Just Breathe (The Protectors Book 2)

by Leeanna Morgan

Kelly sent him a worried glance.

  “I’ve got to go, Tank. Was there anything else you need to tell me?”

  “Only that my gut instinct is telling me Senator Jackson and his relatives had nothing to do with the fire.”

  Tanner knew his friend’s gut instinct was rarely wrong.

  “I’ll see you tomorrow,” Tank said. “If you need anything call me on my cell phone.”

  “We’re still meeting tomorrow afternoon at Emerald Lake?”

  “You bet. Hayley’s mom and sister have been baking all week. Bring Kelly and stay for dinner.”

  “Thanks, but I think she’ll want to be with her family.”

  Tank sighed. “Ask her. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  Tanner wasn’t sure why Tank sighed, but he ended the call anyway. He had more important things to worry about—including a house full of Harris family members looking for answers he didn’t have.

  The only certainty in this mess was that Kelly would need to make some crucial decisions in the next few days.

  Decisions that would not only change her life, but also Senator Jackson’s.

  ***

  Kelly looked through Tanner’s kitchen window at the snow-covered backyard. It was the kind of morning that usually made her glad she lived in Bozeman.

  But today, the clear blue sky and bright light hurt her eyes. A heavy weight had settled in her chest and nothing she said or did could take it away.

  “Merry Christmas.”

  She turned and looked at Tanner. “Merry Christmas to you, too. You’re up early.”

  “I couldn’t sleep.”

  Kelly sighed. “Santa has that effect on people.”

  “So do fires, secret journals, and a certain antiques dealer who spent more time sitting in the living room last night than sleeping.”

  “I’m sorry if I kept you awake. I tried to be as quiet as possible.”

  “You didn’t keep me awake. I did that all on my own.”

  She turned back to the counter and poured Tanner a cup of coffee. “The Christmas lights on the tree are pretty.”

  “They are.” He stood beside her. “How are you feeling?”

  “Exhausted. Worried. I’m going into town soon to look at my store.”

  “I’ll come with you, but before we go, you need something to eat.” Tanner pulled out a chair. “Sit.”

  “You’re making me breakfast?”

  “It’s a tradition.”

  A smile tugged at Kelly’s mouth. “You make breakfast for single women every Christmas?”

  Tanner laughed. “Only in my dreams.” He took a skillet out of a cupboard and turned on the stove. “How does bacon, eggs, and toast sound?”

  “Like too much food. I’m happy with toast.”

  “I know you are, but you’ll feel better after eating something hot.” He took a packet of bacon out of the refrigerator. “I spoke to Tank last night.”

  “I thought you did. It wasn’t good news, was it?”

  Tanner looked over his shoulder. “How did you know Tank called?”

  “I overheard some of the conversation. If it was important you would have told me what he said last night.”

  “You were tired and it was late.”

  “So you’re going to tell me now. Do I need tissues?” She was only half-joking and Tanner knew it.

  “No tissues, just an open mind.”

  Kelly sat back in her seat. “Why do I feel as though you’re about to steamroll me into doing something I won’t want to do?”

  “I don’t steamroll people, Kelly.”

  “But you do make them bacon, eggs, and toast.”

  “I could throw in a glass of orange juice if it makes you more likely to listen to me.”

  “I don’t always agree with you, but I do listen.”

  He glanced at her before pulling strips of bacon out of the packet. As soon as they were sizzling in the skillet he put bread in the toaster and took half a dozen eggs out of the refrigerator.

  “That’s a lot of eggs,” Kelly said before he broke the shells.

  “As soon as Luke smells the bacon he’ll be here for breakfast. Do you like them scrambled or sunny-side up?”

  “Scrambled. Did you work as a chef in another life?”

  “One of my foster parents loved cooking. She taught me everything I know.” Tanner’s movements were quick and efficient, a lot like his personality.

  “What was it like growing up in foster homes?”

  He broke the eggs into a bowl and whisked them with cream and salt and pepper. “It would have been better if I hadn’t run away so much. Do you want to meet Senator Jackson on Monday?”

