“Are you ready to go shopping, neighbor?” Angelica asked in her sing-songy voice.
“Shopping?” Bethany’s voice sounded flat. “What do you mean?”
“Shopping,” Olivia repeated. “The stores are open and we’re ready. Your hubby offered to drive. Let’s go!”
There was a long moment of silence before Bethany cleared her throat. “Will you give me just one moment?”
Troy felt her glare on the back of his head as she crossed the room. He calmly folded the newspaper and placed it on the table before he looked up to see her standing next to him, an accusing expression on her face.
“What’s this about?” She pointed in the direction of the front door, which was hidden by the staircase. “Are you trying to give me a little taste of my own medicine? I thought we were past this. I surrendered to your witness protection program. I waved the little white flag. What else do you want from me?”
Troy sighed and stood from the table. “Bethany, I’m not trying to do anything except get you out of this house. I know this isn’t exactly your idea of a fun time. You’ve been miserable. I’m just trying to help.”
The frown dissolved from her face. She furrowed her brow and blew a breath out of her mouth. “I mean, I wouldn’t say I’ve been miserable. Sure, I miss my apartment and my friends. I wish I had a job to do, but it hasn’t been terrible. The company hasn’t been too bad...” Her cheeks reddened and she cut her gaze to the floor.
He cocked his head to one side, trying his best to figure this woman out. Here he was, practically handing her the ticket to her momentary freedom, and she was telling him she didn’t mind being stuck in the house. Was she crazy? This was her chance to make a break for it.
He didn’t believe for a second she truly wanted to stay in this house with him. After the incident with the informant, she probably felt nervous about the outside world. That was all. He provided a sense of safety. Nothing more.
He’d drilled that thought into his head every single day since they’d returned to the house. He was a bodyguard and she was the asset. This was a fake marriage. The sparks he thought he’d felt between them had been brought on by the stress of the situation. Nothing was real.
Once this was over, she’d go her way and he’d go his—which hopefully included a big promotion at the bureau. He wouldn’t have any more time to waste thinking about Bethany Reed. As soon as he was out of here, whatever feelings he thought he’d had would soon fade away into the back of his memories.
“You don’t need to worry,” Troy said, taking her by the shoulders and turning her toward the door. “Your bodyguard is coming along. I’ll keep my distance. Make sure you’re safe. But you need to get out of this house before you go crazy. We both do.”
She took a few steps in the direction of the front door and then stopped to look at him. She had a strange expression on her face, as if she wasn’t sure what she wanted to say. “Thanks for doing this for me, Troy.”
He nodded, cutting his gaze toward the newspaper on the table. It wasn’t like it was a big deal. It was his job to think about her.
They loaded into the sedan with Bethany in the passenger seat and their neighbors in the back. Troy didn’t say a word as the ladies tried to pull Bethany into conversations about manicures and style trends and where to get the best lattes. She’d offer her opinions and then go quiet while they chatted away happily.
At one point, Troy looked over at her to see her watching him. Their eyes met and she smiled that gorgeous smile, causing a jolt of nerves to hit him in the stomach. He tore his gaze away, turning his attention back to the road.
They pulled up to the Fashion Outlet mall and the ladies in the back piled out of the car. Before Bethany could reach for her door handle, Troy placed a hand on her arm and stopped her.
“I suggested this place because it’s forty minutes outside of Las Vegas and it’s highly unlikely any of Void’s people would spot you here,” he said, frowning. “But that doesn’t mean we can get careless. I’ll keep my distance today. Let you have your fun. But I still want to keep you within sight at all times.”
Bethany nodded, mirroring his frown. “Are you sure we’ll be safe? What if someone recognizes me?”
“They won’t try anything in a crowded shopping strip. But just in case”—he pulled back his light wind jacket to reveal a gun holster strapped around his chest—“I’ll be ready. Trust me. I will guard you with my life.”
