Colton Christmas Protector

by Beth Cornelison

  “Maybe I should just go to a hotel. Or I could hire private security to guard us at our house, or...”

  Reid sat back on his heels and studied her with a frown denting his forehead. “You could. But hotels and security guards cost money. I’m offering you a safe refuge and my protection for free.”

  She sighed. “It’s not about the money.”

  “No, it’s not. Because I can easily afford to pay for a hotel for you or a private guard, but—”

  “It’s not your job to pay for my hotel! I’m not a charity case!” She couldn’t say why the idea of Reid covering any of her expenses galled her so much. Probably residual resentment of the Coltons and their wealth. Their the-world-belongs-to-us attitudes. “I can go stay with Andrew’s parents in Georgia. They have room and would be thrilled to have the time with Nicholas.”

  “A logical place to go. Which is why the shooter could easily track you to your in-laws. Do you want to put them in the line of fire?”

  She gritted her teeth in frustration. “Of course not.”

  He arched an eyebrow at her peevish tone. “The point is I want to be the one protecting you.” He paused and frowned as if he realized how his declaration must have sounded to her. “What I mean is...I don’t know who we can trust. I have the time, the lake house and the ability, and I want to know the job is being done right. Don’t you want Nicholas in the safest possible location?”

  She told him what she thought of his sly tactic with a low growl before muttering, “Of course I do.”

  The implications and magnitude of everything she’d learned and been through today coalesced inside her. A bitter, scalding brew of deception and pain and fear. Tears rushed to her eyes, and she covered her face with her hands as the sobs broke like waves on the shore of a storm-tossed lake, one after another.

  The sofa dipped as Reid settled beside her, drawing her into his arms and pulling her against his chest. “I wasn’t trying to upset you, Pen. I know this is hard for you, but the first step in protecting yourself is taking off your blinders. You have to see clearly what’s happening, know who you can trust and who you can’t if you’re going to stay safe.”

  “So...how am I supposed to know who I can trust? I’m so confused and scared right now I can’t get any of this to make sense.”

  Reid squeezed her hand. “That’s why I’m here. Trust me.”

  As if he’d given her permission to fall apart, she wilted against him, too emotionally spent and tied in knots to resist the comfort and reassurance he offered. After months of staying strong and keeping up appearances for her son’s sake, she let herself weep from the depths of her soul. The release was cathartic, and she felt surprisingly safe crying in front of Reid. The loss of her husband, the betrayal of her father, the stress of being a single mother...she cleansed herself of all the pent-up fear and grief.

  “You’re going to be all right, Pen. I promise.”

  Reid stroked her back, and she buried her face in the soft fabric of his shirt. He smelled like laundry detergent, crisp winter air and a subtle male musk that turned her insides to jelly. The warmth of his arms around her, the solid strength of his chest and reassuring thump of his heartbeat against her ear conspired to woo her into a sense of security and well-being she’d not known since Andrew died. She might be a strong, capable woman, an independent widow by necessity and a competent single mother, but she craved companionship. She missed having someone to share the trials of life with and bolster her when her spirits flagged.

  That was all this was, she told herself as she snuggled deeper into Reid’s embrace. He filled a void. Being held by Reid felt good, but only because she was scared and felt alone. Any comforting arms would have sufficed. Any shoulder to dampen with her tears. Anyone...

  But then Reid nudged her chin up and dried her cheeks with his thumbs. She met the fathomless blue of his concerned gaze and knew she’d been lying to herself. Reid made the difference. And just what was she supposed to do with that revelation?

  Chapter 9

  Shopping list in hand, Reid left a few minutes later to collect the items Penelope and Nicholas would need for their stay at his lake house. After a stop at the supercenter store nearest the Colton ranch, he popped by the family home to get a few of his own things, grab a quick shower and have a word with his half brother Zane. His half brother was head of security for Colton Inc., and considering all the trouble the family had been involved in lately, he decided it would be prudent to let Zane know at least some of what he’d learned today.

