Texas Bodyguard

by Jean Brashear

  “Then how do you explain Lowe visiting every damn day?”

  “I don’t know. But I will.” Sean frowned. The problem was how without breaking Vanessa’s cherished confidentiality. He thought of everything Vanessa had been through. Then he thought of Candy.

  No contest. And an excellent place to start was at the youngest Sullivan’s birthday party Friday night, to which he was already invited. He didn’t like doing it, but if Vanessa had any answers… If he could explain to Vanessa, she would be sympathetic, but he couldn’t. Whether he liked being in this position couldn’t matter, not when women were dying.

  Doc didn’t seem happy, but he changed the topic. “So do we have any answers from Treasury?” he asked Bob, since money laundering fell in the U.S. Treasury’s purview. Money laundering was only one of the suspicions they had of Martin Lowe, but it was an angle they were vigorously pursuing.

  Sean tried to focus on Bob’s answer, but in the back of his mind, he was strategizing how to approach Vanessa and Lowe’s mysterious guest.

  Chapter Three

  “You are positive you’re all right with this?” Vanessa asked Annabelle two days later. “I can cancel the party, or we could move it. Jilly would understand.”

  “Cancel your best friend’s birthday party? I don’t think so! Certainly not on my account.”

  “I wish you’d change your mind and attend. I promise everyone would respect your privacy. It’s only family, and they’re accustomed to dealing with the complications of Liam’s fame. They, of all people, understand the price of what you do.”

  “But I’d be an interloper,” Annabelle pointed out, even though she desperately wanted to say yes. Martin’s daily visits weren’t doing it for her anymore, and she had to face facts: she was a sociable person, accustomed to a great deal of human interaction every day.

  “You know Liam and Raina. Plus the Sullivans have a loose definition of family. Sean will be here, for example.” At Annabelle’s lifted eyebrows, Vanessa explained. “Sean Fitzgerald used to work with Alex, and he still does work with Saint. He’s always invited to family events.”

  “Alex is…Dane’s older brother.”

  “Half-brother,” Vanessa clarified. “Not that any of them differentiate. They share the same mother. Celeste was widowed with two boys, Rafe and Alex, when she met Hal Sullivan.”

  “Liam’s dad. And Dane’s.”

  “And Jilly’s.”

  At Vanessa’s nod, Annabelle cast back to see if she could recall others in the family. “But Saint is…?”

  “No blood relation, but the eldest brother, Rafe, is married to Diana, whose sister Clarice is married to Saint.” She smiled. “Your head spinning yet?”

  “Pretty much.” Annabelle rubbed her temple. “Okay, go ahead. So this Sean person…”

  “Saint and Sean are both police detectives. Alex was an FBI agent, and his now-wife Jade came from the Austin Police Department, just like Saint and Sean.”

  “But Alex is an artist now.” Annabelle seized on the one fact she was sure of. She’d seen Alex’s stunning oil paintings and intended to own some of his work herself, once she’d bought a new house with no memories of ex-husbands in it.

  “He is. So are you straight on everyone?”

  Annabelle opened her mouth to say yes, then promptly stopped. “Not hardly.”

  Vanessa laughed. “Welcome to my world. It took months. I won’t confuse you further by naming all the little kids. You’ll love meeting them, though.”

  “I do like children.”

  “Me, too.” Vanessa had a faraway look in her eyes.

  “You okay?”

  Vanessa snapped immediately to hostess attention. “Of course.” She lifted her eyebrows. “So you’ll come to Jilly’s party tonight?”

  Annabelle had to laugh at her friend’s relentlessness. “Apparently I will.”

  And found herself almost ridiculously excited at the prospect.

  Sean emerged from his truck, gift bag in hand, and resolved to find answers to the mystery of Vanessa’s guest during Jilly’s party tonight.

  It wouldn’t be easy, he thought, given Vanessa’s mania for protecting her clientele. And he didn’t like being less than aboveboard with these people he so genuinely admired and thought of as the next thing to family.

