Lucky Like Us

by Jennifer Ryan

  The doorbell rang again. She sailed down the stairs without a thought to her injured leg. “I’m coming, Tyler.”

  She opened the door without looking through the peep hole and came face-to-face with Jarred. She wanted to take a step back and slam the door. Probably should, but she didn’t want to give Jarred the satisfaction of knowing he scared her.

  A rush of adrenaline ignited in her veins and made her heart thunder.

  The shower went on upstairs. Sam wouldn’t hear her if she screamed at the top of her lungs. She hoped the other agents were out there watching her. She didn’t know where they were, only that they kept surveillance on the house.

  “What are you doing here?” She blocked the door so he couldn’t step into the house.

  “I came to see how you’re doing. I know you’ve been home for a few weeks, and you’re back to work.”

  “I’ve seen you around too. You’re supposed to stay away.” She tried to keep her voice firm. She hoped only she heard the slight tremble.

  “We both know you never renewed the restraining order. You’re too busy shacking up with your FBI agent. Seems to me, if you planned to marry him, you’d have a ring on your finger.” He stroked his fingers over her left hand on the door, sending a quiver of fear through her system. When he took a step closer, she froze. “You belong to me. Don’t ever forget it. I know you aren’t engaged, but playing more games. You’ll regret playing them with me. We could have been good together. Maybe you’ll come to your senses before it’s too late.”

  He leaned down close, his breath washing over her face. She didn’t back away, couldn’t. When had she become this docile, allowing fear to immobilize her where she’d normally stand her ground and fight? A whisper away from her mouth, he grabbed the back of her head and pulled her mouth to his, kissing her hard, punishing her in a small way. She struggled against him, bit his lip, and finally managed to push him away. Jarred pressed his fingertips to his swelling lip and raised his other hand, palm out, to smack her.

  “You better leave before Sam’s friend gets here.”

  She nodded toward John coming up behind Jarred, his purposeful stride eating up the distance.

  She wiped the back of her hand across her mouth, hoping he didn’t see it shaking.

  “I’ll see you soon.” He scurried down the street and disappeared around the corner. Relief swept through her when he ducked out of sight.

  John looked her up and down, undoubtedly seeing the fear in her eyes. He’d seen everything, including the kiss. “Are you all right? Where’s Sam?”

  “It’s okay. He’s an ex who hasn’t given up thinking we can get back together. It’s fine, really. He left.” She tried to sound confident, but inside fear shook her to the core, even though she did her best not to show it.

  Tyler pulled up in front of the house and got out of the car. “What’s going on, John? Why aren’t you at your post?” He shared a knowing look with John, but kept his attention on Elizabeth. Their exchange wasn’t lost on her. She knew better than to open her door without making sure who was on the other side. It could have been worse. At least she hadn’t opened the door to a killer.

  “A man was here with Elizabeth, and I didn’t see Sam. I thought something might be wrong. She says she’s fine.”

  Both men stared at her. “I am. Nothing to worry about. Tyler, I’m so glad you’re here. Dinner is ready,” she said to distract him and change the subject, trying her best to sound cheerful.

  John shrugged and headed back the way he’d come, letting Tyler take over protecting her. From herself, since she was stupid enough to allow Jarred to get that close to her again. She should have slammed the door in his face.

  Tyler wasn’t entirely convinced. He’d let John take care of the rest while he and Elizabeth ate. By far the best cook, the thought of dinner was enough to set his concern aside. “What’s on the menu tonight?” he asked and made sure to lock the door behind them.

  “Pot roast, mashed potatoes, and roasted vegetables. Sam should be down shortly.”

  “What’s with your hair? It’s falling out all over. What were you and Sam doing upstairs?” He gave her a cocky grin.

  Happy for them, Tyler knew exactly what they’d been doing together. They’d found each other and made something wonderful out of something terrible.

  “Will you excuse me a minute? I have to go up and see Sam.”

  Upset, but trying to hide it, he had no trouble seeing past her ruse. “Elizabeth, I was kidding around. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings or embarrass you.”

