Perfect Protector

by Lauren Wood

  I thought that he would be happy I was looking into the threats more, but that wasn’t the case. He was almost mad at me about it and it made me wonder why.

  I didn't think about the conversation with Michael again until about two weeks later. He had come up to see me three times since the Disneyland fiasco and I knew it was because he was worried. I was worried too, but then all of that changed.

  Michael's actions started to make a lot more sense and their intent had a more sinister feeling to it. That bothered me, because when the detective called and told me who the hang-up calls that I was getting late in the night the last couple of weeks were coming from, it started to make sense. I would have been happier to stay confused.

  “Now I know that this might come as a shock to you, but we checked into your ex-husband’s identification. His phone sent those calls. We started to cross-reference him with the threatening mail as well. The handwriting is very similar to his. It wouldn't be much of a stretch to think that he had written the letters. Maybe the hang up calls was another way to scare you.”

  The detective was so matter-of-fact and he was telling me information that was a bit complicated to try and process. I wouldn’t have ever dreamed that it was Michael. He had helped me so much. How could he do that, scare me and threaten our daughter?

  “How sure are you?”

  If he wasn’t completely sure, there was no way that I could go to Michael with this. I had to know for sure. It was a lot to accuse somebody of and be wrong. It was hard for me to take him seriously.

  “Ma'am, I am so sure that I have already arrested him, and he has already confessed. I just want to touch base with you, because I would imagine this would take a lot off your mind.”

  I was sort of stunned.

  “You already arrested him?”

  He agreed that he had, and I asked him if there was any way that I could take away the charges.

  “No, miss. A threat is a threat and considering that he threatened his own kid, I wouldn't be so lenient on him.”

  “I think that he wanted us to get back together.”

  “This sort of activity is done by people that are not going to take no for an answer. Maybe you should think about that.”

  He was warning me, and I assured the detective that he didn't have to. Michael and I were through, had been for a while.

  “We are divorced and I'm done with my life. But he is my daughter’s father. I don't want him to be in prison.”

  “He will most likely get a little bit of jail time and be put on probation. If he does what he is supposed to do, he can be out of this in a couple of years. You can make note of your wish for leniency when he goes to court. I'm sure that you're going to have to testify.”

  He gave me a lot more information that didn't even really get through, with everything that was going on inside of me right now. I didn't know what to say. I didn't know what to do and when he hung up finally, I was still holding the receiver until I heard a knock at the door. I put the phone down and saw it was Harvey.

  “I didn't realize you were on the phone. Do you want me to come back?”

  “No, no. It's over now.”

  I was sort of dazed and he looked at me a little strangely.

  “What’s over?”

  “This. All this worry. That was the police. They found out who was doing it.”

  “That's great. Who was it? Is it somebody that you know?”

  I laughed at the question. The sound was bitter, even to my own ears.

  “It was Michael. They just arrested him a little while ago. He's been doing all of those dropped calls and letters. It was all him the whole time.”

  Even saying it out loud seemed so surreal. I couldn't believe that it was true. “How does Michael do this?”

  I looked up at Harvey and I was thankful that he wasn’t looking smug. I don’t think I could take it. He was right the whole time. There was something off about Michael.

  Instead of saying anything, he came around the desk and hugged me to him. I sighed loudly. It was all that I needed right now. I don’t know what I was going to do next, how I was going to tell Anna, but for now, I didn’t have to think about any of it. Not when I was in Harvey’s arms. Nothing could get me here.

  The conversation with Anna was one of the hardest parts of it all. I knew that she loved Michael and he was a good father to her. It wasn’t fair that she was to be hurt because of what was going on between me and Michael. It didn’t seem fair.

  She took it as well as could be expected. She had the saddest look in her eyes, and it killed me to see her that way. I wanted to wash it all away, make everything better, but it was an impossible feat. There was too much to go against that right now. Whatever was going on though, I reassured her that I wasn’t going anywhere and we would visit him as much as we could.

  It seemed to settle her some, but it was going to be a long road. I was actually thankful that my parents lived close because she needed to be surrounded with extra love.

  I was even happier to find out that Heather was back in town for a while. She was an old friend, used to be my best friend and to see her happy, gave me hope that I could have the same. I wanted to think that her happiness would somehow rub off on me. I knew which man I wanted, but moving on after so many betrayals felt impossible.

  “I’m telling you Ellie, you just have to go for it. Love doesn’t come very often, so if you find it, you have to grab it and never let go.”

  I had never heard her speak so passionately about anything. Her husband and their children had changed her. I had the same changes coming my way. I just knew it and I wanted to tell her.

  “I did grab it Heather, and guess what?”

  “What?”

  “I’m pregnant.”