  But there were lives at stake. He’d take it slow, see what developed. Kick back with a bunch of really nice people and have a good time. Tease Jilly as his honorary little sister, enjoy the hell out of her dad Hal, who reminded Sean of his own father, play with the little kids. He nodded approval at the security guard, who was rigorous in his duties, and looked around as he entered the grounds, amazed at all Vanessa had accomplished since he was last here. He headed for the lights sprinkling the trees and found his spirits lifting as he heard conversation and laughter and music.

  And then his answer fell right into his lap.

  Holy crap.

  Sean blinked once, twice. Shook his head to be sure he wasn’t hallucinating.

  Only one guest, he recalled.

  Pretty much the ultimate one, short of maybe the President.

  “What, Pretty Boy is speechless?” teased a familiar voice.

  Sean turned to see Jade Butler Sandoval sauntering his way, her red-haired daughter Addie on her hip, still a knockout. Too bad she’d met The Sphinx, as Alex had been known in his FBI days, first and had never had eyes for anyone else. “You look great,” he said.

  “You look gobsmacked.”

  “That is seriously Annabelle Quinn?”

  Jade glanced over where the most famous actress of their time was laughing as she tossed washers with Hal Sullivan while Liam kibitzed. “Well, she’s not too serious at the moment, but…yep, really her.”

  Sean whistled softly. “I assumed it was cameras or makeup that made her that beautiful.”

  “Wait ’til you see her up close. She’s prettier than you, Romeo. Imagine that.”

  “Cut it out. You know I hate that.” He mock-glared at her before he spoke to Addie. “Tell her, princess. Men can’t be pretty.”

  Addie granted him a smile that was going to be giving Alex heart attacks in a few years. “I think you’re pretty.”

  He threw up his hands. “And here I thought I could count on you.” He grinned and kissed Addie’s cheek. “Traitor.”

  Addie giggled.

  Jade set her down. “Why don’t you go see Grandpa, sweetheart? He’s right over there.”

  Addie’s eyes lit as she spotted Hal. He was everyone’s dream grandfather. “Okay. Bye, Mommy. Bye, Uncle Pretty!”

  Sean had to laugh. “You are so in trouble with that one.”

  “Don’t I know it?” Jade studied him, and Sean tensed. “You look beat. Bad case?”

  She would understand, if anyone would. She’d experienced one of the worst as bait for a serial killer. “Bad enough. Drug and human trafficking with the trail winding right through Austin,” he explained.

  “Nasty business. Man, if it weren’t for the kids, I would so want to be in on stopping them.” She was still in law enforcement, but she worked as an investigator for the district attorney’s office now, a job with actual office hours that afforded her more time with her children. And little exposure to danger, which no doubt eased Alex’s mind. Alex had never avoided danger himself when on the job, but when it came to his family, he was all protector, just like the rest of the men in the Sandoval/Sullivan family.

  “You miss it.”

  “Sometimes. The juice, the gamble…” Jade sighed. “But you can’t have it all, at least not at the same time. My family’s the main thing, you know?” At his nod, she narrowed her eyes. “But you are developing the thousand-yard-stare, my man. You need to tell Doc you’re done.”

  She might be right, but he wasn’t ready to back away, not while this case was open. He’d stood over bodies of the victims whose only mistake was wanting a better life. Anyway, what the hell else did he know how to do? “I’m fine,” he prote
sted. “Just need some progress in the case.”

  “It’ll come.” She squeezed his arm, then looked outward. “Amazing, isn’t it, how beautifully this place came together?”

  “Vanessa’s amazing, that’s for sure. Dane made any headway on getting her to marry him yet?”

  “They’re taking it slow.” She shook her head. “Which is just crazy. When you know, you know.”

  “I don’t really believe in that meant-to-be stuff, but I have to say, this family can sure make you reconsider.” Both Dane and Vanessa had gone through a lot before their paths had crossed, but they were a walking advertisement for the hand of fate. “So there goes the last Sullivan, down for the count.”

  “Except Jilly,” she reminded him.

  “Jilly’s too young to get married.”

  “She’s turning thirty today, I’ll remind you.” Her eyebrows rose. “How about you, Lover Boy? Any sweet thing caught your eye?”

  “All of them.” When she smacked his arm playfully, he chuckled. “I’m still young,” he teased, “Unlike some of you, old married lady.”

