Once the plane had reached its cruising altitude and they were allowed to use their electronic devices, Than opened the side pocket of his laptop bag and pulled out his tablet. After clicking on an app, he tapped the screen a few times then glanced over at Lindsay. She was gazing out the window, her hands resting in her lap.
He held his tablet out to her. She must have seen the movement in her peripheral vision because she turned her head toward him. She looked at the tablet and then met his gaze. She reached out and took it from him. After a glance at the screen, she looked up, an eyebrow arched.
“Scrabble? You want to play Scrabble?”
Than shrugged. “Sure. It will help to pass the time.”
She seemed to consider that for a moment before she looked down at the screen and tapped it to start the game. When she handed the tablet back to him a few minutes later and he saw that she’d used all her letters to make the first word, Than had a feeling he was doomed to lose.
“Affably? Really?”
One corner of her mouth lifted, as close to a smile as he’d ever managed to get out of her. “Hey. It’s a word.”
Than grunted as he bent his chin to his chest to survey the letters the game had given to him. If he couldn’t win—which it appeared he wasn’t going to be able to—he was going to at least make it fun.
He reshuffled the letters a few times before he spotted the word he could play using the top A.
DATED
Yep, he liked that one. He pressed play and watched as it added up his points. Definitely getting left in the dust. Keeping any expression from his face, he handed it back to her. He watched as she read the word.
She bit her lower lip, and he could see the muscles around her mouth twitch. He did grin then. After sitting there for a minute staring at the tablet, she tapped the screen a couple of times and then handed back to him.
Though she didn’t smile, he caught a glimpse of a twinkle in her gray eyes before she looked away. He glanced down at the board and couldn’t help but chuckle.
SEDATED
So that’s how this was going to go. Suddenly, the game was no longer about points but just outdoing each other with words. He’d put a word down and she’d play one that when put with the word he just played would make a phrase with a completely different meaning.
When he played PRETTY, she played DUMB.
When he played LOVED, she plunked a G at the beginning of it and then added ROSS.
And so it went until they were down to just a handful of letters and were forced to make words like IT or IN.
“I win,” Lindsay announced, the corners of her mouth edging up as she handed the tablet back to him.
Yeah, she had handily whooped him. He was about to ask if she wanted a rematch when the pilot came on the intercom and announced that the attendants would be coming through the cabin with food and beverage service.
He waggled the tablet at her before setting it on the seat between them. “We will have a rematch.”
She arched a brow. “You think you’ll be able to beat me? Ever?”
“Are you calling me dumb?” he tossed back as he stretched his legs under the seat in front of him.
“Well, not dumb. Just not as good as me. Scrabble happens to be my mom’s favorite game, so I’ve played it a lot.”
“Too bad we couldn’t play it in French or Spanish. I’d kick butt for sure.”
Her eyes widened slightly. “You speak French and Spanish?”
He nodded. “I speak them fluently along with Filipino. I can also get by in Russian, Arabic and Italian.”
At his revelation, her brows both rose high on her forehead. “Good grief! How do you keep them all straight in your brain?”
Than shrugged. He’d been asked that before but really had no answer. To him, it was like his brain was a computer with each language as a program. He loaded the one he needed until he didn’t need it any longer. As long as he was in that “program”, that particular language came easily for him.
“I just have always had a gift for languages. I don’t know if it was because my mom spoke to us in two languages from the time we were born.”
“Do you have brothers or sisters with the same gift?”
“I have one brother and three sisters, but only one of them has shown any interest in languages. Not to the extent that I have though.”
“I guess that’s why you’re so valuable to BlackThorpe,” Lindsay commented.
“Yes, it was one of the main reasons they hired me, but right now my primary responsibility is organizing security for individuals.”
“Like me?” she asked.
“Sort of. Generally, it’s not just a one-man team though. I usually set up three to six-person teams for people who feel the need for security. It could be a singer on tour. Or someone who has a reason to fear for their safety. People thrust unwittingly into the spotlight for whatever reason. I have two three-person teams over in Europe now on babysitting duty for some heiress and her friends. They keep trying to ditch my guys, so we had to put a ghost team in place as well.”
“A ghost team?”
“Yeah, one they don’t know about. They blend in and keep an eye out for escaping heiresses and then report back to the main team.” Than shook his head. “That girl’s dad is paying handsomely to keep his baby safe, but she’s making it challenging.”
“I feel like I should apologize on her behalf,” Lindsay said, a small smile teasing her lips.
Than lifted an eyebrow. “Why’s that?”
“I seem to remember one year when my dad paid to have a security team with me and a couple of my friends when we insisted we didn’t need our parents along for a trip to London. I think we spent a lot of time trying to ditch the bodyguards, even though the one guy was quite cute.”
That made Than laugh. “We have found that the cuter the bodyguards, the less trouble the girls are likely to give them.”
“As long as you realize that really only applies to the teenage girls.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Than asked.
“Well, I have no intention of trying to ditch you, but it has nothing to do with how cute you are.”
Than grinned at her. “You think I’m cute?”
Pink swept up Lindsay’s cheeks, but she didn’t lower her gaze. “Don’t even try to tell me you aren’t aware of your appearance.”
