The Colton Bodyguard

by Carla Cassidy

She left the corral, and once she was outside, she threw her arms around Tyler’s neck with a laugh. “She finally is starting to trust.”

  Tyler picked her up and twirled in a circle, then set her back down on the ground. “Your patience is finally paying off.”

  Greta released her hold on him and nodded. “Now the real work can begin. I’ll work with carrots for another couple of days, then start with some apple slices, and finally, we can introduce her to you and some equipment.”

  Tyler fell into step with her as she headed for the barn next to the corral. “I think we should go out to dinner tonight to celebrate your success,” he said.

  They entered the darker barn interior, which housed stacks of hay bales, along with an equipment area and bins of grain. She sat on one of the bales of hay and stared up at him with concern. “Do you really think leaving the ranch and going out is a good idea?”

  “I think it’s a great idea. We’ve been cooped up for almost two weeks now, and Ryan said as long as we’re in public places, you should be safe. We could go to Kara’s restaurant.”

  “That sounds nice,” she agreed. “I haven’t been to her restaurant since it opened, but according to the publicity she’s been getting, it’s the new place to dine in Tulsa.”

  “Maybe you can call her and use the family connection to make sure we can get a table around seven.”

  “I’ll do that.” Greta stood and started to pick up one of the bales of hay, unsurprised when Tyler stepped forward and lifted it into his arms.

  “Feed trough?” he asked.

  Greta nodded and together they walked to the small shed that sheltered Sugar. Through a back door Tyler set the bale on the floor and Greta not only filled the trough for Sugar to eat but also added fresh water to the water trough. “I’m hoping to get her to go willingly into one of the barn stalls before the first snow flies,” Greta said.

  “That’s still weeks away, and now that you’ve had a breakthrough, hopefully, things will move more quickly.”

  “That’s the way it usually works,” she agreed.

  Two hours later she stood in front of her closet, trying to decide what to wear out for dinner. She’d spoken to Kara and she’d assured Tyler and Greta a table at seven.

  While Greta was looking forward to an evening out, especially at her sister-in-law’s restaurant, there was also a part of her that was afraid to go out.

  Alice had become an omnipotent monster in her mind. Although there had been no sign of her around the ranch and no fires, downed fencing or other indications she was here, Greta felt her nearness.

  Hiding...waiting...looking for a window of opportunity to strike again. Would it be tonight? Tomorrow? Ryan had checked in the day before with the news that there was still no news on Alice’s whereabouts. None of the ranch hands had reported seeing anything unusual.

  She finally grabbed a deep-coral-colored dress from her closet. Her mother had picked it out for one of the many wedding showers she had anticipated Greta might attend.

  Although it was more her mother’s style than Greta’s with its flirty skirt and ruffled V-neckline, she decided she might as well get some use out of it and it might be nice to be a little more feminine tonight.

  She laid the dress on the bed and then went into the bathroom to finish up her makeup. She usually skipped the makeup thing altogether if she was just hanging out at the house or working outside, but tonight she pulled out all the stops, mascara, a touch of blush and lipstick. After all, this was a night of celebration that deserved a little extra effort on her part.

  She put her knife in her bedside stand. There would be no place to hide it in the dainty high-heel shoes she wore. Besides, she had a feeling Tyler would have his gun with him.

  He’d had it with him almost every moment of every day that he’d been here. He wouldn’t plan a night out without carrying.

  She and Tyler had agreed to meet in the foyer at six thirty, and as she came down the stairs, she saw not only Tyler but her mother waiting for her, as well.

  They were talking and for a moment didn’t see her coming, but before she reached the bottom step, her mother saw her and clapped her hands together in pleasure. “Oh, Greta, you look so beautiful. Now, that’s my girl without her usual jeans and sweatshirts.”

  “That’s not a girl,” Tyler said, his eyes gleaming in obvious approval as his gaze swept her from head to toe. “She’s definitely all woman.”

