The Bodyguard and Ms. Jones

by Susan Mallery

  Cindy knew she would remember this moment, too. It marked the exact second her daughter fell in love with Mike. Allison had handed over her heart with a child’s trust that the affection would be returned. Cindy wondered if her own heart was far behind.

  Mike glanced at her. “What do you think?” he asked softly.

  “They’re wonderful,” she said, motioning to the fawns. The mother had finished eating but seemed content to let her children play.

  Mike knelt in the damp grass and pointed out the different markings on the fawns. The girls listened intently. Again she marveled at how much better Mike was with the children than Nelson had ever been. Maybe some fathers were born, not made. She wondered what Mike would be like with his own children.

  The thought was as tempting as chocolate to someone on a diet. She didn’t want to dwell on it, but once it was in her mind, she couldn’t get rid of it.

  She reminded herself that men like Mike didn’t stay. But that didn’t erase her desire to see him holding a baby of his own. Her baby.

  * * *

  “When you have enough beads to fit around your wrist, add a couple extra so the bracelet will dangle,” Cindy said. “We don’t want it so tight, it cuts off your circulation.”

  Several of the girls looked up at her and giggled. Mike smiled as he patrolled the tables, making sure everyone concentrated on her craft. “Stay two arm’s-lengths apart,” he cautioned, trying to avoid the inevitable stabbing with the dull needles used to string the beads.

  “Bet they didn’t do much of this in the marines,” Cindy whispered as he circled behind her.

  “You’re right.” He gave her short ponytail a playful tug, then returned his attention to the girls.

  Most of the fathers were over with the knot-tying group. He was willing to admit it was more macho to tie knots than make bead bracelets, but he wasn’t on the trip to affirm his masculinity. He was here to be with Allison and this was the craft she’d chosen.

  “My cord’s got a kink in it,” one of the little girls wailed.

  Mike was instantly at her side. He slipped off a couple of beads, smoothed the cord until it was straight, then handed it to the now-smiling child. “Better than new,” he said.

  Pam walked over to him and placed her hands on her hips. “You’re very good at this. Cindy has been telling us you don’t have kids, but I’m starting to wonder.”

  “I’ve spent the summer practicing,” he said. “Allison and her brother live right next door.”

  “You’ve learned well.” Pam glanced from him to Cindy. “Maybe you should think of having a few of your own.”

  “No way.” He raised his hands in a gesture of surrender. “I move around a lot.”

  Her smile faded and her green eyes darkened with sadness. “It’s a waste, if you ask me.”

  Before they could continue the conversation, Pam stepped away to help another child. Mike watched her go. As he’d told Cindy, he liked Pam; she didn’t treat him any differently than she treated any of the other men. She knew he was a single guy, a bodyguard, and she couldn’t care less. It was refreshing. Cindy had teased him about being disappointed not to add one more member to his fan club, but in truth he was relieved. There was only one woman he wanted fawning on him and that was Cindy.

  His gaze drifted over to his next-door neighbor and ersatz girlfriend. Cindy was bending over the table helping one of the girls. Her shorts pulled tight around her rear and he wished he were standing behind her so he could admire the view.

  Down, boy, he told himself silently. This wasn’t the time or the place. Although she was awfully tempting with her sunburned nose and no makeup. She wasn’t the glamorous type he usually dated. She was genuine and caring. She didn’t play games and when she gave her heart, it was forever. He wished he were a different kind of man. Someone who would be able to give her what she needed and deserved.

  Cindy finished with the girl and strolled over to him. “How’s it going? You want to make some jewelry for Grace?”

  “I think she’ll be buying all she needs in Hong Kong.”

  “But a necklace or bracelet from you would be very special.”

  He made a fist and pretended to clip her jaw. He brushed against her soft skin. Longing swept through him. “You think you’re very funny.”

  “I don’t just think it, I know it for a fact.” She smiled, then pointed at Pam. “I saw you two talking.”

  “I’m still surprised that she and Steve come on these trips, and they don’t have any kids of their own.”

