Ranger Protector

by Angi Morgan

  “Getting out of that truck might be the most stupid thing I’ve ever done in my life. I have no idea what’s going on. Why is it so hard to think straight?”

  “Not surprising, since someone drugged you. Not me. I assume it was the guy who followed you off the plane and who has your carry-on.” He set her on the couch and switched on the table lamp before securing the front door.

  “When would they have drugged me? Why would they? I don’t get it. Scratch that. It doesn’t make sense. I’m a nobody.” Megan struggled to cover her eyes with a hand. She could have been drugged at any time before or during the flight. It was possible no matter how unlikely she thought it might be.

  “I have no idea. Your friend didn’t bother to give either of us much information.” He patted her softly on her back. “You feeling okay? Should I have taken you to the emergency room? To be honest, I wasn’t given too much instruction. Other than you needed a protective escort and place to stay this weekend.”

  “I’m better than when I was at the airport. I...I don’t think I need a doctor, but what do I know?” She did feel better than before. “My head is throbbing and every muscle I have is aching.”

  “I’ll get you some water and aspirin.”

  “If Therese asked you to help me, then I think I deserve some answers.” She spoke louder, following his movements through the gaps between her fingers.

  He returned with a bottle of water under his biceps, shaking pills from a bottle. Could she trust that it wasn’t more of whatever had been slipped to her earlier?

  “I think I’ll just take the water for now.”

  He gave it to her and she gulped it down.

  He popped the two pills into his mouth and swallowed. She watched his Adam’s apple bob under that cute dimple and took an inventory of his brown eyes and the thick eyelashes that men naturally had. Straight eyebrows quirked as he stared back at her, then shook his head.

  “No one hired me. I’d answer your questions if I could. But my deal is to keep you safe. I made a promise not to leave you alone. That’s all I know until someone lets me in on more.”

  “I’m not really the helpless type.” At the moment, she did appear helpless to herself. She said that she wasn’t. Even said it out loud after someone had just drugged her. She didn’t know how or where. If this guy hadn’t been there, who knew what would have happened? Or where she would have ended up?

  “You probably don’t think anyone would want to kill you, either.” He took a step back and crossed his arms over his chest.

  “How do I know that Therese wasn’t being forced to tell me to go with you?”

  “I guess you don’t. Neither do I. But one thing in our favor is that I’m not forcing you to stay. You aren’t tied up or anything.”

  She needed to test that challenge. Could she get up? Get closer to the back door? What would he do?

  Even though the house was sparsely decorated, the photographs on the wall really stood out and called to her. She stood and swayed toward one near her—an action picture of a retriever flying into a pond. Water droplets were caught forever hanging in midair.

  “That was Birdie. I took that picture when I was in college. She was a great retriever.”

  “It’s exceptional. So alive.” Megan looked for signs of a dog. “Is she around?”

  “Naw, she died a few years back.” He shoved his fingers through his hair before settling his arms in front of his chest again. And he stayed where he was, not making a move to stop her from wandering.

  Even if she was stumbling and leaning on the backs of chairs.

  “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought it up.” Her head really wanted to check out that aspirin bottle.

  “She was a great dog.” He shrugged.

  “What did you say your name was?”

  “Jack MacKinnon. I’m a Tex—”

  “Jack, um...what did you do with my stuff? My laptop? Phone? I don’t see my carry-on.”

  “You left it by the gate. Sorry, but there wasn’t time to explain to airport security. Your phone and laptop are still in the truck. Safe for tonight.”

  “What if someone sees it and breaks in? Isn’t that risky?”

  “Not too many break-ins around here. Everybody knows me and that I’m home this week. Your stuff is safe.”

  She shifted to another chair, closer to her goal. “You really don’t know what all this is about?” she asked.

  He shook his head, and she believed him. It was her job to know when someone was lying or telling the truth. Jack seemed to be completely at ease telling her everything—or as little as—he knew.

  “I really need to call Therese and find out what this is all about.” She needed to know why she needed protecting. She didn’t doubt that she could handle herself when put to the test. But what test?

  Oh, yeah, sure.

  “I tried your friend. Tried my partner. Voice mail. You’re safe and need some rest, so how ’bout we try again in the morning?”

  Scolding herself was nothing new. Being in a life-threatening position wasn’t, either. Shoot, being alone with arrogant men who thought they knew more than her was something she’d dealt with since joining the police academy. The State Fire Marshal’s Office wasn’t much better.

  The strange new sensation was that she could trust this man. Weird. She rarely trusted anyone. Getting her feet to even slide was beginning to be a chore. So maybe she could wait until her legs were more stable and could make it out to his truck. Then she’d find out what was going on for herself.

  He pushed his hands through his tangled short mop, smoothing and looping some of it behind his ears. “I wasn’t expecting anyone, so I’m not sure what I have in the fridge. You feel like eating? Need another bottle of water?”

  “No. Thanks. Look, all I need is a couch for the night and I’ll be out of your hair tomorrow.”

  “Why don’t we talk about that in the morning?” He reached forward, and they touched with an electric shock.

  Not the kind she’d felt wrapped in his arms. It was a sincere static-electricity pop that had them both waving their hands in pain.