  Greta reached the bottom of the stairs. “Stop it—you’re both going to make me blush.”

  Abra reached for her and kissed her on the cheek. “You look positively lovely and I hope the two of you have a wonderful outing this evening.”

  “Thanks, Mother.” Greta was both surprised and delighted by her mother’s kiss. Abra had never been an affectionate parent. A loving caress, a sweet kiss had been rare when Greta was growing up.

  “We’d better go,” Tyler said with a quick glance at his wristwatch.

  “I had Tyler’s truck brought around to the driveway, so it’s just outside,” Abra said.

  “Thank you. Then we’ll see you later,” Tyler said. He looked powerful and confident in a black suit, blue shirt and a black-and-blue tie. His handsomeness nearly stole Greta’s breath away, and as they walked down the outside stairs that led to the driveway, she felt unaccountably shy.

  He helped her up into the passenger seat of his big pickup truck and then circled the vehicle to slide into the driver seat. “As beautiful as you look tonight, I’m sorry we don’t have a limo to ride in.”

  “I don’t need a limo. I’m perfectly satisfied with your monster truck,” she replied.

  He started the engine and looked at her once again. “Have I told you that you look gorgeous?” His eyes glowed in the light from the dashboard and flooded her with familiar warmth.

  “Thank you, but don’t get too used to it. You know I’m a jeans-and-T-shirt kind of girl at heart,” she reminded him.

  “I realize that, but it’s nice to occasionally see another side of you.”

  “I haven’t mentioned how well you clean up. You look very handsome, Mr. Stanton. I hope there is a gun underneath all that expensive suit-jacket material.”

  He flashed her a smile. “Never leave your home without it,” he replied. His smile fell. “Try not to worry. Try to enjoy the night, Greta. Don’t even think about her. Let’s just celebrate a great day and your success with Sugar.” He put the car into gear and they were under way.

  Even though he told her not to worry, not to even think about Alice, Greta couldn’t help but notice that as they drove, his gaze went frequently to the rearview mirror. He was obviously concerned about being followed.

  How could she not worry when the man who had told her not to appeared to be worried, as well?

  * * *

  The parking lot at Kara’s restaurant was filled to capacity and Tyler was grateful that they’d been assured a table, with the crowd. Thank goodness for family connections, he thought. They walked into the entrance, where a group of about a dozen people stood waiting to be seated.

  Tyler grimaced once he saw an unexpected yet familiar face. Greta stiffened next to him as Mark approached them, a small smirk curving his mouth. “Well, well, if it isn’t the happy couple,” he said.

  “Hello, Mark,” Tyler said evenly and fought the impulse to wrap an arm around Greta and pull her close to his side. “What are you doing here?”

  “I’ve been in Tulsa for the last week or so and I assume I’m here for the same reason you are, to try out a new popular restaurant.”

  “Rumor has it that the food is terrific,” Tyler replied, trying to keep the conversation civil.

  “That’s what I hear.” Mark paused a moment and a smirk once again lifted his lips. “Tell me, brother, are you enjoying my sloppy seconds?”

  The blood of rage rushed to Tyler’s head. He surged forward, halted only by Greta taking hold of his arm and gripping it tightly. “Mark, stop it,” she said with a toughne
ss that surprised Tyler. “Your brother has done nothing but help me when I needed help while you were missing in action. It’s done. You were the one sneaking around behind my back seeing other women when you were supposed to be committed to me.”

  Kara appeared by the hostess stand and motioned to them. “If you’ll excuse us, our table is ready,” Greta said and forcefully tugged on Tyler’s arm.

  Tyler allowed her to pull him along, afraid that if he remained in hitting distance of Mark, he’d punch his face, brother or not. Knowing his luck, somebody would catch him punching his brother on a cell-phone camera and it would feed a scandal that publicly had gone away in the past week.

  The utter disrespect and repulsiveness of Mark’s words still burned inside him when they were seated at a two-top in a relatively secluded part of the restaurant.