  “Some people believe in giving something back.”

  Interesting concept, he thought. What did he ever give back?

  Before he could answer that question, a messenger van pulled up to the edge of camp. A young man stepped out. “I’m looking for Steve and Pam East,” he said loudly.

  Pam heard him. She turned and paled. Mike understood her concern. The envelope in the messenger’s hand looked ominous.

  “I wonder what’s wrong,” Cindy said. Most of the girls stopped what they were doing and watched.

  Steve raced over to his wife and put his arm around her. Together they approached the messenger. The man handed them the envelope. The normally noisy camp grew silent; even the insects seemed to have stopped buzzing. Cindy clutched Mike’s arm.

  “I hope nobody died,” she whispered.

  Steve and Pam read the message. Pam threw herself into her husband’s arms and started to cry. Cindy jogged toward her. Mike followed. Then he realized the couple wasn’t sad. They were laughing. Steve swung his wife around.

  Pam glanced up at Cindy. “We’re going to have a baby. A birth mother has chosen us. We met with her last week, and we almost decided not to come on the campout so we could wait by the phone for her answer, but she was taking her school exams and said she wouldn’t decide until Monday. I guess she changed her mind.” She smiled through her tears. “Next to falling in love with Steve, this is the most wonderful thing that has ever happened to me.”

  Cindy hugged her friend. The other women in the camp approached and embraced as the men shook hands.

  “We’re going to have to leave right away,” Pam said, wiping her face. “The baby is due in less than two weeks. There are a million things to prepare. A baby.”

  Her happiness was so bright it nearly blinded him. As she moved toward her tent to collect her belongings, she paused in front of Mike.

  “Are you sure this is what you want?” she asked.

  He didn’t have an answer so he hugged her.

  “I’m so happy,” she said. Steve came over and the two men shook hands.

  Mike watched as everyone helped them pack. In less than fifteen minutes, the couple was heading back to Houston. He stood on the edge of the crowd, strangely detached from their joy. He was happy Pam and Steve were finally going to have their child, but he didn’t understand why they’d wanted one so much in the first place. At times, he didn’t feel completely human. It was as if some of his emotions had atrophied from disuse.

  Cindy picked up Allison and held her close. Mother and daughter clung to each other, their love visible to him. The pain in his chest told him that his heart was working. He still felt the pain of being on the outside, looking in.

  * * *

  “I want to call Daddy and tell him I had a good time,” Allison said as Cindy pulled into the driveway. The girl had unfastened her seat belt and had the side door open before Cindy had set the parking brake.

  “He might not be home,” Cindy called after her. “And you can’t get inside until I unlock the door.”

  Allison danced impatiently. Cindy rolled her eyes at Mike. “I think her first campout was a success.”

  “Seems that way.”

  Cindy wondered what was bothering him. He’d been quiet for a couple of days now. The nearest she could pinpoint it, he’d started acting withdrawn right after Pam and Steve had left. She wasn’t sure why that would have upset him.

  She heard a call
from across the greenbelt. Jonathan burst out of his friend’s house and ran toward home.

  “You guys are finally back,” he yelled.

  Cindy gave her keys to an impatient Allison, then turned to greet her son. He hugged her tight then frowned. “Next time, I want to go camping with you guys. You had all the fun, and I was just stuck here with nothing to do.”

  “Interesting. I could have sworn Brett’s mother said you guys were going to Astro World, to the movies and ice skating. Didn’t you do any of that?”

  “Sure, but it wasn’t camping with Mike.” He turned to the man. “How was it? Were the girls all real dumb?”

  Mike pulled camping gear out of the rear of the minivan. “We had fun.”

  “I want to go on a camping trip, too,” Jonathan said. “Mike, will you take me?”

  Mike straightened, a sleeping bag under each arm. He drew his eyebrows together, obviously surprised. “You want to go camping with me?”

  “Sure. It would be great. Just us guys. You know, roughing it.”

