Plenty of Love

by Lara Valentine

  Randall’s face was red and contorted. He didn’t look very handsome at the moment. Addie, on the other hand, looked pale and faint. Becca rushed forward, giving Randall an angry scowl and pulling out her phone. She needed to call Mark. Addie didn’t look well.

  “What have you done to her? You can’t badger an elderly woman, for God’s sake. Get out!”

  Addie was obviously shaken from her exchange with her nephew, and Becca felt a knot of anger build in her stomach. Mark picked up on the other end as she patted Addie’s hand.

  “Mark? It’s Becca. I’m at Addie Malone’s house delivering lunch, and she doesn’t look well. Can you come check on her? Please, Mark.”

  He must have heard something in her voice. He didn’t ask any questions except the address. She turned on Randall.

  “You didn’t answer me.”

  Randall’s eyes narrowed and his lip curled.

  “I don’t have to answer a little chit like you. I was talking to my aunt. You’re the one interfering.”

  “Sounded more like you were yelling at her. You need to leave. Now.”

  Randall invaded her personal space.

  Bring it on, asshole.

  “I’m not done here. I need to talk to my aunt. You need to go.”

  “Randall, I want you to leave.”

  They both turned at the sound of Addie’s voice. She was breathless, but her words came out firmly.

  “Auntie, we need to talk ab—”

  Addie shook her head.

  “We are done here. You need to go.”

  “You heard her. Hit the road.”

  Randall looked at her with contempt.

  “This isn’t over. I’ll be back another day.”

  “Thanks for the warning. Get out.”

  Becca pointed to the door, and it opened. Mark had arrived in record time.

  “How did you get here so fast?”

  “I was in the car coming back from the grocery store, just a few blocks from here.”

  Mark glanced at Becca and seemed to size up the situation quickly. He knelt next to Addie and opened his medical bag.

  “Let’s take a look at you, Mrs. Malone. I’m going to listen to your heart.” Mark spoke softly, glancing up at Becca and then Randall. Becca pointed to the door again.

  “Randall was just leaving.”

  Randall gave her a look full of pure hate before stomping to the door. She was right behind him to ensure he didn’t change his mind. When he crossed the threshold, he grabbed her arm, squeezing so hard she had to steel herself not to wince.

  “No one is going to keep me from my aunt. Especially not a nosy girl like you. Mind your own damn business.”

  Becca almost laughed at his pompous tone. His words reminded her of her favorite cartoon.

  And I would have gotten away with it, too, except for you meddling kids!

  He finally released her arm and sped away in his car. She rubbed where he had grabbed her as she headed back into the house. Randall was someone who couldn’t be trusted, obviously. Mark was taking Addie’s blood pressure when she returned. She stayed silent while he examined her and talked to her. Addie’s color had returned and she seemed much less agitated.

  “Well, Mrs. Malone, your blood pressure is a little high, but you seem okay. Just shook up. Do you want to share what happened here?”

  Addie’s lips pressed together. “My nephew is an asshole.”

  The corners of Mark’s mouth quirked up.

  “I won’t argue that point. He’s your family, so you would know best.”

  “Most of the time Randall is charming. Flighty, but charming. He’s been visiting me quite a bit lately, so I thought perhaps these were his good days. But lately, he’s been badgering me about investing in some real estate deal he’s working on. I don’t have any interest in investing in real estate at my age. Today he lost his temper and threatened to have me declared incompetent to manage my affairs.”

  Becca gasped. “That’s terrible. But it would never work, Addie. You have the most sound mind of anyone I know.”

  Addie harrumphed in disgust. “Of course I do. But that doesn’t mean Randall won’t make trouble.”

  Mark put away his stethoscope and blood-pressure cuff. “I can talk to Travis if you like. He can do some research on this subject.”

  Addie gave Mark a relieved look. “I would appreciate that. I don’t want to have to convince a judge that I can make my own decisions.”

  Mark patted her hand. “I agree with Becca. You seem of very sound mind to me.”