  She didn’t rise to the bait, even though she was barely older than him. “Well, for that, sonny, this old lady is not going to introduce you to America’s Sweetheart. You’re on your own.” She tossed her mane of flame-red hair. “Me, I’m going to see if I can trap my husband behind one of these trees.” With a saucy grin, she sauntered away.

  Sean watched her go with a smile. Instead of approaching the stranger in their midst, however, he veered off to the right, making a path toward his favorite girl, who stood with her back to him. He neared and bent over her shoulder. “Someone’s making time with your man. Now’s our opportunity to run away to South America.”

  Celeste Sullivan, family matriarch, whirled. “Sean! I’m so glad to see you!” She grasped his cheeks much as his own mother would and made him feel about ten when she put the slow mother-eye in motion. “What’s wrong? Are you eating well? Sleeping enough? You’re working too hard, aren’t you? Do I need to call Doc?”

  Sean noted the amusement on the faces of the three sons standing with her. Every one of them understood her mama bear nature. The entire family save Jilly towered over her, but she was the clear queen of the castle, the benevolent dictator who ruled with both unfettered love and an iron will.

  “You sure know how to ruin a good proposal,” he complained. “Here I am, inviting you to an exciting life of scandal and sin, and you completely blow me off. I’m wounded, Celeste.”

  “Oh, pooh. You’re shameless, is what you are. But since I’ve already chatted with my boys—”

  “Chatted,” Dane objected. “Interrogated, is more like it. You should get Doc to hire her. The rest of you could sit around and play cards while Mom solved your caseload. Meanwhile, we’d be off the hook.” He grinned at his mother, who rolled her eyes.

  “There’s an idea.” Sean acknowledged Dane with a nod. “Haven’t gotten a ring on that woman’s finger yet?”

  Dane shrugged. “Working on it.” But he didn’t look all that perturbed. He’d been at death’s door less than a year ago, and Sean knew he wasn’t the only one who felt Dane deserved every bit of happiness he could get. Same went for Vanessa.

  Sean glanced at the others, Alex and Rafe. “All of you dads now. And husbands. Wow.”

  “Your turn,” Celeste noted. “You’re not getting any younger, Sean.”

  He ignored the smirks and turned his attention to her. “If I can’t have you, Celeste…” A gusty sigh and a dramatic clasp of his chest. “I’m a broken man.”

  “Are you hitting on my mother again?” Jilly asked as she walked up.

  “Hey, Sunshine.” He swept her up in a hug, then twirled her around before setting her on her feet again. “How’s it feel to be old?” He tugged at a lock of her strawberry blond pageboy.

  “Shut up and give me my present.” Like it or not—and she often didn’t—Jilly was everyone’s kid sister, and she looked the part, her nickname reflecting her personality, a pretty, sunny girl who was the eternal optimist, the person who always brightened the day.

  She was also every bit a worthy successor to her mother. She might not have children, but she was always taking one sad case or another under her wing, relentless about doing what it took to solve her charges’ problems or make their lives better. Like her mother, she was slender and lovely, and pure steel ran through her spine.

  “Don’t you have to wait to open gifts until after we have cake?”

  “I’m the birthday girl. I can do whatever I want.”

  He glanced toward a table piled with packages. An adjoining one was currently being stocked with steaming platters of food by Vanessa and her chef. “That doesn’t seem to be Vanessa’s game plan.” He held his package high, far past her reach. “And I’m hungry.”

  “Then I won’t introduce you to Annabelle.”

  “Annabelle who?”

  She nudged an elbow into his side. “Yeah, right. You know you’re dying to meet her. Who wouldn’t be?”

  “Well, yeah. Since I’m not stupid.”

  “Give me my gift, then.” She waggled her fingers.

  Instead, he dangled the gift bag in his hand and began to back away. “If you’re so impatient, birthday girl, come and get it.” He picked up his pace as Jilly squealed and started after him.

  “This better be a great gift, smarty pants.”

  “Maybe there’s nothing in here.” He grinned at her, then feinted to the side as she grabbed for the bag.

  “Oof!”