He had no doubt that he would do just that. Bethany was special. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but there was an innocent quality about her that he had to protect. She was a strong, intelligent woman who could frustrate the heck out of him. But at the same time, it already felt like they’d known each other for decades. He’d keep her safe.
She blinked up at him with all the trust and assurance anyone had ever given him. “I know you will, Troy. I’ve never doubted that.”
His heart thumped loudly as she slipped from the vehicle and caught up with Angelica and Olivia who had waited for her. He watched them begin to walk toward the shops and something Angelica said made Bethany throw her head back in laughter. He wished he was close enough to hear the musical quality of her laugh. To see the sparkle in her warm hazel eyes as she smiled.
He shook his head, chasing those thoughts from his head. He was here to do a job. That was it. And he was letting himself get distracted.
Hopping from the sedan, he caught up enough with the ladies to trail them from a distance. They flitted from store to store, coming out with large bags full of stuff that Troy had no doubt would sit in the back of their overstuffed closets until the next shopping spree. Still, he couldn’t complain. Bethany looked like she actually might be having fun.
An hour later, Troy’s stomach began to grumble as the ladies went into the Coach store. There was a pretzel shop just two buildings down, with a red and yellow striped awning. Satisfied that the women would be taking their time browsing the designer purse selection, he made his way swiftly toward the shop and ordered a pretzel smothered in butter and salt. It was just what he needed. Shoving a large chunk into his mouth, he started back toward the store and froze when someone called out his name.
“Jonathon Troy? Is that really you?”
The voice seemed oddly familiar. He turned to see a woman in her early thirties, with long dark hair pulled back into a ponytail. She was pushing a stroller with two young kiddos inside and had another kid trailing shortly behind her. With a brilliant smile, she waved at him and came closer.
“Sarah Weathers?” Troy’s chest constricted with emotion as he recognized the face of his ex-fiancée. It had been years since he’d last seen her getting on a bus back to her home town. “Is that really you?”
“It is!” She pulled him into a hug and then let him go. With a sheepish smile, she flashed her wedding ring at him and laughed. “Except I go by Sarah Naumen now-a-days. Church youth leader, wife, and mother of three. We’re just here visiting friends in the city for the weekend.”
He shook his head and smiled. “Sounds like you got everything you ever wanted, Sarah. I’m so happy for you.”
Maybe there had been a short while when he wouldn’t have felt that way, especially when she first broke his heart. But in hindsight, he knew that their breakup had been a blessing to both of them. They’d both found their own dreams. Even if, at the time, it felt like his whole world was falling apart.
“I did.” She smiled softly. “And you? I don’t think I have to ask if the FBI thing worked out. You were always so driven to succeed. But did you ever meet someone?”
“Nah, it never happened for me.” He felt his throat tighten and was caught off guard by the sudden wave of emotion that swept over him. He thought he’d accepted his permanent single status a long time ago. This new rush of feelings was unexpected and unwelcome. He tried to smile at Sarah and forced a laugh out. “I guess it’s not meant to happen for me. I’m too rough around the edges to love.”
“That�
��s a lie if I ever heard one.” Sarah’s eyes flashed with emotion. She placed a hand on his arm and squeezed. “Troy, I know it’s been a long time since the last time we saw each other, but I can say with certainty that you’re still a wonderful man. That was never a question in our relationship. You deserve to find happiness. And I really hope you find it someday.”
He swallowed and stared into her dark brown eyes. The attraction they’d once had was long gone, but there was a kinship that still connected the two of them. Once upon a time, Sarah had known him better than anyone in the world. The fact that she still believed he was a good man and worthy of finding love made his heart surge.
“I hope we meet again, someday,” Sarah said, dropping her hand from his arm. She smiled fondly at him before grabbing the stroller. “It was good to see you.”
“You, too,” he answered softly. “Goodbye, Sarah.”
He watched her trail off into the crowds, his head spinning. Of all the times to run into an old flame. He’d mentioned Sarah to Bethany just two weeks ago. It was as if the very mention of her name had pulled the two of them together once again.