  Addie leaned back on the sofa and sighed. “I’m wore out after his visit. Becca, dear, will you bring my tray out here? I think I’ll eat here in front of the television.”

  “Of course, Addie.”

  Mark helped Becca settle Addie in the living room with a TV tray and her lunch. Becca pulled Mark into the kitchen.

  “Randall the rat cannot be trusted.”

  Mark chuckled. “You’ve given him a nickname? He seemed slimy to me. I’ve seen his type in Chicago. All talk. No substance.”

  “He gives me the heebie-jeebies. He leered at me last time, all charm. This time he was a jerk. I don’t trust him at all.”

  Mark sighed and leaned against the kitchen counter. “Honestly, neither do I. I got a weird feeling when I met him. I’ll call Travis. Maybe he can check up on this guy and the laws surrounding declaring someone incompetent in the state of Florida. Good thing he didn’t wait to pass his bar exam here. He’s not going to have much downtime.”

  Becca stood on her tiptoes and kissed Mark lightly. He tasted like wintergreen Life Savers.

  “Thank you for coming. And so quickly, too. I couldn’t believe when you opened the door. Do you always have your medical bag with you?”

  Mark nodded. “Hell, yes. You never know when you are going to need it. I’ve tended to accident victims and next-door neighbors. I delivered a baby at a Bulls game once.”

  Becca giggled. “Did they name him Michael Jordan?”

  Mark laughed, grabbed his medical bag, and headed to the door. “The husband wanted to, but the wife overruled him. They named him Mark, after the doctor who delivered him.”

  Becca trailed after him. “Aw, that’s sweet.”

  “That’s me. Dr. Awfully Sweet. Now, are we all going to Charlie’s reopening tomorrow night?”

  “I wouldn’t miss it.”

  Mark leaned in and stole a quick kiss that left her breathless and her lips tingling.

  “Great. We’ll pick you up at six, okay? And stay away from Randall the rat. He looked none too happy with you when he left. I don’t want him taking his anger out on you.”

  Becca arched a sculpted eyebrow. “I’m not afraid of him. I can take him. Easy. He’s obviously out of shape.”

  Mark gave her a stern look. “Let’s not test that theory. Stay away from him, princess. Don’t make me spank you.”

  Becca laughed. “Let’s not test the theory that a spanking is an actual punishment for me.”

  Mark shook his head as he headed to his car. “I think we already know the answer. I’ll have to be more creative.”

  Becca’s pussy tingled in anticipation. She was learning to love their creativity.

  * * * *

  Mark shuffled the deck of cards and began to deal the hand.

  “Five-card stud. Deuces wild.”

  The men anted, and Mark looked at his cards. They sucked. He tossed them down.

  “I’m out.”

  Jack grimaced. “Me, too.”

  Zach glanced around the table and then threw in another poker chip. “I’m in.”

  Chase grinned and followed suit. “Me, too.”

  Ryan eyed Zach before tossing in his chip. “I’m in, too.”

  Travis tapped his cards on the table and called, “I’m in.”

  “Ryan, have you talked to Becca today?”

  Ryan shook his head and tossed away three cards. Mark dealt him three more.

  “Nope, not
since our fun-filled conversation at firehouse bingo.”

  “I saw her earlier. She was delivering lunch to Addie Malone.”

  Jack smiled. “Our sister sure does a lot for the community. And she loves Addie. Nice woman.”

  “Well, her nephew isn’t a nice man. He was there threatening Addie and being a general prick to Becca.”

  He had Ryan’s full attention.

  “He did something to Becca? What was he threatening, and why didn’t someone call me?”

  “He didn’t do anything illegal. He wants Addie to invest in some real estate deal. She doesn’t want to, and he threatened to have her declared incompetent. Which is where Travis comes into this.”

  Travis looked up from his cards. “Me? How do I come into this? I wasn’t even there.”

  Mark continued dealing. “I told Addie you would check out how difficult it is in the state of Florida to have someone declared incompetent. I also thought you might check out this Randall guy and see if you can find out anything about him.”

