Lawfully Protected

by Evangeline Kelly

  After she left, I headed to the shower to get ready for Ethan’s birthday party. Butterflies bounced around in my stomach because I knew Bronson would be there. Even though we hadn’t spoken in weeks, my heart wouldn’t stop pounding at the thought of seeing him again.

  I just needed to keep my head on straight and stick to my guns.

  * * *

  The party was already in full motion when I arrived a few minutes late. Maybe it was the fear of running into Bronson that caused me to linger at home longer than necessary or perhaps I wanted to look my best, making sure I found the best outfit and applied my make-up just right.

  The front door was ajar, so I walked in without knocking. Country music played in the background as everyone milled about. Emily saw me and ran over. “Yay, you’re here!” She took the Tupperware of brownies I held in my hands.

  “They’re homemade. I made sure to put them in a container so they wouldn’t tumble to the ground like last time.”

  She laughed. “Ethan ate those brownies after you left, by the way. He didn’t care they’d fallen on the ground.” She winked. “Men. What can I say?”

  “Where is the birthday boy?”

  “He’s in his element right now, cooking up burgers outside on the grill, telling stories about his college days.”

  Ethan was twenty-nine years old today. He and I were only a month apart. Letting out a heavy breath, I allowed myself one moment to be sad. Almost twenty-nine years old and still not married. I willed my lips to smile. Once the moment had passed, it was time to look on the bright side of things.

  I was an independent woman who loved the Lord and had a lot going for her. God would provide the right man, and if He didn’t, I would remind myself of the benefits of being single.

  And there were plenty.

  I just needed to write them down and recite them to myself.

  Every. Single. Day.

  I glanced up to see Bronson coming inside from the backyard. My heart sped up, and my throat went dry as he caught my eye and headed straight for me.

  “Allison.”

  Running a hand through my hair, I did my best to smile. “Hey, Bronson.” My eyes fluttered, and I realized I was doing that nervous thing again. I consciously slowed the blinking. “It’s a beautiful day for a party, isn’t it?”

  “Yeah, it is.”

  We stared at each other for several moments, neither of us sure what to say next.

  Bronson swallowed. “You’ve been on my mind lately.”

  “I have?”

  He nodded. “Every time I hear a cheesy pickup line I think of you.”

  “Oh. That’s funny.” I forced another smile. “I guess you’ve been using them a lot, huh?”

  “No. I hear the guys at work talk sometimes.”

  I shoved my hands in my pockets and glanced around the room. “How’s Ace? Is he here?”

  “He’s great. No, I left him at home this time. I’m not on-call.”

  “He’s a good dog.”

  “And Snowball? How’s she doing?”

  “She’s awesome as always.”

  His expression grew more serious, and he almost appeared a little nervous as he glanced down. “Listen, there’s something I want to talk to you about. I was up all night thinking about it.”

  “Yeah?”

  Greg opened the sliding glass door and came in from the backyard. My heart jolted because he had his eye on me, and I knew he was about to break up my conversation with Bronson. He stepped over to me with an exaggerated swagger. “There you are. I’ve been looking all over for you.”

  His timing couldn’t have been any worse.

  “I’ve been here the whole time. Haven’t moved.”

  Bronson extended his hand to Greg. “I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m Bronson.”

  Greg gave him a wary look. “Name’s Greg. I’m here with Allison.”

  “Actually, we drove separately,” I said.

  Greg glanced at me. “Well, you know what I mean.” He stepped into my personal space so we stood close together.

  Great. He was making it seem like we were a couple when he clearly knew that wasn’t the case.

  The blood drained from Bronson’s face. “Are you two . . .?

  Greg put his arm around my shoulders. “Yeah.”

  I shrugged Greg’s arm off me as gracefully as I could and stepped to the side. “Greg, what are you doing?”

  Emily walked up. “Allison can you help me in the kitchen, I need . . .” The words died on her tongue as she glanced at everyone’s faces. “Did something just happen?”

