Guarding Hearts (Living Again #3)

by L. L. Collins

  Brian thought that this was an inside job; someone was allowing this freak access or was helping deliver the things. That made her the most scared of all. What if someone was helping this weirdo? Someone that was close to her, could get to her at any time?

  She was shooting a video while she was in Florida, so she would be out on the open beach for a while, and that was her dad’s main reason for wanting someone else. The best, he said. Only the best for his little girl. She couldn’t argue with that.

  The shrill ring of her phone caused her to bolt straight up. She had fallen asleep. Now her neck ached from slumping over. Groggy, she picked up the phone and saw Lacey’s face on the screen.

  “Lace,” Sam answered. She was so glad to hear from her best friend. They had been inseparable since they were kids, kindergarten to be exact. She had always been her biggest supporter.

  “Hey, Super Star Sam!” Lacey’s exuberant voice filled the line. She always called her that now. “How’s the tour bus?”

  Sam looked around, taking in the rich leather and wood decorating the bus. “It’s beautiful! If it wasn’t so small you would think you were in someone’s swanky condo.”

  Lacey snorted. “Yeah, baby. This is your life now. I’m so jealous. Here I am, staring at a textbook, and you are going to travel the US living your dream.”

  Lacey was in graduate school to become a veterinarian. She had wanted to come on the tour badly but couldn’t forfeit her semester. “You stop that. You’re going to be a fabulous vet.”

  “So, any progress on the new security? This whole thing with the stalker just freaks me out, Sam.”

  “Dad said that Brian has it under control and has a guy that’s going to start once we arrive in Florida.”

  “But what about Georgia? Why isn’t he meeting you there? Atlanta is a huge city! What if crazy ass strikes again?”

  Sam’s stomach clenched because Lacey just hit the thing she was most terrified of. “Lace,” she said, tears wobbling her voice.

  “I’m sorry, Sam. Forgive me. I’m just so worried about you. I didn’t mean to make it worse. I’m sure Brian has things all under control.”

  Sam turned as she heard the bedroom/ office door open in the back. Her dad emerged, having been back there ever since they left, probably managing what was going to happen once they arrived in Atlanta. She smiled thinly at him, then turned her attention back to watching the road and talking to Lacey.

  “It’s okay, Lace. I think they already hired additional security for Atlanta, and when I arrive in Florida I’ll be there a week because I’m doing some music videos and photo shoots at the beach. I have a few stops there and then will be heading to my other stops before ending up in Nashville next month.”

  “Is new guy going to come with you after you leave Florida?”

  Why was Lacey so interested in this? “Uh, no, I don’t think so. From what I know, this is a side job for him and he’s a cop. I doubt he wants to travel in a tour bus with a country singer any longer than he has to. He’ll be with me in Florida only.”

  Her dad sat down across from her, and her eyes met his. She knew he didn’t like her telling Lacey everything, but she always had. Lacey wasn’t going to any tabloids or magazines to sell information about her. That wasn’t the way she was.

  “Lace, I gotta run. Keep up on your studying, okay? I’ll call you once I’m in Atlanta.”

  “Love you, Super Star Sam. Be careful, or I’ll have to come guard you myself. You know they don’t want any of that.”

  Sam laughed out loud, causing her dad to lift his eyebrow at her. Lacey was a big talker that couldn’t hurt a fly, but she liked to pretend she could. Disconnecting the call, she put her phone down on the table and gave her dad the attention he so obviously wanted.

  “What’s up, Dad? Everything okay?”

  He smiled, his eyes crinkling up in the corners. Her dad was a nice looking man. Now in his fifties, he was starting to show the wear of a stressful career. His salt and pepper hair was more salt than anything, and the worry lines on his forehead were deepening. He kept fit by running and working out, and prided himself on his appearance (and Sam’s, too).

  “We confirmed the guy for Florida. He comes highly recommended by Andrew, Brian’s friend. He’ll travel with us while we are there. He and Brian both will be assigned to you at all times. No one is getting past them.”