“Oh, well sure. I just didn’t think you were.” He chuckled as exasperation showed on Lindsay’s face. “Well, for the record, I happen to think you’re cute, too.”
The pink in her cheeks deepened, but he had to give her credit, she never looked away from him. “Flattery will get you absolutely nowhere.”
“Ah, but that doesn’t mean that I still don’t derive some sort of pleasure from flattering you, sugar.”
“Would you like something to drink?”
Than looked up to see a flight attendant leaning in to their row. He glanced over at Lindsay. “What do you want?”
“Could I have orange juice, please?”
“Certainly. And for you, sir?”
“Coffee, please.”
Once they had their drinks and a small bag of pretzels, Lindsay said, “Do they actually feed us a meal on this flight?”
Than nodded. “I would imagine we’d get at least one, maybe two. I remember one time when we flew to the Philippines to visit my mom’s family and on our way home, we ended up having breakfast three times because of how the time zones worked out. I was sure ready for a hamburger when we got home to Minneapolis.”
“Well, at this point, I’d settle for just one breakfast.” Lindsay pressed a hand to her stomach. “I was too nervous to eat before we left the house.”
Than grinned. “Well, you’re in luck.” He reached into his laptop bag where it sat on the seat between them. He found the plastic bag his mother had handed him the night before and pulled it out. “Pick whatever you want out of there.”
Lindsay took the bag he held out and looked at its contents.
She glanced up at him. “You certainly travel prepared. I packed some but they’re in my checked luggage.”
“That would be my mama’s doing. She packed that for me.”
As she opened the bag and reached in, she said, “Are you her baby?”
“Not really. I have two younger sisters, but I am her favorite.”
That got him another look from Lindsay. “Seriously?”
“Nah. Not really. She doesn’t play favorites with us five kids. Although I could say I’m probably her most frustrating child.”
Lindsay handed the bag back to him. “Now that I can believe.”
“It’s only because she’s upset that I’m not doing what she wants. My older brother and sister gave in too easily, so she expects me to do the same.”
“Gave in?” Lindsay took a bite of the protein bar she’d chosen.
“Yeah. She is determined to see me married off sooner rather than later. And to that end, she arranged to have my aunt introduce me to a potential bride while I’m over there this time.”
Lindsay choked on the bite she’d just taken and quickly reached for her orange juice. After taking a sip and clearing her throat, she looked at him. “A bride? Does your family believe in arranged marriages?”
Than shook his head. “Not really, but that doesn’t stop my mom and her sister from trying their hand at matchmaking. It doesn’t help either that it worked out with my brother. He met his wife on a trip back to the Philippines. They’ve been married for almost ten years now.”
Lindsay’s eyes widened. “Did they love each other?”
“I would imagine that love looks different for every couple. They’re not over the top affectionate with each other, but they seem happy. My brother is fairly reserved. Being he’s the eldest in our family, he’s the responsible one. Juliette is also fairly reserved, so they go well together.”
“And your sister? Did she meet her husband in the Philippines, too?”
“No. Max is a family friend. His parents are like mine. His dad was in the military and met his mom over there, too. Our moms met when they both joined an organization for Filipinos in the Twin Cities.”
“So your mom prefers you all marry someone with Filipino blood?”
Than shrugged. “I’m sure she has her preferences, but they’re certainly not going to dictate my life—even if the woman she wants me to meet is a beauty queen.”
“A beauty queen? Seriously?”
“Yep.” Than lifted his coffee and took a sip. “Given that’s what my mom was back in her day, she’s partial to those types.”
“Yeah, and aren’t most guys,” Lindsay muttered before taking another bite of her protein bar.
Did he hear a tinge of jealousy in her voice? Why, he had no idea. To him, she was as beautiful as any beauty queen. Though by definition, those women were usually statuesque and super slender with features that society deemed were beautiful enough to move them ahead of other women. Lindsay was of average height and slender wasn’t how he’d describe her. Curvaceous was the word that came to mind. Definitely all woman. He quickly pulled his thoughts from the direction they were going.
He’d always been a man who appreciated the female form, but for some reason, it didn’t sit well to analyze Lindsay in that way. Through her reactions to him, she’d managed to set herself apart from the other women he’d come across in recent years. Without saying a word, she’d demanded he treat her differently. Of course, at the moment, she was a client. He’d do well to keep that at the forefront of his thoughts.
It wasn’t long before the attendants were back to collect their empty cups and pretzel packages. Than had planned to ask Lindsay if she wanted a rematch, but before he could, Mark, the team leader, appeared next to him.
“Hey, guys. How’s it going?” He looked at Lindsay. “You doing okay, Lindsay?”
Lindsay smiled at him, her gray eyes warming. “Yes, thanks, Mark.”
“Good. Be sure to let me or Mel know if you need anything, okay?”
“I will.”
Mark looked at him. “I got an email from my brother and he said it looks like a tropical storm is forming in the ocean to the east of the Philippines. Its current path seems to indicate it is moving toward Manila, but we’ll likely feel some of the effects.”
“Guess we’ll have to keep an eye on that. Those storms can change paths as they strengthen.”