  It was the first time that I’d said it out loud. I hadn’t told Harvey, or even Anna yet. I was still too worried that it was going to be too much for her to handle, considering everything going on with her dad.

  It was nice to finally be able to get it out. I wanted her to see that everything was going to be fine, to assure me of it as well. It had worked out for her, this love thing, why couldn’t it work out for me and Harvey as well?

  “That’s great Ellie. That’s so great!”

  She hugged me and I knew that she was right. It was great.

  20

  Harvey

  Two Months Later

  “You look nervous, boss.”

  I smiled at Joseph and agreed. I was beyond nervous and it wasn’t because I was working on the biggest deal of my career. It had nothing to do with that at all. I wasn’t worried about money. I certainly had enough of it.

  My thoughts were skewed because tonight was the night I had been waiting for. It was still nerve-wracking to think about it, but I knew that I must.

  “I am nervous. Joseph.”

  “Why?”

  “Tonight, I am going to ask Ellie to marry me.”

  “Is that why you’re going to the kid’s place on 3rd? I made the reservations you know. I don’t know if that is the sort of place that you would take a woman to ask such an important question.”

  “Well, it’s not just for Ellie. Anna is going to be there as well. I want to know how she feels about me adopting her. We’ve already talked about me asking her mom to marry me. Now I am going to adopt her as well, once Ellie says yes.”

  Joseph smiled and I asked him why he was looking at me that way.

  “I told you so.”

  I sighed, but I couldn’t be mad. He had been right and I should give props where they are due. If it wasn’t for Joseph, there was no way that I would have met her most likely.

  “You’re right. She is perfect for me. Now we just have to find someone perfect for you.”

  He waved me off, but I knew that he wouldn’t mind finding his own Ellie. He was always going to work here, under me, but that wasn’t what he needed. I felt like since he had done me such a favor, I wanted to do the same for him. I knew how it had to
be done.

  “I hate to do this Joseph, but it’s the only way.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  I steeled myself for how it was going to feel. I knew that it wasn’t going to feel good.

  “You’re fired.”

  Joseph looked at me and his mouth was gaped open. That wasn’t something that he wanted to hear. He wanted to hear that I was joking, but it wasn’t true.

  “You’re firing me?! Why the hell are you doing that?”

  “Because I think it’s what’s for the best.”

  He whipped around, straightening out the hair that flew into his face. “How the hell is that for the best.”

  “Calm down, Joseph. You need to chill out. You’re taking it the wrong way.”

  He wasn’t going to calm down, so I had to get it going.

  “If you are working as my assistant, then you won’t be able to take a new job that has opened up. You’re too good to be my assistant and you know it. We’re friends, but it’s time for you to work for me in a different capacity. I want to give you a raise, Joseph.”

  He grinned and then slapped me on the chest rather hard.

  “You asshole! I thought that you were really firing me!”

  “I know, but you freaked out so bad, so I didn’t get to enjoy it for long.”

  Joseph was out of words and I smiled after a minute, when he came in for a hug. He wasn’t very touchy-feely, but today he was.

  “I can't thank you enough, Harvey. You have been a damn good boss.”

  “Don't you at least want to know what the job is first?”

  He shook his head and said that he didn't. “Whatever it is, sounds good to me.”

  I took Anna and Ellie out on one of my yachts because Anna loved the water. She loved it so much so that I told her multiple times, that she must be a fish. There was even a pool that she could swim in on deck and that was all the little girl needed to be happy.

  It helped that Anna knew what was coming next. She felt like she was part of the conspiracy and it helped to make everything better. I felt like since she was on my side, I had a better chance of Ellie telling me yes. That's all I wanted to hear. I was almost sure that she would say yes, but there was still a part of me that did not know.

  “This is really nice, Harvey. Thanks for taking us out here. You know how much Anna loves the water.”

  “It's nothing, Ellie. I just wanted us to have a nice night together. It will start getting cold soon and we will have to travel if we want warmer weather.”

  She laughed. “I don't know how much travel I have in my future. Except to the jail.”

  I stopped her. “Let's not talk about this right now. We can talk about that later. Right now, I want to talk about us.”

  “Us?”

  “Yes. What are we going to do with us?”

  She shrugged. “Do we really have to put a name to it? Why can't we just be?”

  I can honestly say, that that was not the answer I was looking for. I wanted her to suggest something along the lines of what I was about to suggest. It would have taken some of the heat off of me asking her, if she was already thinking about the same thing. It wouldn’t have bothered me then to just lay it out there. Now I found myself stalling.

  “I think that we should probably put a name on it.”

  “And what sort of name would that be?”

  “Husband and wife.”