  He smashed into someone and whipped around, using his quick reflexes to grab the falling person—

  Then he realized he was holding America’s Sweetheart in his arms.

  And Jade was right.

  Annabelle Quinn was even more beautiful up close.

  “I’m sorry. Did I hurt you?” said the new arrival at the party. “I was—”

  “Being a brat and not letting me have my birthday present,” said Jilly, approaching from behind him.

  He didn’t respond to Jilly. Instead he quickly set Annabelle on her feet and steadied her. “Seriously, are you hurt?”

  “I’m fine,” Annabelle managed, looking up into worried gray eyes. Six feet, she guessed, lean and athletic, tousled tawny hair.

  “Well, don’t I feel like a moron? Plowing right over a woman isn’t the usual ploy for making a good impression, or at least not one I’ve tried before.” Then he grinned, and strikingly handsome became breathtaking. He stuck out a hand. “Sean Fitzgerald. How am I doing so far? Wowed yet?”

  Charming, too. Her first instinct was to go icy, but that would be giving Barry’s betrayal too much power. Plus Vanessa said he was the next thing to family. “Let’s just say I won’t forget our meeting.” She slid her hand into his and smiled.

  “Ouch. Hmm, let’s see…I’m guessing people tell you all the time how beautiful you are, so I won’t bother with that. And I already know what you do for a living, so strike that one. Then there’s what’s your sign but I could find that pretty easily online, I imagine, so, let’s see, that leaves…” He stared blankly, then snapped his fingers. “Got it.” His gaze locked on hers, his eyes sparkling with mischief and fun. “What’s a fine filly like you doing in a one-horse town like this, little lady?” His voice was a perfect cowboy twang as he tipped an imaginary Stetson, then stuck his thumbs in an invisible gun belt.

  Oh, yes, clever and charming in addition to his good looks. She wondered what he’d think if he knew that what actually tempted her was the hint of shadows in his eyes. For all his good-natured banter, she sensed more depth to him than his manner revealed.

  “Mostly wondering why you won’t let the poor little birthday girl have her present.”

  He snorted. “Poor thing.”

  “Yeah!” Jilly stuck out her tongue at him, then grinned at Annabelle. Deftly she snagged the gift bag from the ground, then looped her arm through Annabelle’s. “My new best friend and I will be over a
t the gift table if you need us.”

  Annabelle laughed and let herself be led away.

  Sean followed her with his eyes but stayed where he was for now. They’d been introduced. He’d play it cool.

  He was surprised to discover, though, that for the first time he could recall, he’d been nervous around a woman. Amazing how easily he’d fallen back into being a lame jokester, as though he was still in junior high.

  Real good, dumbass.

  Liam strolled over. “Your fatal charm not working, Romeo?”

  “Bite me.”

  “She’s been through a rough time,” Liam said.

  “Like what? Her manicurist didn’t get the polish color right?”

  “No, idiot. Her husband cheated on her. Got caught with photos all over creation. What, you live in a cave??”

  “Oh.” Vaguely he recalled some buzz he had paid little attention to. “Tough break.” She probably wasn’t a big fan of men right now.

  “It was. They don’t come any nicer than Annabelle. She’s the real deal, not a fake bone in her body. That bastard humiliated her, and the press has been on her like a pack of dogs. That’s why she’s here, hiding out.”

  Wow. She was so much larger than life on the screen that how delicate she actually was surprised him. And she seemed…fragile. A little broken.

  Exactly what always stirred his Sir Galahad impulse.

  Reality check, Bonehead. She was richer than God and could hire all the pampering and ego-stroking she needed.

  Speaking of pampering…Martin Lowe and all those packages came to mind. So this was who he was coming to see. He wondered why, if she was so broken up over her marriage. He sure didn’t want to think America’s Sweetheart was involved in Lowe’s sordid dealings. But even if she wasn’t a part of it, how much did she know?

  “Hey, you ready for some grub?” Liam asked.

  “Always.” Sean dragged himself out of his musings.

  “Me, I’m gonna sit with my lady.” Liam nudged his side with an elbow. “Too bad you ticked off the birthday girl and blew your shot with the only other unattached woman here.”