  Kelly blinked. She was sure she’d missed something in their conversation. “How did we get from scrambled eggs to Senator Jackson?”

  Tanner grinned. “You do listen.”

  “Even if I wanted to meet him, he would never get a flight to Bozeman that soon.”

  “He’s already booked a seat.” Tanner opened the microwave and put the bowl of eggs inside. He flipped the bacon, checked the toast and poured three glasses of juice.

  “I don’t have anything to say to him.”

  “It wouldn’t hurt to listen to what he has to say.”

  “Before the fire, I was happy to meet with him. But I’m not sure that’s the best thing to do now. What if he was behind what happened? He didn’t know the journal wasn’t in my apartment. He could have been planning to destroy it all along.”

  “Tank spoke to him last night. He doesn’t think Senator Jackson or his extended family had anything to do with the fire.”

  “Is ‘extended family’ a nice way of saying ‘gang’?”

  Tanner stirred the eggs. “It can be anything you want it to be. The bottom line is that there is very little chance that Senator Jackson was involved in lighting the fire. Tank isn’t wrong very often.”

  Kelly stood up. “What if he’s wrong this time? If I’d been asleep in my apartment I could be dead. That’s a big reason for me not to trust the Senator.”

  “You weren’t there, so don’t worry about it.”

  “Don’t worry about it? It’s my life we’re talking about. Senator Jackson could be as crooked as his relatives.”

  Tanner crossed his arms in front of his chest. “You’re being irrational.”

  “I am not irrational. You’re the person who keeps following me everywhere. Until someone broke into my apartment, there was no reason for you to babysit me.”

  “I was not babysitting. You found Abagail’s journal and asked me to help decipher it. I was doing you a favor.”

  Kelly took a deep breath. “Arguing isn’t—” She glanced at the stove and grabbed the spatula. “Bacon’s burning.”

  Tanner opened the kitchen window and waved the dish towel above the skillet. “There are smoke alarms all over the house. If they start beeping the fire department are automatically called.”

  Kelly moved the pan off the element and opened the back door. “They’ll think something is going on if they’re called to two fires involving me.”

  Tanner rescued the toast that had launched out of the toaster. “I know you don’t believe me, but you need to give Senator Jackson a chance to talk to you.”

  “He didn’t give me a chance when Doris’ Facebook post hit the newspapers.”

  “A lot has changed since then.”

  “I don’t trust him,” Kelly muttered.

  “I know you don’t, but someone has to. Right now, he’s looking down the barrel of a shotgun. His career is in jeopardy and he doesn’t know how to save it.”

  Kelly frowned. “And you think my meeting him will make a difference?”

  “It’s better than doing nothing. If his association with an organized crime family isn’t handled well, his career will be over. Are you willing to shoulder the responsibility for doing nothing when you could have taken an hour out of your day to listen to him?”

  “You’re trying to make me feel guilty.”
<
br />   Tanner took the eggs out of the microwave. “Is it working?”

  Kelly scowled at Tanner’s back as he whisked the eggs. She hated it when he was right. Letting the fire change her perspective on what needed to happen wasn’t helping. Before she’d found the journal, she had no idea who Abagail Jackson was or what the life of a slave was really like. She did now, and it was important to her to make sure other people knew.

  She opened the cutlery drawer and took out the knives and forks they’d need for breakfast.

  “Kelly?”

  “Where is your tablecloth?”

  Tanner handed her a red tablecloth with pictures of Santa all over it. “Before you say anything about my fabric choice you need to know it was a present from Tank.”

  “I wasn’t going to say anything.”

  “Except…”

  “Don’t you ever give up?” she growled.

  “Not often. Will you meet Senator Jackson on Monday?”

  She looked at the crispy bacon. “I’ll meet him, but it has to fit around what’s happening with my building.”

  Tanner grinned. “Being nice wasn’t so hard, was it?”

