The Protector's Promise (The Sinclair Brothers)

by Shirlee McCoy

  “Come back in the kitchen. I’ll make some coffee.” Honor touched his bicep, her fingers barely grazing his arm before dropping away. Even that was enough to send Grayson’s pulse racing.

  “I’d rather be out there with Jake.”

  “I can see that. You look like you’re ready to knock someone’s head off.”

  “And you look ready to collapse from exhaustion.” He studied her face, wondering if the dark circles beneath her eyes had been there earlier in the day. Raising a child alone had to be a challenge. No matter how much you loved her. And then to have this would-be intruder? No wonder she looked so tired.

  “It’s been a long day.”

  “Things will be better tomorrow.” He reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, surprised when she didn’t move away.

  “Funny, that’s what my dad always says when I’m having a tough time.”

  “It sounds like your dad is a smart man.”

  “I guess that makes you one, too. I’m sorry you keep getting pulled into my troubles, Grayson.”

  “I haven’t been pulled into anything.”

  “Yet here you are.”

  “We’re neighbors, Honor. Working our way up to friends.” And maybe something more, but Grayson decided Honor would rather not hear that again. “Should I have ignored all the lights going on in your house at midnight?”

  “Plenty of other people would have.”

  “I’m not any of them, Honor. And I won’t stand back and watch you deal with this trouble by yourself.”

  “Maybe that’s what I want you to do.” She sounded more uncertain than confident, and Grayson took her hand, squeezing it gently.

  “It’s what you think you should want me to do, but it’s not what you want. For tonight, why don’t you let that be okay?”

  She studied his face for a moment, seeming to take in everything about him. Not just his appearance, but his soul. Finally, she nodded and squeezed his hand. “Okay. Just for tonight.”

  “For tonight.”

  When she pulled away from his hold, he let her, following as she leaned out the open mudroom door.

  “Do you think the sheriff has found anything?” Her voice was calm, her words free of the anxiety he’d seen in her eyes.

  “If he has, he’ll let us know.”

  “Hopefully it will be soon. The girls are scared, and I want to be able to tell them everything will be okay.”

  “And who will tell you that, Honor?”

  She glanced over her shoulder, meeting his eyes, her expression guarded. “I’m an adult. I don’t need anyone to. I hear the sheriff coming back. Hopefully he has some news.” She stepped out in the cold, cutting off their conversation.

  Grayson followed, tensing when he saw Jake’s grim expression. He’d found something.

  SEVEN

  “Ms. Malone, can you come with me, please? I have something I’d like to show you.”

  Honor didn’t like the sound of that, but she stepped toward the sheriff anyway, aware of Grayson’s gaze as she did so. His intense focus was as warm as a physical caress, tempting her to reach back, take his hand, permit herself to accept the support he’d offered.

  Of course she wouldn’t.

  Not even for tonight.

  She’d allow him to be here, allow herself to face whatever the sheriff had found with Grayson by her side, but she wouldn’t allow herself to depend on him. That could only lead to heartache.

  “What is it?” A dead animal? A bloody note? A body part? Something horrible. She was sure of it.

  “Nothing terrible. Just something I want your thoughts on.”

  Okay. So it wasn’t a body or a piece of one. At least Honor could take comfort in that. “Where is it?”

  “On the slide. I’d like to know if it was there earlier.”

  “As far as I know, there hasn’t been anything left on the slide today.” She hurried after him, acutely aware of Grayson following close on her heels. Two days ago, she hadn’t known he existed. Now it seemed as if he’d become a fixture in her life.

  How that had happened, she didn’t know. She only knew it was troubling. And that now wasn’t the time to think about it. She needed to focus on the task at hand, find out what the sheriff had found and figure out how she was going to deal with it.

  Up ahead, the sheriff had stopped near the old swing set, and Honor hurried to catch up with him, her feet catching in tangled weeds. She tripped, arms windmilling as she searched for balance. Grayson grabbed her elbow, holding her steady while she regained her footing, his palm warm through the thick flannel of her pajama top, his breath whispering against her cheek as he leaned down to look into her eyes.