  As it happened, his half brother was in the kitchen digging through the refrigerator when Reid stopped through to grab a bottle of water. “Hey, I’m glad I ran into you. We need to talk.”

  “Look, if this is about the leftover lasagna,” Zane said, raising a defensive hand, “first come first serve, man. You snooze, you lose.”

  “Lasagna?” Reid snorted.

  “Fowler whined about it this morning. I tell ya, Mirabella may be the pregnant one,” he said of his new bride, “But I’m the one eating for two. Sympathy appetite or something maybe? Or else fatherhood nerves are making me hungry. I’m having to double up on my workouts to keep the pounds off.” With that he bit into an apple with one hand and carried a pan from the refrigerator with the other.

  Reid shook his head. “No, this has nothing to do with your eating for two.”

  “Okay...what?” Zane asked as he chewed.

  “I want you to keep a sharp eye out around here and at the office for trouble.”

  His half brother’s dark eyebrows dipped low in concern. “Trouble? What now?”

  “I’d rather not go into all of it until I have the proof I need to press charges, but I’ve learned some...interesting things today about someone in our employ. And I suspect he’s the one who sent a gunman after us—”

  “What!” Zane sputtered around his mouthful of apple. “Wait. Who is us? Who was with you?”

  “Don’t worry about that. I want to protect her until we can find the evidence we need to arrest the person behind the attack.”

  Zane lifted a corner of his mouth in a smug grin. “Her, eh? Now, that is interesting...”

  He sneered at Zane. “Don’t be a jerk. There’s nothing between us.”

  Nothing mutual, anyway. Nothing he could admit to or act on. Pen was Andrew’s widow, and she’d made it clear for the last eighteen months just how little affection she had for her husband’s killer.

  “Hmm. Defensive much?” Zane’s smile grew.

  Reid balled his hands, struggling for patience. “Would you quit with the juvenile insinuations? Did you hear me say we were shot at? That the threat could come here to the ranch?”

  Zane shrugged as he took a bite of the fruit. “You’re here and seem to be in one piece—” he aimed a finger at Reid’s face “—other than a nick or two. I’m assuming your girlfriend is all right, as well, or you’d have mentioned that by now.”

  “She’s not my girlfriend.”

  “All right, Sheldon.” He said with a smirk and waved him off. “She’s a girl who’s your friend. Got it.”

  Reid growled quietly and gritted his teeth. Teasing and pranks were part and parcel to the siblings—blood, half and step—in his family, with some relationships being more rancorous than others. But he was in no mood for Zane’s ribbing. “My love life is not the issue. I’m asking you to keep an eye out around here. I plan to stay with Pen to be sure she’s safe until we can—”

  “Whoa! Pen? As in Penelope Barrington?”

  Reid mentally kicked himself for the slip. “Yeah. Except she’s Penelope Barrington Clark. Remember?”

  Zane nodded as if he’d just made the connection. “Oh, right. She was your partner’s wife.” Still holding the partially eaten apple, he gestured toward Reid. “You introduced them, didn’t you? S
ome policemen’s benefit you dragged Andrew to?”

  “I didn’t drag him there. Our boss insisted we go. Mostly because he thought my last name would help raise more donations.” He shook his head, frowning. “Look, that’s irrelevant. What is important is—”

  “My brother—the poster boy for police charity.” Zane snickered as he bit into his apple again.

  Reid sighed. He was happy that his half brother had found Mirabella and was enjoying married life, but Zane’s good mood in recent days meant his teasing had increased as much as his appetite had. “Just keep an eye out around here for trouble. While I have my suspicions, I don’t know for sure who is behind the attack on us or just how desperate they are, but you can’t be too safe.”

  To his credit, Zane sobered a bit and nodded. “Sure.”

  Turning, Reid headed up to his suite to clean up and pack.

  “You missed dinner,” a female voice chirped from the living room as he hurried through to the front hall.

  His mother, Whitney, sat with her feet tucked under her and a drink in her hand. “Where were you?”

