Safe in the Lawman's Arms

by Patricia Johns

  He’d never see her again, if this worked according to plan—not that she’d know of, at least. He’d keep an eye on her from a distance, but she’d likely forget him completely—a foggy memory if anything. And when Katy left, so would Malory. That hit him in that tender place, too. They weren’t his family, but a part of him was starting to see them that way.

  With a sigh, Mike pushed himself to his feet. Maybe it was time to start thinking more seriously about getting that family of his own instead of getting attached to the people who wouldn’t stay. He was setting himself up for heartbreak, plain and simple.

  “Pull it together, man,” he muttered to himself and opened the door.

  Malory lay on the couch, snoring softly. Her hair fell away from her face, exposing her creamy neck. Her breathing hitched and she shifted slightly, her hand smoothing over her belly. She hadn’t woken. As he watched her, tenderness squeezed his heart.

  A clock ticked away in the hall in time to the soft breathing coming from the couch. She was beautiful in her slumber, and he wondered what it might be like to have a wife of his own, just like Malory.

  It was too easy to imagine, and he shut it down. One day he’d build that family of his own, but right now he had other priorities—namely keeping these two safe.

  * * *

  MALORY’S EYES FLUTTERED open at the sound of Mike’s familiar tread in the kitchen. It took her a moment to orient herself, and she yawned. Tuck was gone, as was Katy, and she sat up, looking around. The sun was up, and the house was dim, the curtains blocking most of the morning light.

  “Good morning,” Mike said as he appeared in the kitchen doorway and saw her awake. “Sleep well?”

  Malory nodded and stifled another yawn. “I thought I was resting my eyes until you got home.”

  Mike chuckled. “You were out cold. I didn’t have the heart to disturb you.”

  “So how did it go?” she asked.

  Mike considered. “Let’s hear about your day first.”

  Malory swung her legs over to sit properly on the couch. She ran a hand over her stomach, and the baby fluttered in response.

  “I think I overdid it a little bit,” she admitted.

  “What do you mean?” Mike’s brow furrowed, and he came over to the couch and sank down next to her. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine now.” She wasn’t sure why she wanted to reassure him so badly. “But I was having some twinges.”

  “That’s not good.” He looked down at her, concern in his dark eyes. “I can take over more with Katy so you can get some rest.”

  Why did he have to be so kind? Sometimes she wished he’d just be more professionally distant and ask her if she wanted a few hours of unpaid leave or something.

  “That’s not how it’s supposed to be when you hire a nanny,” she said quietly. “You brought me in for full-time child care. If I can’t provide that, maybe it’s better to—”

  “Find someone else? No.” He shrugged. “If I were her father, she’d need time with me, too. So let’s just say I’ll do more with Katy, and it should balance out.”

  “True.” She frowned slightly. “Are you thinking about keeping her?”

  Mike didn’t answer for a moment, his emotions hidden behind that granite mask. Then he cleared his throat. “No. I’m not.”

  “What’s going on?” Malory asked quietly.

  “Tomorrow morning a couple is coming to meet Katy. They’re interested in adoption.”

  Malory blinked, took a deep breath. “So soon?”

  “They’re going to be in the area tomorrow,” Mike said. “The adoption agency asked if a visit would be possible.”

  Malory didn’t say anything, but her heart was heavy. She had grown attached to the little girl over the past couple of weeks, and while she’d known that this was the plan from the very beginning, the news still hurt.

  “How do you feel about it?” Malory asked.

  “Me?” Mike shook his head. “Does it matter?”

  “To me,” she replied.

  Mike’s smile was sad, his reserve cracking ever so slightly. Sucking in a deep breath, he shrugged. “I got more attached than I thought.”

  “Me, too,” she admitted. “She’s such a special little girl.”

  “And smart, too.” He nodded. “I’m going to miss her.”

  Malory eyed him speculatively. “Then why let her go? You have a choice, don’t you? If you wanted to keep her and raise her yourself, you could.”