  Sam knew he was trying to make her feel better, but it didn’t. Sticking her shaking hands under her legs, she bit her lip to keep the tears from coming. She was living her dream, but at what price?

  “Samantha,” her dad said softly. He and her mom were the only ones that called her that. It wasn’t often he spoke to her in that voice. Usually it was his business-minded, only-the-best-for-you voice. She looked at him, tears blurring his features. “It’s okay. We’ve got it under control. You just worry about singing your heart out, and I’ve got the rest. Between Brian and the new guy, we’re all going to sleep easier at night.”

  “What’s his name?” Her voice sounded shaky, and she hated it. This is exactly what this person wanted, her afraid to live her life.

  Her dad frowned, then scrolled back through his phone. “Ellis Warner. He’s been an officer for nine years and just recently became a part of the SWAT team. He’s been trained in all sorts of special circumstances. Best of all, the guy’s got the brawn to keep you safe.” With that, he turned his phone so she could see the picture that Brian had sent to him so they knew who they were hiring.

  The breath left Sam’s lungs in a rush. He was dressed in black cargo pants in the picture, with a tight grey t-shirt that said S.W.A.T across his chest. It fit him snugly so she could see every outline of his defined chest and abs. He had his arms crossed in front of him, making the muscles bulge under the sleeve of his shirt. His dark hair was spiked on the top, and his five o’clock shadow gave his chiseled face a rough, rugged look. He wasn’t smiling, but wasn’t frowning, either. The look on his face she could only describe as smoldering. Well, to her at least. She couldn’t see his eyes because they were hidden by a pair of aviator glasses. He was leaning up against a black sports car, his right leg crossed over his left. Even the pants couldn’t hide his sculpted legs. He was sinful. And he was her new security. She was so in trouble.

  She met her dad’s eyes, trying and probably failing at keeping her reaction off of her face. As much as she loved Brian, he was her dad’s age and definitely not anything fabulous to look at. But she knew if she had any reaction to this guy at all, her dad was likely not to hire him. He thought she needed to stay focused on her career, and that having interest in anyone was just a waste of her time. She was shocked that he approved this. He looked like he was in his mid to late twenties. She had to get that picture off her dad’s phone and send it to Lacey. Then they could giggle like schoolgirls and Lacey would string a line of expletives at her for getting to have that man ‘protect’ her. Ellis. Even his name was hot. Florida was looking even hotter than she expected it to. She couldn’t wait to get there.

  He put his phone back on the table, and she smiled. “Seems like you found a good one. As long as he does his job, we’ll be good.” She knew that was what her dad wanted to hear from her.

  “We’re almost there,” he announced, standing up. “Your mom should be there by the time we arrive.” Ella had flown to Atlanta from Nashville, then would go with them on the bus to Florida. Without another word, he headed to the back of the bus.

  Sam pressed her forehead against the cool glass and watched the Atlanta skyline come into view. She loved Atlanta and was glad she was playing here. They would be here for two days, two back to back nights of sold out performances. It was surreal. Looking back at the table, she realized her dad’s phone was still there. Making sure he wasn’t coming back, she quickly opened his texts and sent herself the picture.

  Putting the phone down, she sent the picture to Lacey with a caption that read, ‘This is my new security. Lacey, meet Ellis.’ It took me
re seconds before she received Lacey’s shouty reply. ‘YOU BITCH! THAT IS A FINE MAN RIGHT THERE! YOUR DAD HIRED HIM? JEALOUS. HERE I SIT, STUDYING, AND THIS GUY IS YOUR NEW SECURITY? NOT FAIR’. Sam giggled quietly, staring at the photo one more time. Ellis Warner. This photo would come to life in two long days.

  Sam sang the last chord of her new song, Last Chance, then stepped back from the microphone and blew a kiss to her audience. The crowd roared, chanting “Sa-am, Sa-am!”

  “Thank you, Atlanta!” she yelled. “Let’s hear it for the best band ever!” She turned around and blew kisses at Jason, her guitarist, and Luke, on the keyboard. They stood and waved to the crowd, and they continued their calling. She looked out one more time at the packed arena, holding over 20,000 fans at a sold out show. And this was only night one of two. She couldn’t believe it.