He was glad to know his heart had healed. There was no lingering pain. No thoughts of what could’ve been. He was truly happy for her. And she seemed to feel the same for him.
Troy tossed the remains of his pretzel into the garbage and then headed back toward the Coach store. He felt as if he were walking on Cloud Nine. All he could think about was telling Bethany about his chance encounter with his ex-fiancée. Surely, she’d tell him it was some kind of sign from the universe. He’d laugh in disbelief and then roll his eyes. But she’d know how much this meeting meant to him and how much it would help him to move forward.
But when he poked his head inside the store, there was no sign of Bethany. The shop was mostly empty. Olivia and Angelica stood at the cash register alone. He did a quick sweep of the small store, telling himself not to panic. Still, he couldn’t find her. With one hand on his gun holster hidden beneath his jacket, he ran toward Angelica, fire burning in his veins.
“Where’s Bethany?” He tried his best to keep the panic out of his voice. She was probably in a dressing room or something.
“She was just here.” Angelica’s big eyes grew wide and she turned toward Olivia. “Did you see where Bethany went?”
“She stepped outside for some air,” Olivia calmly offered as she scanned the tiny Coach wallets displayed near the registers. “You must’ve missed her. She went out just a minute ago.”
Troy turned on his heels and forced himself to walk slowly toward the door. There was no need to draw attention to himself. Olivia was probably right. He must’ve just missed her.
But when he pushed through the double doors and looked around, Bethany’s wavy blonde hair was nowhere in sight. The crowded walkway surged with people pushing past, but no one resembled Bethany’s form. She’d gone. Vanished into thin air.
And he’d failed his promise to protect her.
Chapter Thirteen
Bethany
Bethany collapsed into a chair of the small dessert shop she’d found and nervously bit her bottom lip. She glanced around the vintage-style store, trying to think of happy thoughts. Chocolate. Sugar. Caramel. They all sounded lovely, but nothing drove away the image of Troy hugging that pretty brunette woman outside the store.
All she’d wanted to do was find Troy and thank him for today. This shopping trip had been just the ticket she needed to brush off the slight depression that the witness protection program had brought on. Angelica and Olivia were surprisingly good company.
Despite the fact that she’d mocked them and their suburban lives when she first came to the cul-de-sac, they were lovely women with just as many goals and dreams as she had. Angelica was a devoted painter and Olivia ran a volunteer organization for foster children. They were good people. She’d totally misjudged them.
But just as she’d exited the Coach store to sneak into the dessert shop they’d passed and find something special for Troy, she’d spotted him leaving the pretzel place. At first, she thought he’d see her and the jig would be up. No surprises here. He hadn’t let her out of his sight all day. But that’s when an attractive woman called his name and drew his attention away.
Bethany had been close enough to hear Troy say her name. Sarah. He’d frozen in the middle of the crowd, his jaw practically laying on the ground. It was obvious by his reaction that this was his illusive ex-fiancee. The woman who broke his heart.
Bethany hated her.
The sudden rush of hatred and jealously that hit her like a freight train made no sense to Bethany. Troy was her bodyguard. He was just a temporary husband with a serious case of stubbornness, an affinity for hiding weapons in the strangest of locations, and an overpowering sweet tooth. There was no reason at all for her to hate this complete stranger he was hugging. None at all.
“Can I help you?” The older woman behind the counter called to her, pulling Bethany out of her misery. She wore a frilly white apron and had pulled her matching white hair into a twisted bun at the nape of her neck. With a warm smile, she beckoned Bethany to come forward. “Looks like you could use some sugar to cure those blues. Chocolate and sugar always helps, my dear.”
“Thank you, but I’m getting this for a friend.” Bethany forced herself to stand on her shaky legs and strode to the counter. She flashed a smile at the old woman and shook her head. “But funny enough, he would probably say the same thing about sugar and chocolate.”
“He’s a wise man, this boyfriend of yours.” The woman winked and leaned on the counter.