  She repeated it back to me and then kind of laughed a little bit. Or maybe it was more of a scarf. Either way, I was not too happy about the way she was acting. She thought I was joking, but I certainly was not. There was nothing funny about the next few moments.

  “Yes, Ellie, husband and wife. I love you and I want you to marry me.”

  “You're serious?”

  “Is that so hard to imagine?”

  “Actually, it is kind of hard to imagine. We have not known each other that long.”

  “But we’ve already been through so much together. All I know is, that whatever it is that is coming next, I want to be by your side for it. There is nowhere else I would rather be, than with you and Anna. I want us to be a family.”

  She paused and then she had the barest hint of a grin.

  “I think I should tell you something before I answer you.”

  That threw me off-guard, but I agreed. I wanted to know what it was she was talking about. Why was I to be told before? My mind started racing with ideas and I silently begged her to put me out of my misery.

  “Well, I am pregnant, Harvey.”

  It took a moment for the words to finally register in my mind. As much as I wanted to believe that I wasn’t really hearing it right, I was. She was pregnant. With my child… This was a lot and I pulled her to me. The touch of her skin calmed me, centered me somehow, and assured me that everything was going to be okay.

  I pulled away to study her face. It was a face that I loved and I could see her tearing up.

  “Why are you sad?”

  “Because you’re so happy.”

  “Then what is your answer?”

  “You already know what it is. Of course I will marry you. I love you Harvey, and I don’t know what I would do, where I would be, without you.”

  She kissed me again and this time it was full of passion. As much as I didn’t want to, I pulled back. I had the wherewithal to remember that we aren’t alone. Ellie looked at me questioningly and I told her not to worry about it.

  “We have to tell her Harvey, see how she feels about it. She has to have her say.”

  “Anna has already had her said. She agrees. I also want to adopt her, but I thought that was something we would discuss and then we could talk to her together with it. I am not trying to replace Michael. I know he is always going to be her dad, but for the next few years while he is away, she needs someone to be there. I want to be that man. I will protect you both, with every breath I take.”

  She was misty-eyed again and her lips found mine.

  “How did I ever find you, Harvey? I didn’t think I would ever love again, but here you are. Perfect.”

  We both forgot our surroundings for a moment and kissed. It was everything that I felt. After my wife died, I never thought I would feel again. I knew that it was over for me.

  Little did I know, that it was just going to take one woman. It was all I needed.

  I hope you enjoyed PERFECT PROTECTOR! If you did, I would love if you could leave a review HERE to help other readers find it.

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  Turn Your Page

  Perfect Chaperone (Excerpt)

  My new boss is also my accidental husband.

  * * *

  A week-long girls’-trip before my new job starts. How can I say no?

  It’s just a week. What could go wrong?

  * * *

  Short answer:

  Everything.

  Add in a bad boy next-door neighbor I had a crush on as a chaperone, too many shots, and you have chaos.

  Casper knew my weakness and used it to his advantage.

  All night long.

  Then come regrets.

  Accidental marriage.

  And a ring to prove it, with a piece of paper the next morning.

  It gets worse.

  He’s also my boss now.

  * * *

  But what will he think when he finds out about our secret baby?

  * * *

  ***

  * * *

  Chapter One

  Heather

  I had just gotten the call that was going to change my life forever. I was almost six months out of college and things had been looking lean. I put in my application with Razor Industries right when I got out of school. They were the biggest software company in the area, and it was right down my alley.


  They never called though. Months went by, and I started sending resumes further and further away. I wanted to stay close and help my mom out as she got older, but the only job I could find was a hundred miles away in Chicago. I wanted to do something else, but I finally gave up on the idea of finding something close.

  A week before I was supposed to leave, Razor Industries’ HR department called me out of the blue. I had an interview later in the day, and now I started there in a week. It was everything that I wanted and more. I was so excited and of course, the first person I wanted to tell was Ellie. She was my best friend, and we’d really thought that we were going to have to see each other far less.

  Ellie just got back from her honeymoon with her new husband. They seemed to be pretty happy, so it wasn’t like she would have been able to come with me. Now she didn’t have to and instead of going home, I went to her house first. I knew that there would be coffee and congratulations waiting for me.

  When I got there, I heard fighting when I walked up, and I was a little surprised by the volume. I had never heard Ellie and Michael argue, so it was strange to hear it now. It threw me off so much, I didn’t know what to do. I just kind of stood there with indecision. Was I supposed to knock? I didn’t want to interrupt something. Maybe I should call…

  I was about to turn around and go to my car and get my phone. Maybe a text would help me gauge if I should say I’m here. But then the door opened, and Michael came out. He was red-faced and something was going on. He made a scoffing sound and told me that I needed to talk to Ellie.