Page 2 of Renard's Deliverance

That’s the reason.

“Don’t lie to me, Opal,” Alec said quietly. “I won’t take that. What’s the real reason?”

Well hell.

It wasn’t fair that the man could read her so easily.

“I moved in here to make sure that you were treating Ryleigh and Kye right, to help protect them. But they’re both good now and they have all of you.”

“That doesn’t mean they don’t need you.”

“I know that and I’m not going far. Just figured it’s time to be on my own. I haven’t really lived on my own before.”

He eyed her for a long moment. “Do you think you’ll be happy living on your own?”

“Only one way to find out, isn’t there?” she countered with a grin. “There’s no reason I can’t, is there?”

If he tried to stop her . . . well, there would be hell to pay.

And he also wouldn’t be the man she had thought he was.

Jeez. The man certainly had a penetrating stare.

But Opal had learned how to fake it with the best of them and she kept her worries hidden deep down where he couldn’t see them.

“You know that women in Haven need a guardian.”

“I do. The sheriff can do it, right?”

“The sheriff won’t be acting as your guardian. Christ, I’d have a fucking rebellion on my hands. Jake in charge of a Malone woman.” Alec shook his head.

It was unexpected.

And she had to work hard to keep from showing how his words affected her. She cleared her throat. “I’m not a Malone.”

“You might not have the name, but you’re one of us, Opal,” Alec told her. “You’re our family because you are Ryleigh and Lilac’s family. And if there’s one thing that I hope you’ve learned about me it’s that I take the protection of my family seriously. And that includes you.”

“Do I get a say in this?” she demanded.

This time she got a definite smile. “Nope.”

“That’s what I figured,” she muttered. “Not sure I can cope with being a Malone. Seems to require a certain level of crazy.”

“It does. I think you’re fitting right in.”

“Nice backhanded compliment,” she told him dryly.

“Being a Malone comes with some rules.”

“Have you told your younger brothers that?”

“They know the rules when it comes to their women. And, like I said, they’ve calmed down. I haven’t had to post bail in months.”

“You sound sad about that.”

He pointed at her sternly. “Don’t get any ideas. Now, Tanner wanted to have this talk with you, and I told him this was on me. If you’d rather have this chat with him, though . . .”

She shook her head. “Rather not have it at all.”

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