  Megan looked between the blinds and saw a couple of porch lights. “Ouch, you pack a wallop.” The houses were far apart and she wasn’t certain the road—that was at least forty yards away—was even a public street. An older neighborhood in a small town? “Maybe I should call a cab to take me home.”

  “You could try, but I doubt you’d get one to come here.”

  “Where did you bring me?”

  “We’re outside Liberty Hill. It’s about forty-five minutes from Austin.”

  Doubt was back. No matter how much confidence she had in Therese, shouldn’t she be more upset about being alone with this guy?

  Maybe it was the remnants of the drug still in her system. She couldn’t tell or keep her thoughts straight. Why had she allowed herself to be brought here by a stranger in the first place? What had Therese meant? Not having answers was more likely to kill her than a stranger at the airport.

  “This is ridiculous.”

  “What do you mean?” Jack asked, resting one hand in a pocket and the other at the back of his head.

  “I need a phone, please.” She held out her hand, expecting him to accommodate her. Why wouldn’t he? “May I borrow yours or will you get mine from your truck?”

  “No. Tomorrow.” Jack clapped his hands together and then opened them, palms up. He stood at attention, ready for something. “Our instructions are that they’ll contact us tomorrow.”

  “I am not a helpless victim from a slasher movie. I’m not staying here.”

  “Come on, Megan. If you need someplace safe to stay, we’ve done everything right. Why mess it up with a phone call to friends?”

  He relaxed, shrugged and took a step away from her. Did he expect her to attack or something?
She might have if she hadn’t still been sluggish.

  “Right.” She sank to the couch, finally admitting she was too unstable on her feet. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but this situation is absurd and confusing.”

  “I get it. Your friend Therese was more than a little cryptic.” He perched on the armchair. “All I got was that you were in trouble and needed protection.”

  “I appreciate your willingness to help. Really. But if I am in trouble like Therese thinks, then my best bet is to call the police. I can’t put you in danger, too.”

  She was used to being around officers and macho firefighters. She’d taken a lot of years to study guys, their psychology, their body language. And Jack didn’t appear to be surprised by their situation. Or surprised that she was in trouble. If she had to make a guess, he probably had a gun holster under the back of his shirt.

  “I’m not worried about it.” He lifted his hands in mock surrender. Mock because it was apparent there wasn’t a cell in his being that would make him change his mind. “I gave my word, okay? If you can clear things up, fine. But you can’t have a phone until the morning.”

  Even without her knowing him, there was something about the way he held his mouth that convinced her he was serious. Compressed lips with the corner barely raised. Serious or sure of himself?

  Jack MacKinnon was as stubborn as she was.

  “Why are you doing this? What’s in it for you?”

  Chapter Two

  “What do I get? Not a thing. Call me crazy, but I’m doing a favor. I won’t let you down. Do you need a pinkie swear or something?” Jack crooked his little finger in the air like kids did and held it out to her.

  “This isn’t funny. I have no idea why I’m here or why I listened to instructions over a phone call.”

  It didn’t matter if Megan believed him. He’d keep his word to his partner no matter what. “I’m actually one of the good guys. You’ll feel better after a good night’s sleep.”

  Just mentioning sleep had her eyelids drooping a bit. Right up until the phone rang. Megan jumped out of her skin. He’d dropped his phone in the drawer with his badge and gun. She stared as he answered.

  “MacKinnon.”

  Jack hesitated for a moment. Just a moment while he watched Megan turn white as chalk. Would she faint? Good thing she was already sitting on the couch. Her arms plopped down without much grace.

  Jack tapped the speaker button and kept the phone in one hand while he picked up a hunting magazine. He waved it in front of Megan’s face while his next-door neighbor chattered in the background.

  “I’m...I’m all right. Answer your call,” she whispered.

  Megan wasn’t doing a good job making him think she was fine. Jack had serious doubts she wasn’t about to hyperventilate. He was looking around for something he could use like a paper bag to have her breathe into.

  “Little Jack, are you there? Is someone there with you? Am I interrupting something?” His neighbor crooned her curiosity.

  He was about to hang up when Megan drew a long breath and covered her face with a pillow. Whatever had her freaking out was beyond him. Maybe she was just tired. It must have been a shock to discover someone wanted to kill you. And to be thrown in the care of a complete stranger... There couldn’t be much comfort in any part of her situation.

  “Little Jack? Little Jack!”

  “Right here, Mrs. Dennis.”

  “What was that ruckus a few minutes ago? Did a group of motorcycles come through town again?”

  The pillow landed where Megan threw it, to the right of his desk.

  “Nothing to worry about, Mrs. Dennis. I was late getting back. Sorry the truck woke you.” Jack gestured for Megan to drink some water.

  She shook her head and mouthed the word no. She rested her head on the back of the couch. Her eyes glazed over, focusing on a point—if his calculations were right—just next to one of the cracks in his ceiling. Why would him answering the phone send her into a tailspin?

  “There should be a noise regulation or something. Maybe you should have your muffler checked out, young man. It’s so loud it woke Junior. You know he goes to sleep at eight,” Mrs. Dennis complained over her bloodhound’s baying.