  “No.” I shook my head. “But I’ll help with anything you need. Lead the way.”

  I followed Emily to the kitchen, feeling relieved to leave that awkward conversation, but also unhappy about Greg’s interruption. Whatever Bronson wanted to talk to me about would have to wait. Maybe he changed his mind about having a more committed relationship. Of course, my mind had to go there. But most likely, it was something minor like he wanted to back out of talking to the criminology students next year at the college.

  My stomach clenched with the unknown, and I had to tell myself to put him out of my head.

  Once in the kitchen, Emily placed a cutting board and a bag of raw vegetables on the counter. “Would you be a dear and cut these up for a vegetable platter? I’ve been so busy with everything else. I need to finish the potato salad.”

  “Sure thing.” I took the vegetables out of the bag and started washing them off.

  “By the way, what was going on out there? Greg and Bronson looked like they were about to have a stand-off.”

  I shrugged. “Greg’s been acting weird lately.”

  “Weird how?”

  “Like he’s interested again.” I picked up the celery and began slicing the stalk into finger-sized portions. “He does this every once in a while, but he’ll get over it soon.”

  “The guy is so fickle sometimes.” She shook her head. “I’ve never met someone so wishy-washy before.” She glanced at me. “But maybe it’s because he never really got over you. Do you think you could ever . . .?”

  “No.” The answer came too quickly, but it was how I felt.

  She chuckled. “Okay . . . got it. Greg is no longer on your radar.”

  “He’s just a friend. A dear friend I don’t want to hurt, but he had no right acting like we were a couple back there.” I wanted to tell her that Bronson wanted to talk to me about something, but if it turned out to be nothing, I’d feel silly.

  “Were you hoping to have more time with Bronson?”

  I kept my head down as I chopped carrots and arranged them on the platter. “I guess it doesn’t matter. It’s not like I’ll see him much after this.”

  She snickered, and I glanced up to find her smiling.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Emily, don’t leave me hanging.”

  “It’s just . . . I’m pretty sure you and Bronson are going to see each other again.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “You should have seen the look on that man’s face when I walked up. He was so jealous.”

  “It’s possible he was a little jealous, but nothing has changed. He doesn’t want a relationship. End of story.”

  “We’ll see,” she said under her breath.

  “There’s nothing to see.”

  “I have a feeling.”

  I put the last of the vegetables on the tray. “I don’t want to hope for something that probably won’t happen.”

  “Well, if I see you and Bronson talking later, I’ll be sure to run interference with Greg.” She lifted an eyebrow. “Do I have your permission to do that?”

  Chuckling, I wiped my hands on a nearby towel. “Since when have you asked permission to do anything?”

  Her expression sobered. “Since I can see how much this means to you.”

  I nodded once. “Thanks, Em.”

  She pulled me into a quick hug an
d smacked a kiss on my cheek. “Now, let’s go party-it-up outside.”

  12

  Everyone spread out on the lawn eating burgers and chips, some in lawn chairs grouped together and others at tables and chairs that were set up for the event. I’d opted to sit on a blanket Emily put down on the grass for overflow.

  Greg sat at my side like a guard dog on patrol, and any time a single man got near us, he scooted closer and sent out unfriendly vibes.

  It was annoying, but I tolerated it only because I knew it wouldn’t last. In fact, if an attractive woman he hadn’t met joined the party, he’d probably forget all about me and run to her side.

  Please, Lord. Let a strikingly beautiful woman show up to distract Greg.

  On second thought, any single attractive woman who showed up would most likely gravitate towards Bronson.

  Strike that, Lord. I didn’t think it through.

  I glanced over at Bronson sitting on the opposite side of the lawn, talking with Ethan and a few other guys. He caught me looking at him, and I glanced away. I stood, taking my red plastic cup with me. “I’m going inside to get more soda.”

  “Want me to get that for you?” Greg asked.