  “Are you okay?”

  “Fine. Thank you.”

  “Are you sure? You don’t have to look at what Jake has found. I can check it out for you, and we can discuss it in the house.”

  “No. This is my problem. I need to deal with it.”

  If he’d insisted, she might have been able to pull from his grasp, walk toward the sheriff and let Grayson trail along behind her.

  He simply nodded, his expression so filled with understanding that tears burned behind her eyes. Had Jay ever looked at her like that? So intently? So filled with compassion?

  Honor couldn’t remember.

  And for reasons she’d rather not examine, she let Grayson escort her the last few feet to the sheriff.

  “What did you want me to see?”

  “There.” The sheriff aimed his flashlight beam at the slide, and Honor’s heart sank when she saw what lay on it. No body parts. No frightening notes. Nothing overtly terrifying. Just a rose. Lying by itself, a single thorn visible on the stem. The light cast long shadows that hid the flower’s true color, but Honor knew it was deep blood-red, the petals delicate and velvety. Just like the flowers that were sitting on her coffee table.

  Honor took a deep breath, trying to control the terror that thrummed along her nerves. “A rose. How did it get there?”

  “I was going to ask you the same thing.” Sheriff Reed leaned closer to the slide, but didn’t touch the rose.

  “I have no idea.”

  “You do have a vase of roses on your coffee table.”

  “Yes.”

  “Is it possible your daughter brought one out here to play with?”

  “No. Lily was by my side all day, and we never came outside. A dozen roses were delivered. If we count, I’m sure a dozen will still be in the vase.” Her words were sharper than she’d intended, the fear rising inside of her making her stomach churn and her heart race.

  “Then apparently the person who was looking in your window left you a gift.”

  “Not just this one.” Honor spoke her fear out loud, sure that the person who’d sent the flowers had been the one looking in the window at her.

  “What do you mean?” Grayson’s grip tightened on her elbow as he leaned past her to look at the rose.

  “The flowers on my table. They were delivered today.”

  “From?” Sheriff Reed turned to face her, the beam of light jumping away from the rose and landing at Honor’s feet.

  “I don’t know. There was a card, but no name. I called the florist, but the flowers were paid for in cash, and she couldn’t tell me the purchaser’s name.”

  “Did you keep the card?”

  Had she? Honor remembered shoving it in her pocket when Candace came into the room. Was it still there? “I think so.”

  “You moved here less than two weeks ago.”

  It wasn’t a question, but Honor answered anyway. “That’s right. We moved from St. Louis.”

  “Was there a reason for that?”

  “My sister-in-law is attending Liberty University in Lynchburg. I wanted to be close to her.”

  “So nothing happened? Nothing that made you feel you had to leave the city?” Sheriff Reed jotted down notes as he spoke, and Honor wondered if he’d noticed her sudden tension.

  Grayson must hav
e, because his fingers tightened on her arm, and he looked down into her face. “Something happened. What?”

  “A month ago, I was attacked by an intruder in my apartment.”

  The sheriff stopped writing and looked up from his notebook. “Was it someone you knew?”

  “No. He was a drug user, looking for easy cash. I guess he managed to jimmy my lock and get inside the apartment. I surprised him, and he came after me with a knife.” Her words came out in a rush, and Honor tried to slow them. “My neighbor was an off-duty police officer. He heard me scream and ran into the apartment with his service weapon.”

  “What happened to the perpetrator?” Jake was writing again, his hand flying across the page.

  “He wouldn’t put down the knife. My neighbor had to shoot him.” The blood had sprayed everywhere, splattering the walls and ceiling. Honor shuddered at the memory.

  “Did he live?”

  “No. He died at the scene.” She took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart. “So, I don’t see how it could be related to what’s happening here.”