“Oh, no, he’s not my boyfriend.” Bethany waved her hands in front of her face, trying to dispel the odd feeling that had washed over her at the woman’s words. He definitely wasn’t her boyfriend. Not even close.
The woman’s eyes landed on her wedding ring and she smiled again. “Your husband, then?”
She gulped and glanced down at the ring on her hand. Yes, Troy was her husband. Fake husband. But he’d stirred emotions and feelings in her she hadn’t expected. She liked the way he made her feel so protected and those rare moments when she could make him smile. These past two weeks together had forced them into a strange kind of friendship that felt more real than any relationship Bethany had had before in her life. There was something about him that she couldn’t shake.
She hadn’t felt this way in a very long time.
Bethany’s stomach clenched as realization washed over her like a tidal wave. The jealousy she’d felt toward Sarah was starting to make sense. She had feelings for Troy. Not just run-of-the-mill appreciation toward him for protecting her life. She was falling for him. Hard. And she hadn’t even seen it coming.
“Yes, my husband.” Bethany smiled nervously at the woman who still watched her with a curious gleam in her eyes. Boy, had that lie taken on a whole new dimension of emotion. Her husband. The man she wished was actually her spouse. The man who obviously didn’t feel the same way about her.
They’d been locked together in the same house for two weeks and he hadn’t so much as tried to repeat the scene at his surprise birthday dinner. It wasn’t like he hadn’t had plenty of opportunity. They took every meal together, sitting across the same dining table. He lounged inches away on the couch every night while she watched her evening show and he read a book. She said goodnight to him over and over, without so much as him even attempting to hug or kiss her. They’d fallen into a comfortable routine as roommates. Anything she felt for him couldn’t have been returned. Troy was too stoic, too stiff to share her feelings.
She would know if he liked her. He hadn’t dropped so much as one single clue that he felt the same. And now it was too late. Her heart had run away on her and gone after a man who would never give his in return. They would never be anything more than friends.
With a heavy heart, she finally said goodbye to the old woman and grasped her box of treats. She stepped out onto the sidewalk, shielding her eyes from the midday
sun. The temperature was rising and getting uncomfortably hot. A trickle of sweat had already formed on the back of her neck. She longed for the cool, air-conditioned interior of the Coach store where she’d left her neighbor friends. Maybe once she’d found her way back into the cool air, she’d sort through this mess of feelings she’d just uncovered. And most importantly of all, she’d avoid running into Troy and his ex again.
She took one step in the direction of the store when a hand clasped tightly onto her wrist. A yelp left her mouth and she stumbled backwards. Strong arms encircled her, keeping her from banging her head on the cement. Looking up, her heart thumped wildly as she stared into Troy’s face, inches from her own. His eyes were narrowed and his jaw tightly clamped. He set her up right and then grabbed her arm again.
“Come with me,” he ordered, tugging her in the direction of the nearby quiet alleyway between the stores.
She stumbled after him, wondering what could have him so worked up. Had he spotted one of Void’s men? Could she be in danger? The thought made her heart race faster. Her palms began to sweat as he stopped and turned to face her.
“What was that?” he demanded, pointing in the direction of the stores.
Bethany blinked at him, her mind blank. “What do you mean?”
“What was that?” he repeated. His face was flushed a deep red. “You disappeared on me. I thought someone had snatched you. I thought you were lying dead in a gutter somewhere.”
Bethany inhaled sharply. She’d never seen him looking so out of control. He was acting as if she’d run away on purpose. She held up one of her hands in surrender. “I didn’t disappear on you and I’m not lying dead in a gutter. I went into the desserts shop. Chill out.”
He growled and stepped closer to her, until only a few inches separated them. “I couldn’t find you, Bethany. I’m your bodyguard. I’m supposed to know where you are at all times. If you can’t follow the rules, then I’ll have to take you back home. Throw away the lock and key.”
Faking Ever After with the Bodyguard: A Sweet Fake Romance Page 9