Just Breathe (The Protectors Book 2)

by Leeanna Morgan

  “Nope.” Tanner had spent every spare minute over the last forty-eight hours trying to break the journal’s code. Nothing he did made any difference. When he wasn’t working on the journal he was thinking about Kelly. Trying to figure out why that was happening was just as frustrating as decoding the journal.

  Tank slowed down. “You’ve got to come.”

  This time Tanner looked at Tank. “Why?”

  “Hayley invited Kelly.”

  Tanner nearly fell off the end of the treadmill. “What did she do that for?”

  “She thought you’d enjoy her company. She knows about the journal and the other things Kelly won at the auction.” Tank came to a complete stop. “And before you say anything, you need to know that inviting her had nothing to do with fixing you up on a blind date. Hayley, Rachel, and Kelly are friends. Since Rachel’s coming to the dinner party with John, Hayley thought it would be good to invite Kelly.”

  Not long after he’d moved to Bozeman, Tanner realized there was a serious downside to living in a small community—everyone knew each other. And if they didn’t know you, they tried to get to know you.

  Tank picked up his water bottle. “So, what do you say?”

  “No.”

  “Great. John will pick you up on his way past your place at six-thirty.”

  Tanner frowned. “You’re not listening to me.”

  “When you start talking sense I’ll listen. Hayley’s already made enough food to feed an army. Is Kelly still annoyed with you?”

  “I don’t think so. She called me last night. Avery found the name of the woman in the portrait.”

  “Really? That wouldn’t have been easy.”

  “She was researching something else and came across a photo of the painting.”

  “Lucky break. Did she find any information about the journal or the quilt?”

  “No. Kelly invited me to a meeting with one of the professors at MSU this afternoon. She’s hoping they’ll be able to tell her what the binding of the journal is made from. That should help us estimate the age of the journal.”

  “Looks as though you’ve got a few mysteries to solve.”

  “I’m helping Kelly,” Tanner muttered. “It’s the least I can do after deliberately bidding against her at the auction.”

  Tank increased the speed on his treadmill, breaking into a full-throttle run. “That’s why it’s called an auction,” he puffed. “The mystery box wasn’t the only thing she wanted.”

  Tanner knew that Kelly looked as though butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth, but she had a competitive streak that matched his.

  And it could get them both into trouble if they weren’t careful.

  ***

  Kelly opened the door to her apartment. Her smile froze as she stared into Tanner’s eyes. For a split second she felt as though she was leaning over a thousand-foot drop. One wrong move and she could tip into oblivion.

  Tanner didn’t seem to notice her stunned silence. “Are you ready to go to MSU?”

  Her heart rate sped up. It was just as well one of them had a fully functioning brain. “I’ll just grab my purse and keys.”

  She felt Tanner’s gaze on her as she picked up her bag and threw her keys into the pocket of her jacket. Kelly looked around her apartment, sure she’d forgotten something.

  “Journal and quilt?”

  A blush hit her cheeks. “Thanks.” Earlier in the morning she’d carefully wrapped the journal in soft cotton and left it on top of the quilt on her dining table.

  She followed Tanner downstairs and locked the door behind her. “How was Calgary?”

  “Busy. Some assignments are straightforward, others can be more involved. This was one of those times.”

  “Did everything work out okay in the end?”

  Tanner pushed the button on his key ring and opened his SUV’s passenger door for her. “It did. Our client is happy and that makes me happy. Tell me about the person we’re meeting.”

  “Professor Harding is the Director of Clothing and Textiles at MSU. She’s worked at the Smithsonian Institute in the National Museum of American History, and curated exhibits in New York and Washington DC. If anyone can help us date the binding on the journal, it will be her.”

  Kelly felt rather than saw Tanner’s surprise.

  “I’m amazed she’s living in Bozeman.”

  “She fell in love with a cowboy.” Kelly grinned at Tanner. That had taken him by surprise.

  “You’re joking.”

  “No—she really did. Emily Green owns the boutique next to my store. She gives guest lectures at MSU and met Professor Harding there. Emily asked her the same thing and that’s what she told her. I think it’s romantic.”

  Tanner glanced at her. “You don’t think she was crazy to give up her career at the Smithsonian?”

  “A person is more than the job they do. Would you change your job and where you live if you fell in love with someone from another city?”

  Tanner drove out of the parking lot and turned left onto Main Street. “I don’t see that happening anytime soon.”

  “Why not?”

  He looked straight ahead. “When I’m away from Bozeman I’m working. I don’t meet many people outside of work.”

  Kelly knew she should change the subject, but she was curious about Tanner’s life. He always seemed slightly removed from what was happening around him. “Have you ever been in love?”

  He cleared his throat. “What has that got to do with anything?”

  “It puts a different perspective on whether you would change your life for another person.”

  “I might have loved someone once.”

  “What happened?”

  Tanner’s hands tightened on the steering wheel. “She loved someone else more.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  He glanced across the SUV. “You don’t need to be. It was a lucky break.”

  Kelly scanned his face. He had that closed off, leave-me-alone kind of look that told her to back off.