Mark nodded. “So far it’s just a storm, but it can morph into a typhoon fairly quickly.”
“That would certainly add some adventure to the trip,” Than commented.
“Well, a little adventure is fine. All part of the joy of venturing into the unknown.”
“I’m going to hook up to the internet here in a minute, so I’ll have the guys back at BlackThorpe keep an eye on it for us and let me know if anything changes that we should know about.”
“Thanks, man.” Mark clapped him on the shoulder. “I know your role is mainly to be with Lindsay, but I appreciate your willingness to help with the whole team.”
“Not a problem. Lindsay has promised me she’s not going to try to ditch me, so I should be able to keep an eye on her and still help out as needed.” Than felt a light punch on his upper arm.
“Well, if looks could kill, you might be a dead man right about now, my friend,” Mark said with a laugh.
Than turned to see Lindsay glowering in his direction. He grinned at her. “Well, that is what you said.”
Mark laughed again. “I’ll leave you two to sort that out. Let me know if you hear anything more about the storm. I’m just a few rows back with Mel if you need anything.”
When he saw Lindsay pull her tablet out, Than picked up his own and quickly went through the steps to purchase an internet connection while in-flight. “Did you want internet access, too?”
Lindsay paused and then shook her head. “I think I’ll be okay. I downloaded a bunch of books to read and most of the games I like I can play offline.”
“You don’t want to get in touch with your brothers or mom?”
“Actually, I think I need a little separation from them. If you’re in contact, they’ll know that I’m okay. I need this trip to…re-evaluate some things in my life.”
4
“Really? Like what?” Even as he asked the question, Than was pretty sure she would brush it aside.
Her brows drew together as she stared down at her hands. “It kind of all started when we first got the news that Linc’s plane had gone down and he was declared dead. You know, the realization that life is short.”
“But Linc isn’t dead. He’s back home now,” Than pointed out, surprised that she’d answered seriously.
She looked up at him, her gray eyes soft. A small smile lifted the corners of her mouth. “Yes, he is, and that was the first real answer to prayer I’d ever encountered. I mean, beyond things like Please, God, let there be a parking spot close to the store. Or something dumb like that.”
Yeah, Than knew about those kinds of prayers. He’d muttered more than a few over the years. “It was amazing when he showed back up.”
Lindsay nodded. “And then there was Brooke. And Danny.”
“She is quite a woman,” Than agreed. “I met her through Eric, and she shot me down just like you did.” And yet…her rejection of him hadn’t intrigued him anywhere near what Lindsay’s had.
“I always knew she was a woman of taste.”
Than placed a hand over his heart. “Ouch.”
“Oh please.” Lindsay rolled her eyes. “Anyway, I saw the kind of life she lived, very simple but doing what she loved. Painting and taking care of her son. He was…is her world. She would do anything to protect him and yet managed to raise him to love life and just to be an all-around great kid.” Lindsay paused. “I love my mom, but I wish she’d been a stronger person. More like Brooke.”
Than thought about Mrs. Hamilton and didn’t understand what Lindsay was saying. “Your mom seems to be a pretty strong person.”
&nb
sp; “She is now. But it took my dad’s death for her to realize the strength she had. She should have found that strength years ago and left him.”
Because Lincoln, the person he was closest to in the Hamilton family, had no memory of the years prior to his accident, Than really didn’t know much about the family dynamics when it came to her dad since he’d been dead for several years. “You wanted them to get divorced?”
“Yes. She deserved so much better than how my dad treated her.”
“Your dad…abused her?”
“Not physically. Emotionally. Every time he decided to spend the night with the sweet young thing he’d met at a business dinner or at a party—often dropping my mom off at home first—he stabbed her in the heart. Woman after woman paraded through his life. His excuse was that he’d chosen to marry my mom and he provided well for her, but that sometimes he needed variety. Lincoln was no better. Thankfully, Lucas is nothing like either of them.”
Than listened to her talk and suddenly pieces began to fall into place. Woman after woman paraded through his life. He had heard the disgust and anger in her voice as she talked about the way her dad lived. No doubt she’d looked at Than’s life and seen the same thing. Goodness knows he was teased often enough about his serial dating and the revolving door when it came to women.
It definitely explained her reasoning for not accepting another date invitation. She had no interest in joining the women parading through his life. And she apparently thought that every woman he paid attention to was someone he wanted to date. Or that every woman he did date was one he became intimately involved with.
His gut clenched to think she would have such a low opinion of him, but was she wrong? The women he’d dated all knew it wasn’t a long term thing. He was pretty good at judging a woman’s character and could usually tell if they were someone up for a good time or something more serious. He only went for the good-time ones, and he’d try to make sure their one or two dates included something they enjoyed doing. He’d taken a few to concerts they were dying to go to. Others had been dinner and a movie. He never asked for the second date—if he wanted one—at the end of the first. He’d given it a few days to see if he felt the same, and then he’d call them up for another date. For the most part, when they parted ways, they’d stayed friends. He had a lot of friends.
Guarding Her Heart: A Christian Romance (BlackThorpe Security Book 1) Page 4