  Turning to walk from the stage, she linked arms with both Jason and Luke and they made their way backstage. Her heart was pumping a thousand miles an hour, and her mouth felt like it might split from smiling.

  “That was awesome!” She pumped her fist in the air, and Jason picked her up and twirled her around. She had met Jason and Luke long before she had ‘made it big’, and she wouldn’t have any other guys with her. Not only were they both great at playing her songs, they were great back up vocalists for some of her songs that needed that male perspective. Best of all, neither of them were interested in her in that way. They were great friends, and that was all that mattered.

  Chip, her ‘borrowed’ bodyguard while she was here in Atlanta, stood right behind her. She couldn’t help but notice that while he was a big, beefy guy that no one would want to mess with, he didn’t hold a candle to Ellis.

  Ellis. She hadn’t even met him yet and she was already obsessing over him. She had to snap out of it. So he was a great looking guy. She had met a lot of them in her short life. He was only going to be with her for a little over a week, then they would both be back to their regular lives.

  “Ready, kid? The after party is back here,” Brian smiled at her. “That was a great show, Sam. Atlanta loved you.” He fell into step next to her, leading her down the narrow hallway. She saw her parents standing at the end, smiles on both of their faces. She loved making them look like that.

  “Samantha, you were wonderful,” her mom gushed.

  “Yes, you were,” her dad agreed, hugging her quickly. “This show will get you even more buzz in the business. I can guarantee that will end up on YouTube.” Her dad, always the businessman.

  She moved past them into the room where she would greet twenty of her fans that had won a contest. She checked her makeup and smoothed her hands down her hips. She was wearing a pair of tight black jeans, her purple cowboy boots, and a purple sequined top that fit her like a glove. Her long brown hair was pinned half up, the rest curling down her bare back. Her dark eyes were enhanced by the piles of makeup she had to wear for the stage. She didn’t look too bad for having just performed for two hours. She had one more show in Atlanta tomorrow, then she was headed to Florida. She smiled at her reflection in the mirror, the gleam in her eye sparkling just a little brighter than it was before.

  Ellis blew out his breath as he lowered the weight bar closer to his chest. Devin stood behind him, spotting him. Ellis knew his head wasn’t in the game, but he refused to admit it. He knew what the feeling was, it was nerves. He was ridiculous. So today had been his last day with his SWAT guys for a little while. He was making enough in this week to pay most of his car off. He guessed that she was doing well as a new country singer, because when he had seen that number, he had about passed out.

  “El, you here, man? You look like you are on another planet right now.”

  Ellis set the bar back carefully and rolled off the bench, wiping his forehead with the towel. “Just a lot on my mind, I guess. Sam rolls into town early tomorrow, and I just have a list of things I need to do tonight.”

  Devin studied his face, and he fought hard to keep any emotion from showing. Devin could read him rather well. “You’ll be great, don’t worry about it. I have to run, though. Rachel has her doctor’s appointment and I have to get there. Break a leg tomorrow, and don’t worry. You’ve got this.”

  “Thanks. Let me know what the doc says about those babies. I sure hope they look like Rachel and not your ugly mug.”

  The two friends laughed as Devin walked away, shaking his head. Ellis threw his towel in the bin and headed for the showers. He had hoped working out would take his mind off meeting her tomorrow, but now he wasn’t sure anything could.

  Dressing quickly after his shower, Ellis picked up his phone and noticed a missed call from Devin already and a text from Carl, otherwise known as Officer Richards. It has been several months since he had talked to him, and he knew he was checking on him.

  Ignoring the text, he hit the button to call Devin back. After only seconds, he answered. “El, ready to be an uncle?”

  For some reason, those words just hit him in the gut like a punch. For Devin to think of him that way meant more to him than he could ever tell anyone. “Now?”

  “Rachel went into labor at the office. We’re headed to the hospital now. I’ll keep you updated, but it looks like I’m going to be a dad tonight.”