  Reid wished he thought his mother actually cared about why he’d not been home for the evening meal, but Reid was certain her curiosity was simply nosiness.

  “I’m an adult now, Mother. I don’t have to report my whereabouts to you. And I’m perfectly capable of getting something to eat.”

  “Don’t take that tone with me! I just asked where you were!” Whitney sniped.

  “I’m in a hurry. I don’t have time for interrogations. Mind someone else’s business,” he said, mounting the stairs.

  “Reid! Reid, come back down here!” she shrilled. “Don’t walk away from me like that!”

  On the grand staircase to the upper levels of the house, he passed Moira Manfred on her way down, carrying a wad of bedsheets that smelled heavily of whiskey. The woman had been head housekeeper and wife of the family butler, Aaron Manfred, for as long as Reid could remember. “Evening, Mr. Reid.”

  He bobbed his head in greeting and added a polite smile. “Hi, Moira.”

  The woman, well into her seventies, could have retired a decade ago. But she, like her husband, was loyal to a fault and determined to work until she was physically unable. “Oh, Mr. Reid?”

  He paused and faced her. “Yes?”

  “Mr. Manfred is taking some time off tonight and has gone to bed early. If you need anything before retiring, let me know, and I’ll get it for you.”

  “Sure.” Reid nodded absently. He wouldn’t be around, so he had no need for either the butler or his wife’s help. He took a few more steps.

  “Mr. Reid? Are you all right? Pardon my saying so, but you look terrible. Your face is cut, and you seem extraordinarily tired or worried.”

  He paused, feeling an odd sense of gratitude and warmth that the woman had noticed and seemed genuinely concerned. “It’s been an interesting day, for sure. But I’m fine. Thank you.”

  She gave him a small smile of acknowledgment. “I’ll be up to turn down your bed in a few minutes. I just have to get clean sheets and a fresh drink for Mr. Fowler.”

  “Not necessary. I’m not staying here tonight.”

  If the news surprised her, she masked it well. But then she’d had many years to practice hiding her reaction to the family’s drama and last-minute changes in plans. He turned to continue upstairs but hesitated. “Moira?”

  The older woman stopped and glanced back up at him. “Yes, sir?”

  “Aaron has taken off a lot of evenings lately.”

  She raised her chin, her expression saying she was prepared to defend her husband if needed. “Yes, sir.”

  “Is everything all right? You said he went to bed already. He’s not ill or anything, is he?”

  She relaxed a bit and shook her head. “No, sir.” He thought for a moment she was going to add an explanation as to why her husband had been so absent of late, perhaps ask that his hours be reduced permanently. Instead she squared her shoulders. “Mrs. Colton said it was all right for Aaron to take the evening off as long as I covered for him. I hope that’s not a problem for you?”

  He shook his head as he continued up the steps. “No, it’s fine. I just...was making sure everything was okay with him. Not feeling sick or...”

  “No, sir.”

  He gave the banister a little double pat. “Okay. Good.”

  As he strode past his sister Piper’s room, the sound of laughter, both male and female, bubbled out like champagne overflowing a glass. Extravagant and effervescent. Farther down the hall, the noises coming from his brother T.C.’s suite were more amorous. He experienced a brief pang of envy for his siblings, moving on with their lives, enjoying the company of their new loves. Every one of his siblings had a new life, a new love, a new beginning. Except him.

  Even his other half siblings, waspish Marceline and pretentious Fowler, had mellowed in recent weeks, making their illicit affairs public and embracing the future with their lovers.

  So where did that leave him? Alone. Not lonely exactly, but maybe beginning to search, to question. He wanted to settle down someday. But he hadn’t yet found that certain someone who knocked his socks off.

  When Penelope’s face materialized in his mind’s eye, he quickly scuttled the image of her curled against him to the recesses of his brain. Pursuing that line of thought would just be asking for trouble. Any attraction he felt for her was not only unrequited, he was sure, but verboten.