  “It’s okay. I’ve got it.” Heading inside, I was thankful to have a little breathing room. I scooped a few ice cubes from an ice bucket and poured soda into my cup.

  “Allycat.”

  I glanced over my shoulder to see a pair of dreamy blue eyes looking my way, and my heart stalled. It was impossible to look away. Impossible to take my eyes off the man with the most amazing smile I’d ever seen, able to woo even the coldest heart.

  Bronson grinned. “Saw you come in. Thought now would be the perfect time to catch you.”

  The soda overflowed all over the countertop and onto the kitchen tile, and I realized that in my stupor, I hadn’t righted the bottle. I grabbed a towel and began hastily wiping the counter and then fell to my knees to get the floor.

  “Let me help you.” Grabbing another towel, he stooped to the ground and wiped in a circular motion, head lowered. We were close enough I could smell a hint of his cologne. The scent was woodsy with a touch of citrus.

  “Sorry about earlier,” we both said at the same time.

  I lifted my head to look at him, but we were so close together our foreheads collided and knocked against each other.

  “Oww. I’m so sorry.” I pulled back, embarrassed.

  “No, it’s my fault. I was too close.”

  We stared at each other in disbelief, me holding my forehead and Bronson smirking a little.

  “Just curious, was that a ploy to get me to kiss you?” he asked.

  I flushed. “No, of course not.”

  “That’s a shame because I would totally kiss you right now if you’d let me.”

  My eyes widened. “And why should I let you do something like that?” My heart pounded in my chest on overdrive and my breath came out quick and shallow.

  He ran his thumb over the place on my forehead where we’d bumped heads. “Because—”

  “Allison, what are you doing on the floor?”

  It was Greg’s voice, and when I glanced up, he didn’t look happy. Only that might have been an understatement. His nostrils flared, and his face had gone mad-dog red.

  “I accidentally spilled soda all over the floor.”

  “You’ve been gone a long time.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Not that long. You keeping track?”

  He shrugged. “Thought you might need my help.”

  “I’m an adult. I can get my own drinks.”

  Bronson glanced between me and Greg, his forehead wrinkling. “Are you sure you two aren’t dating?”

  “We’re just friends,” I said.

  “Whatever,” Greg said and then stormed off.

  Bronson’s lips formed a thin line. “He’s got it bad.”

  I shrugged. “It may seem that way but trust me, he’ll get over it. He always does.”

  Bronson stood and offered me a hand. I took it and lifted off the ground.

  “Have you ever had a discussion about it?” he asked.

  “Yes, many times. We have a history.” I glanced down at my feet. “We dated for four years but it didn’t work out.”

  Bronson’s eyebrows shot up. “Oh, I see. That must be complicated. Do you still have feelings for him?”

  I was surprised at his directness, but thankful for the opportunity to clear up any misunderstanding. “Not anymore. We wanted different things. I wanted marriage and a family, and he wasn’t sure about anything at that point. When we broke up, I realized we were better suited as friends.”

  Understanding dawned in his eyes. “He let a good thing go, and he’s probably kicking himself right now.” He glanced around. “Would you like to go for a walk? It would be nice to talk for a while without being disturbed.”

  “Sure. Let me tell Emily so she doesn’t wonder what happened to us.” I jogged outside and found her talking to a few of her neighbors. Pulling her aside, I quickly shared that Bronson and I would be out for a while. She gave me a knowing grin. “Told you.”

  I held back a smile. “It’s too early to get excited, and it’s only a walk.”

  Greg sidled up as if nothing happened earlier and he hadn’t just stormed off when I mentioned we were friends. “What’s going on?”

  “I’m heading out for a walk with Bronson.”

  He grit his teeth. “I can take you on a walk if you feel like you need the exercise.”

  “You say that like I’m a dog.”

  He glanced away. “Sorry, didn’t mean it that way. I understand you’re capable of doing things on your own.”

  “Greg, I appreciate your friendship—you know I do. But I need a little space right now.”

