Shielding You (Baytown Boys Book 13)

by Maryann Jordan

  Dylan stood on the floating pier, the undulating movement underneath his feet as familiar to him as solid ground. He thought about David and what his brother’s reaction would be if he asked him to keep his eyes open for unusual activity. Scrubbing his hand over his face, he shook his head. “I just don’t know. They’re hard-working, their minds always need to be on the task, and I hate to ask anything from them. On the other hand, our local fishermen are in and out of the harbor, they know who’s familiar, at least when it comes to other fishing boats. Recreational boats? I don’t know how much they’d notice.”

  “Would it hurt to ask your brother about it?” Joe hastened to add, “I don’t mean to suggest you say or do anything that would be awkward with your own brother. I just thought maybe you could bring it up with him to see what he thought.”

  Nodding, he agreed. “Yeah, I thought about that. At least I can get an idea from him if he or any of the other local fishermen would be receptive to keeping an eye out.”

  Joe tossed his hand up in a wave before he left, and right on cue, Dylan saw his brother’s boat coming into the harbor. With no other calls pulling at his attention, he stood on the pier and waited. Giving his brother plenty of time to get docked and to take care of his catch, he stayed out of their way. As soon as he had a chance, David jogged over.

  “Hey, bro. I figured if this was an emergency, you’d say something.”

  “Yeah, I just wanted to talk to you about something but didn’t want to interrupt your work. We don’t have to talk now, we can do it later.”

  “Do you want to come over for dinner tonight? You know Alice always fixes enough to feed an army.”

  Losing the battle to hide his grin, he nodded. “‘Fraid I’ve got something going on tonight, but we can easily talk tomorrow.”

  David looked over his shoulder toward his boat and then said, “I’ve got a full crew today, and they’re fine. If you don’t mind me getting a beer, we can move over in the shade and talk right now.”

  With a chin lift acknowledging his brother’s easy request, he waited as David gave the last instructions to his crew, grabbed a beer from the cooler, and walked into the shade at the side of the building. It didn’t take long for Dylan to explain the situation concerning drug runners using small harbors. As he talked, he watched David’s jaw tighten and his eyes flash.

  “This kills me, you know? The last thing I want is for drugs coming through this area. Hell, I don’t want my sons around that shit. But I reckon you’re telling me this for a reason.”

  He pointed to the security cameras that Owen had installed and explained how he’d altered their angles slightly so that he could get a better view of the harbor. “The town’s got no money for cameras just for the harbor, and Owen is doing us a huge favor by letting us have access to his private security. We can’t get it all, but it helps. My question is this: Do you think any of the local fishermen would be willing to keep their eyes open for unusual activity? I’m not talking about anybody policing anything. I’m not talking about anybody playing cops and robbers or going after anyone suspicious. I’m simply talking about notifying us if they see something that doesn’t look right to them. But I need you to be honest with me, David—”

  “Hell, yeah, Dylan!” David jerked his hand out toward the harbor in the water beyond. “This is our backyard. This is our playground and our workplace. This is our livelihood. And anyone that lives in this area and works here wants to do anything they can to keep that shit out.”

  Feeling a weight lift off his chest, he grinned. Clapping David on the back, he said, “Okay, here’s what we’re going to do. I’m going to talk to Sheriff Hudson and a few of the others. I’m going to come up with what we think would be the right way to go about this within the next couple of days, and then we’ll get the word out.”

  “Chief Hunt?”

  At the sound, he turned and observed Todd approaching, his eyes wary.

  Nodding, he said, “Perfect timing. Todd, I’d like you to meet my brother, David. He runs Hunt Fishing. He’s agreed to take you on as a part-time employee after school, here in the harbor.”

  For a few seconds, he could see the wide-eyed surprise in the teen’s expression before doubt settled over his features. True to their agreement, Todd had stopped by the station most afternoons. At first full of suspicion, he’d slouched in a chair, mumbling his responses to Dylan’s questions. Dylan still had no idea if Todd’s father was abusive or just demanding, but over time, the teen relaxed, and they talked.