  Reid carefully stripped out of his dirty clothes, knowing shards of his windshield were probably still embedded in the folds and seams of his shirt and jeans. Leaving the clothes on the bathroom floor, he stepped into the hot shower spray, still ticking off reasons in his head why he needed to keep his feelings for Pen in check. One, she had a child. He wasn’t ready to be a father. Good God, look at the sorry role model Eldridge had been. What did he know about raising a family?

  Two, she was Andrew’s widow. And if getting involved with his late partner’s wife wasn’t awkward enough, his part in Andrew’s death, intentional or not, complicated the hell outta matters.

  Three, just hours ago he’d promised to protect her. Somehow that pledge seemed like it should include protecting her from himself. From false expectations of a future together. From a broken heart. From—

  He scoffed a laugh when his arrogance dawned on him. As if Penelope couldn’t help but fall in love with him. He shook his head in disgust. He was a prime example of the conceit and sense of entitlement, the hubris of the Coltons that she’d always accused his family of suffering.

  He swiped soapy water from his face. Before the attack, Pen had wanted nothing to do with him. She still harbored bitterness and distrust for the man who’d administered the fatal drug to her husband. Even since explaining his side, he’d sensed her reserve.

  And then the shooter had sent everything about their dynamic into a tailspin. She was being forced to trust him. He was imposing his presence on her to keep her and the kid safe. The brush with danger had cracked the wall she’d put between them and given him a peek at a vulnerability and neediness she had fought hard to deny. And in unguarded moments, he’d sensed a crackle of something in the air. An energy. A magnetism. More than just his attraction to her.

  Reid shut off the shower and stared at the drain as the last of the runoff disappeared. She’d reciprocated his lingering glances, reacted to his touch and allowed him to see a softer side of herself. She’d trusted him not just with her life and Nicholas’s, but with glimpses of her heartache, her loneliness...her soul. He’d shared flickers of an intimacy with her that went beyond physical chemistry. When he held her during her meltdown, he could almost imagine she fit there, was created to be in his arms.

  Heart thumping, Reid slipped his towel from the bar beside the shower and started drying off. He’d have to pro
ceed with caution. In less than twenty-four hours, he’d moved from a secret attraction to his late partner’s wife, to helping her uncover the extent of her father’s deception and protecting her and her child from an assassin. Pen could get hurt in any number of ways in the coming weeks. The last thing he wanted was to add to her grief and pain. If she reached out to him for comfort and companionship during the rough days ahead, he’d have to keep his libido in check. Pen needed a friend now, a protector, not another reason to hate him.

  * * *

  Thirty minutes later, as he returned to his Range Rover, a dark blue Mercedes pulled up the drive and parked near the servants’ entrance. Aaron Manfred. Who’d told his wife to say he’d gone to bed early and had her cover for him.

  “Evening, Aaron,” Reid called across the lawn. “How are you tonight?”

  The old man startled and turned with a jerk to face him. “Oh, hello, Mr. Reid. I’m fine, thank you. And yourself?”

  Reid scratched his chin, wondering for only a moment before deciding not to call the butler out on his wife’s lie. The older man scuttled inside, shooting backward glances and a small wave to Reid as he went into the mansion.

  Odd, Reid thought as he climbed into his vehicle, but gave it no more attention. He had bigger fish to fry, and he’d already been away from the lake house longer than he’d planned. He had to get back to Pen and Nicholas and make sure they were safe. A butler’s mysterious evening excursion was small beans compared to the newly discovered fraud of the family lawyer and an assassin’s attempt on his life.

  Chapter 10

  Penelope found a can of tomato soup in Reid’s kitchen that hadn’t expired and heated it up for Nicholas when he started getting whiny for his dinner. The few fish-shaped cheese crackers left in his diaper bag from Mother’s Day Out rounded out his dinner, and when he finished eating she started preparing him for bed. She availed herself to the guest bathroom and used the shower gel and shampoo from the master bath to clean Nicholas up.