  Kelly waved the spatula in front of his chest. “You’ll get nice, Mr. Sutherland. I’m not saying anything to Senator Jackson if you’re not there.”

  “Would this be in my capacity as a babysitter or friend?”

  “Friend. I’m sorry about the babysitter comment. I appreciate what you’re doing for me.”

  Luke stood in the kitchen doorway. “If helping you involves bacon and eggs, I’m in.”

  Kelly handed her brother two glasses of juice. “Put these on the table and don’t take any bacon until it’s on your plate. Tanner has cooked breakfast for everyone.”

  Luke breathed deeply. “I know. I could smell the bacon from my room.” He looked at Kelly. “I could hear you yelling as well. Did you sort out your differences?”

  Kelly glanced at Tanner. “You could say that. Senator Jackson is coming to Bozeman on Monday.”

  Luke frowned. “I hope you know what you’re doing.”

  “So do I,” she mumbled.

  ***

  Tears fell from Kelly’s eyes as she stared at the blackened hole her building had become.

  “It’s not as bad as it looks.” Kevin Anders, a firefighter with the Bozeman Fire Department, stood beside her.

  She wiped her eyes and tried to see how it could be anything other than a disaster. “It looks worse than last night. I’ve lost everything.”

  Tanner wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “We knew the ground floor would be bad. There might be more we can save in your apartment.”

  Kevin nodded at another firefighter who’d come out of the building. “Captain Moss said you’ll probably be able to go into the building tomorrow. Tanner’s right—most of the damage on the first floor is from water and smoke.”

  Kelly knew Kevin was trying to be helpful, but everything he said made her feel worse. She focused on the back of the store and not the firefighters watching the building for hot spots. “Has anyone checked the vault?”

  Kevin shook his head. “We didn’t have the key to unlock it.”

  A glimmer of hope filled Kelly’s chest.

  “Don’t get too excited,” Tanner warned. “The temperature inside the building would have ignited a rock.”

  “The walls of the vault are more than two feet deep and made of solid concrete.”

  “What about the lock?”

  “Steel.” Kelly opened her bag. “This is the original key from the 1900s. Can we try and open the vault?”

  Kevin shook his head. “You can’t enter the building.”

  “But you can,” Kelly said hopefully. “Just try once. If it doesn’t open, I’ll ask someone to come back when the building has been given the all clear. Please.”

  “Assuming I’ll be able to open the vault, what would you like me to bring out?”

  Kelly could have kissed Kevin. “There are five boxes on the right-hand side. Three of them are full of Christmas presents. The other boxes have my photo albums and important documents inside.”

  “I’ll give it a go, but even if the vault opens there’s a chance the boxes will be damaged.”

  She kissed Kevin’s cheek. “I know. Thank you for trying.”

  Kevin grinned. “I’ll be back soon,” he said, and disappeared inside the building.

  Tanner cleared his throat. “I have a question for you.”

  Kelly moved close to the tape separating her from her store. “What is it?”

  “How come Kevin gets a kiss on the cheek for opening the vault?”

  Another firefighter entered the building. Kevin should nearly be at the back of her store. The vault was on the opposite side to most of the fire damage. With any luck, the walls and door would have stopped the smoke and heat from damaging what was inside.

  “Kelly?”

  “Mmm?”

  “Kiss?”

  She turned to Tanner and frowned. “You want a kiss?”

  “No…I mean yes.” He took a deep breath. “That wasn’t my question. Why did you kiss Kevin?”

  “He’s a firefighter and he made me happy.”

  “I don’t?”

  She had no idea where Tanner was going with his strange questions. “Of course you make me happy, but you’re…Tanner.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “It means you’ve let me stay in your house with my brother. You’ve given me so much help that I’ll never be able to repay you. Even if I could, I wouldn’t know where to begin.” She glanced back at her store. “How long do you think it will take Kevin to open the vault?”

  “About as long as it takes you to kiss my cheek.”

  “Your cheek?”

  “It’s a start.”

  Tanner had Kelly’s undivided attention now. “You want me to kiss your cheek and then work on other locations?”

