Page 5 of Securing His Family

“I’ll follow you.”

“Sounds good.” Lauren collected her things and then made her way out. Tabitha was standing behind the counter fiddling with the till. “Oh darn, I should be doing that.” She rushed over ready to finish closing out the day, the task she’d been doing when Patrick had turned up and disrupted everything.

It was Tabitha’s day off, she should be spending it with her husband, not finishing jobs that were Lauren’s responsibility.

“It’s fine, Lauren. You go get Charlee. I can finish up here.”

Lauren chewed her bottom lip, needing to see her daughter for herself that she was safe, but also Tabitha had given her a chance when she’d needed a job and she didn’t want to let the other woman down. “Are you sure?”

Tabitha grabbed her hands and squeezed. “Very. Now go.”

Knowing it was pointless trying to argue with her boss, Lauren gave her a quick hug. “Thank you.”

“Always. And,” Tabitha pulled back and looked Lauren in the eyes, “I want you to know that whatever you need, whenever you need it, we’ll be here for you. We’re family.”

After having her own parents kick her out because of the decisions she’d made, Lauren had forged her own path. She’d created a little world that was hers and Charlee’s. But it had been lonely. There had been times when she’d needed help and there hadn’t been anyone around that she could call on. Hearing Tabitha tell her that she wasn’t alone anymore meant the world to her.

Reed had suggested the same as well, but she hadn’t wanted to listen. Refusing to believe that she could be a part of the community that Tabitha had married into. A community that Lauren yearned to be a part of, and now she was.

“Thank you for saying that.”

All through her conversation with Tabitha, Lauren was aware of Reed standing off to the side. Steve was beside him. The two men silent sentinels ready to spring into action if needed—like Reed had done without question when she’d needed him. Like he was about to do now.

Lauren met Reed’s eyes. “Ready?”

“Yes.”

She nodded and headed for the door, Reed falling into step beside her, his hand rested just above the small of her back. A touch Lauren liked far too much.

ChapterThree

Reed followed behind Lauren’s car, his head swiveling from his review mirror to side mirror, making sure they weren’t being followed. Thankfully Patrick had gotten the message and left. Although that wasn’t going to be the last time they saw him, Reed was sure of that. There’d been a determination in Patrick’s eyes that Reed hadn’t liked. It was almost as if it didn’t matter what Lauren said or did, he was going to get what he wanted and that appeared to be Charlee.

From what Steve had said to him before they’d returned inside the café, Tabitha didn’t know too much about Lauren’s life prior to her coming to work for her. All he’d said was that Lauren had been inexperienced but eager, and Tabitha had decided to take a chance on her. A decision that had proven to be beneficial to them both.

It had taken everything in Reed not to call Wilt, Power Security’s computer guru, the second he got into the car and ask him to do a background search on Lauren. What stopped him was he didn’t want Lauren to think him untrustworthy. He wanted her to know that she could count on him. That he would always be there when, and if, she needed him. Like today. Like right now. She hadn’t even argued when he said that he would follow her.

He slowed his vehicle and parked on the road as Lauren pulled into the driveway of a two-story house. As she got out of the car, she glanced over to where he was, holding up her hand in acknowledgement and mouthedfive minutes. He nodded and drummed his fingers on the steering wheel while scanning the area to make sure it was still safe. The street was quiet, and there were no cars heading in his direction or coming up behind him.

His phone pinged with an incoming message. He grabbed it and saw it was from Wilt.

Wilt

Heard there was some drama at Tabby’s. Need me to do anything?

Again the temptation to get Wilt to use his skills to give Reed the answers he wanted welled up, but he ignored it. However, there was nothing stopping him from getting Wilt to check into Patrick. Find out who the guy was. Where he was from and where he’d been the last few years since Charlee was born.

Reed

Yeah, can you look into a guy named Patrick Stringer. Don’t know anything else but he was the guy who harassed Lauren. He’s also Charlee’s father.

Writing that last sentence didn’t sit well with Reed. Charlee deserved a father who was much better than her biological one.

Someone like you?

Reed ignored his inner voice, even though there was an element of truth to it. He’d been captivated by Lauren from the moment he’d seen her when he’d installed the camera system at Tabitha’s old café. She hadn’t looked at him. In fact, had gone out of her way to avoid any contact with him. The fact she hadn’t argued with him and his declaration that they were engaged indicated how much Patrick’s appearance had affected her.

Would Lauren look his way when she came out with Charlee?

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