The Widow's Bodyguard

by Karen Whiddon

  “Let me handle it,” he urged.

  “Not this time.” Pulling herself free, she marched over to the front door.

  When she opened it, Drew’s assistant and campaign manager, Lori Pearson, let out a loud cry and fell into Eva’s arms.

  “I can’t believe he’s gone,” she wailed. Her red-rimmed eyes and disheveled platinum hair testified to her sorrow. “Oh, Eva, honey. I just don’t understand how anyone could do something like this.”

  Leading her inside, Eva closed the door. “Drew’s parents are here,” she said quietly, taking both the younger woman’s hands and willing strength into her. “They’re already understandably upset, so please don’t make things worse.”

  Her message appeared to get through. Lori straightened, pulling a tissue from her designer handbag and blotting at her eyes. “Right, right. I’m sorry.” She peered at Eva. “How are you holding up?”

  “I made most of the funeral arrangements yesterday,” Eva replied, circumventing a direct answer. “And last night someone shot out one of my back windows. The police were here at three in the morning and we’ve already put a call in to a glass place. It’s been rough.”

  Lori’s eyes went wide, her false eyelashes giving her an owlish look. “Do you think it might have been Drew’s murderer? That’s pretty terrifying.”

  “You don’t know the half of it.” Eva tilted her head, considering the younger woman. “What can I do for you, Lori?”

  “Do for me?” Echoing Eva’s words, Lori’s brow wrinkled in confusion. “I came here to see what I might do for you. I know you said you’d already made most of the funeral arrangements, but if you need my help coordinating anything, I’m here for you.”

  “Thank you.” Thinking back to all the decisions Jeremy Blackenstock had said she’d need to make, Eva nodded. “I’m probably going to take you up on that.”

  “Sounds perfect.” Sniffing, Lori wiped at her still-streaming eyes. When she caught sight of Jesse, she looked him up and down slowly. “Well, hello there. You must be the bodyguard.”

  With a bored expression, Jesse nodded. “I am.”

  “This is Jesse,” Eva said. “Jesse, this is Lori, Drew’s assistant and campaign manager.”

  He dipped his chin in acknowledgment. Lori continued to study him for another moment before turning back to Eva.

  “Eva, honey? Do you mind if I say hello to Ted and Beth? It’s been a little bit since I’ve seen them, though I talk to them several times a week.”

  She did? Keeping that thought to herself, Eva gestured at Lori to follow her as she led the way to the kitchen. Lori patted down her hair, smoothed her pencil skirt and pasted a sympathetic smile on her face.

  The instant Beth caught sight of her son’s assistant, she leaped to her feet and held out her arms. “Lori.”

  Hugging, the two women wept, exchanging mostly incoherent phrases about their mutual loss. Eva looked on, a bit shocked. She’d had no idea Lori and Drew’s mom had been so close. Judging from Jesse’s expression, he felt the same way.

  Even Ted’s gaze lit up when he spied Lori, though he waited patiently for Beth to finish hugging her before he held out his arms. Lori embraced him too. They clung to each other and Ted cried for the first time since arriving, wiping his streaming eyes almost angrily.

  Heaven help her. Eva tried to ignore the twinge of jealous discomfort, but she was only human. Lori had worked for Drew long before he’d met Eva, and of course she’d gotten to know his parents. Clearly, they’d become close. Which might be exactly what they needed, even if it seemed odd that they were closer to Drew’s assistant than his wife. She couldn’t begrudge them whatever comfort they could get, no matter where they found it.

  But Beth’s next question made any sympathy Eva might have felt vanish.

  “Lori, do you know where Drew kept his will? I’d like to take a look at it.”

  Even Lori appeared taken aback by the question. “I’m just now starting to go through his papers,” she replied. “Once I find the will, I’ll be contacting the executor to meet with the attorney and get the probate process started.”

  Beth nodded, but she wasn’t finished. “But you’ll let me see it first, right?”

  “I’m sorry.” Lori seemed to choose her words carefully. “But I have strict instructions and I’m afraid I can’t do that.”

