Bachelor Protector

by Julianna Morris

  She collected her clothes and dressed, aware of him watching.

  “Planning to sleep here?” she asked, smoothing her hair as much as possible.

  “No, but I, uh, need a few minutes.”

  Sarah’s gaze traveled over him, and she saw he’d become aroused again. Her legs shook. “Sure.”

  She hurried downstairs, wondering what she’d do if Tyler asked to spend the night with her. The question flew out of her head when she saw her father getting up from the floor, a pipe wrench in his hand.

  “Dad, what are you doing here?” she gasped, feeling like a teenager who’d nearly gotten caught making out with her boyfriend.

  “Working on the plumbing. A few days ago someone mentioned one of the drains might be slow. I knew it would be quieter tonight, so I cleaned the U-bend on all the sinks.”

  He’d been downstairs while she and Tyler were upstairs having sex? Sarah hoped she wasn’t blushing. She had nothing to be embarrassed about; she wasn’t a kid any longer.

  She grabbed her father’s arm and dragged him out to the loading dock. “Dad, the staff needs to talk to me about everything at the bakery.”

  “But it’s okay—I took care of it.”

  “You don’t understand. What if the health inspector had found something I didn’t know about? Or if the sink had clogged in the middle of the breakfast rush?”

  “You’re right. I should have taken care of it right away instead of waiting a couple of days.”

  Sarah nearly screamed with exasperation. “The biggest problem is that I didn’t know. I appreciate that you want to help, but I can’t have my staff reporting issues to you instead of me.”

  * * *

  KURT FINGERED HIS WRENCH, remembering something Rosemary had said...that there was nothing wrong with independence. He’d wondered if she was hinting something about Sarah, only to get drawn into a discussion about secrets.

  He hadn’t seen anything wrong with quietly taking care of things for his daughter, but now he wasn’t so sure.

  Uneasily he remembered the other repairs he’d handled after she’d gone home. Sarah’s staff adored her. They knew she was under pressure with the business expanding so quickly and wanted to help, so they told him when there was something he could handle. His commanding officers in the army would have gone ballistic. Follow the chain of command, they would have thundered.

  “Listen to me, Dad, you have to back off,” Sarah said. “I love you, but you haven’t even taken a vacation since I moved back to Glimmer Creek and opened the shop.”

  “Neither have you.”

  “But it’s my bakery. You used to love visiting your old army buddies and seeing new places. What about your life? Do you know how much I worry about you missing out on the things you enjoy?”

  “You don’t need to worry about me.”

  Sarah sighed. “Remember all the times I’ve said the same thing to you? Grandma told me about the heated debates you had with Grandpa about being your own man when you were a teenager. She understood. You were becoming an adult and establishing boundaries. It didn’t mean you loved them any less—just that you didn’t want to be treated like a child any longer. Well, the same goes here.”

  Kurt winced, recalling the epic battles he’d had with his father. Growing up as a preacher’s kid in a small town hadn’t been easy. Why would he think Sarah didn’t want her space and independence, as well, just because she was his daughter?

  “Uh, I’ll do better,” he muttered. A noise caught his attention, and he saw Tyler Prentiss stepping out the door. “What’s he doing here?”

  “Tyler found a discrepancy in the floor plans and discovered a hidden staircase. It turns out my building used to be a speakeasy. It also means remodeling is possible,” Sarah added. “The office can go upstairs, and I might even get more space in front for customers.”

  Kurt nodded to the younger man, trying to feel grateful. He was grateful, he just didn’t like that someone else had found the answer Sarah needed instead of him.

  Get used to it, he thought dismally.

  * * *

  THE NEXT MORNING, Sarah woke up in a reflective mood, her emotions churning.

  Tyler had taken her home without saying anything about them making love, though he’d carefully checked the house. When he’d left, she’d reflected that there were pluses and minuses to being with a guy who didn’t like talking about his feelings.

  Especially when she didn’t want to talk herself.

  She didn’t know how she felt about Tyler. She’d grown up in an outgoing family who interfered too much in each other’s lives, but they did it out of love and with the best of intentions. Her father didn’t mean to be a problem. He kept crossing the line, yet it was because he loved her.

  But Tyler didn’t love her, and they had little in common. He’d also made it clear what he wanted out of life, and it wasn’t what she held near and dear to her heart, like a home and children and living in Glimmer Creek. While he obviously cared about his mom and brother, concern for family might be their only common ground.

  Sarah was still thinking about it at work that morning when she noticed every tire on her catering vehicles was flat.

  She stared in shock.

  Nothing had happened for well over a week. Now this?

  Forcing herself into action, she yanked out her cell phone and vaulted into the kitchen.

  “What’s wrong?” Regina asked, alarmed.

  “The tires are flat on the catering vehicles. All of them. Can you call Poppy Gold for help with delivering breakfast while I contact the police?”

  “Right away.”

  Sarah dialed 911, and a patrol car soon pulled into the alley.

  “I’m sorry, Sarah, the sidewalls have been sliced,” Max Cantwell told her after a quick examination. “We’ll check for fingerprints, but somebody with a sharp knife wouldn’t have needed to touch anything. They could have gotten in and out within a few minutes.”