  He scrubbed a hand through his hair, then leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “I wasn’t going to tell you this.” His tone was gravelly, and for a long moment, he didn’t say anything else, making her wonder if perhaps he’d reconsidered telling her anything at all.

  “What is it?” she prompted.

  “I went to see my cousin in prison, Crystal—Katy’s mom.”

  “Oh?” She was breathless in spite of herself. “What did she say?”

  “Among other things, that Katy is the result of Crystal’s romantic relationship with a very dangerous man.” He turned his head to look at her. “Really dangerous.”

  “Can you tell me who?” she asked cautiously.

  “I shouldn’t,” he replied quietly. “It’s for your own safety. Suffice it to say that he’s someone who has done some pretty nasty stuff, but even the FBI can’t seem to nail him down.”

  A shiver ran up Malory’s back. There was something in Mike’s eyes that told her this was no exaggeration. As his words sank in, another thought occurred to her. How safe were they, exactly?

  “Is this the same guy who broke into the house?” Malory asked.

  “I think so.” He nodded. “Of course, it can’t be proven, but the coincidences are a little too strong for my liking. That’s how these guys get so powerful. They stay one step ahead of the law and make sure that everyone is so scared of them they’ll never testify. A middling lawyer and no testimony in court is all a scumbag needs to get off free.”

  “Do you think he’s coming after Katy?”

  “Let’s put it this way,” Mike said quietly. “If he wasn’t coming after her before, he knows she’s here now, and he certainly wouldn’t be opposed to using her for his own gain.”

  Malory shuddered. “But how did he find her?”

  “My father.” The words were low and bitter.

  “Oh.” She shook her head slowly. “So how safe are we right now?”

  “You?” He shot her a grim smile. “You’re safe with me, babe. You can count on that.”

  She smiled at the determination in his voice. If there was one place she felt safe right now, it was next to this big sheriff.

  “And when Katy is settled with a new family,” she clarified. “Will it be dangerous for me to go home? Is anyone going to be following me, too?”

  Mike paused again, and she thought she detected sadness in those dark eyes. “No, you’ll be able to go home. I’ll talk it over with the chief, but my instincts say that this guy is after me and Katy—not you.”

  Malory didn’t feel any relief at those words. The fact that this criminal was after Mike and Katy kept the stakes just as high. What would he do if he caught up to them?

  “That doesn’t make me feel a whole lot better,” she admitted, tears misting her eyes.

  He smiled and reached over, putting a broad palm against her cheek. “I’ve got it under control.”

  “Do you really?” she asked. “Because if anything happened to you—”

  “You’d start drinking?” he asked, a teasing glint in his eye. He didn’t take his hand away from her face, and she leaned in to his touch. Malory’s heavy sadness didn’t lift, a solid mass holding her down.

  “It wouldn’t be pretty,” she said.

  “Nothing’s going to happen to us.” He ran his fingers through her hair. “And Katy is going to go where she’ll be safe—and out of reach.” He dropped his hand and leaned back down, resting his elbows on his knees. “This whole Cruise family is r
otten to the core.”

  “No, it isn’t,” she replied, leaning forward and slipping her hand around his warm, solid biceps.

  “You haven’t met us,” he said wryly.

  “I’ve met you.”

  He looked away, eyes glistening.

  “You’re a good man, Mike Cruise. A good man, and a lot of people are lucky to have you looking out for them.”

  Mike turned toward her, and with a tickle of surprise, she found his face inches from hers. Her breath caught, but she didn’t pull back. He was warm, sturdy, emanating heat against her, and in that room with only this one rugged man between her and a ruthless criminal, she felt utterly safe. His dark eyes moved slowly over her face, and he smiled wistfully down at her. He didn’t say anything—didn’t have to. He leaned closer, his breath whispering against her skin, then closed the gap between them as his warm lips met hers.