  “I’ve only worked in the tackle shop,” Todd admitted, jutting out his chin in defiance of his self-doubt.

  “Don’t have to know anything about commercial fishing,” David piped up. “I need someone reliable, someone who’s not afraid of hard work, and someone who wants to make money.”

  At the mention of money, Todd’s eyes lit and interest sparked. “What do I have to do?”

  “See those men over there?” When Todd turned and looked at David’s crew emptying the catch and putting it on ice, David continued. “If you’re here after school, that’s about when we get in. I can always use an extra pair of hands. After the catch is squared away, we need to hose down the boats and get everything ready to go out the next day. My day starts early, and I don’t have time to waste getting everything ready in the mornings.”

  Dylan stayed quiet. If Todd was going to accept or turned down the offer, it had to be his own decision.

  Finally, with a quick nod of his head, Todd agreed. “Yeah, sure. I don’t mind hard work and I’d like to make some money.” He jerked his gaze quickly over toward Dylan. “Uh… my dad?”

  “I’ll square this with your dad. The money you make from this job is yours, but make sure you get all your homework done, and do the best you can here as well.”

  Shrugging, Todd said, “School is easy. I’ll have no problem keeping up with that.” Lifting his shoulders, he looked at David and stuck out his hand. “I appreciate the offer, Mr. Hunt.”

  Dylan’s chest swelled with pride, and he fought to keep the grin off his face. Accepting Todd’s chin lift as he waved goodbye, he watched the young man jog back to his vehicle.

  “You used to pick up strays, bro. Looks like that still happens,” David laughed, finishing his beer before chucking it into Owen’s recycle bin.

  Giving in to his smile, he waved as his brother ambled toward his boat. Having run out to buy a new phone that morning, he glanced at the screen, relieved to see there was no message from Hannah calling off their date. Excited to see that his workday had come to an end, he radioed Barbara and then headed home.

  14

  Her day had been average, for which Hannah was exceedingly grateful. Paperwork, patrols, staff meeting, and a quick check-in with the Mayor. The last item on her list before going home was to drop off paperwork with the magistrate, whose office was in the jail.

  Entering, she went through the usual security checks, then down the hall to Marcus Kranski’s office. A handsome, dark-skinned man with a ready smile, he grinned as she walked in.

  “Hannah, nice to see you. Have you got something for me?”

  “I needed to drop these by. It’s the updated charges for Jonas Smith who was brought in this morning.”

  “This is my day to have the chiefs come by,” he said, taking the paperwork from her and giving it a cursory glance. “Dylan was here this morning.”

  She had felt on edge ever since last night when Dylan kissed her. All day long, her body had hummed. At first, she wondered if she had a temperature, praying she wasn’t getting sick. But the vibrating electricity that moved throughout her whole body flared every time her thoughts turned to him. Now, hearing his name, she felt the vibrations increase. Pushing those thoughts down, she merely smiled at Marcus, considering her brain had short-circuited and she couldn’t think of anything to say. Relieved that he didn’t notice her lack of response, his gaze stayed on the paperwork.

  Looking up, he nodded. “Everything looks
fine here. I’ll take care of it.”

  With a chin lift, she called out, “Thanks,” and walked out of his office. Rounding the corner, she ran into Luke. Having not seen him since he first started working, she smiled. “Hello, Luke. We’ve met, but I’m sure you’ve met so many people it’s hard to keep their names straight.”

  He nodded, his lips barely quirking in an almost-not-there smile. “Yes, Ma’am. I remember you. It’s nice to see you again, Chief Freeman.”

  He didn’t give the impression that he had a desire to continue the conversation, so she simply nodded and wished him well. Walking out of the jail, she glanced at the time and smiled. Her day was over, and she could go home and get ready for her date, hoping nothing untoward was going to interrupt again.

  Driving home, she thought about the previous evening. Surprised when Dylan had kissed her, she had to admit the kisses from last night were so much more than what she’d remembered from years before. Were we so very different back then? Snorting, she knew the answer. While she was not closed off to love, she certainly guarded her heart more since then.