  “You didn’t. I’ll be right back.”

  Elizabeth met Sam halfway up the stairs and tried to pass him, but as a trained FBI agent, he knew when someone evaded by not looking at him.

  “What’s the matter?”

  “Nothing. I’m fine,” she said to his boots.

  “I’m up here.” He waited for her to look him in the eye.

  “I hurt my leg coming down the stairs too fast. It’s nothing. Don’t worry.”

  Worried anyway, he placed his hand on her hip and rubbed down her leg. “The doctor told you to take it easy. That leg is going to take weeks to heal all the way. You have to be more careful. I don’t want you falling down the stairs.”

  She’d lied, but he let her have her space, for now. Taking her into his arms, he held her close, hoping she’d trust him and tell him the truth.

  She wrapped her arms around his neck and held him tight. He was about to let her go, but she held on. “Not yet. Just hold me for another minute.”

  He held on to her, both arms banded tight around her. “Sweetheart, what’s wrong? You can trust me. Tell me what’s the matter.”

  She pulled back from him, held on to his neck, and looked him in the eye. “I trust you with my life.” She put her forehead to his. “You know that, right?”

  “So tell me what’s wrong?”

  She stood back from him and thought about everything that had happened in the last month. God, had it only been a few short weeks. How could that be? How could she have fallen in love with this man in just a month? She did love him too. And that’s why the circumstances surrounding them were so hard to handle. She wanted some normalcy. She wanted to go out on a date with him, see a movie, and make out the whole time without worrying someone might take a shot at them. She wanted to go to a restaurant and eat a lovely meal by candlelight. She wanted to have Kay and her other friends over to the house, so they could meet Sam and see how happy she was with him. She wanted . . . She wanted so much. She wanted her life back.

  “I’m tired of all of this. Hiding in my own home. I can’t step out the door without you and two agents on my heels. A customer can’t even walk into my store without my having to look up to make sure it isn’t someone coming to hurt me. I’m afraid all the time. I want this to be over. But I’m afraid when it is, I won’t have you.”

  He cupped her face in his hands and gazed deep into her eyes. “You do have me. I’m not going anywhere. We’ll get this guy, and you and I will be together.” He held her tighter to reassure her. “Maybe we can go away together, just you and me. Anywhere you want to go.”

  She opened her mouth to say something, but closed it at the ring of his cell phone. He cursed under his breath. Upset, she wanted to talk to him, and he didn’t want to leave her hanging. Unfortunately, his job took precedence. Reluctantly, he let her go and answered, because he had no choice.

  “Turner.” He listened to John on the line and his gut knotted and his anger flashed. Elizabeth walked away, up to her room. He didn’t like what John had to say. “I’m on my way. Give me fifteen minutes to leave, and we’ll meet up.”

  After he hung up, he took one last look at the bedroom door where Elizabeth disappeared. Frowning, he went down to the kitchen where Tyler waited.

  “Did you talk to John about what happened before you came down?” Tyler asked.

  “It won’t happen again,” Sam said with a feral smile.

  �
�Is she mad at me?”

  “Why? What did you say to her?” Furious at even the thought Tyler upset her, Sam caught himself before he got in his friend’s face.

  Tyler put up a hand to ward Sam off. “I made a joking comment about her tousled hair and asked what you two were doing upstairs. I didn’t mean to upset her. Is she mad I know about the two of you?”

  “She probably thinks everyone knows about us. This whole thing is wearing on her. She hasn’t completely healed from her injuries. She said she’s scared all the time someone is out to hurt her. She’s afraid when all this is over, we will be too.” Sam rubbed the back of his neck, wishing for some way to reassure her everything would work out. But he couldn’t make any promises, because nothing was certain so long as the Silver Fox was out there gunning for them.

  “You aren’t planning to break things off with her, are you? Because let me tell you, I’d snatch her away from you in a second.”

  “You even think about touching her, I’ll bash your teeth in, cut off your balls, and stuff them down your throat.”

  “Graphic. Have you told her you’re in love with her?”

