Bachelor Protector

by Julianna Morris

  “I understand, but, uh, is there any way you could meet them halfway?”

  “I suppose letting Dad follow me home after work would make everybody feel better.”

  “Except you, right?”

  Sarah released a long sigh. “I just worry that if I let fear take over again, I’ll never stop being afraid. I don’t want to be like that, jumping at my own shadow and wondering about perfectly innocent stuff.”

  Tyler nudged her. “Come on, the woman who called me a chauvinistic jackass? Not a chance.”

  “I usually don’t resort to name-calling. When I was growing up, everybody knew I was the preacher’s granddaughter, and they expected me to be well-behaved.”

  “Don’t they say ‘well-behaved women seldom make history’?”

  She laughed and satisfaction swept through Tyler. It must have been a kick in the gut to arrive and find her catering vehicles vandalized.

  “Surely there’s a balance between using good sense and being independent, but I need to know for myself that I’m strong. It isn’t easy after what happened with Doug. I can’t believe I let him manipulate me the way he did.”

  Tyler surrendered to temptation and clasped her hand. “Maybe it isn’t a question of strength. Maybe you mostly need to forgive yourself. We all make mistakes.”

  “I suppose that’s possible.”

  He gently squeezed her fingers, unable to recall a time he’d ever just sat and held hands with a woman.

  “Your ex-girlfriend was wrong, you know,” she said after a minute. “You aren’t an ice man.”

  “You haven’t known me that long,” Tyler warned.

  She shoulder-bumped him. “We aren’t always the best judges of ourselves. An ice man wouldn’t have flown three thousand miles to California to rescue his mom and brother...whether they needed it or not. And you even got a black eye and jaw for your trouble.”

  Tyler grimaced. “Yeah. Apparently you told Mom that I may have set Nathan off when I yelled. She told Nathan, then he discussed it with Dr. Romano, who agreed. I’m in the doghouse all around.”

  “You can’t be right all the time.”

  “Lately it doesn’t seem as if I’m right any of the time.”

  Sarah arched her neck and rubbed it. “You’re the one getting Nathan to his appointments and making sure he exercises in the pool. And you found out about the speakeasy steps. On the whole, I don’t think you’re doing badly.”

  “Thanks. You know, we never took that drive I suggested,” Tyler murmured. “We went to the ghost walk instead. How about it? Wouldn’t you like to get away for an hour or two?”

  Sarah pursed her lips, then finally nodded. “Let’s go later this afternoon. I’ll put a picnic together and show you the hillsides around here—I know all the back roads.”

  “Back roads? Is that a euphemism for axle-breaking ruts in dirt?” he asked. “I’m not sure my rental can handle that.”

  “There may be a couple of unpaved tracks involved, but they’re usually in good shape this time of year. Even my little car can take them. Some of the roads are firebreaks, and others are maintained by mutual cooperation of the property owners.”

  “Are you sure the sweet shop can survive without you?”

  Sarah tilted her chin at him in challenge. “Evidence to the contrary, I’m not a workaholic. I happen to believe in both working and playing hard. Besides, with everything that’s been going on, I’ve asked several of my part-time employees to work more hours.”

  “Then we can go,” Tyler said. He hesitated, wanting to kiss her, then glanced up at the video cameras. Perhaps not. Who knew how many of her relatives might be watching. “I’ll come over at your house at four thirty.”

  Sarah had looked at the cameras when he did, and an impish look crossed her face. “Want to give the Poppy Gold security crew something more interesting to watch than an alley?”

  “No. But I’m starting to understand your cousin’s frustration. You must have been quite a handful when you were a little girl.”

  Sarah gave him a merry look. “I still am.”

  Tyler agreed, but he doubted they were thinking about the same handful.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  SARAH WAS LOOKING FORWARD to the outing with Tyler so much that she went home immediately, eager to do something just for fun. Soon fried chicken fillets and macaroni salad were chilling in the fridge, and she had a batch of biscuits in the oven. She was taking them out when she heard the mail being dropped through the slot on the door.