  And Dylan? While he’d earned a reputation as a flirt, she hadn’t heard his name associated with any one woman. And he’d certainly shown the residents of Seaside that he was more than capable of leading their police force.

  An hour later, she stood in front of her mirror, filled with a sense of déjà vu. Her hair was styled, her makeup light, and the green wrap dress was once again showcasing her figure. She had thought about changing into an outfit Dylan hadn’t seen, but he’d requested she wear the dress she was going to wear on their original date.

  Glancing at the clock, it was almost time for him to arrive and she hoped the feelings of déjà vu would come to an end. But, knowing that anything could happen in their job, she hated the idea of another evening spent pacing in her living room, wondering if he was going to come.

  A knock on the door jolted her out of her musings, and she rushed from her bathroom, through her bedroom, and to the front door. Throwing it open, she smiled at the sight. Standing in front of her, fresh from a shower, wearing navy slacks and a collared shirt with the sleeves rolled over his forearms, Dylan grinned as he pressed a riot-of-colors bouquet into her hands.

  Unable to keep from squealing, she buried her nose as she inhaled the flowers’ delicate scent. Lifting her eyes to catch his gaze, she smiled. “You didn’t have to bring me flowers, but this is so nice. Come on in.” She turned and led him inside, going directly to the kitchen to get a vase. Filling it with water, she arranged the stems, thrilled with the simple gift.

  Turning, she found him right behind her. His hands encircled her waist as her arms lifted to place her fingers around his neck. And in a movement that seemed so natural, she lifted on her toes as he bent, and their lips met. He kept the kiss short and light. She smiled as he lifted his lips from hers and gently kissed the end of her nose.

  “I’ve been thinking of doing that all day,” he said. “In fact, it’s the only thing that got me through this day… hoping that I’d be lucky enough to kiss you again.”

  “I’ve thought about this all day, too,” she confessed. “As I was getting ready, I felt a little foolish putting on the same outfit from last night—”

  “No, you look exactly the way I wanted you to look. You were so beautiful when I arrived last night, and I hated to disappoint you. Of course, our evening was salvaged in the end, thanks to you. But I wanted to arrive tonight and see you in the green dress, and in my mind, I could pretend that it was our original date.”

  She shook her head in emphasis and said, “No, I think it’s better that this isn’t our original date. Last night was great, Dylan. We relaxed. We laughed. We talked. We shared more about each other. We’re not the same people we were when we first met four years ago, and even though we know so much about each other, I think it was nice to just have some alone time to learn more.”

  His arms had stayed encircled around her, pulling her tighter, and he rested his chin on the top of her head. With her cheek pressed to his chest, she felt his words rumble from deep inside.

  “That means more to me than you can know. The truth is, Hannah, I loved last night, too.” He took her by the arms and gently pushed her back, kissing her lightly once again.

  “Are we still going to Manteague for dinner tonight?”

  “Your chariot awaits,” he said, waving his hand toward the front door.

  She secured her house and followed him outside, seeing a new SUV parked next to her smaller one. “Whose vehicle is this?”

  “It’s mine. I use the old truck when I’m just running around, but a few months ago, I bought this. I wanted to have something to use when the old junker wasn’t right. This is what I would’ve come in last night if I hadn’t just come from the fishing boat.” He beeped the locks and assisted her into the passenger side.

  As he walked around to the driver’s door, she sniffed the new-car scent in appreciation. The drive to Manteague did not take long, and once there, they were ushered to a corner table, a spectacular view out the window before them.

  She scanned the horizon and smiled. “I see the water often, but with Easton being landlocked, it’s not an everyday occurrence unless I’m out running. Since you work at Seaside, you get this view every day.”

  “I do love the view, but with the marshes and the barrier islands, it’s not like I’m staring out directly onto ocean waves,” he admitted. “I love it because it’s what I know but also love the beaches on the bay side of the Eastern Shore.