  Sam sputtered some incoherent denial, which Tyler ignored and went on. “Never occurred to you, did it?”

  He hadn’t told her any such thing. She knew he cared about her. Didn’t she? Maybe that was why she wasn’t sure about whether they’d still be together when he wasn’t assigned to protect her anymore. Maybe she thought this was a short-term deal that expired along with his assignment.

  Damn, he needed to talk to her about his feelings. How the hell was he supposed to do that? Did he love her? Probably. Something deep inside him called her mine.

  He thought about how he felt when she was in the hospital and about what life would be like without her. He thought about what he wanted in his future and the truth hit him square in the heart.

  Damn, he loved her all right. Facing a future without her was unthinkable.

  “I can tell by the look on your face the wheels turning in your head have finally grinded to a halt on the right answer. I can’t believe you just figured it out, and you still haven’t told her. She’s an amazing woman. And, God, she can cook. If we bottled the smell in this kitchen, we’d make a fortune. You’d be a fool to let her go.”

  Sam didn’t hear Elizabeth come up behind him.

  “Let who go?” she asked, stepping into the kitchen.

  “You okay?” When she nodded, he backtracked the conversation. “Tyler here is jealous I’ve got you and the only woman in his life is a psychic ghost.”

  “Are you being haunted, Tyler?” Elizabeth asked, joking.

  Tyler sighed, “Yeah, I am. I talked to her again, a couple weeks ago. She actually called me.”

  “You get this far-off look on your face when you talk about her,” Elizabeth teased. “Whoever she is, she’s got you interested. Why do you call her a psychic ghost?”

  “It’s a long story. She knows things. When she does, she contacts me and gives me messages. Each message has resulted in my solving a case.”

  “I’d love to hear what she thinks about my case. I don’t care if she’s a psychic or a ghost if she can help me get my life back.”

  “I never thought to tell you before now. She said you have a double threat, and the guy we’re after is hiding in plain sight. Sam and I agree: the Silver Fox and Jarred are those threats.”

  Her silence disturbed them. She made a plate for Tyler and herself. Sam wasn’t staying for dinner. He’d told her he had a case to work on, and that’s why Tyler came to watch out for her. Part truth, he couldn’t tell her the rest. Not yet.

  She handed him two large thermoses and a small bakery box. “What’s this?” Sam asked, surprised she’d made something for him.

  “One thermos is coffee, one is stew I made with the pot roast, since you won’t be here to eat with us. In the box is a piece of apple blueberry pie. There’s a fork and spoon inside the bakery box.”

  “Elizabeth, I would have stopped for something to eat later. You didn’t have to do this.”

  “I didn’t have to, I wanted to. You should eat a good meal. You didn’t say where you’re going tonight, so I made the meal portable. You can keep it in the car and eat it whenever you want. The thermos will keep the stew and coffee hot. If you’re up late, the coffee will come in handy,” she shrugged. “Kiss the cook.”

  Sam kissed her on the lips and Tyler kissed her from behind on the top of her head, making Sam scowl over Elizabeth at him.

  Tyler gave him a cocky smile and headed to the table with his plate. “What? She said, ‘Kiss the cook.’ You think I’d ignore an order like that from a beautiful woman? She might not cook for me again.” He winked at Elizabeth.

  “Keep your hands to yourself tonight.”

  “Just tonight. Can I have her tomorrow?”

  Too good to pass up a chance to rile Sam, Tyler skated on thin ice, but Sam held back the fist he wanted to plant in Tyler’s smug face. He’d just realized how serious his feelings were for her, and now he had to leave her with another guy for the night.

  “Do you want to eat that food or wear it?” Maybe leaving her alone with Tyler wasn’t such a good idea. He hated that nagging voice inside, telling him he was being unreasonable.

  “Don’t you have to go to work?” Elizabeth asked, an attempt to diffuse the situation. He hated even more being this transparent.

  Sam stopped glaring at Tyler long enough to look at Elizabeth. She hadn’t even asked what he had planned for tonight. No questions. No hounding him for information. Nothing.

