Page 189 of Cowboys & Navy SEALs

“Hey,” Corbin clipped.

Maddox’s pulse jumped up a beat. “Has Delaney had the baby?” During his visit the day before, he could tell that Corbin was worried about her delivering too early. If she’d gone into labor this soon, it could be precarious for the baby.

“No, not yet. Thankfully, the medicine seems to be controlling her blood pressure.”

“Good. I’m glad Delaney and the baby are okay. What’s up?”

Slight pause. “I’m calling to ask a favor.”

“You got it. What can I do for you?” Maddox and Corbin had first met when they were both in the SEALs. Even though they were never in the same platoon, their paths kept crossing. They hit it off instantly and became fast friends. When Corbin married Delaney, another connection was added to their friendship. Like Maddox, Delaney was from Alabama. Also, Maddox was a big fan of Delaney’s music, listening to it long before he’d ever met her. Now that Maddox was working for Sutton Smith’s security company—same as Corbin—the two were closer than ever.

“Addie’s house was broken into last night. She’s in trouble. I need you to protect her. I’d go, but I can’t leave Delaney right now.”

The air left Maddox’s lungs. The urge to get to Addie was all-consuming.

“I can’t get this stinking thing off,” Felicity complained from the dressing room stall. “I hate this putrid thing! Maddox, help!”

He moved the phone away from his mouth. “Just a minute.”

Felicity countered with a string of complaints, but Maddox ignored her, moving to the other side of the dressing room.

He turned his attention back to the conversation. “What’s going on?” As Corbin gave him the rundown, his muscles tensed. If anyone dared to hurt Addie, he’d shred him to pieces.

“I spoke to Sutton. He’s going to check into Jordan Phelps. Sutton’s getting a plane ready for you.”

Maddox calculated the time it would take to drop Felicity off and then gather his things. “I can be wheels up in less than two hours.”

Chapter Four

Addie felt like a zombie as she went through the motions of taking care of the Watermill conference. Thankfully, Sadie had picked up the slack, coming through like a champ. When all this was over, she needed to give Sadie more responsibility and a raise.

She glanced at the large stack of unpaid invoices on her desk. Betty Burnell the payroll clerk and part-time bookkeeper handled the actual payment of the invoices, but Addie liked the invoices to cross her desk first, so she could check everything before payment was issued. As manager, the buck stopped with her, and she wanted to make sure she was aware of all taking place on her watch.

Blowing out a long, resigned breath, she settled into her chair and picked up the invoices. She’d go through these and return several phone calls. Tomorrow, Piper and her father Dr. Hamilton Gentry were due to arrive in town. Preparations were underway for the funeral, which would take place next Wednesday, a week from today. Addie planned to talk to Piper about Jordan tomorrow. The home invasion the night before added to her tension, making her eager to speak to Piper inthe hope that she could shed some light on the strange things Jordan had said just before he died.

Thirty minutes later, Addie was done with the invoices and calls. She sat back in her seat, twirling a pen in her fingers, her thoughts going to the break-in at her home. When the police arrived, or rather Sheriff Hendricks with his young deputy in tow, Addie sifted through the wreckage trying to figure out if anything was missing. From what she could tell, nothing had been taken, which made the situation even more puzzling. What had the person or people been looking for? Her room was the worst. Documents, books, magazines, and photos were strewn over the floor. Her clothes and undergarments were removed from her dresser and heaped on the floor like garbage. She felt so violated and vulnerable. Every time she thought of someone going through her things, she felt sick. And it wasn’t just her things, Pops’ too. It was all Addie could do to keep going. What she really wanted was to curl up in a ball and cry.

Tears glistened in her eyes as she swallowed. She still couldn’t believe Jordan was gone. Her stomach growled, reminding her that she’d not eaten breakfast or lunch, and it was two o’clock. The easy thing would be to grab a sandwich at the café. She recoiled at the thought. She couldn’t do it, not while Jordan’s death was fresh on her mind. The café and terrace were the last places Jordan had been. No way could she get a sandwich from the café as she had yesterday. Even if she took it back to her office to eat, it would still be too painful.

She reached for her purse, slinging the strap over her shoulder. She’d run out and grab something. Getting away from the resort would do her good. Despite Corbin’s protests, Addie planned to go home after work and spend a few hours putting her house back together. She assured Corbin that she’d go back to the resort to sleep. She grimaced. Staying at the resort was like being at work 24/7. She gritted her teeth, anger surging throughher. She refused to be cowed by whomever was doing this. Corbin insisted on installing a topnotch security system that he could access on his cell phone. The guys were scheduled to come out tomorrow. As soon as the new system was installed, Addie was going home.

Autumn was Addie’s favorite time of the year. Nothing was more glorious than Birchwood Springs with the splendor of the changing leaves and the snow-capped, hazy blue mountain range in the distance. However, Addie hardly noticed the scenery as she walked to her car and unlocked the door. She stopped, the hair on the back of her neck lifting as she looked around the parking lot. Not another person was in sight, but she felt like someone was watching her. A shiver ran down her spine as she quickly got into her car and locked the door. From the safety of her car, she felt a little bolder as her eyes combed the parking lot.

Nothing.

Maybe she was being paranoid. How could she not be? Jordan had been mowed over in front of the resort. It had taken her a half hour and some fancy talking to ease the water filter exec’s safety concerns. This morning, she’d held a special meeting with the staff, instructing them what to say to ease guest concerns, especially the front desk personnel. Just as Addie feared, many of the guests bombarded the front desk, asking about the hit and run.

Addie clutched the steering wheel with both hands as she drove into the downtown district and turned into a parking space in front of a popular deli. Normally, there were long lines, but with it being after two o’clock, she hoped to be in and out quickly.

As she walked from her car to the deli, her skin crawled with the suspicion that she was being watched. Her pulse throbbed against her neck as she looked around. A young mother, pushinga stroller, came toward her. The woman offered a polite smile and nodded as she passed.

“Hello,” Addie said, pushing out a tight smile. An elderly man and woman were walking arm in arm. The man held a cane, using it for support as they trudged forward.

The wind picked up, cutting through Addie’s lightweight sweater and raising goosebumps over her flesh. She looked up at the leaves on the nearby trees, dancing in the wind, their soft rustle filling the air. Her gaze went to the parked cars. Empty. She scoured the surrounding area, finding nothing amiss. Was she being paranoid because of everything that had happened? Probably.

She folded her arms over her chest, continuing into the deli.

“Welcome to Grater’s. Sit anywhere you’d like,” a short-haired blonde said with a friendly smile.

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