Similar things had been achieved in other fields. But the device she’d created worked for athletes training for the biathlon. In that event, a split second could make the difference between winning and losing, something she’d learned the hard way.
The high-tech prototype had been tested by some top-notch labs and all indications were that it would work as expected. The innovation would change the sport. It meant that an athlete could learn to go from cross-country skiing with a pounding heart to a calm state conducive to shooting a rifle. And it could be done faster and more predictably than using any of the earlier methods.
Jana was thrilled, but she held her excitement in check. The item had to be tested in real-world situations before it could be released to the world. But it looked very hopeful. The loss of not making the Olympic team had haunted her over the years.
There was no way to change the past. But it was inspiring to know that if she’d had her invention at the time, she might have made the team. Chances were that she would have. Once the tool was made available to competitors, other young women would train differently and be more likely to gain the fraction of a second that was needed in competition.
Plus, it would be a boon to her ski business. The shop had done well for many years, but her grandfather had done things the old way. He wasn’t inclined to latch on to new technology. That was one of the things Jana had changed when she’d taken over the business.
Her livelihood and her grandmother’s welfare depended on the income from the ski shop. The new product would be another source of revenue. More than that, it could boost the income to higher levels than before.
Jana had no aspirations to be wealthy just for the sake of having money. But she had visions of creating training camps for youth and assisting competitors to enter events when they didn’t have enough resources of their own. That was only going to happen if the new tool panned out. A lot depended on the outcome.
Her phone rang, jarring her concentration. It was Coley. “Hey, what are you up to?” her friend said.
“I was just working on that device I told you about.”
“Ah, I can’t wait. We’re going to test it out, right?”
“We sure are. That’s the final step to verify it will do what it’s supposed to.”
“Are you free after work?” Coley said.
“I don’t have plans. Do you want to stop at Josie’s for a drink? I could do with a chat.”
“Is something up?” Coley didn’t miss much.
“You could say so.” Jana closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. “My grandmother has hired a bodyguard for me.”
“You can’t be serious.”
“I wish I wasn’t,” Jana said. “And wait until you see him.” She took a breath. “The guy is studly, to say the least.”
“I guess bodyguards would have to be,” Coley said. “So he follows you around?”
“Something like that. It’s only been one day, so I can’t say for sure.”
“Will he be there for drinks?”
“Don’t get excited, Coley. He’s just there as protection. He’ll probably hover at the entrance of the bar to ensure my safety.”
“It sounds very romantic.”
Jana laughed. “You would say that. Okay, gotta go. I’ll see you there about six.”
Life was getting more complicated. Jana couldn’t even have a drink or dinner with a girlfriend without her bodyguard around. It was probably time to take another stab at getting her grandmother to agree that the danger had passed.
Jana shouldn’t get her hopes up. She had a feeling that Thaddeus was going to be around for more than a day or so. That wasn’t all bad. He was easy on the eyes. She decided to enjoy that part, for as long as she had to put up with being shadowed wherever she went.
Chapter 5
The rest of the day at the ski shop was uneventful. That made Thaddeus uneasy. It was acceptable that Jana could focus on work, and that she was secure in her office. But that didn’t mean she was out of trouble.
Thaddeus kept a sharp eye on things, but the activity in the shop appeared normal. Customers came and went, lugging purchases out the door. Clerks helped get skis to the vehicles and cheerfully answered questions.
It would have been boring, if Thaddeus hadn’t known that something was up. It was too quiet. He didn’t believe the attacks had stopped. It was a lag in activity; that was all. The question was: when would the next one come?
On the plus side, lunch had provided an opportunity to chill things out with Jana. She seemed to tolerate his presence, at least for that brief interlude. Whether that would continue or not, he’d have to see. It was vital that she gave her full cooperation.
That was the only way that Thaddeus could protect her. As the client, she had a right to do whatever she liked. But one stupid move could jeopardize her safety, even her life. He wasn’t certain that she saw it that way. As long as she did what he recommended, he could keep her from harm.
Thaddeus was determined to keep his distance and not allow the situation to get personal. Jana was a client. He’d do his job then move on. He wasn’t the type of guy she should hook up with anyway. He was lousy at relationships—not that he’d tried, but he was certain that would be the case.
He’d joined the Navy because of his instinct to protect and defend. As a SEAL, he’d fallen into roles that required stealth and long periods of working alone. He’d gotten good at it, and through years of deployment, he’d seen plenty of conflict.
Battle wasn’t something he ran from. If truth be told, he missed the excitement. He’d forayed into dangerous areas in other countries and been forced to function without the aid of his team. The duties had required an unemotional approach and a war mentality. The military environment hadn’t been conducive to forming any attachments.
Thaddeus was a warrior, a defender…a machine. He didn’t begrudge that. It had been his choice. But one thing was certain: he wasn’t a people person. And he wasn’t relationship material; marriage was for other guys. He didn’t see that in his future, hadn’t even considered the possibility.
Whatever was happening between him and Jana couldn’t go anywhere. He’d make sure it didn’t, because her welfare was most important. Thaddeus was a professional and he’d behave accordingly.