  Though Beth grimaced in disappointment, she didn’t challenge the statement. “Can you at least tell me who is the executor?” she asked.

  “I’m not sure.” A hint of firmness had crept into Lori’s voice now. “I haven’t actually seen the will yet. I know he revised it after his marriage.” She nodded toward Eva. “I’m not privy to the details beyond that.”

  Neither Ted nor Beth bothered to hide their obvious disappointment. Eva wondered if they somehow honestly thought Drew had left her out of his will. Since she and Drew hadn’t gotten around to drawing up a prenup, Texas law was clear on the rights of inheritance. A will could only confirm that and perhaps designate heirship of smaller, sentimental items.

  Was there something specific Beth wanted? If so, all she needed to do was ask.

  Pushing down the bewildered hurt, Eva reminded herself she’d never truly understood Drew’s parents. Drew had often commented that they cared more about their church family than their real one.

  After getting Lori a cup of coffee and a doughnut, Eva asked her if she’d mind coming with her to Drew’s study. “I hope y’all will excuse us for a few moments,” she said to the rest of the room. “I’ve got some things I’d like to discuss with Lori.”

  “I’d prefer to be there,” Beth announced. Eva stared. She’d thought Drew’s mother couldn’t shock her any more than she already had. Turned out she’d been wrong.

  “I’m sorry,” Eva told her firmly. “But this is private. I’m sure you and Ted can enjoy the rest of your breakfast while I take care of this. Or,” she tacked on, unable to help herself, “perhaps you’d like to spend time with your grandson. I’m sure Kara has him dressed by now.”

  With that, she swept from the room, Lori and Jesse trailing behind her.

  Chapter 6

  Drew’s study was a polite word for a man cave, though he’d set up one corner with a huge, L-shaped desk and matching credenza. The large room had dark oak-paneled walls, a seventy-inch flat screen, plush leather chairs, a fully stocked wet bar next to the requisite pool table, with a bunch of fox-hunting prints on the walls.

  Following right behind Lori, who managed to walk confidently despite the five-inch stilettos she wore, he entered the room as if he belonged. Even though he wasn’t entirely sure Eva would allow him to stay.

  Her gaze touched on him briefly before she closed the door. “Jesse, why don’t you have a seat.” She waited while he settled himself in one of the overstuffed leather chairs before turning toward the other woman. “Lori, I’m going to need your help getting everything set up with the funeral home. I did some of the initial work yesterday, but there are still a lot of decisions that need to be made.”

  “I’m ready to help in any way I can,” Lori said, nodding.

  Taking a seat behind Drew’s desk, she gestured toward one of the nearby chairs.

  As Eva outlined tasks to the other woman, Lori pulled out an iPad and took notes. Aware he had to be careful not to appear too interested, Jesse crossed his legs as he settled himself into the huge leather chair. He felt relieved Eva hadn’t begun talking about Drew’s business deals. While he felt on a gut level she hadn’t been involved in any of her husband’s illegal operations, he’d been wrong before. His emotions were too tangled up with wanting her to think straight. After all, Raul Mendoza was her father and who knows what the shrewd biker kingpin had taught her.

  Inwardly, he winced. Even the thought felt disloyal, which was all shades of wrong. There were reasons one shouldn’t get involved with a su
bject while undercover and the absolute failure to be able to remain objective was chief among them. Of course, he’d lost all objectivity the first time he’d gazed into Eva’s soft brown eyes.

  Eva talked about the funeral arrangements in a hushed tone, clearly going over some sort of checklist the funeral director must have given her. They discussed the burial, what minister Drew would have most likely wanted, even the music and double-checked the obituary. Lori mentioned it would most likely be picked up nationally, so Eva wanted to make sure it was correct.

  Once Eva had outlined everything she needed, Lori shut down her iPad and stowed it in her purse. “Thank you for such detailed instructions,” she said, smiling. “That makes it a lot easier. I’ll get right on this. In fact, I’ll stop by the funeral home after I leave here.”

  “Perfect.” Eva stood, smiling. “Oh, and one more favor. Please don’t mention any of this to Beth or Ted. I’d prefer just to let them know everything once all the arrangements have been finalized.”