  “You never know if you’ll find connections unless you look. I guarantee I’ll be looking.” Sheriff Reed tucked the notebook in his pocket. “I’m going to get an evidence bag for the rose. I’ll join you inside the house once I’m done. I’ve got a few more questions I want to ask.”

  “All right.”

  “I’m sorry about what happened to you, Honor,” Grayson said quietly as the sheriff walked away.

  “You don’t have to be. I survived. That’s more than a lot of people get.”

  “I know. I’ve seen what drugs can do. It’s never pretty.”

  “No. It isn’t. As frightening as the experience was, I can’t help mourning the life that was lost.” She glanced at the house. “I’d better get back inside.”

  “Do you want me to come with you?”

  For a moment, she was tempted to say yes. For a heartbeat or two, she wanted desperately to have another adult to lean on. Someone who could take the burden of responsibility—for the situation, for the girls, for their well-being—from her shoulders.

  She’d tried that before, though, and all the love that Jay had brought her, all the promises he’d made and dreams he’d shared with her hadn’t been able to balance out the promises he’d broken, or the dreams that he’d pursued with more passion than he’d ever pursued Honor.

  The thought was sobering, and she shook her head, denying what she wanted in favor of what was safer. “You can go home. Thanks for coming to check on us.”

  “You know where to find me if you need me, Honor. I’ll come. No matter the time or the reason. You know that, right?”

  The only thing she knew for sure was that she’d been hurt before, and she didn’t want to be hurt again. “I know where to find you if I need you.”

  His jaw clenched, but he didn’t argue, just ran a finger down her cheek, the touch as soft as a baby’s breath. “Good night.”

  He walked away before she could respond.

  She knew that was for the best. Grayson Sinclair was a charming and very handsome man. The kind of man she’d do well to avoid having any more contact with.

  She had enough problems without adding a man to them. Someone had sent her a dozen roses and had left one on the slide. Had peered in the window at her, his face covered with what could only have been a sheer stocking.

  Who? Why?

  They were questions she needed answers to, and she could only pray the sheriff would be able to find those answers quickly.

  It took less than a half hour for her to realize that the answers wouldn’t be forthcoming. She’d tucked Lily back into bed, sent Candace to her room and then answered every question the sheriff issued. In the end, he’d been able to tell her only one thing and it wasn’t comforting. According to the sheriff, someone might be stalking Honor. A friend. An acquaintance. A co-worker. A stranger. He’d jotted down names, taken the card that had come with the flowers as evidence, assured her that he’d do everything he could to find the person who’d been looking in her window and then he’d left.

  Tired, but unable to sleep, Honor paced the living room, her gaze going to the empty coffee table again and again. She’d asked the sheriff to take the vase and flowers with him even though he hadn’t needed them for evidence. Knowing they were still in the house would have kept her awake all night.

  She grimaced at the thought. If she didn’t stop pacing the living room she would be awake all night. A cup of chamomile tea might help her relax.

  She stepped into the kitchen, put the teakettle on to boil and stared out the kitchen window into the backyard. Maybe she should be afraid that her Peeping Tom would appear again, but she doubted he’d be back so soon.

  What she didn’t doubt was that he’d be back.

  The phone rang as she pulled a tea bag from the canister, and Honor jumped, her heart crashing against her ribs. Did the stalker have her number? She grabbed the phone, glancing at the caller ID and relaxing as she saw the name. Grayson.

  She smiled as she answered, her heart feeling lighter than it had in hours. “Shouldn’t you be asleep?”

  “Shouldn’t you?”

  “How did you know I wasn’t?”

  “I can see the light on in your kitchen. Look outside.”

  Honor did, and saw a light glowing in one of Grayson’s upstairs windows. “I can see yours, too.”

  “Good. It’ll remind you that you’re not alone. Now go to sleep. You need your energy to deal with that daughter of yours.” The phone clicked and Grayson was gone, but the light in his window continued to glow as Honor sipped her tea, a warm reminder that someone who cared was close by.