When Jana emerged from her office in the late afternoon, she didn’t look worn out from a day at work—quite the opposite. She looked vibrant. There was a glow about her. She was lovely; that’s all there was to it.
From her demeanor, Thaddeus assumed her day had been rewarding. It was likely that she’d worked on her invention, one that she believed was private. Yet if he was to guess, he’d say that the secret was out. Word about projects that involved money usually leaked, spreading like rumors do.
At the first opportunity, Thaddeus intended to ask about the project and glean more details. But he didn’t want to do so in a public place, so lunch hadn’t been the time to bring it up. By learning more, he hoped to get a clue about who was after her.
Jana glided through the shop, letting the staff know that she was out for the day. She gave Thaddeus a cursory glance, which he took as a bad sign. At the entrance, he opened the door for her and she sailed through.
Without a word, Jana went to the Jeep and opened the passenger door. “You can drive me home. I’m going to meet a friend for drinks tonight, so I won’t need your services.”
There it was: what Thaddeus had been expecting. But he couldn’t allow it. As long as he’d been hired to protect her, he wasn’t going to back off, dammit.
Thaddeus walked around the car and grabbed the door before Jana could shut it. She looked directly at him, challenge in her eyes.
“You need to take your security seriously,” Thaddeus said, then paused. When he saw no change in Jana’s expression, he continued. “You are in deadly peril.” He stared at her. “Why doesn’t that mean anything to you?”
Jana looked away. “I said, take me home.”
“You swear that I’m in peril, but I don’t see any,” Jana said. “Just because some prankster sent me a few letters, and I happen to be in the way of a stray bullet, doesn’t mean my life is at risk.”
Thaddeus didn’t say a word.
“Ooh, you make me so mad.” Jana looked forward, watching the roadway in front of them. It didn’t matter if she looked at him or not—he’d damn well be looking at her. Because he was going to watch out for her.
For a few minutes, Jana was quiet. She sat stiffly, gripping her purse in her lap. Then she looked over at Thaddeus. “You don’t understand. You don’t know my grandmother,” she said. “She lost her only daughter and her husband. I was all she had left. She’d protect me with her life.”
Thaddeus focused on traffic.
“She worries. If you knew her better, you wouldn’t take it to heart,” Jana said. “I make allowances, but I can’t live with you glued to my side.”
The tension between them ratcheted up. But Thaddeus wasn’t about to relent.
Jana huffed. “Why won’t you say something? Conversation isn’t at a premium, you know. People iron out disagreements by talking.”
Thaddeus glanced at her. He’d already said what he needed to, so he didn’t know what she was driving at.
The remainder of the trip was silent, which was fine with Thaddeus. He’d get her home safely, wait for her to change to go out, then he’d drive her there. It was simple, and it was not negotiable.
*****
Jana was furious. It wasn’t solely that she had a bodyguard as a permanent appendage. It was that the man was as quiet as a stone statue. How was she supposed to deal with that?
She’d ranted and raved, making it clear what her demands were. Yet she might as well have been talking to herself, for as much response as she got. Thaddeus had said two sentences, three max. And that was supposed to handle the situation.
It was downright infuriating.
Thaddeus wouldn’t get away with it. He could be as silent as he wished. That wouldn’t change Jana’s mind. And how dare he imply that she didn’t care about her own safety? That was ridiculous. If there was danger to be concerned with, she would be.
When the Jeep pulled into the driveway, Jana leapt out and ran up the stairs to the house. It was good that she didn’t run into Eva, as it wouldn’t have been pleasant. Once she reached her room, she shoved the door closed and flopped onto the bed.
How had things gotten so out of control? Why did Thaddeus have that effect on her, and why did she even care?
Jana expelled a breath. She wasn’t going to let this ruin her evening. After hours of intense focus and concentration, she needed to unwind. A couple of hours of downtime would go a long way toward that end. She’d change clothes, then take her own car to the restaurant.
If Thaddeus didn’t like it, then that was too bad.
Yet Jana was conflicted. As she dug through her drawer for the sweater she wanted to wear, she couldn’t stop thinking of Thaddeus. It would make things so much easier if she just didn’t like him. But, as annoying as it was, she found him attractive.
At lunch, he’d made the perfect date. Of course, Jana had done all the talking. But that had been fine with her then. There was a time for listening and a time for talking. And during an argument, talking was mandatory.
She ran her hands through her hair, yanking on it a bit too hard. What in the world was she going to do about Thaddeus? She closed her eyes.
She was going to finish getting dressed and go out. That was what she was going to do. And she was going to forget about him. Even if the man hovered around, she’d ignore him and see how he liked that.
Once she was satisfied with what she was wearing, Jana grabbed a scarf and headed for the door. It didn’t matter what she wore anyway, since she was meeting a girlfriend. A nagging voice whispered that she wanted to look good for Thaddeus.
“That’s ridiculous.” She opened the door and went down the hall. Then she took the stairs two at a time.