  Though Lori eyed her curiously, she nodded. “Consider it done.”

  Though he felt like a cynic, Jesse couldn’t help but think she’d realized who’d be signing her paychecks from now on. It certainly wouldn’t be Drew’s parents.

  “I’ll touch base with you later today,” Lori promised, striding confidently toward the exit. “Let me tell the Rowsons goodbye.”

  Once she’d gone, Eva let out a huge sigh and began massaging both her temples. “This is a nightmare.”

  Not sure how to reply, he simply nodded.

  “I think I’ll ask Lori to help me go through Drew’s papers once the funeral is over,” she said.

  His heart sank. He needed access to those papers. “I can help you,” he offered, hoping against hope that she’d take him up on his offer.

  “Maybe,” she allowed. “We’ll deal with that later. Most of Drew’s business stuff is in his work office and Lori’s already going to have to deal with that. Anything here will be personal.”

  Or illegal, he thought.

  Finally, Eva pushed herself up from behind the desk. “My head is starting to ache so I’m going to try and bypass the Rowsons for now. I need to go cuddle my son for a little while.”

  Of course, he followed her as she slipped down the hall, taking a route through the foyer toward the front staircase. As she started up, she turned and glared at him. “You don’t have to shadow me all the time.”

  “But I do,” he answered without missing a beat. “That’s the thing about being a bodyguard. I can’t protect you if I’m not with you.”

  The doorbell rang. Eva froze. “What now?” she groaned.

  “Stay right there,” he ordered. Taking the steps two at a time, he opened the front door just in time to see a parcel delivery truck driving away. A medium-size package sat on the front porch. He picked it up, noting it was addressed to Eva Rowson, but there wasn’t a return address.

  “Did you order something?” he asked, carrying the box inside and setting it on the decorative table in the foyer.

  “No.” Shaking her head, she waved her hand in dismissal and turned to continue upstairs.

  With a shrug, he followed her. They’d just reached the landing at the top when a blast knocked him off his feet. Ears ringing, his first thought—as always—was Eva. He pushed himself up, on his hands and knees, looking for her through the smoke.

  She lay on her side a few feet from him, her eyes open and dazed. For one horrible second, he thought she was dead, but then she blinked and sat up. “What...” Licking her lips, she tried to stand.

  “The box,” he said, finally understanding. “It must have contained a bomb.”

  When he managed to gain his feet, he went to her, holding out his hand and pulling her up. “We’ve got to talk about getting you and Liam somewhere safe.”

  “Agreed.” Squinting at him, she seemed to be having difficulty focusing.

  “Did you hit your head?” he asked.

  “Maybe. I don’t know.” She brushed off his attempts to feel her head for a bump. “We could have been killed.” Her eyes widened. “Liam could have been here,” she cried out, apparently suddenly understanding how close they’d come to being killed. She stood stock-still, her entire body violently shaking. Sweeping her with his gaze, he checked for blood or injuries. Other than a black soot mark on her cheek and some tears in her skirt, she seemed unhurt. Physically, at least. Her teeth were chattering now and her wide, unfocused stare told him she’d gone into shock.

  “Eva.” Unable to keep the tenderness from his voice, he gathered her close, willing his body’s warmth and strength to chase away her terror. “You’re okay. I’m okay. No one was hurt.”

  “Not this time,” she managed, her voice cracking.

  The Rowsons had rushed out from the kitchen and stood in the great room, frozen in place, their faces wearing identical expressions of shock and dismay as they stared up at Jesse and Eva on the landing.

  “Call 911,” he barked at them, refusing to let go of Eva. “Tell them a bomb went off but no one is hurt.”

  Ted immediately dug his cell phone from his pocket and made the call.

  Still Eva continued to shake. “My son!” She pushed out of Jesse’s arms and spun for the hall that led to his room. Her feet tangled and she nearly went down. Only Jesse’s quick, instinctive reaction kept her upright.

  “Let me go with you,” he said. “Please. Let me help.”

