning the room, I spotted three men with red t-shirts. Great. I should have known to ask for more details. One of the guys looked like a teenager, so I could safely narrow it down to the other two. My choices were a man with a mullet hairstyle, sitting with his wife and kids or a thirtyish guy sitting alone, talking on the phone and glancing around as if he was waiting for someone. Bingo. He had to be my guy.

  I strode in his direction and stopped at his table. He said goodbye and ended the call, setting his phone down and eyeing me from head to toe in a way that made me uncomfortable. He spat in an empty cup and gave me a sheepish smile. “Sorry, got some chewin’ tobacco in my mouth. If I’d known a pretty brunette was about to approach, I’d have gotten rid of that sooner.”

  Ewww . . . I did my best not to show my disgust. “No problem, sir. I’m here about the item for Snow.” I pulled out a twenty-dollar bill. “This should cover it.”

  “Sir?” He laughed. “No one’s called me sir in a long time. Johnny’s the name.”

  I realized I didn’t know the name of the man I was supposed to meet. Jane had only said her husband would be wearing a red t-shirt, and now I felt silly for not asking for a physical description and a first and last name.

  Johnny looked at the money in my hand and snickered. “Nice try. You’re cute but don’t think I’m giving you a discount just because you’re battin’ those eyelashes at me. Although,” he shifted in his seat, “we might be able to work something out if you want to come home with me.” He gave me another once over, not even bothering to hide the leer this time.

  My mouth dropped open in outrage, and I flushed. What kind of woman did he think I was? Who traded—whatever he was insinuating—for a cat outfit? “I don’t think your wife would appreciate you talking to me like that.” And I didn’t like it either. I put the twenty-dollar bill on the table and pushed it forward, anxious to make the exchange and get out of there. “She said the item was twenty dollars. Should I call her so she can settle this for us?”

  He cackled and slouched back in his seat, running a hand through his coppery waves. “You’re hilarious. I don’t have a wife.”

  Oh, no. I must have gone up to the wrong guy.

  Glancing over my shoulder, I wondered if the man sitting with his wife and kids was the right man. But Jane hadn’t mentioned coming along with her husband.

  At that moment, two police officers entered the premises. The first one was very skinny with a stern expression on his face, probably to make up for his slight stature.

  The next man entered behind with an air of authority, his thick arms and legs like Roman pillars, blasting through the space, declaring everyone in the vicinity needed to step aside and move out of his way. He cocked his head as he surveyed the inside of the restaurant. All eyes were drawn to him—he knew it too. Judging by the way he carried himself, he was used to this kind of attention, especially from the female population. Man, he was good-looking.

  I took a moment to observe him: dark navy police uniform, brown hair cut close to his scalp, lightly tan skin that contrasted with very . . . very blue eyes.
They reminded me of pools of water in the ocean or the deepest hue from the sky above.

  Okay, now I was just being ridiculous. I forced myself to look away, inspected my fingernails like they were the most interesting thing in the room. But I found myself turning back to watch him again—like some kind of force beckoned me to look against my will.

  He had a German shepherd with him, and he scanned the room as if looking for someone. The skinny officer elbowed him in the ribs. “Murphy, someone’s checking you out.”

  Full lips formed into a smirk. “Whatever Daniels. You’ve got a one-track mind.” But then he slowly . . . slowly turned his gaze until those steely blue eyes landed on me.

  My breath caught in my throat and my body grew still. My pulse sped up like a race car weaving through the runway, reckless and fast.

  If I’d been in a fairytale, I would have heard birds singing and operatic music playing in the background because holy moly, this guy was so handsome he could’ve been on a calendar for law enforcement officers, the kind women paid a hundred dollars or more for a copy, all in the name of their favorite charity. I was not one to believe in love at first sight, but my knees suddenly felt weak, and I had to tell myself not to gawk at the man.

  Johnny uttered a curse behind me, and I turned to see him bolting from his seat like a jackrabbit about to run from a predator—in this case, the dog that had become very alert.