  EIGHT

  Honor was running late the next morning, her frustration only adding to the anxiety that had haunted her dreams and made sleep nearly impossible. Both girls seemed out of sorts, their grumpiness matching Honor’s. She liked Sunday mornings to be calm, easy and filled with family time. Not rushed, hectic and filled with grumbling. Honor passed a church called Grace Christian on the way to work every day and had been looking forward to visiting, but in the wake of the morning’s frustrations, the idea had lost some of its appeal.

  She’d go anyway.

  With her parents across the ocean, church family was important to her, and she’d been praying all week that she’d meet people she could grow to care about when she visited Grace Christian.

  “Mommy? I want to change into another dress.” Lily hovered in the bathroom doorway as Honor put on her makeup. The little girl’s eyes were wide and filled with worry, the front of the pink dress she wore clutched in her fists.

  “Why is that, sweetie? Did you get something on that one?”

  “No, but I need to wear my yellow dress.”

  “Your yellow dress is a summer dress. You can’t wear it when it’s so cold outside.”

  “But it’s pretty and cheerful.”

  “It certainly is, but it’s also a sundress. The little strap sleeves on it won’t keep your arms warm.”

  “But I really need to wear it.”

  “Need to? Why?” This was going to be good. Or bad. Depending on her perspective. Honor decided that after such a difficult night she should try to maintain a sense of humor about whatever Lily said.

  “Because it’s my only yellow dress.”

  “Honey, the dress you’ve got on is beautiful. And pink is your favorite color. I don’t see any need to change.”

  “But, Mommy, I have to change because dragons don’t like yellow.”

  Here they went again. Honor grimaced and tried to hold back her irritation, her sense of humor slipping rapidly. “I thought we decided there were no dragons.”

  “Just in case there are, we should both wear yellow.”

  “And who’s been telling you that dragons don’t like yellow?”

  “Aunt Candy. She said if I had a yellow blanket, the dragon wouldn’t come into the room. And guess what? I do have a yellow blanke
t!” Lily’s eyes were wide with wonder.

  “When did your aunt tell you this?”

  “Last night. While you were talking to the police.”

  “I see.” What she saw was that Candace had probably been desperate to get Lily settled back into bed and had said the only thing she thought would get the little girl to sleep. It had worked. Unfortunately, it had caused a whole new set of problems.

  “She’s right, isn’t she, Mommy? Dragons don’t like yellow.”

  “Listen, my darling,” Honor pulled Lily into her arms. “There are no dragons. I keep telling you that, and you know that I would never lie to you, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good. So believe me when I say there are no dragons.”

  “Not even one?”

  “No. Not even one. Now, let me finish putting on my makeup or we’ll be very late for church.”

  “Okay, Mommy. But maybe I could wear my yellow ball cap?”

  Honor sighed. Obviously, Lily wasn’t buying the idea that there were no dragons. More than likely what she really feared was something she couldn’t verbalize. The past few weeks had been unsettling and obviously Lily had been affected by them. Honor could only pray that the ones that followed would be better. “Go get my purse, sweetie. There’s some ChapStick in there. I think you need to put some on your lips.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes. Hurry, we’ve got to leave in a minute.” The distraction worked, and Lily rushed away. Content. For now. No doubt the conversation would come up again. Honor would just have to keep her cool and continue to reassure her daughter that they were safe. Eventually, Lily would settle down and stop worrying.

  In the meantime, Honor would have to talk to Candace and let her know that there were some subjects that shouldn’t be entertained in the house. Dragons, for one. Princes, for another. Lily had a big enough imagination without having the adults in her life playing into it.

  Honor shook her head and lifted a mascara wand, staring at herself in the mirror as she applied it to her lashes. At thirty, she should still look young and fresh, alive and excited to see what the world had to offer. Instead she looked tired and worn, her dark hair lackluster and lank, her skin pasty, her freckles standing out in stark contrast. She supposed she shouldn’t care. After all, she wasn’t in the market for a relationship, and what she looked like really didn’t matter much to Lily or Candace.