  “We’ll talk about this later,” Cindy said, rescuing Mike. The poor man didn’t know what to say. “Go inside and see if your sister has gotten hold of her father. You can talk to him, too.”

  When Jonathan slammed the back door shut behind him, she turned to Mike. “Sorry about that. I didn’t know he was going to put you on the spot. There’s really no time between now and when school starts, and it’s unlikely you’ll be coming back later in the fall. I’ll explain it to him.”

  “I wouldn’t mind going. Maybe around Thanksgiving.”

  That sounded suspiciously like a long-term commitment. “Why would you want to?”

  “I like Jonathan.”

  “I know, but—” She didn’t know how to explain it without sounding like a fool. “Thanks.”

  She grabbed a cooler and headed for the house. Inside her stomach she felt a flicker of hope. She doused it with a large dose of reality. Agreeing to go camping with a nine-year-old boy wasn’t the same as making an emotional commitment to her. This was all temporary. When he was healed and the time was up, Mike would be moving on. Occasional visits wouldn’t be enough for her.

  She was still looking for a sure thing.

  Chapter Twelve

  Cindy closed the door to Jonathan’s room and sighed. It had taken the better part of an hour to get them both calm enough to sleep. Allison had to be exhausted from the camping trip and, according to Brett’s mother, Jonathan and Brett had been staying up late playing video games, so getting them to bed shouldn’t have been a problem. But nothing was as it was supposed to be with children. There were always surprises.

  Like Jonathan wanting to go camping with Mike. She probably shouldn’t be all that shocked. Her son liked and respected Mike. It made sense he would want to spend time with the man. It wasn’t as if Nelson ever did anything with the children aside from taking them every other weekend.

  She walked along the hallway, then down the stairs and into the kitchen.

  “They’re finally asleep,” she said. “I know they were exhausted, but they kept fighting it.” Mike had already started the dishwasher and was finishing up with the pots. “You didn’t have to do that,” she said.

  “You didn’t have to invite me to stay for dinner,” he answered easily. “I get tired of frozen meals.”

  “You could cook something yourself.”

  He glanced at her over his shoulder and grinned. “It’s easier to wash your dishes.”

  She’d thought Mike would have had enough of her and children for one weekend, but when she’d invited him to stay and eat with them, he’d accepted. Jonathan had wanted to hear every detail of the camping trip and Allison had been in heaven, at last having something to hold over her older brother. Mike had kept both children entertained, reenacting the events of the campout.

  She’d taken the opportunity to wash away the dust and grime. There had been showers at the campsite, but none she wanted to use. It was wonderful to finally have clean hair again. Mike had also showered and shaved, although if she were honest with herself, she would have to admit that she missed the stubble. It gave him a dark and dangerous look. As if he were a renegade, or an outlaw of some kind. As if his career wasn’t romantic enough already.

  “What are you smiling at?” he asked, picking up a dishcloth and drying the largest pot.

  “Nothing. I’m just happy to be home with running water and electricity.”

  “That campground is hardly roughing it.”

  “It’s wild enough for the likes of me. I’ve never seen the appeal of living with creepy-crawly things or sleeping in the dirt.”

  “It’s getting back to nature.”

  “This from a man who lives in the city.”

  He winked. “Can’t make a living from a tent.”

  “Probably not.”

  The sun had barely set in the western sky. There were still hints of pink in the clouds. Outside, fireflies danced through the greenbelt. Other invisible creatures had taken up their nightly chorus. She and Mike were standing in her kitchen. He was drying pots, for heaven’s sake, and her kids were sleeping upstairs. It wasn’t a magical moment. And yet she felt very strange inside. Her stomach was filled with nervous fluttering. Her arms and legs felt both heavy and light. Her skin tingled.

  Maybe it was because Mike’s dark gaze never left hers. Maybe it was because they’d just spent four days together and neither of them seemed to want the time to be over. Maybe it was because she could remember what it felt like to be in his arms and right now there was nothing she wanted more.