She breathed a sigh of relief when she didn’t see Thaddeus. There was no need to let her grandmother know where she was going. She often went out and wasn’t expected to relay her every move.
Jana went to the garage and got into her Ram pickup. She loved that shiny red truck. She’d had it for years and was at home behind the wheel. She started it up and backed it out, smelling freedom. After she pulled onto the road, she looked in her rearview mirror.
Then she shook her head. Thaddeus was in the Jeep, right behind her. There was a man who couldn’t take no for an answer. He could follow, but she didn’t have to pay attention. So, she watched the road and thought about what she would order at the restaurant.
When she arrived, the lot was nearly full, but there were a couple of spaces on the perimeter. She pulled in, got out, and clicked to lock the door. She may not have an attacker gunning for her, but that didn’t mean that she didn’t take normal precautions.
Jana headed for the restaurant. It was a favorite hangout and the bartender was talented with mixed drinks. Plus, there were plenty of beers on tap. As soon as she entered, Coley waved at her from a table near the windows.
Josie’s was a trendy place, with a high A-frame ceiling. The wooden beams were polished to a sheen, like the floor. The huge stone fireplace was a centerpiece and the bar had a long, curved marble counter. It was noisy and fun, just the type of place Jana liked.
Coley had already started on a margarita, so Jana ordered the same. It was so loud, between the music and the crowd, that she had to raise her voice to give the order. A bowl of pretzels was delivered to the table, followed by the drink.
Jana took a sip. “That hits the spot.”
“Where’s your bodyguard?” Coley looked around. “I thought he’d be here.”
“I’m sure he is, but don’t look at him. I tried to convince him not to come.”
Coley licked salt from the rim of her glass. “Whatever for? I want to see him.”
Jana waited, but not for long.
“There is an amazing guy at the bar, and I think he’s watching us,” Coley said. “He has to be over six feet—quite a bit over, I’d say. The long hair is sexy. And blue eyes…” She looked over. “Is that the guy?”
“I’m afraid so.”
“You’re so weird sometimes. He’s gorgeous. You should invite him over.”
Jana put up her hand. “No…don’t even think about it.” She glared at Coley. “He’s not available.”
“Not for me. I wouldn’t steal your guy.”
“You don’t get it. He’s not mine. I don’t want him to be mine. He’s…”
“He’s what?”
Jana took a swig of her drink. “He’s driving me crazy, that’s what.”
Coley laughed. “I have a hunch that’s his purpose in life, to drive women crazy.”
“Not if you listen to him,” Jana said. “He’s a bodyguard, a professional. And he’s not interested in anything else.”
“How do you know?”
Jana glared across the table. “Don’t confuse me. Things might be different if my grandmother hadn’t hired him to protect me.”
“But if she hadn’t, you wouldn’t even know him.”
Jana rolled her eyes. “Don’t get clever. Anyway, how would you feel having a guy follow you wherever you went?”
Coley licked her lips. “Mmm, well, if he was the guy in question…”
“Forget I asked,” Jana said. “I need food. If I keep drinking without eating, I’ll get silly.”
The waitress came by and took their order for wings and garlic bread. “That ought to fill in the holes,” Coley said.
“I had a very productive day,” Jana said, then proceeded to share the highlights of her new device.
“You’ve told me a bit of that before, but I think
I’m going to have to try it out to really understand it.”
“I want you to,” Jana said. “The patent is pending, but I need evidence that the tool works as expected.”
“So, if I understand correctly, I can wear this microchip you’ve developed, inside my ski hat. It will give me feedback, so I can regulate my heartbeat.”
“Precisely,” Jana said. “Think of it like a sonic wave, such as dogs can hear. Only this is for you. It allows you to tune in to your heart rate and gives you a way to calm it down quickly.”
“I’m pretty impressed that you could create something like that.”
“Don’t be impressed until you try it.” Jana munched on a chunk of bread. “It can look great in preliminary trials, but what matters is how it works out on the slopes.”
“Okay, I’m your girl. I can’t wait.”
“And how are things with you? Is Michael back yet?”
“Another day, he says.” Coley smiled. “I can’t wait.”
Jana helped finish off the wings then cleaned her fingers on the wet wipe. She wanted to stay longer but had an early morning workout scheduled. Her trainer expected her to show up energetic and ready for a challenge, not sluggish or hungover.
“It’s been real,” Coley said. “I’m going to have a quick espresso then head out. Call when you want to set up that test run.”
“It will be soon.” Jana gave her friend a quick hug, then walked through the restaurant. She didn’t need to look to know that Thaddeus wasn’t far behind her.
*****
Thaddeus had imbibed club sodas and kept an eye on Jana and her friend while they ate and drank. He didn’t care that he hadn’t been introduced. That could wait. The woman was a close friend Jana had spoken of, so she’d likely see her again soon. Maybe he’d be back in her good graces and get to meet Coley next time.
He wanted to assess her trustworthiness. But from what he could tell, she was in Jana’s camp. The background check had shown that they’d been friends since their competitive days. And there was no reason to think that Coley didn’t have Jana’s best interests at heart.
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