  There was nothing especially weird in the collection, though she wondered about a health magazine from a private hospital in Stockton. Still, hospitals advertised. It wasn’t that unusual. The label was printed, and it simply looked like a bulk mailing addressed to “resident.”

  There also was a reminder that she had a package waiting at the post office. Drat, she thought, shoving it in her purse with the other she’d gotten that week. She kept forgetting to pick it up.

  Looking out the window, she saw the postal truck still parked across the street, so she grabbed the slip again and ran over. “Surprise, Diego, I was home. Any chance you brought my package with you today?”

  Diego laughed. “Hey, there’s a whole bunch of them.” He pulled out a plastic box, filled with parcels of assorted sizes. “Just leave the container on the porch, and I’ll get it next time.”

  “Okay, thanks.” Sarah carried the container into the house and looked through the items, her heart skipping unevenly. None of them had return addresses and the postmarks were from various valley towns.

  Not now, she thought.

  She didn’t want to think about anonymous packages or slashed tires or anything else. She wanted to go on a picnic with a sexy guy and enjoy herself. She shoved the box firmly under the kitchen table and finished preparing the food. It might be denial, but right now she didn’t care.

  At precisely 4:30 p.m., the bell rang. Sarah hurried to the front with two bags slung over her shoulder and a folded blanket on her arm while Theo disappeared up the stairs so fast he was a blur of black fur.

  She pulled the door open. “Hi, Tyler, I’m ready to go.”

  He frowned. “It’s a good idea to check who’s out here before answering.”

  “Please don’t channel my father. Besides, you’re so punctual, why would I worry? You said four thirty, and it’s four thirty on the dot.”

  “You enjoy giving me a hard time, don’t you? Let me carry those.”

  He held out his hand and Sarah gave him the bags and blanket, resisting the urge to tease him further.

  His laughter and pleasure while discovering the speakeasy stairs had turned her to mush. He’d astonished her even further when he’d supported her in the midst of family pressure.

  “Do you want to drive?” Tyler asked, breaking into her thoughts. “You’re familiar with the area and I’m not.”

  “Sure.”

  She took the keys and decided to head higher into the hills. Glimmer Creek sat on the margin of where the rolling foothills and evergreen forests began to blend. A few stands of pine had even survived the town being built and were tucked around Poppy Gold and the rest of the community.

  “What is that scent I’m catching?” Tyler said, opening his window and inhaling deeply.

  “Pine and deer brush, warmed by the sun. Maybe with elderberry and manzanita mixed in.”

  “Elderberry, as in the wine?”

  Sarah shot him a look. “That’s right. I’ve never made wine, but I’ve made elderberry jelly. Along with gooseberry jelly and blackberry jam. The youth group picks wild fruit to sell in town, and I’m on their regular sales route.”

  “Is that where you get your blackberries for the bakery?”

  “Those have to come from a commercial source, I’m
afraid. I buy from the youth group for personal use. Also to make items for the church bazaar.”

  Tyler shook his head. “I don’t see how you do all that and run the shop, as well.”

  “It isn’t always this bad. The holidays and summer are my busiest periods, and I put a lot in the freezer to handle when life gets quieter. Anyway, my new catering managers will take some of the pressure off. We’ve done three luncheons over the past week and they handled them from start to finish. I was thrilled. They got rave reviews.”

  * * *

  TYLER GLANCED AT SARAH.

  He didn’t know what to make of her. Though she worked constantly, she was irrepressible. His mother had commented that Sarah seemed to magically get more done in the kitchen than anyone else; he suspected it was simply because she liked cooking for people.

  “I’m glad your catering managers are working out.”

  “My cat is pleased, too. Theo doesn’t appreciate me working such long hours.”

  “I didn’t realize felines had such strong opinions. Aren’t they self-sufficient?”

