Page 30 of Secret Stalker

A quick glance at the street confirmed that one of the bodyguards that he’d hired to keep an eye on her was sitting in his car at the curb. He must have seen Max’s truck outside and figured she’d be safe inside.

About five inches shorter than Monica, without the stilettos, Bex had lush, dark-brown hair that fell just past her shoulders. And even though he couldn’t see them this far away, he knew her eyes were an incredible sky blue that could darken like a storm whenever she was mad. Or when she was writhing beneath him in passion.

He frowned and shoved that dangerous memory far away. It wouldn’t do to dwell on the past. He’d done enough of that yesterday. Seeing her go into that barn where they’d first made love had brought up all kinds of memories he didn’t want to deal with again. He’d thought they’d been locked away somewhere tight all this time, or were gone altogether. And yet it had only taken one trip to a ramshackle barn to bring them all back again.

Who was he kidding?

Those feelings had been dredged up the moment he’d seen her standing at the deli counter at the Piggly Wiggly, her dark hair reaching past her shoulders. When he’d rounded the end of the aisle, the shock of seeing her had nearly driven him to his knees. But even though his mind ordered him to stop, turn around, get out of the store before she saw him, his body had other ideas.

His legs had continued to carry him forward like a starving man drawn to an incredible bounty that would either save him or destroy him. He’d been fighting his insane attraction to her ever since. And when he’d followed her into the barn, heard the tears in her voice, the hurt that he’d caused, he’d been lost. He hadn’t wanted to leave her there. He hadn’t been lying when he said he was worried about her. But at the same time, he knew that if he’d stood there even a second more, he’d have dragged her to the ground and made love to her.

He scrubbed his jaw and shoved the coffee cup away just as Bex walked inside. And just like when Monica had come in earlier, everyone looked to the front. But unlike earlier, Bex’s entrance was met with greetings and smiles and a few hugs. There might be a cloud over her in most parts of town, but the old-timers in this diner seemed to have no concerns about Bex’s past and whether she was guilty of murder. They were greeting her like old friends, or at least, friends of her mother. It was mostly retired folks in here this time of day. The younger crowd was busy making a living.

When Bex reached his booth, he rose and tipped his head.

“Morning, Bex. Everything okay?”

“Just peachy. Except that strange men I don’t know seem to be following me everywhere.” Unlike her predecessor, she kept her voice low so it didn’t carry to the other tables. And the rest of the patrons had turned around to offer them privacy.

“Strange men?” he asked, glancing around.

She waved toward the car parked at the curb. “I assume you hired him to keep an eye on me.”

He let out a deep sigh. So much for the bodyguards being invisible. “Guilty.” He studied her a moment. “You don’t seem angry.” He waved her into the booth and sat across from her.

She shrugged. “Honestly, I was kind of surprised at how easily you backed down when I insisted that I didn’t want anyone keeping an eye on me. I felt pretty silly later for not taking you up on your offer and was going to call someone myself when I spotted one of the men outside my house last night. From his mannerisms, I kind of figured he might be a security guy. But I called the police just to be sure.”

Max waved Sally over, who came bearing a pot of coffee and an extra cup for Bex, along with a menu.

“Thanks, Sally.” Bex smiled. “I appreciate the coffee but I’m really not hungry.”

“Let me know if you change your mind.” Sally hurried to another table to refill their cups.

“I’m surprised I didn’t hear about the call,” Max said. “What happened?”

She ruined her coffee with a liberal amount of cream and sugar. “A uniformed officer came over and checked the guy out, then told me he was a bodyguard of all things. But the guy wouldn’t say who’d hired him. I let it drop, said not to worry about it, that I was pretty sure who was behind him being there. Thanks, Max. I do appreciate you making sure that I’m safe. Especially since my shadow isn’t a cop.”

“Ouch.”

She winced. “Sorry. No offense. I don’t hold it against you that you’re a police officer.”

He smiled. “Gee. Thanks. I feel so much better now.”

She smiled back, then her smile faded. “I can reimburse you for whatever costs—”

“No.”

She sighed. “I figured you’d say that. If you change your mind—”

“I won’t.”

“As stubborn as ever I see,” she said.

“One of the many things we have in common.”

Her bubble of laughter had several people looking at them, smiling as well, before returning to their meals. He couldn’t help smiling, too. Seeing Bex looking happy was too contagious not to have him feeling lighter inside. Her eyes danced with merriment and it was as if all the years between them had never passed. This was the Bex he remembered, the Bex he’d loved.

“What are you thinking about?” he asked.

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