  “Let it go, Tyler,” Greta said once their drink orders had been taken. “I already have.”

  “He disrespected you,” Tyler said in a half growl.

  “Consider the source. Besides, he disrespected himself with his own ugliness,” she replied. “Thank God I didn’t marry him.”

  Tyler drew in a deep breath and released it slowly in an effort to release the anger that still gripped him. He didn’t want to allow the interaction with Mark to ruin the night of celebration.

  By the time the waitress arrived with Greta’s glass of wine and his scotch and soda, he’d managed to get himself under control. Thankfully, Mark and whoever he had with him had been seated out of view.

  The only reason Mark would be in Tulsa would be a woman. She was probably somebody Mark had met while he’d been here for Greta and making wedding plans.

  He consciously shoved away thoughts of his brother and focused on the woman across from him. The color of her dress brought out the green in her hazel eyes and the slight plunge of her neckline gave a tantalizing hint of her breasts.

  He raised his glass toward her. “Here’s to Sugar eating carrots and me being lucky enough to be sitting across from the most beautiful woman on earth.”

  She smiled and raised her glass to clink it with his. “How can I not toast to the success with Sugar and a little bit of baloney?”

  He laughed, but for only a moment. “I do feel lucky to be the man taking you to dinner.”

  “And I feel lucky to be here with you, too,” she replied.

  She picked up her menu and he did the same, knowing the waitress would return soon to take their orders.

  “The roast beef with pickling spices sounds interesting,” he said.

  “I’m thinking Swiss steak with parsley new potatoes,” she replied. She closed her menu. “I’m sure whatever is on the menu is wonderful. Kara is a talented cook and this restaurant has been her dream for a long time.”

  The waitress appeared to take their orders, and while they waited for her to return, they talked about the decor and the positive reviews the place had received from local food bloggers and critics.

  “Your family is so terrific,” Tyler said once they’d been served and had begun to eat. “They make me wish I had a big family.”

  She smiled. “Things can get pretty chaotic at times when all of us are together.” Her smile faltered. “Which is why I’m so surprised that Mother is planning such a big feast next week. This will be the first holiday that we’re all in one place with her being in charge of everything. In the past whenever we all got together, she’d retire to her room until everyone had gone home.”

  “She seems to be handling it all very well so far.”

  “I know. I have to admit she keeps surprising me. As my father gets a little bit weaker, my mother seems to be getting stronger.”

  “There’s obviously a lot of love between them,” Tyler said. “Maybe your mother knows a time will come when she needs to be the caretaker and she’s rising to the challenge. That’s what people who love each other do.”

  “Did your parents have a good marriage?” she asked.

  “For the most part,” he replied and thought back to when his parents had been alive. “I think the only thing they really fought about was Mark. My father thought my mother babied him too much.”

  “The two of you are so different sometimes it’s hard for me to remember that you’re brothers,” she replied.

  “I feel sorry for him,” Tyler admitted. “Maybe my mother unknowingly set him up to fail.”

  “Life is about choices. I feel about Mark kind of like I do about Alice. No matter where you come from, no matter what your background is, when you’re an adult, you decide what kind of person you’re going to be.” Greta took a sip of her wine.

  “You’re right,” Tyler agreed. “Mark continues to make bad choices in his life and it’s obvious Alice has chosen a wicked path. But enough talk about them. Surely we can think of more pleasant things to discuss. It isn’t every night we’re out celebrating.”

  “You’re right. We can always talk about how bad you are at chess,” she said teasingly. Her eyes sparkled and a familiar surge of desire rose up inside him.

  “I just let you win because I’m a gentleman,” he replied.

  She laughed. “If that’s what you need to tell yourself.”

  “I’m always up for a rematch if the stakes remain the same.” He watched the faint sweep of a blush fill her cheeks and knew she was remembering the kiss they’d shared. He certainly hadn’t forgotten it.

  “I’d hate to have to beat you again and confirm the fact that you are a big loser,” she replied. “No more chess games for me.”