  She was barefoot. After her shower, she hadn’t bothered putting on makeup. Her hair was straight, her clothing a simple T-shirt and shorts. Yet the way Mike was looking at her, she could have been dressed in black silk and pearls. She was drawn to him, drawn to the man who had taken the time to make her children feel special and herself feel desired. Except that he would leave her, he was everything she’d ever wanted.

  Before she could step closer to him and perhaps make an incredible fool of herself, a car turned into the driveway. She glanced out the kitchen window and frowned. The red convertible looked familiar.

  “That’s Nelson’s car. What’s he doing here?”

  Mike shrugged and went back to drying the pots. She started toward the back door, but before she got there, it flew open. Her ex-husband stomped inside.

  He glanced from her to Mike, then frowned. “What the hell is going on here?”

  His rudeness annoyed her almost as much as his question. “That’s what I’d like to know,” she said, marching past him and closing the door. She glared at him. “This is my house, Nelson. I bought you out. The deed is in my name. You no longer have the right to do as you please here. If you want to come inside, you knock.”

  “I told you to keep the door locked,” Mike said.

  “I should have listened.”

  Nelson stared at Mike. His gaze narrowed. “So you’re the bodyguard.”

  Mike put down the pot he’d been drying and smiled. “You’re the ex-husband.”

  The men were about the same height, with the same coloring. But there the similarity ended. Mike was lean and dangerous, trained to kill. Nelson sold insurance and had never done anything about the extra twenty pounds he’d gained.

  Nelson turned back to her. “You had no right to take this paramilitary type camping with my daughter. Don’t do it again.”

  “Are you crazy? You’re telling me who can and can’t see Allison? Is that right?”

  “Yes. She’s my daughter.”

  “Only when it’s convenient for you. Mike did me a favor by coming with me. Allison was crushed when you backed out of the camping trip. She was in tears. Mike stepped in and made her feel better. He did your job for you.”

  She moved closer and stuck out her index finger. “While we’re on the subject, don’t you ever tell me who I can and can’t see.”

  “I’ll do what I damn well please,” her ex
-husband said, his brown eyes bright with anger. “You’re their mother. You have to set an example.”

  His temper didn’t frighten her. She was just as furious. “And you don’t?” She didn’t give him a chance to answer. “You’re the one who dumped me, then lived with a woman before marrying her. Now you’ve dumped wife number two for Hilari. Yet you come in here and want to judge me? I’m a damn good mother to those children. It doesn’t have anything to do with whom I do or don’t see, it’s about something else. Something you can’t understand. It’s about caring for them. It’s about being with them when they need me. They count on me, Nelson. They know you only care when it’s your weekend. But I’m always there for them.”

  “You’ve turned my children against me.”

  “No. You did that yourself.”

  “I won’t let you live with this guy.”

  She didn’t bother reminding him that Mike didn’t live with her. That wasn’t the point. “You don’t have any say here. I’ll do what I want.”

  Nelson flushed with anger. “You’d better listen to me.”

  “Or you’ll what? Sue me for custody?” She smiled. “I don’t think so. You couldn’t be bothered.”

  Nelson took a step toward her. Cindy was startled by the physical threat, but she didn’t budge. In the back of her mind, she wondered if Nelson was trying to act macho because Mike was here. That made her dislike her ex-husband even more.

  “I wouldn’t try that if I were you,” Mike said softly.

  Sometime while she and Nelson had been arguing, he’d put the dish towel and pot down and had approached. He stood balanced on the balls of his feet. Like a wildcat ready to pounce, he was pure coiled strength.

  “On second thought, do it,” Mike said, his voice still quiet. “Raise your hand to her, buddy, but make it good the first time because when I’m done with you, you’ll never threaten a woman again.”

  Nelson drew himself up to his full height. “I’ve never hit a woman in my life. Is this what you’ve been doing, Cindy? Telling lies about me?”

  “You’ve never hit any of us,” she said. “I didn’t tell anyone you had. That’s not your style, Nelson. You prefer to walk out on your family.”