  Malory leaned into his shoulder, and he turned, slipping an arm around her waist, tugging her closer still. He was strong as iron, but he responded to her as she pulled back, putting a hand against his chest to give herself some breathing room, only to feel the insistent rhythm of his heart.

  “I don’t think I’m thinking straight,” she murmured.

  Mike released her. “Sorry. I probably shouldn’t have done that.”

  She shrugged and laughed softly. “No, I just need to—” She didn’t know what she needed to do. She needed to think. She needed to get her head back together. She needed to get far enough away from those smoldering eyes that she could remember why this was such a bad idea.

  The baby gave her a soft kick, and she breathed in, putting her hand against her belly.

  That was why. She rose to her feet.

  “I’d better go check on Katy, Mike.”

  He nodded. “You okay?”

  “I’m fine.” She felt the heat in her cheeks. “But—Mike, I’m going home to my mother to have my baby.”

  “Oh...” He blinked. “Okay, I guess that’s understandable.”

  “I know I promised to stay as long as you needed me, but I have to think about my son, now, and...”

  “No, I get it.” His voice was deep and quiet. “I’m going to miss you, Nanny Mal.”

  She headed up the stairs, her heart still pounding from that kiss. She looked back to see the big man sitting right where she’d left him, elbows on his knees and head hanging down as if he shouldered the weight of more than she’d ever know.

  Chapter Fourteen

  The next morning, Mike stood in the kitchen alone, listening to the sound of Katy giggling on the second floor. He leaned against the counter, a mug of hot coffee in one hand, waiting. The Petersens would arrive any minute now, and the ball would start rolling.

  Unless they didn’t bond with Katy somehow.

  Was he hoping? Part of him was, but he couldn’t push aside reality. Katy’s father was a criminal, and her safety meant more than Mike’s attachment to her. The child who, when he’d first heard of her, had seemed like an unnerving responsibility had taken over a bigger part of his heart than he’d thought possible. The Cruise family had always felt like a curse, and he’d distanced himself from them. The fact that Katy was a Cruise, however, made her just a little more dear to him. She was a girl who not only shared his bloodline but had a chance at a life free of her family’s stigma.

  There was a thump and another eruption of giggles, calmed by Malory’s soothing tones. He smiled to himself. Somehow, this fantasy of family life had grown for him, and it included Malory. When Katy left, so would her nanny, and Malory wasn’t just the nanny to him anymore, either.

  Not that she wants this, he reminded himself firmly. He’d kissed her the day before, and she’d kissed him back. But then she’d pulled away and headed upstairs to her own personal space. But this time he didn’t kick himself. It hadn’t been a mistake. He’d kissed her, and he’d meant it—whatever that kiss had meant. For once, he wasn’t sorry.

  There was a knock on the door, and he set his coffee down on the counter. He took a deep breath, then headed out through the living room to the front door. Opening it, he was met with a slim, well-kempt couple. The man was tall and prematurely gray and wore a polo shirt and khaki pants. His wife had chin-length blond hair and large doe-like eyes and was as slender as her husband. They smiled nervously.

  “Good morning,” Mike said. “You’re the Petersens, I take it?”

  “I’m Ned, and this is Belinda,” the man said with a nod. “It’s good to meet you.”

  They shook hands and Mike stepped back to allow them entrance. They looked around themselves briefly. Then their gazes came back to Mike.

  “Come on in,” Mike said, gesturing them to the couch. “Malory—the nanny—is getting Katy dressed, so they’ll be down soon.”

  “Maybe you could tell us a little about Katy,” Belinda said, sitting down next to her husband in the center of the couch. “What sorts of things does she like to do?”

  The couple looked at him expectantly, and sitting there together on the couch, he realized that they were both wearing the exact same shade of khaki pants.

  “Well, she’s a smart kid who is really full of energy,” he said. “She needs a challenge, or else she gets bored. For example, Malory has been teaching her the alphabet, and she knows almost all her letters now, and she’s only been here two weeks.”

  “Wow,” Ned said with a smile. “That’s really good. How old is she?”