  Another officer took a kit from the trunk of the cruiser and began dusting for prints.

  “We’ve been running extra patrols down the alley and haven’t seen anything suspicious,” Max continued. “The last pass was less than an hour ago, but if somebody was watching, they could have done it immediately after we left. Still, I wonder why it wasn’t done earlier in the morning. Commuter traffic steps up about now, so they ran a greater risk of being spotted.”

  “Probably to give me less chance to have the tires replaced before breakfast,” Sarah said bleakly. Everything that had happened at the bakery seemed calculated to disrupt her operations.

  “It’s possible. I’ve heard someone has been harassing you. This escalates the situation to an even higher level.”

  She nodded.

  Her dad was going to be beside himself. Great-Uncle Milt was away, but Zach would come over. Other people in town would likely show up, as well, both curious and concerned. She’d probably spend most of the day fending off advice and offers of help.

  Max went to help gather evidence. Sarah rubbed her arms, knowing she should go inside and get busy, but she was too upset to focus on cinnamon rolls and hash browns at the moment.

  “It’s amazingly clean, as if everything was wiped down,” Max said finally. “We’ve got one partial print, but I doubt it’s enough for an identification. We’ll keep it on file, though. Here’s the case number for your insurance company.”

  “Thanks.” She took the business card he’d written on and went inside to get an update from Regina.

  Poppy Gold was sending vehicles over. To save time, they would collect food for the larger locations like the Gold Rail Hotel and provide drivers for the other deliveries.

  Some of Sarah’s tension eased.

  “Thanks, Regina. Nice job.”

  Regina
smiled sympathetically and went back to the cinnamon rolls she was putting in a baking pan to rise. Sarah began helping, but a few minutes later Tessa’s husband arrived.

  “Hey, I understand you had a problem this morning.”

  She should have known Gabe would show up. Since he ran the Poppy Gold Security Division, he was notified of any issues that might affect internal operations, including issues with their contractors.

  “Bad news travels fast. Somebody knifed the tires on my catering vehicles. All of them. Do you know how expensive those things are to replace? My insurance company is going to have a fit.”

  “We’ll need to increase security back there.”

  Gabe began prowling the small loading dock and up and down the alley. He was another tall, inscrutable man who showed little emotion.

  Just like Tyler.

  Sarah sighed.

  Her brain kept going back to Tyler and the way he was getting mixed up in her life. The man was a country-hopping architect. Once his problems in Illinois cleared up, he’d be off, designing more great buildings and becoming as famous as Frank Lloyd Wright. And she still wouldn’t understand a single thing about him.

  Depressed, Sarah pushed the thought away.

  “I’ll install digital cameras with motion sensors,” Gabe said. “They can be tied into the Poppy Gold security system. My crew will monitor any activity and get here quickly if they see anything suspicious.”

  “I can’t impose,” she told him hastily. “Just tell me what equipment to get. Someone is here twenty-four hours a day.”

  “It’ll be easier for Poppy Gold to keep watch. Besides, my crew is trained for this. I’ll come back after I get everything together.”

  He left so quickly she didn’t have a chance to protest again...and he probably wouldn’t have listened, regardless. Gabe wasn’t gregarious like her family, but he shared one trait with the male Fullertons—doing what he thought best. It was really difficult to keep them all from riding to the rescue, though in this case, since Poppy Gold had a stake in breakfasts going out, he was slightly more justified.

  Determinedly, Sarah called Gabe’s office on her cell. When she got his voice mail, she left a message saying she expected to pay for the equipment and installation, and the same with the monitoring.

  Next she called her father.

  “What’s up, kiddo?” he asked.

  “I just wanted you to know there was trouble at the shop this morning. I’m fine and so is my staff, but someone slashed the tires on the catering vehicles. The police have been here, along with Gabe. He’s going to install motion-activated cameras behind the shop and have his team monitor them. Don’t overreact.”

  “I want a security system at your house, too.” Kurt was silent for a moment. “That is, a security system at your house sounds like a great idea. What do you think?”

  Though Sarah was still reeling from the vandalism, her jaw dropped. He was asking, not insisting?

  “It isn’t an option, Dad. Glimmer Creek doesn’t have a security company.”

  “Gabe might be able to put something together. Would...would you like me to talk to him about it?” he asked, almost meekly.

  Sarah debated for a moment. She wanted to encourage her father’s unusual behavior, but wasn’t sure if agreeing was the right way to do it. Yet it might make him feel better. “I suppose you could ask if it’s feasible.”

  “Love to, sweetheart. I’ll let you know what he says.”

  “Okay. Bye.”

  Sarah disconnected, still astonished. Was it possible their talk the previous evening had gotten through to him?

  * * *

  TYLER COULDN’T REMEMBER ever enjoying himself as much he had while finding the hidden steps of the speakeasy with Sarah...and making love to her.

  He wanted to understand Sarah, almost as much as he desired her. She was foreign to him, like one of the wood faeries she’d talked about—a take-charge wood faerie who enjoyed baking and cooking and didn’t care that it wouldn’t make her rich or famous.