  “In a way. They aren’t always as obvious as dogs in their affections, but Theo gets grumpy when I’m not there enough. He’s shy with strangers, which is why you haven’t seen him.”

  Sarah turned down yet another hard dirt road, and Tyler reflected that it was a good thing she was driving. She’d already taken numerous turns, and he didn’t have a clue where they were anymore. Then she went around a curve and he saw the town lying below them in the distance.

  “Isn’t this beautiful?” she asked, pulling to a stop. “My cousin and her husband bought the land earlier this year. Luke was living in Texas, but he decided to move here when he fell in love with Carlie. He has twin daughters from his first marriage, and they’re making a fresh start.”

  “It’s a nice property. Does the stream flow year-round?”

  “Pretty much. I think this must be similar to what Glimmer Creek looked like before a gazillion miners descended in 1849 and began panning for gold. Well, it’s flatter lower down, but you know what I mean. Peaceful and wild.”

  Tyler had always lived in cities, but could see the appeal of the open sky and natural setting.

  The property was hilly, with outcroppings of rock and a mix of trees. The small stream meandered nearby, and a hawk circled lazily above. It almost seemed a shame to build on the property, though the right house might fit, perhaps something inspired by Julia Morgan. In his mind he automatically began sketching the outlines, a place with huge windows and broad decks supported by a foundation of native stone.

  Lately ideas had been coming fast and furious. Though he didn’t have any pending contracts, he’d spent hours getting those ideas down on drafting paper, with accompanying sketches to flesh out the vision.

  “Let’s eat here,” he suggested.

  “Okay.”

  Picnic for two, Tyler mused as they spread the blanket under a tree. Another romantic custom he’d never experienced before. Thanks to Sarah, he was starting to regret missing out on the things that many people took for granted.

  He’d always considered flowers and picnics and dinner by candlelight to be impersonal tactics for creating a mood, but maybe they could be more than that. Just the other day he’d walked by the Argonaut Market and seen bunches of Dutch irises and roses for sale. He’d nearly bought Sarah some, just to make her smile.

  This whole thing between them made him uneasy, even though he was trying to see it as a temporary interlude.

  “What are you thinking about?” Sarah asked as she sat and stretched her legs out. “Your face has that look.”

  “What look?”

  “The one you get when you’re thinking about something and don’t want anyone to know.”

  “I’ve just never had this kind of picnic. You know, two people, on a blanket under a tree.”

  Sarah grinned as she opened the insulated bags she’d brought. “If you say it’s a cliché, I won’t give you dessert.”

  “I wouldn’t dare.”

  He accepted a plate, and his mouth watered as she explained that one container was filled with spicy fried chicken fillets and another was Southern-style. A third container held macaroni salad loaded with cheese and olives. Assorted fruit and fresh vegetables came out, as well. From the second bag, she pulled out biscuits that were still warm and filled with butter and honey. Dessert was chocolate caramel peanut candy with crunchy bits that turned out to be pretzels.

  “A little magic with the microwave and they’re done. No baking required,” Sarah said, popping one into her mouth.

  Tyler was in agony. He kept trying to ignore the effect she had on him, but the sight of her pleasure was wreaking havoc on his self-control.

  Sarah was still sitting upright, and he was tempted to pull her down next to him. It was a perfect setting to make love in the late afternoon sunshine.

  “I swear you’re corrupting me,” he complained. “Usually I can’t sit and do nothing.”

  “Glimmer Creek has a way of mellowing folks, which makes it a good place for a vacation.”

  Tyler wasn’t sure if he’d been mellowed or seduced. “I’m not on vacation.”

  “Do you even take vacations?”

  “Nope. I stay in the saddle, work, work, work.”

  “Stay in the saddle?” Sarah cocked her head. “Do you ever wonder where that expression comes from?”

  “Probably from the image of the old cowpoke, dedicated to guarding his herd. I used to watch a lot of Westerns when I was a kid,” he said when Sarah looked surprised.