  It was all so easy with her. He didn’t have to be on guard. He didn’t have to measure each and every word or think about consequences. He could just be himself and that was enough for her. There was such a refreshing sense of freedom with her.

  They were halfway through their meal when Kara stopped by their table. Her blue eyes sparked with pleasure. “How is everything?”

  “Absolutely delicious,” Tyler said.

  Greta smiled warmly at her sister-in-law. “Kara, the whole place is beautiful and the food is magnificent. You should be so proud of yourself.”

  “I couldn’t have done it all without your brother’s support. Eric has been wonderful about the whole thing. I’ve never been so happy in my entire life. I married the man of my dreams and am doing what I love to do.”

  “You deserve it all, Kara,” Greta replied. “Thank God Eric was there when you needed him and you found each other to love.”

  “Thanks, and now I need to make the rounds of the rest of the tables and then get back into the kitchen. Enjoy the rest of your meal and I’ll see you next week for Thanksgiving.”

  “What did you mean when you said Eric found her when she needed him?” Tyler asked curiously after Kara left.

  He listened with interest as Greta explained that Kara had been in the witness protection program after witnessing a murder in New York City. The killer had made threats on her life while in prison.

  Kara had been moved to Tulsa, but when she sensed danger from the man assigned to keep her safe, she’d run and then had been struck in a hit-and-run accident that had been witnessed by Eric. He’d called for an ambulance and, in the meantime, done what he could to take care of her injuries.

  “The man in prison was killed by another inmate. Kara is now safe from her past and can embrace her future with my brother.”

  “Sounds like a fairy tale. Trauma surgeon falls in love with patient and lives happily ever after.”

  “You don’t believe in fairy tales?” she asked.

  “I haven’t seen any in my life so far,” he replied.

  “I don’t know about fairy tales, but I definitely believe in happily-ever-after,” she said.

  “I don’t know how you can still be a believer after your relationship with Mark.”

  “Mark was a toad that I accidentally mistook for a prince. Eventually, I hope I’ll find that man who will give me a fairy-tale ending of my happily-ever-after.”

  “So despite y
our tomboy penchant, you’re still a romantic at heart,” he teased.

  “My first dream for myself was to become a good horse trainer and I’ve accomplished that. It’s just been recently, since my brothers have all found love, that I’ve become more of a romantic at heart. You can’t be surrounded by so much love and not want it for yourself, as well.”

  “Then you’re in the market for a husband,” he said.

  “I’m not actively seeking, but I’m open to possibilities,” she corrected. “Now, tell me more about your business.”

  It was obvious to him that it was an effort to change the topic, that they’d drifted into an area of conversation she wasn’t comfortable pursuing.

  They topped off their dinner with dessert and coffee, and Tyler talked about his work and then Greta told him how all of her brothers had found their wives. Each story was as interesting as the one before.

  It was after ten when Tyler finally asked the waitress for their tab, only to be told that it had already been taken care of by management.

  Tyler started to argue, but Greta stopped him. “It’s obviously a gift from Kara. Don’t take away the joy of her giving from her. We’ll just be sure to thank her the next time we see her.”

  As they left the restaurant, there was no sign of Mark at any of the tables. One encounter with his brother had been quite enough for the night. Tyler feared that seeing him again would only reignite the rage he’d experienced at Mark’s slur on Greta’s character.

  He was feeling mellow and relaxed, and he didn’t want that mood spoiled by anything. He threw an arm around Greta’s shoulders as they left the building and went out into the chill night air.

  “This has been so nice,” she said as they walked to where his truck was parked.

  “A little rocky at the beginning, but I definitely enjoyed having your company all to myself.” He gazed around, making sure that nobody was loitering nearby.

  “I’d think you’d be sick of me by now,” she replied. “You’ve been stuck like glue to me for almost two weeks.”

  “How time flies when you’re having a good time.” He smiled down at her, grateful for the bright moonlight that painted her features in lovely silvery tones.