  “Don’t you want to know where I’m going?”

  “You’re going to work. Aren’t you?”

  “Yes, but you didn’t ask me where I’m going, or when I’ll be back.”

  She held back a laugh, knowing he was serious. Over the past two weeks they’d talked a lot about his job and how hard it was to have a relationship with his work constantly getting in the way.

  “Sam, we talked about this. You work undercover, so I assumed you can’t tell me those things.”

  With her arms wrapped around his waist, she went on. “You said tomorrow morning sometime, so I assume you don’t know exactly what time, but you’ll do your best to be here when you say you will. I’ve made sure you have a good meal and enough coffee to get through the night. Those are the things I can control. I’ll worry about you while you’re gone. That I can’t control. You’ll come back as soon as you can, and I’ll be waiting for you. You can count on that.” She leaned up and gave him a long soft kiss.

  “Lucky bastard,” Tyler called to Sam.

  Absolutely. Not many women understood what it was like for him working undercover. He wanted to spend time with whatever girlfriend he had at the time, but the job came first in a lot of cases, and most women couldn’t accept that. Elizabeth understood very well. She did come first, Sam had to take care of some business, and he’d come back to her.

  Sam cupped her face in his hands, running his thumbs over her jaw. “I am the luckiest man alive. You and I need to talk when I get back.” He leaned down and kissed her again. Reluctantly releasing her, he went to the counter where his other gun and shoulder harness lay. He strapped it on and glanced at Elizabeth to gage her reaction. She watched him interested, but not overly worried. He slipped his jacket on and went to her and kissed her goodbye.

  As he went to leave, he turned back to Tyler. “Keep her safe.”

  “I just might keep her.”

  Sam glared, his hands fisted at his sides. Nearly at the end of his rope, Tyler pushed, raising his hand like he was swearing, promising, “I’ll keep her safe and sound. She’ll be as perfect as she is now when you get back. I promise to sleep on the couch, and I’ll only make two or three passes at her while you’re gone.” Before Sam turned away, he crossed his heart with his index finger. “Want to pinky-swear on it?”

  “I’m about two seconds away from shooting you, and I’m heavily armed. You should rememb
er that.” He winked at Elizabeth and headed out the door.

  “Don’t forget to pick up your tux at the penthouse before you come back here tomorrow,” Elizabeth reminded him.

  “I will.” He walked out the door completely focused on the job ahead. He would take care of one of those threats against Elizabeth tonight. He wasn’t coming back until he did. And coming home to her was a very good reason to eliminate that threat quickly.

  “He’ll be fine. Don’t worry,” Tyler said, as if his command would make her feel better about Sam going off on another dangerous assignment.

  “I’m not,” she said, mustering up her confidence. “He said he’ll be back tomorrow. I know he will. How come you didn’t go with him on this assignment? You guys are partners, right?”

  “We are sometimes. He didn’t trust anyone else to watch you.”

  “It didn’t sound like he trusts you, the way you two went back and forth tonight.”

  “He knows I’m messing with him. I’d never go after another guy’s girl, and you’re his. No doubt about it. It’s written all over the both of you. You really understand him and his work, don’t you? You actually get it.”

  “I think I do. Don’t get me wrong. Until he walks back through that door with all his fingers and toes, I won’t stop worrying about him. I understand what he does is important and it comes at a price to him, emotionally and personally. I can either ask him to be something he isn’t and lose him, or I can be supportive and patient and trust him to do everything he can to make it home.”

  “You’re one in a million, you know that? I meant it when I said he’s a lucky man. Most people in law enforcement end up not finding someone to share their life with, or even when they do get married, they usually end up divorced. I have a good feeling about the two of you.”

  “We’ll see if you feel the same way after tomorrow night.”

  “Everything will work out. We’ve got his house under surveillance. He’s on the list of attendees to the Governor’s Ball. We’ve had the Hamilton name in the papers along with many of the other prominent families attending. He’ll be there, because he knows you’ll be there. He won’t pass up the opportunity to get close to you at the ball.”