  She grinned when he blushed beet red.

  “Merry Christmas, Tanner.” And before the heat from his face disappeared, she kissed his cheek.

  Tanner pulled her close and Kelly stopped smiling.

  He was going to kiss her—on the mouth—in front of her burned-out building and three firefighters. Her heart did crazy cartwheels as their lips touched, then moved hungrily against each other.

  “It’s your lucky day!” Kevin yelled.

  Her eyes shot open and her head collided with Tanner’s. “He’s opened the vault!”

  “Yeah for Kevin,” Tanner muttered.

  Kelly turned and held out her hands for the first box. “It’s not even wet.” She was so excited she could have kissed Kevin again—but she didn’t.

  “I’ll be back with the next box soon. The vault kept the fire and water away, but the boxes might smell slightly smoky.”

  “I don’t care,” Kelly said with a grin. “My boxes are safe and that’s all that matters.”

  Tanner took the first box out of her hands. “I’ll put this in my SUV.”

  Their eyes collided and heat rushed to Kelly’s face.

  Kevin left to collect the next box.

  “I don’t know what to do with you.” Tanner said.

  The sparkle in his eyes made her smile. “You could help unpack the boxes before I go to mom and dad’s for lunch.”

  “Will it earn me a kiss on the cheek?”

  “Maybe two.”

  Tanner grinned. “Have I told you how much I like you?”

  “I hope so,” Kelly said with a smile. “Because I like you, too.”

  Kevin stomped toward them. “Here’s one of the boxes of presents.”

  Kelly took the box and breathed a sigh of relief. Knowing the contents of the vault were okay was the second best Christmas present she could have.

  Her number one Christmas present was walking beside her, toward his SUV. Except he didn’t know he was on her Santa list and unless she told him, he never would.

  She was fast becoming addicted to Tann
er Sutherland, and she knew exactly what she wanted to do about it.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  Tanner parked in front of Ryan Evans’ home on the shore of Emerald Lake. The Christmas lunch at Pastor Steven’s church had been as good as last year, maybe better.

  About fifty people had filled the meeting room attached to the church. Everyone had brought something to eat and Pastor Steven’s wife had cooked two of her famous bacon-roasted turkeys with all the trimmings.

  Tanner hadn’t been hugged so much in ages and it felt good. It would have been even better if Kelly was there. But she’d packed her car with presents and clothes when they returned from town and left for Christmas with her parents.

  From tonight, she’d be staying with Luke and the rest of her family on their ranch. He’d miss her, miss the comfort of knowing she was close. Luke had promised to look after her and Tanner was going to make sure he did.

  The front door of Ryan’s home opened and Hayley smiled at him. “Hi, Tanner. We’re going ice skating. Do you want to join us?”

  “Don’t let her fool you,” Tank said from behind his fiancée. “Not everyone’s going skating. You can sit on the sidelines with me if you don’t want to land butt-first on the ice. Oh, and Merry Christmas.”

  “Merry Christmas. Thanks for the offer, but I’ll watch from the sidelines.”

  Hayley stuck her hands on her hips. “What is it with you two? You never want to go skating.”

  Tank smiled. “We’re the best security specialists on two feet, not one blade.”

  Hayley pulled on her hat and picked up a pair of skates. “You should consider expanding your skills. You might have to skate your way out of trouble one day.”

  “Or into it,” Sophie, Hayley’s sister, said as she came outside. “Merry Christmas, Tanner.”

  “Merry Christmas, Sophie. Is Ryan skating?”

  “I wouldn’t miss it.” Ryan held a pair of skates in one hand and his future mother-in-law’s arm in the other.

  Tanner smiled at Mrs. Elliott. He’d spent time with her when she’d first come to Bozeman. She looked more relaxed than he’d seen her in a long time.

  He gave her a hug. “It’s nice to see you again, Alice. Merry Christmas.”

  “Merry Christmas to you, too. You created quite a stir when you sang Christmas carols at the retirement village.”