  Travis grimaced. “I don’t have too many contacts in this state yet, but maybe Mike does. He’s been a lawyer in this town for forty years, he’s bound to have some connections. And I will research that. Is she incompetent? Does she need help?”

  Mark barked with laughter. “She’s the most lucid woman you could want to meet.”

  Chase nodded. “Addie would be classified as one woman who can take care of herself. She’s a force to be reckoned with. Shit, I’m out.”

  It was down to Travis, Zach, and Ryan. Ryan gave Zach a narrow-eyed look.

  “I think you’re full of shit, Zach. I call. Let’s see what you got. I got a pair of aces.”

  Zach smiled and laid his cards down. “Three of a kind.”

  “You asshole. I oughta—”

  “Full house.” Travis laid his cards on the table.

  Zach started laughing. “Looks like we have a new card shark to watch out for. He’s gonna clean us all out tonight.”

  Ryan just laughed as Travis swept up all the chips.

  “Do I need to make a visit to this Randall guy? Let him know that law enforcement is interested in his activities?”

  Mark shrugged. “Couldn’t hurt. He was telling Becca to stop interfering. He looked at her like he hated her. Frankly, I was glad I was there.”

  “Dammit, Becca should have called me.”

  Jack shook his head and took the deck of cards from Mark.

  “Uh-uh, big brother. What did Becca ream our asses about at bingo? Thinking she can’t take care of herself. This falls into that category. You go all big-brother sheriff on her, she’s going to lose it.”

  “This isn’t about getting her heart broke, this is about something completely different. Her safety. I’m the law in this town, and I don’t like trouble in Plenty.”

  Zach leaned back in his chair. “No one wants trouble in Plenty. If you’re going to interfere, keep a low profile and don’t let her know about it.”

  Ryan took a drink from his longneck. “I invented low profile.”

  * * * *

  She was being watched. She could feel eyes following her as she quickly did her errands. She stopped in the hardware store on Main to pick up new lightbulbs for the shop then headed to the diner to pick up lunch. She stepped into the restaurant, waited a minute, then stepped out, running right into the wall that was Deputy Jason, knocking the breath right out of her.

  “Whoa! Are you okay, Becca?”

  Becca stepped back to catch her breath. Deputy Jason Aldridge was a mountain of a man, every inch muscle.

  “Yeah, I think so. What the hell are you doing following me? And don’t say you’re not, Jason. I can tell when you’re lying. I’ve been able to tell since high school when you dumped me to take Tammy Beaterman to the homecoming dance.”

  “Aw shit, Becca. Are you ever going to let me live that down? I’ve said I’m sorry about a hundred times. You were a nice girl, and every guy in school knew Tammy put out.”

  And still did if the gossip was true.

  “I ought to stomp on your foot for calling me a nice girl. But I suppose karma may have taken care of things for me. I heard some boys got more than they bargained for after spending time in the backseat with Tammy. They ended up at the free clinic in Tampa getting some antibiotics.”

  A dark red stained Jason’s cheeks.

  “Unlike some dumbasses, I always suited up with Tammy. Man’s got to take care of himself. Now, how did you know I was following you?”

  Becca rolled her eyes. “I could feel someone following me. So why are you following me?”

  Jason hooked his thumbs in his gun belt. “I shouldn’t tell you this, but your brother asked me to keep an eye on you. Said some guy isn’t too happy with you. We also have a patrol driving by Addie Malone’s house every hour.”

  Becca felt her face get warm with anger and frustration. My overprotective brothers strike again. She was glad they were watching over Addie, but she could take care of herself.

  “Well, your services are no longer needed. You can go write parking tickets or do whatever it is that Ryan’s deputies do on a small-town Tuesday afternoon. I’m in between clients this afternoon and have things I need to get done.”

  Jason shook his head. “No can do. The boss says to keep an eye on you, that’s what I gotta do.”

  Becca grabbed the deputy’s arm and tugged him into the diner. “Well, if you’re going to hang around you can buy me lunch and then tell me why my brother is having me followed.”

  * * * *

  Mark pushed open the door of Becca’s hair salon, the Snip and Sing, his gaze immediately finding his beautiful woman giving one of the town deputies a haircut. The shop was empty for a Tuesday afternoon.