  They continued their light conversation after ordering drinks, and once the libations were placed on the table, Dylan lifted his beer and said, “To us. Good food, a beautiful woman, and… well… us.”

  She laughed and nodded. Lifting her wine glass, she agreed, “To us.”

  As soon as the plates of seafood were delivered, they dug in, moans of appreciation taking the place of conversation. Finally, leaning back, she sighed. “This is a nice restaurant. I’ve never been here before.”

  “I didn’t want to go anywhere in Seaside or Easton. For that matter, I didn’t want to go anywhere in Baytown.”

  “Thank you! It is nice to get out of the towns we live and work in.”

  “Mitch told me about this place.”

  She fiddled with the stem of her wine glass for a moment, turning that information over in her head. “Did he know why you were asking about a restaurant?” She stared at her glass before lifting her gaze to his.

  “Do you mean did he know who I was going to dinner with?”

  She sucked in her lips and nodded.

  His brow furrowed as he admitted, “Yes. I told him that I was taking you out to dinner. Was that okay?”

  “Yeah… yeah. I guess it will seem a little weird at first.”

  “I don’t know why. Our friends have all been trying to get me to ask you out for years.”

  Eyes wide, her chin jerked back slightly. “You’re kidding!”

  Shaking his head, he laughed. “Nope. Everybody thinks you’re wonderful, and I guess I wasn’t good at hiding the fact that I really like you. I believe their comments have been more of the variety of ‘When are you going to get your head out of your ass and ask her out?’”

  Closing her eyes, she dropped her chin while shaking her head. “Oh, my God.”

  “Don’t be embarrassed. You’re incredibly liked and respected in this whole area. By the other people in law enforcement. By your townspeople. Your friends. Believe me, the pressure is on me not to fuck anything up.”

  She jerked her head back up and held his gaze, seeing a bit of insecurity sneaking through his eyes. “There’s no pressure, Dylan. We are who we are, and that’s all we can be. Our friendship is between us, not everyone else on the Shore.”

  His smile quirked up on one side. “I agree. But I have to ask… are we just friends?”

  “Well, considering I don’t kiss my friends like I was kissing you earlier, I’d say we were mor
e.”

  Now it was his turn to throw his head back and laugh. “I’ve got to tell you, I don’t kiss any of my friends like that, either.”

  Their check came, and he paid for the meal while she slipped off to the ladies’ room. Staring into the mirror, she touched up her lip gloss. Holding her gaze in the reflection, she sucked in a deep breath. You’ve got this, girl. He’s the man you remembered plus the man you’ve gotten to know. Whatever happens, you’re ready.

  On the drive back to her house, the interior of his SUV crackled with electricity. She almost expected to see the white-blue currents bolting between them. When she’d gotten back to the table, he’d escorted her outside, his hand resting on the lower part of her back, his fingertips branding her skin through her clothing. But now he was quiet, his hands gripping the steering wheel. Wondering if she had misread where their date might end up, she stayed silent as well.

  Parking in front of her bungalow, he turned toward her and opened his mouth, then snapped it closed, a crinkle forming between his brows.

  “Would you like to come in?” she blurted, both hopeful he would and strangely afraid he wouldn’t.

  The air left his lungs in a rush, and his shoulders relaxed. “Yeah, I’d love that.”

  Walking past the front porch, shutting down memories of their kiss last night, she led him inside. Kicking off her shoes, she padded into her kitchen on bare feet, grabbing a couple of beers from the refrigerator. When she turned around, she noticed him still standing just inside the door.

  “Come on in, and make yourself at home.”

  As soon as they settled on the sofa, she blurted, “You’re acting odd, Dylan. What are you thinking?”

  He leaned forward, his forearms resting on his knees, his hands clasped in front of him but his head turned, keeping his gaze on her. “I had a really good time tonight.”

  Not having any idea where he was going, she simply swallowed and nodded.

  “I don’t want to make this weird for you,” he continued. “I know you’ve worked hard to earn the respect of everyone in the community.”