  When her gaze met his, he saw she was on the verge of tears. Not hysteria though. Not yet. Again, she went for the hall, kicking off her heels and running. Jesse stayed right behind her, leaving the two stunned Rowsons below to survey the damage to the foyer and formal dining room.

  Things could be replaced. People were a different story.

  The door to Liam’s room was closed. Fumbling with the doorknob, Eva pushed it open. Liam and Kara were nowhere in sight.

  Eyes wild, Eva spun, searching the room. When she didn’t see her son, she staggered. “Liam,” she screamed. “Kara, where are you?”

  A second later, the closet door creaked open. Kara cautiously poked her head out. “Is it safe to come out?” she asked, her high-pitched voice terrified.

  Behind her, Liam popped up. “Mama?” he asked, his blue eyes big as saucers. The instant he saw his mother, he started to cry.

  Eva dropped to her knees and held out her arms. “Come here, baby. Oh, thank goodness y’all are okay.”

  Kara crawled out first, still gripping the toddler’s hand. “We heard the explosion and all I could think of to do was hide,” she said. Liam broke free and ran to his mother, who gathered him close and began covering his face in kisses.

  “Thank you,” Eva whispered, looking over her son’s head at Kara. “Thank you for protecting him.”

  Nodding, Kara looked past her to Jesse. “What happened? Is everyone all right?”

  “Package bomb,” he answered, tearing his gaze away from Eva and Liam long enough to answer the nanny. “The sheriff’s office has been called.”

  All the color drained from Kara’s face. “This is the second time in as many days that someone has tried to hurt us. I’m going to have to rethink working here.”

  Though Eva’s jaw tightened, she didn’t reply.

  “I believe we all might have to consider relocating somewhere else,” Jesse put in. “We’ll discuss it later.”

  Kara nodded.

  “Eva?” Beth Rowson appeared in the doorway, appearing nervous, as if she’d rather be anywhere else. “The police are on the way.” Her gaze drifted past Eva and Liam to Jesse. “Ted and I are going to find somewhere else to stay. It’s not safe here.”

  “That’s what I just said,” Kara interjected.

  Jesse waited for Eva to respond. When she didn’t, instead simply staring at her mother-in-law while holding her son, he realized s
he was waiting for Beth to acknowledge Liam. Instead, Beth turned away.

  “We’ll get packing,” Beth said to no one in particular, as she backed out the door.

  Looking toward Eva, Jesse saw Liam peering at him from the safety of his mother’s arms. His bright blue eyes, clear and guileless, were framed by impossibly long eyelashes.

  “Hey there,” Jesse said, offering a tentative smile.

  The toddler blinked and then his solemn little face broke into a brilliant smile. He squirmed and broke free from Eva’s hold and launched himself at Jesse, wrapping himself around Jesse’s legs, holding on tight.

  His chest squeezing with an unfamiliar tenderness, Jesse reached down and picked Liam up. He swallowed hard, the back of his throat stinging as he gazed at the boy who probably was his son.

  “Higher,” Liam demanded, gesturing toward the ceiling. Jesse understood exactly what he meant. With one smooth move, he settled Liam on his shoulders, keeping a firm grip on Liam’s small legs.

  Eva watched, her nervous expression letting him know what she thought of that. But to her credit, she didn’t say anything, though at any moment Jesse figured she’d demand that he let Liam down.

  He’d refuse, he thought. Because this—the very first moment he’d held the boy who might be his son—was something he didn’t want to end just yet.

  Moving around the room with Liam laughing at his new bird’s-eye view, something clicked inside Jesse. This felt right. If he could have made the right choice, the choice Eva had once demanded of him, this—his own family—would have been his reward. Instead, he’d had to honor his commitment to his job, to his unit, to the undercover work he’d spent years perfecting. And in the end, he’d have to live with his choice. He didn’t see any way he could possibly have made a different one.

  * * *

  Watching as Jesse bounced Liam around the room on his impossibly broad shoulders, the rush of tenderness almost had her doubling over. She couldn’t help but feel slightly nervous that her tiny boy sat up so high, but she knew Jesse wouldn’t let anything happen to him. And Liam’s delighted, joyous laugh warmed her insides in a sorely needed way.