  Their few innocent kisses had put him in a near-permanent state of arousal, and now that he knew what it was like to make love to her, it would be even worse.

  Yet regrets had crept in over a long, sleepless night.

  He was fascinated by Sarah’s spirit, but another part of him shrank from it. If nothing else, she asked damned uncomfortable questions. The questions weren’t even that personal, but they reached into private spaces that he’d never shared. She also threatened the choices he’d decided against—a wife and children and being tied down.

  They weren’t idle decisions.

  He’d reasoned things out, deciding what kind of life he wanted, and how to have it. Knowing he’d be a poor father and a worse husband just confirmed those choices. And nothing had changed. Nathan would get better, the crap in Illinois would resolve itself and Tyler would get on with his career.

  Simple as that.

  But maybe he’d be a better person from knowing Sarah.

  Yeah, right, jeered a voice in his head. Without her nudging, he’d probably fall back into the same old pattern of keeping the world at a distance. Problem was, the more time he spent with Sarah, the less attractive his old life seemed.

  The morning was busy with Nathan’s pool therapy and an appointment in Stockton with an orthopedist who felt his condition was improving. Naturally the news put smiles on both their faces.

  It was when they were leaving the doctor’s office that Tyler checked his phone and saw a text from his mother.

  Tires slshd at shop but no one hrt lv mom.

  “Something wrong?” Nathan asked.

  “Yeah, vandalism at the bakery.”

  “We’d better get back.”

  Tyler pushed the speed limit on the drive into the foothills. When they reached Glimmer Creek, he left Nathan at the suite and hurried to the bakery. Going around the side, he saw a man up a ladder, installing an exterior camera. A tow truck was also there, changing tires on the electric catering vehicles.

  “Are you supposed to be back here?” asked the man on the ladder.

  “I’m Sarah’s architect. Tyler Prentiss.”

  “I see. Gabe McKinley. Sarah is inside, talking to the police chief.”

  “Thanks. You’re connected to Poppy Gold Inns, right? I’m staying at a suite in the John Muir Cottage with my family.”

  “I handle security. How is your brother?”

  It was an interesting question. Or maybe not. No doubt it was Gabe McKinley’s job to know everything that was going on.

  “Better. He’s doing a lot with Kurt Fullerton at the greenhouses and working gardens.”

  “So I’ve heard.” Gabe finished attaching the bracket holding the video camera and adjusted it. “How is that?” he asked into a handheld radio.

  “Looks good,” said a voice over the speaker. “One hundred percent coverage.”

  Tyler stepped farther around the loading dock and saw two other cameras had been installed. Nobody would be able to get near the back of Sarah’s Sweet Treats without being observed.

  Just then Sarah came out the back door, followed by Zach Williams. “No,” she was saying.

  “It’ll reassure everyone. An officer will be over this evening to take you home. And one will pick you up in the morning, even if I have to post someone outside your house all night.”

  “I don’t need an escort, Zach. You can’t justify using that many police department resources.”

  Zach Williams crossed his arms over his chest. “Somebody has a grudge against you. We don’t know what that person is planning. I’m not talking about protective custody, just taking precautions.”

  “No, no, no,” she repeated stubbornly, plainly not intimidated by her cousin’s height or forbidding facade.<
br />
  “Be reasonable, Sarah,” Gabe urged. “I wouldn’t allow Tessa to take chances.”

  “Allow? Promise to tell her that when I’m around. I’d love to hear what she says.”

  His hard face instantly looked chagrinned. “All right, that was stupid. But you need to be careful—this is a serious situation.”

  “Sarah knows that,” Tyler announced, much to his own surprise. “She has to make up her own mind.”

  Sarah sent him a radiant smile that made him feel like a hypocrite. After all, he’d shown up to escort her to the bank and had come over to her house evening after evening. But he also knew she was determined to be strong and self-reliant. It was admirable.

  “Stay out of this, Prentiss,” Zach snapped.

  “Tyler has a right to his opinion,” Sarah said firmly. “I’m just sorry you don’t agree with that opinion.”

  Tyler resisted grinning at the other men’s expressions. They couldn’t argue with Sarah without coming off badly. Didn’t they understand her? He was far from an expert when it came to Sarah Fullerton, but issuing ultimatums was not the way to gain her cooperation.

  “Fine,” Zach ground out. “But at a minimum, let your father follow you home in his truck. Please,” he added quickly.

  “Maybe.”

  Gabe McKinley and the police chief both stomped away in obvious frustration.

  “What happened?” Tyler asked when they were out of earshot.

  “The tires were slashed last night on the catering trucks.” Sarah’s bottom lip trembled briefly before she raised her chin again. “My dad wants Gabe to install a security system at the house, tied into the Poppy Gold security monitors. The same as these.” She gestured to the cameras on the wall. “I’m considering it. But now they want me to accept a police escort whenever I go. Glimmer Creek can’t afford that.”

  “You’re family.”

  “Yeah.” She sat down on the edge of the loading dock with a heavy sigh. “I couldn’t get the Los Angeles police to pay attention when my husband was terrorizing me, though I didn’t know it was him at the time. Here, everyone is freaking out.”