  “All I can do is apologize, Mrs. Dennis. I’ll try not to do it again.” His eyes wandered to the long, silky-looking thigh showing under Megan’s tight skirt. Before she regained her composure, he forced his eyes to look at her feet.

  Bare feet. Had he forgotten her shoes in the truck?

  “That’s good, but it woke me from a perfectly sound sleep. You know we have a busy day tomorrow. You be sure to give Junior an apology.”

  “Sorry to wake you...and Junior. I understand why you’re upset.” All he could do was agree and hope she’d hang up. “But while I’ve got you on the phone, is there a possibility of postponing the homecoming meeting until Monday afternoon?”

  “Little Jack, you know a couple of the reunion committee members are driving in from Austin. It would be rude to ask them to drive after work on Monday. So it’s better if we keep it for noon tomorrow at Major’s Restaurant.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  He’d always be Little Jack to anyone who knew his father—especially the ones who had worked for his father. And probably to anyone who knew him in high school. Hell, a few junior-high kids had snickered that afternoon and whispered “Sure thing, temporary mayor Little Jack” behind their hands when he told them to stop skateboarding on the sidewalk.

  He clicked the phone off and looked at his guest. She visibly gulped in front of him. He waved the phone back and forth, trying to break her trance. “That’s the problem with living in a small town. Everybody has my cell number.”

  “You have a gun. And badge. Are you with the police?”

  “No.” Hadn’t he told her? “I’m a Texas Ranger out of Company B in Garland. Is that a good thing or a problem?”

  “Can I see your ID?”

  “Sure.” He opened the drawer again, thought better about tossing the phone back inside and shoved it in his pocket. He picked his badge up from next to the remote. “Habit after having a dog that loved to chew on electronics instead of toys.” He handed her the official picture ID and badge.

  Megan took a look and handed it back to him. “Things might have been simpler if you’d shown me that at the beginning.”

  “Honestly, I saw the guy approach you and couldn’t get through security to help. I’d already shown my badge a couple of times. I was more concerned about getting you away from the airport. Then you passed out.” He rubbed his chin, conceding she was right. “I don’t know your friend Therese. I’m doing a favor for my partner.”

  Before trying to pick her up, he’d assumed she already knew he’d be there to help. He wouldn’t be assuming anything about this so-called favor again. Jack liked a good mystery. He just didn’t need one this particular week.

  “A man I don’t know. Why would Therese tell me to hide from the police, then send me to hide with a Texas Ranger?”

  “Maybe to protect you?” Jack mumbled the smart-ass question. He was stunned whenever Megan looked up at him. He’d never seen eyes as green as winter rye. Outlined with smudged mascara, they were still as pretty as they came.

  Stop. This woman was in trouble. He wasn’t going to admire anything. Not how she looked or how logical she was about staying with him. Letting her stay was a means to an end. He did this favor...his partner would get back in line. Okay, so he could hope.

  “It’s been a long day. Where can I clean up?”

  “Straight through there.” He pointed past the bedroom, through the hallway that was mainly hidden from view.

  She pushed herself up tiredly from the old couch and looked him almost eye to eye. “For the record...I know how to defend myself. I’ll stay until the morning, if it’s really not a problem.”<
br />
  Feisty. Determined. Cute. Stop.

  “I don’t mind.” It wouldn’t have made any difference to his rogue partner if Jack had minded. Wade would have asked for the favor no matter the consequences. It was just the way he was. “You can take the bed and we’ll work out what to do in the morning.”

  She gave him a two-fingered salute and followed the hall. He trailed behind and tried to lean against the wall casually. All of his senses were on alert. The ones concerning his guest shouldn’t be, but he couldn’t help it.

  “Just my luck. There really is only one bed.” Megan turned slowly, grabbing the bathroom doorknob after passing his room. “And oh, gosh. No shower?”

  “My grandmother always said a hot soak will do you good. You said you were sore.”

  Her eye roll said more than words. She didn’t appreciate that he knew details from her day. Or was the fact that someone had gotten the jump on her embarrassing? It wasn’t important now. He could find out tomorrow.

  “Are you going to stand guard? Because it’s not necessary. I have nowhere to run...tonight.”

  The slight hesitation didn’t escape him. She wasn’t looking to stay around longer than necessary. But that wasn’t his deal with his partner. He’d given his word, and the only way his partner was ever going to obey the rules for good was if he kept it.

  “No need to waste my time standing here. The window’s too small to crawl through and the house is small enough that I hear every floorboard creak from anywhere inside or out. I’ll go grab my camping cot. You can take the bed.”

  She stopped dead in her tracks before crossing into the old bathroom. “Oh, good grief. There’s no lock on this door.”

  “The place was my grandmother’s. She didn’t need them. I won’t barge in. Just hand me your clothes. There’s a robe hanging inside that you can use.”

  She gasped. There weren’t too many times in his life that someone looked as shocked as they sounded. Plenty of times they’d acted like it. Especially when pulled over for a moving violation. But this woman...either she had the gesture and sound down perfectly or she’d really gasped at his suggestion.