  “Three.”

  “She sounds very intelligent,” Ned said. “We’d be able to place her with a top preschool. A Montessori school might be a great match for her abilities.”

  “She’s had a tough start, though,” Mike went on. “She’s a sweet girl with a big heart, and her world hasn’t made a whole lot of sense to her so far. She needs a lot of love.”

  “The mother—” Belinda winced. “She wouldn’t want... I mean, is she—?”

  “No, the adoption would be a closed one.” Mike saved her from the awkward question. “The mother wants what’s best for Katy, and she knows that she can’t provide the kind of home her daughter needs.”

  Belinda breathed out a sigh of relief. “Oh, that’s good. Hopefully, she won’t remember any of that, since she’s so young.”

  Mike could understand the sentiment, but did he really want her to forget everything? She was a Cruise, after all, and while her mother was an addict who’d made some horrible blunders, Crystal still wanted what was best for Katy in the end. Did she deserve to be erased? Did Mike want Katy to forget about him, as well?

  “Even if she doesn’t remember it, it’s going to be a part of her,” Mike countered. “She’s going to need understanding, someone who can help her to learn a new way of seeing the world.”

  “Of course, of course,” Ned said quickly. “We can get her the top therapists. In fact, if we start her early, she could have a pediatric therapist for as many years as she needs. Our financial resources aren’t a problem, I can assure you. I’m a pediatrician myself, so I’d be able to find her the best support possible.”

  Mike nodded. They were almost too perfect, this slim, khaki-clad couple, but they had everything to offer a little girl, and she’d grow up with the best of everything from therapy to a pony, no doubt. He heard footsteps coming down the stairs, and the couple turned to see the little girl in her pink dress. Malory came behind, and she smiled at the couple. Then her gaze moved to Mike. This was hard for her, too—he could see it in her eyes.

  “Katy, these are our friends Mr. and Mrs. Petersen,” Mike said. “Why don’t you come say hi?”

  Katy skipped over, sidling up to Mike and leaning against his leg. She didn’t say anything to the couple but looked at them speculatively.

  “We brought you a present,” Belinda said. “Would you like to see it?”

  “A present?” Katy’s eyes lit up. “For me?”

  Belinda pulled out a gift bag and held out her arms for Katy. “Do you want to come see it with me?”
<
br />   Katy hesitated, then scooted around Ned and closer to Belinda, peering curiously down into the bag. As Katy pulled out a baby doll, her face bright with excitement, Mike rose to his feet and joined Malory near the doorway. Her arms were crossed over her chest, and she was blinking away tears as she watched the Petersens interacting with the little girl.

  “What do you think?” Mike whispered.

  “They seem nice,” she murmured back.

  “He’s a pediatrician. They’re already talking about Montessori schools and getting her the best therapists to help her adjust.”

  Malory glanced up at him. “They’ve got a lot to offer.”

  Mike nodded but didn’t answer. They did have a lot to offer her, he couldn’t argue with that, but something inside him hesitated. Malory rested her hand on her belly and while she didn’t flinch, it was obvious that she was uncomfortable.

  “You okay?” he asked.

  She nodded. “Those twinges. I think I’m just a little upset. I know this is good for Katy, but it’s still hard.”

  “Yeah.” Mike nodded. “It is.”

  She met his gaze and gave him a sympathetic smile. He’d miss this. Malory hadn’t been in his life long, but he was already finding himself relying on that smile of hers.

  “She loves the doll.” Malory nodded in their direction. “That was a good choice.”

  “A doll for a girl—that didn’t take a lot of imagination,” he quipped.

  She shot him a wry smile. “You don’t like them, do you?”

  He sighed. “They’re fine. What can I say?”

  She smiled again, and squeezed his arm. Maybe he wouldn’t have to say it aloud—that he hated how perfect they were, that he hated that they’d take over and Katy would go off to forget about her biological family.

  That’s a good thing, he reminded himself. This is what she needs in order to be safe.