  “You like him, don’t you?”

  “I—”

  “Don’t deny it. I can see it all over your face.”

  “I do like him. Are you going to be okay?”

  He nodded. “I was an idiot for waiting so long to make a decision about us and now it’s too late isn’t it?”

  I pressed my lips together and gave him a sad smile. “I’m sorry, Greg. You’re a good friend, and I will always care about you, but I don’t have the kind of feelings I should in order to get back into a relationship.”

  He nodded. “Okay. I’ll back off.”

  “You’re a wonderful man, and I know the right woman is out there for you.”

  Emily stepped forward and put an arm around Greg. “Plus, you’ve got me, and I have LOADS of women I can set you up with.”

  I slipped away as Emily excitedly told Greg about some of her single friends. Bronson was waiting for me inside as I opened the sliding glass door and joined him in the kitchen. “I’m ready to go.”

  We walked through the house to the front lawn and headed down the street. Emily and Ethan lived in an older, middle-class neighborhood with smaller, single story homes with well-manicured lawns and clean streets. Trees lined the sidewalk, providing just enough shade from the sun.

  Bronson strolled at a leisurely pace, his strong arms swinging at his sides. He glanced at me and grinned. “I finally get you all to myself.”

  Heat flooded my cheeks. “I’m glad you asked. It’s hard to have a conversation with a lot of people around.”

  He nodded. “So . . . I need to apologize.”

  I lifted both eyebrows. “You do?”

  He shook his head. “When we had brunch a few weeks ago, I made a huge mistake by telling you I wanted to date casually. I guess the topic of marriage scared me a little, especially after seeing Serena again.” He glanced away. “I haven’t had the best experiences, but you’re way different from all the other women I’ve dated.”

  “Okay . . .”

  “And as a Christian man, I should never have suggested dating without a commitment. That was my fear of the past speaking. I’ve had some time to pray about it, and I’d like to suggest we date exclusively.”

  My
mouth fell open even though I wasn’t completely taken off guard. I’d hoped this talk might have something to do with dating and commitment, but I still couldn’t believe it was happening. “Wow, no preamble. Get right to the point why don’t you?” I snickered.

  “Says the girl who doesn’t want to waste time casually dating.”

  Once I recovered, I glanced at him and smiled. “Can’t argue with you there.”

  “So, what do you think?”

  “I’m still trying to process what you said.”

  “It may take a while for me to come around, but once I know what I want, I go after it.”

  I flushed. “I have to say I like your directness.”

  He was quiet for a long moment. “I made a mess of things by letting you go like that. Being a bachelor for the rest of my life isn’t exactly appealing. It’s time for me to press forward and have a meaningful relationship with marriage in mind.”

  “Are you saying that because you think that’s what I want to hear? Or is it what you really want?”

  He stopped walking and put a hand on my shoulder. “I do want those things. Maybe it seemed like I didn’t, but there were other factors I never told you about.”

  “Such as?”

  “One of the reasons I’ve been cautious to start anything is because I have a lot on my plate right now. My grandma is in an assisted living facility, and I visit her quite a bit.”

  “I had no idea.”

  He nodded and resumed walking. “When I was younger, you might say I was a troubled teen—got mixed up with the wrong crowd and was so rebellious my parents didn’t know what to do with me. They didn’t get along much, and after their divorce, I bounced back and forth between them.” He glanced at me. “Neither wanted me to live with them. I guess I made it difficult.”

  “It’s hard for me to picture you like that. You’re so respectful and kind.”

  “I’ve come a long way, partly because Gram took me in for a few years and she never gave up on me. Enrolled me in sports, made sure I was too busy to have time for nonsense . . . got me a dog.”

  “Awww . . . is that where your love for animals started?”

  “Yeah, it all began with my first dog, King. Gram and I adopted him from a shelter, and he lived five more years. She taught me to take good care of him.” He smiled widely. “She had a few cats, too.”