  So she did. “Professor Harding will meet us on the far side of the campus. You’ll need to take the road around the back of the main admin building.”

  “Does your professor usually work on Saturday afternoons?”

  “This is the only time she was available. A couple of days ago, I sent her some photos of everything that was in the mystery box. She was excited by what she saw.”

  “Do you think it was a good idea to send her the photos?”

  “She’s a college professor. If we can’t trust her, we can’t trust anyone.”

  Tanner didn’t say anything.

  “Do you think I shouldn’t have sent her the photos?”

  “You need to be more careful about who sees the quilt and journal.”

  “I spoke to Professor Harding on the phone. She seems like a nice person.”

  “You’re too trusting. Nice people have secret lives, too.”

  Kelly wondered what had happened in Tanner’s life to make him so cynical. “It’s just as well you’re with me, then. You can use your super powers to work out whether I need to be worried.”

  “I’m a security specialist. It’s my job to second-guess everything, including college professors with a career that seems too good to be true.”

  She glanced at him and sighed. “Sometimes you’ve got to trust your instincts. And my instincts are telling me that Professor Harding wants to help us.”

  Tanner turned into the campus. “I hope you’re right.”

  “I am.” Kelly tightened her hold on the quilt and journal. “I’ve got a good feeling about this meeting.”

  If Professor Harding’s first impressions proved correct, Kelly could have something more valuable than anything she’d ever owned.

  ***

  Tanner ignored Professor Harding’s hands as they moved in time with what she was saying. He’d already been surprised more than once since they’d arrived at her office.

  Teresa Harding was in her mid-thirties an
d nearly six feet tall. With her short, pixie hairstyle and big brown eyes, she was the total opposite of the middle-aged professor he thought they were meeting.

  She passed Kelly a piece of paper. “I’ve outlined a probable time frame for each item you’ve shown me. I’ve made some educated guesses, so bear with me while I explain my thinking. The hallmark on the silver teapot and tray tells us they were made in England in 1842 by Charles Boyton.”

  Kelly frowned. “The Jackson family lived in America. How would they have bought the teapot? They were already in Boston when it was made.”

  “It could have been purchased in Boston. In the 1840s, trade and immigration between Britain and America was higher than it had been for decades. A wealthy family would have purchased items that reflected their social status.”

  Tanner glanced at the quilt and journal. “Do you think all of these items belonged to the same family? They seem like an odd combination of household items to store together.”

  Teresa unfolded one side of the quilt. “The age of the quilt fits with the silver teapot and photos that Avery found. By the 1850s, more appliqué quilts were being made. Unlike earlier quilts, the colors were bright and varied with more elaborate quilting.”

  Teresa lightly touched the stitching. “This is a lovely example of the type of quilt a woman would have made for a young child. It’s handstitched in a variation of the chimney sweep design. Someone with an eye for detail spent a lot of time making this quilt. It wouldn’t be unusual to store all of these items together. The unknown factor is the journal.”

  Kelly nodded. “As far as the auction house is concerned, all of the items came from the estate of Celeste Madison. I thought I’d visit the library and see if I can trace her family tree. It might tell us how the painting of Mary Jackson ended up in her home.”

  “That’s a good idea,” Teresa said. “We know the quilt and teapot were made between 1842 and the early 1850s. The photograph Avery found of the Jackson family was dated 1853. By that stage, the painting of Mary Jackson was hanging on the wall. My guess is that the journal would have been made sometime between 1845 and 1850. What I can’t tell you is when the person wrote in the journal.”

  Kelly frowned. “What else can you tell us about the journal?”

  “The outside is made from cloth binding.” Teresa picked up the book, studying the binding and the paper. Her white gloves looked too clinical against the yellowing paper and inked letters filling the pages. “By the 1840s, cloth binding was widely used in America. Books were generally blind-stamped. That’s where an uncolored design was formed by creating a depression in the binding material.”

  Teresa pointed to the cover. “This blind-stamped image of a vase was very popular. By the time the 1850s rolled around, bookbinding had become much more ornate. It wasn’t unusual to see bright red or green cloth covers with more gilt shapes than you could possibly need. Books from the 1850s were often given as gifts. But this book had a more valuable purpose than sharing the story of a published writer. This book was specifically bound to be used as a journal or diary.”

  Kelly leaned forward. “Do you know what the code means?”

  “I tried to decipher it, but I’ve never seen anything like it. Literacy amongst all people living in America in the 1850s wasn’t high and the use of language wasn’t consistent. A family would sometimes have their own way of recording information, but I’ve got a feeling this is more than that. If you can unlock the code to the journal you could have something quite special.”

  Tanner picked up the piece of paper Kelly had left on Professor Harding’s desk. “We’ve all been trying to crack the journal’s code. I have a friend who works with me at Fletcher Security. If anyone can decipher the journal, it will be Sam.” He looked at Kelly. “Are you okay with me asking her to help?”

  “As long as Sam is happy to do it, it’s okay with me. We’re not getting very far on our own.”

  Teresa closed the journal and placed it on the quilt. “Other items in the auction might give you more context around what you bought. This is an exciting find.” She reached behind her and passed Kelly a container of gloves. “Wear these when you’re handling the items. If you can, photocopy the journal and place the original in a temperature controlled room—even better would be an archival room. If you can’t find anything suitable, we have a room here that would be perfect.”

