Page 16 of Broken Bodyguard

I could already imagine him breezing through open air markets in Ecuador, wearing sunglasses as he smiled into the sun on a coastal beach. “You’ve got the best job.”

“It has its perks.”

“I’d say more than perks. What did you tell me during Jordan and Seven’s Christmas party? That you’d been to LA, Paris, Miami, and London all within six months last year?”

“That’s right.” His gaze made that dangerous trek from my face down my body again, as though sizing me up. Deep inside, I hoped it was a precursor to him tossing me over his shoulder. But the faintest whiff of that thought had my logical side swooping in.

Starting something with a bachelor like him is the last thing you should do.

Last year it had been LA, Paris, Miami, and London. This year, it was New York, Kentucky, Ecuador…and where else? The year had barely begun, and he was three pins deep into the world map already. I just needed to enjoy this weird version of a ‘getaway’ for what it was: a temporary pause on real life. A chance to regroup.

“You’re going to have a good time in Ecuador. You’ll have to send me a postcard,” I told him, trying to close the door on the part of my mind that wanted to believe I might be able to see him beyond this time in the woods. I walked toward Grace, who was finishing her drawing. “Now let’s get ready to go for a drive.” I tickled her sides, ready to clear my head with a trip to town. She giggled, then pushed her crayons aside.

“This for you!” She held up her sheet of paper, proudly displaying the multi-color scribbles that loosely resembled a snowman.

“Oh, Grace. Are you for real?” Troy took the paper gingerly, looking genuinely touched. “This is incredible. You drew this all yourself?”

Grace nodded shyly, burrowing into my side.

“I’m gonna keep this forever. Thank you.” Troy took it to the fridge and stuck it behind a Kentucky-shaped magnet. “We’ll keep it here for now so I can see it all the time.”

Grace grinned up at me, her eyes twinkling. I could tell they were on their way to becoming best friends.

Once I had a mug of underwhelming instant coffee, I ushered Grace into the bedroom so we could get dressed to go shopping. Once she was in some cute leopard print leggings and her favorite pink sweater, I changed into my own matching mommy outfit: leopard print leggings and a camel colored sweatshirt. I’d always wanted to do the matchy-matchy thing with my daughter and here we were. It wasglorious.

When we emerged from the bedroom, Troy was shrugging on his dark coat. His eyes widened.

“I don’t think I’ve seen anything cuter in my life,” he said.

“There’s more where this came from,” I warned him. “I’ve been waiting to match my daughter since before she was born. I think I packed about six matching outfits on top of everything else I brought along.”

We shrugged on our coats and headed out into the crisp morning. Our boots crunched over the frosty gravel, breath coming out in comical puffs in front of us. The trip into town held the same edge of wonder that I’d expect on a vacation—everything felt new, exciting, slightly foreign even though we were barely an hour away from my parents’ house. Like I was waking up and seeing the world for the first time after so many years of barely absorbing my surroundings.

The store we shopped at was cute but stuffy, a side-of-the-road outpost packed full of the essentials, a meat stand, and a very small vegetable cooler. Grace picked out a banana and another pack of crayons as part of her haul, while Troy and I loaded up on veggies, rotisserie chicken, and coffee. At the counter, Troy blocked my path as I angled to get closer with my wallet out. I couldn’t hold in the laughter as he blocked my hands no matter which way I tried to come at the register.

“You’re not paying,” he informed me.

“You really don’t have to foot the bill.”

“I don’t have to, but I am.”

Once we’d checked out, Grace wiggled her fingers at Troy, urging him to pick her up.

Troy blinked down at her. “What’s that?”

“She wants you to carry her.” I tried to hide my smile. Grace had warmed up to him fast—not just here at the cabin, but during the Christmas party last month as well.

Grace hopped excitedly in front of him. “Toy, pick me up!”

She loved making new friends, but I couldn’t help but think she liked how big and strong Troy was too.

Same, girl.

“Oh my God, if that doesn’t just melt my heart.” He picked her up easily, holding her in his left arm as he scooped up the rest of the bags from the counter with his free hand.

“You need a hand?” I asked him, following behind as we headed for the front doors with the jingle bell on it. He still had a slight limp that I could tell he was trying to hide, the stubborn man. I slipped my phone out of my purse, snapping a quick picture of the scene in front of me. His broad back, Grace’s too-cute-to-handle pigtails, all the bags dangling from his right hand.

“I got it,” he said, but I darted in front of him to open the backdoor to the Jeep.

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