  She looked pretty in white capris with a pink T-shirt and pink Converse tennis shoes. Her long hair was clipped back from her face with a sparkly barrette. She was so gorgeous, Mark had to restrain himself from bending her over the back of a chair and showing her how he really felt. He settled for a soft kiss on her full, cherry-red lips.

  “Hey, sweetheart. Any chance of getting a haircut today? I have a break in between patients.”

  Becca waved him over to a chair. “Sure. Let me just finish with Deputy Jason here. Mark, have you met Jason Aldridge?”

  Mark shook his head and extended his hand to the handsome deputy. He felt a little twinge of jealousy at how Becca smiled at the man.

  “No, I haven’t. Nice to meet you, Deputy. I’m Mark Miller.”

  Jason’s grip was firm. “Nice to meet you, too. I believe your sister is going to marry my boss, Ryan.”

  Mark laughed. “That’s the way I hear it. God help him.”

  “She seems like a nice girl. Just like Becca.”

  Mark was surprised when Becca gave the deputy’s hair a tug. “Hey, what did I say about calling me a nice girl? I swear, men never learn. Speaking of never learning, Mark, do you know why Deputy Jason is here today?”

  Mark relaxed in a chair and picked up a magazine.

  “For a haircut?”

  Becca’s lips twisted into a strange smile.

  “That was just a nice bonus for him. It seems my big brother is concerned for my safety and assigned him to watch over me. Somehow, he learned about my exchange with Addie’s nephew. I wonder how he found out about that?”

  Mark set the magazine down. The silence stretched on for a while. He was so screwed.

  “About that, well, I mentioned it at poker last night.”

  “Uh-huh, did you tell him to watch over me?”

  Becca’s voice was deceptively soft. She was pissed.

  Mark jumped to his feet. “No, I did not. He mentioned that he would keep an eye out, and I said I thought it was a good idea. I didn’t know he would go to this extreme. I swear. I would have told him that Travis and I could watch over you just fine.”

  From the look on her face, she wasn’t any happier.

  “I don’t need a bunch of overpro
tective alpha males watching over me. I am capable of taking care of myself. I know Randall’s type, and they are nothing but cowards. I could kick his ass with one hand tied behind my back. I had to grow up tough with two brothers like Ryan and Jack.”

  “I’m not an overprotective alpha male,” the deputy protested.

  Becca rolled her eyes. “The hell you aren’t. The poor woman who ends up with you will need a backbone of steel or you’ll boss her around terribly. And your haircut is done, and so is your shift. Go tell Ryan if he wants to assign a babysitter he can damn well do it himself.”

  The deputy hopped out of the chair and headed for the door.

  “Ryan is going to be upset that you’ve sent me back to the station.”

  “He’ll get over it. If he has a problem, tell him to talk to me instead of going behind my back.”

  The deputy looked nervous about delivering the message but shoved his hat on his head and nodded.

  “Okay. You really are one tough cookie, Becca. I think I should have kept our date to the homecoming dance.”

  Becca smirked. “You lost your chance with me in high school.”

  Mark put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. “She’s already spoken for, Deputy.”

  Deputy Jason grinned and headed out the door with a wave. Becca’s shoulders were stiff under his arm.

  “Becca, I’m sorry.”

  She turned toward him, worrying her bottom lip with her teeth.

  “Please don’t bring Ryan into things anymore, okay? He overreacts. Assigning a deputy to me full-time is an overreaction, don’t you agree?”

  “Yes, I do agree. I didn’t know he would do anything like this. I just kind of thought we would all keep alert for any moves Randall might make.”

  Becca fell back into a chair and sighed. “Well, now you know what I’ve been living with. I’d like to keep our business our business.”

  Mark leaned down and brushed her lips with his. He could smell the soft floral fragrance of her shampoo and feel the warmth of her skin.

  “Agreed. Do you want me to talk to Ryan?”

  Becca gave him an evil smile.

  “Oh no, handsome. I’ll handle my brother.”