  Ellis closed his eyes, resting his forehead against the cool mirror in the locker room. I’m going to be a dad tonight. He was ecstatic for his friend. And not for the first time, he wished he had told Devin what he had been through.

  Ellis rolled back and forth on his bed, knowing he was dreaming but unable to get out from the clutches of it. It was always different version of the same dream. His mom, high on heroin, holding his newborn son over the railing of their apartment to keep Mandy from taking him. Him yelling at her, Mandy screaming, the police barging in… sometimes his mom actually dropped Mason and he would dive off the porch to try to save him.

  A shrill sound made his eyes pop open, his heart pounding. After a few moments, he realized it was his phone. Groaning, he fumbled in the dark for it and finally put his hand on it. It was six o’clock in the morning but felt like it was midnight. When he saw it was Devin, he sat straight up in bed.

  “Dev?”

  There was a pause, and he heard small cries from the background. “El! I have babies! Oh shit, I just realized it’s very early. I’m sorry, bro.”

  Ellis laughed, a funny feeling bubbling up in his chest. “That’s wonderful. Both are okay? How’s Rachel holding up?”

  “Both of them are fabulous. Our little girl Faith has little red curls. She’s going to be all her mommy. Chance has a load of dark hair. Rachel is feeling great.”

  “Get off the phone and come see us!” Ellis heard Rachel call from the background. He laughed, amazed that this woman just spent all night giving birth yet wanted visitors.

  “You heard the lady,” Devin laughed.

  “Is she delirious? Isn’t she exhausted?”

  “She’s already called Kayley, Jessica, and Emily, too. She’s woken up half the town I think. My parents are here and hers are on the way. What time do you have to meet Sam?”

  “They don’t get in until about ten this morning, and I’m meeting them at the arena, so I’ll be up there to see you guys soon. Want anything on my way? Some decent coffee?”

  “You read my mind,” Devin answered, yawning. “It’s been a long night.”

  “A long night? Who had a long night here?” Rachel boomed from the background.

  “You, baby. You did. I was just the hand holder.” Devin dropped his voice. “Bring me two coffees.”

  Ellis hung up and made his way to the bathroom, mentally steeling himself for what he was about to endure at the hospital.

  Ellis stopped at the front desk to find out which room Rachel was in, his hands full of coffee, donuts, balloons, and flowers. Making it to her room without dropping anything was a feat in itself. He knocked on the door, and it opened almost instantly.

  Devin looked like he hadn’t slept in days. His hair stood
on end, his shirt was wrinkled, and he had way more than a five o’clock shadow. But the smile that was on his face overshadowed all of that. “Ellis! Come in and join the party, man!”

  Ellis walked in and took in the scene. It was a full house. Kayley, Ben, Jessica, Emily, and Trevor filled the room, plus Devin’s parents. Kayley was holding one baby, Emily the other. Rachel beamed from the bed, not looking at all like she gave birth to twins a few hours ago. He walked right to her, the baby powder smell making a lump form in his throat. Sipping his coffee, he put on his regular smile, the one everyone was used to from him.

  “Congrats, Rachel,” he leaned over to kiss her cheek.

  She smiled up at him. “Thanks, Ellis. Kay, Em, share the love. Let Ellis see them.”

  Kayley walked up to him, holding one little bundle wrapped in blue. “This is Chance Devin Putnam. Chance, I’m going to share you for just a minute, then you’re mine again.”

  Ellis reached out for little Chance, tucking him safely in his big arm. Looking down at him, he almost couldn’t contain the sob that wanted to escape his throat. He had known that this was going to be difficult, being here today. He had avoided this type of situation for as long as he could. But it was time for him to face it, be a man. They were his friends, and he loved them. Tracing Chance’s face with his finger, he was flashed back to a similar room, another baby boy, but a much different man.

  “Look at him, he’s a natural,” Devin clapped him on the back. “Time to get you one of these, man.”

  “Ha,” Ellis joked, clearing his throat. “I think I’ll sleep all night, thank you very much. You just wait—- you’ll be heading to my house to sleep before too long.”