  Kelly took the gloves and smiled. “Thank you for helping us.”

  “It’s my pleasure. I’m intrigued by what you’ve found.”

  Tanner stood and held out his hand. “It was good meeting you. Thank you for sharing your expertise.”

  Teresa’s smile was wide and engaging. “Helping you reminds me of my time at the Smithsonian.”

  “Do you miss living in Washington DC?” Kelly asked.

  “Sometimes, but I love my husband more. It took a while to get used to a more relaxed way of living, but I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else now.” She picked up her bag. “I’ll walk with you to the parking lot. I’m going home, too.”

  Tanner did more listening than talking on the way out of the building. If the journal was as important as Teresa thought it was, keeping it in Hayley’s store wasn’t a good idea. Anyone could walk in and take it, especially once they knew what it contained.

  As soon as he got home he’d call Sam and book a time for her to look at the journal.

  After Teresa said goodbye, Kelly sighed. “What if the journal isn’t as important as we think it is? It could be something so obscure that no one will be interested in reading it.”

  Tanner unlocked his SUV. “If the journal is more than 150 years old, it will be interesting regardless of what’s inside. Have you thought about what Teresa said when anyone’s handling the journal and quilt.”

  Kelly held one of her hands toward him and wiggled her fingers. “Gloves on. Once I’m back in town, I’ll photocopy the journal and put everything away.”

  “Have you got a photocopier?”

  Kelly shook her head. “No—I was going to use the one at the stationery store around the corner.”

  “I’ll take you to Fletcher Security. It will be safer. If Sam’s working, we’ll see if she can take a look at the journal this week.”

  “I don’t want to take all your time.”

  Tanner opened her door. “I don’t mind. I don’t have anything else planned.” Except a dinner party he didn’t want to go to. “Did you know I’m going to Tank and Hayley’s dinner party tonight?”

  Kelly froze. “Hayley forgot to tell me.”

  “If you’d feel uncomfortable with me being there I’m happy not to go.”

  “Why wouldn’t I want you there?”

  Tanner focused on the interior of his SUV. “Two of my best friends are getting married soon. They think I’d be happier if I had a girlfriend.”

  “You think they’re hatching a devious plan to throw us together?”

  “Something like that,” he muttered.

  Heat rushed to Kelly’s cheeks. “Don’t take this the wrong way Tanner, but I don’t want a boyfriend. I’m happy with my life the way it is.”

  He should have felt relieved, but he didn’t. “I thought you believed in happy ever after.”

  “I do.” She looked at the parcel in her hands. “But anyone who wants to date me would have to get past my brothers first. Sometimes it just isn’t worth the hassle of running the gauntlet of male testosterone.”

  “You don’t think I’d pass their quality control test?”

  “I’ve got five brothers. The only boyfriend they liked turned out to be the worst of the lot. I’ve tried ignoring them, but it doesn’t work. If they think I’m dating anyone they make sure they track him down and introduce themselves.”

  Tanner didn’t think there was anything wrong with that. If he had a little sister he would have done the same thing. “Maybe they haven’t met the right person.”

  Kelly smiled and Tanner’s heart squeezed tight. “They don’t ne
ed to meet the right person—I do. Just thinking about my brothers meeting someone I like makes me nervous. So, for now, I’m footloose and fancy-free.”

  “Does your single status prevent me from taking you to Tank and Hayley’s dinner party? I could pick you up on my way past your store.”

  “I suppose that would be okay. But if you meet anyone called Luke, Brett, Ethan, Charlie or Steven, pretend you don’t know me.”

  “Does your sister have the same strategy?”

  Kelly’s grin grew wider. “Beth had an even better idea. She moved to New Zealand.”

  Tanner’s eyes widened. “Because of your brothers?”

  “She was offered a fantastic job with an IT company, but she let my brothers think it was because of them. It kept them out of our lives for about a month before they realized we were joking.”

  “I almost feel sorry for them.”

  Kelly sat in the front seat. “You don’t need to. They know how to look after themselves.”

  He closed her door and walked around to the driver’s side of his SUV.

  He had a feeling Kelly knew how to look after herself as well.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Halfway through the dinner party, Kelly realized what it was about Tanner that she liked so much.

  He enjoyed the company of his friends, joined in with the conversation around him, but he didn’t need to be the center of attention.

  She’d spent her whole life surrounded by larger-than-life males who thought the world began and ended with their opinions. It was nice to know Tanner wasn’t like that.

  “What are you going to do if the weather closes in?” Tess asked.

  Kelly pulled her mind away from Tanner and back to the conversation about Rachel and John’s wedding. Tess owned Angel Wings Café and was one of the first friends Kelly had made when she returned to Bozeman.

  “We’ve organized a contingency plan,” Rachel said. “If it’s too cold to have the service outside, Pastor Steven said we can use his church. The chapel is really cute.”

  Tank helped himself to a chicken leg. “As long as there’s enough seating for everyone it will be perfect. How many people are coming?”