  “I never would have figured you the type.”

  “Where do you think I learned my poker face?”

  * * *

  SARAH SNICKERED.

  She’d realized Tyler didn’t have that great of a poker face. He kept everything locked inside, but someone watching closely enough could figure out what was going on.

  She stretched, arching her back, and saw him tense. While she didn’t know if she wanted to succumb again, it was nice to be reminded that she was a woman who could make a man’s eyes glaze and his body react.

  “Who’s your favorite old-time actor?” she asked, pretending not to notice. Instead she put the leftover food back into the cold bag.

  “Gary Cooper.”

  “You didn’t have to think about it?”

  “Hey, we’re talking Gary Cooper. He’s hard to beat. But maybe you’ve never watched classic Westerns. They’re great. They have good guys and bad guys, and the good guys win. Most of the time, at least.”

  Sarah held back another smile. “When I was a teenager, Grandpa George and I watched old movies together every Tuesday night, including Westerns. I like Cooper, too. It may sound schmaltzy, but he usually played a character trying to do the right thing or redeem himself. That’s my kind of hero.”

  “Where was your grandmother during these movie fests?”

  “Usually at a city council meeting or doing something else as mayor. She’d come home and scold because I was up late, but she never seemed too upset.”

  Sarah realized belatedly that mentioning her grandparents probably hadn’t been the best way to maintain a sexy mood, but the thought was interrupted by the arrival of a huge white SUV. It was Carlie and her husband, so it was just as well that nothing had developed beyond light conversation.

  Annie and Beth, Luke’s twin daughters, jumped out and ran over. Beth threw her arms around Sarah’s neck while Annie sedately said, “Hi,” and hugged her, as well.

  “I didn’t know you were coming up here this evening,” Sarah told her cousin.

  “We’re just double-checking how long it will take to drive back and forth to Poppy Gold once the house is built,” Carlie explained.

  “It probably won’t be too bad onc
e the road is paved. Want some food?” Sarah asked. “We had a picnic, and there are lots of leftovers. I don’t have extra plates, but you could take it home for dinner.”

  “Sarah makes the best chicken,” Beth declared before her mom and dad had a chance to respond.

  Carlie laughed. “We’d love to have it, thanks.”

  There was enough room on the blanket for everyone, though Tyler appeared desperately ill at ease with the way the twins plopped next to him, telling him their names and ages and asking the kind of artless, candid questions that adults learned to censor.

  Sarah remembered him saying that he was uncomfortable with kids and they felt the same about him. Well, he hadn’t met Beth and Annie. They were very determined children.

  “Slow down, girls,” Luke told them. He held his hand out to Tyler. “Luke Forrester.”

  “Tyler Prentiss.”

  “The architect?” Luke seemed suddenly focused, and Sarah kicked herself. Of course. Since Luke and Carlie were unhappy with the various designs submitted for their new house, they might have a healthy interest in meeting Tyler.

  “Yes,” Tyler replied in a clipped tone.

  “Nice to meet you. This is my wife, Carlie.”

  Tyler nodded at Carlie. “I recognize you from the ghost walk, but there were so many people, we didn’t have a chance to be introduced.”

  “It was quite a crowd that evening.”

  “It’s lucky running into you this way,” Luke said. “We both admire your work and would love to discuss the house we want to build.”

  If Tyler had looked uptight before, now he was rigid. Sarah leaned forward, but before she could say anything, Carlie smiled. “I hope you’ll have time to speak with us, Mr. Prentiss. We’re also looking for the right architect to design the hospital we’re building in Glimmer Creek.”

  “My experience with designing medical facilities is limited. I interned with one of the top people in the field but haven’t done much since then.”

  Luke shrugged. “We plan to have a team of consultants, no matter who gets the contract. But having the right lead architect is important.” He took out a business card. “I’ll give you my personal cell number, just in case you find a break in your schedule.” He wrote on the back and held it out.