Christmas Bodyguard

by Margaret Daley

  She took a step forward as Joshua and Slade came into the barn. Fury chiseled Slade’s features into a hard countenance. He marched to his daughter and demanded her full attention by standing between her and the mare.

  “Next time I ask you to wait for us you better wait, or you’ll find out what being totally grounded means. I won’t let you send Elizabeth on a merry chase to find you. Do I make myself clear, young lady?”

  Red blotches popped out on Abbey’s cheeks. Everything from her stance to her expression screamed anger. Seconds faded into a minute before she said, “I understand perfectly.”

  Elizabeth approached them while Joshua hung back, surveying the barn and the young wrangler still holding the rope to the horse. Abbey spun around to pat her mare, and from Elizabeth’s angle, she could see the teen’s expression collapse into a combination of anger and embarrassment. She remembered back to when she was growing up and her battles with her father. This could be a difficult time for a parent and child, and with the threat to their safety added to the mix, it could become disastrous.

  Abbey took the rope from the wrangler’s hand. “Thanks, Brody.”

  “Sure.” With a smile deep in his dark eyes, the young man tipped his hat, then jogged back toward the wheelbarrow to get out of the line of fire.

  The older cowboy exited the tack room, pausing when he saw everyone in the barn. He shoved his brown Stetson back from his forehead to reveal a tanned face, lines of experience carved into his countenance.

  Stroking her mare’s neck, Abbey threw a look over her shoulder at her father. “Can I ride in the pasture near the barn?”

  He shook his head. “Use the training ring for now. Too much is going on today. I want this ranch secured first.”

  Elizabeth panned the area and realized it would never be totally secured. Not even the White House was. The older wrangler moseyed out the double doors with a rope clasped in his hand.

  Joshua came up beside Elizabeth. “I’m going to check around outside and the training ring. I noticed the foreman in the tack room. Have you met him?”

  “Yes, when I first came in here. Do you know the older man who went in there and just left? When I met a couple of the wranglers yesterday, I didn’t meet him.”

  “That’s Hank. He’s not too much younger than me. I think he’s sweet on Hilda.”

  “How in the world have you found that out so fast?”

  Her uncle grinned. “I’m a good listener. I let people talk. Hank was concerned about what happened up at the main house. He kept asking how Hilda was.”

  “Do you know who Brody is?” She’d noticed a sly exchange of glances between Abbey and the wrangler. Was something going on there?

  “He’s Jake’s younger brother. He’s living in the bunkhouse since Jake married two months ago.”

  “So he works here, too.”

  “He does when he isn’t in school. He’s a senior at Dawson Academy.”

  “Has your partner got any background information on the employees at the ranch?” Her uncle worked with another retired police officer.

  “Not much. Nothing that sends up a red flag.”

  “So Brody is on the list?”

  “Yep. Why all the interest?”

  “Just a gut feeling something may be going on between him and Abbey.”

  She found Brody had returned to Abbey to help her saddle her mare. Elizabeth had the feeling Abbey knew how to saddle her horse and had done it by herself before, but now she allowed the wrangler to brush the chestnut’s thick coat, gliding his hand over it to check for burrs, before setting the saddle on the animal’s back. Then, after cinching the strap around the mare, he gave Abbey a leg up. A dimple appeared in her cheek as she grinned and thanked him.

  “Yep, Beth, I think you’re right about that. But why would he be involved in what’s going on?”

  Elizabeth sent her uncle a sharp look. “Aren’t you the one who told me never to rule out anyone?”

  Joshua chuckled. “Too true.”

  As Joshua ambled toward the back door, Elizabeth moved toward Slade and Jake near the tack room. “I’ll be with Abbey in the training ring.”

  “I’ll go with you,” Slade replied. “Where is Joshua going?”

  “To check the area around the barn and the ring. He’ll meet us there.”

  Jake spoke up. “Me and the men will help out. We’ll be keeping an eye out. Anything suspicious, we’ll call you.” Jake ran the leather strap of a halter through his fingers.

  “I know I can count on you. Jake and I go way back,” he explained to Elizabeth.

  “And I don’t forget that.” Jake hung up the halter, then thrust his hand into the pocket of his jeans and withdrew a key chain. “I’m heading into town to see about the bad feed. I’ll get to the bottom of it.” He started for the barn entrance.

  Abbey guided Sassy toward the exit.

  “Hon, hold up. We’re going with you. I want to see what you’ve been doing lately.”

  Abbey came to a halt near the double doors and twisted in the saddle to peer at her father. “Why? You haven’t watched me ride in ages.”

  “I’m here today to watch you.”

  “Don’t feel you have to because of the threats.” Abbey sat forward, turning her back on him, but she waited.

  Elizabeth watched the foreman slow his pace and come to a stop just outside. A tall, blonde woman in her late twenties threw herself into Jake’s embrace, kissing him on the mouth. The same lady she’d seen yesterday. His wife? “Who’s that?”

  “That’s Cindy, Jake’s wife.”

  Jake slung his arm around Cindy’s shoulder and sauntered toward a black pickup. He opened the passenger door for his wife to get in, then rounded the front and slid behind the steering wheel.

  Slade observed his foreman. “I’m glad he found someone.”

  “You two are long-time friends.”

  “From childhood. I was fortunate when he agreed to be my foreman. He’s someone I can trust.”

  But not her. There wasn’t any reason to suspect Jake, but as she told Joshua, trust no one. “What’s this about bad feed?”

  He began walking toward the indoor training ring next to the barn. “Part of the last batch delivered was moldy. One horse got sick yesterday. Thankfully Jake discovered it before any other horses got it.”

  “Who gave the feed to the horse?”

  “Brody.” His brow wrinkled, he slanted a look at her.

  “You think there’s a connection between the feed and the attempts against Abbey?”

  “Could be. They happened at the same time. It could be a tactic to throw you off or occupy your time.”

  At the door he paused and faced her. “Nothing will take my mind off protecting Abbey. Horses, I can replace. Not my daughter.”

  Her heartbeat reacted to his nearness. He was too close—that could rob her of clear thinking. Shutting down her emotions, she placed several feet between them, holding one side of the double doors open for Abbey to ride through. Her gaze tracked over the yard and road that ran in front of the ring. Nothing out of the ordinary. But still, someone was out there who meant to do harm to Abbey, and probably Slade, too.

  The next day, Thanksgiving, Elizabeth stared out the floor-to-ceiling window in the dining room at all that Joshua and his contractors had accomplished. When money wasn’t a problem, a lot could be done in a short amount of time. The old fence had been reinforced, but new posts were put in place for a taller and stronger one to go up tomorrow. Shifts of three two-man teams with guard dogs patrolled the yard.

  Guards and upgraded camera systems were put on both the front gate and the second gate into the house compound. Cameras were hidden around the property and monitored by a security company twenty-four hours a day. The same with the ones in the foyer and other entrances into the house. Plans to have a safe room had been laid out and would also be started on Friday. By the time the weekend was over, this place would be like Fort Knox.

  As a whole, tha
t should make her job a little easier. At least when Abbey was in the house. Any other place and Elizabeth recognized the potential for trouble, especially because the teen hadn’t accepted that Elizabeth would be glued to her side anywhere other than home.

  Inhaling a steadying breath, Elizabeth spied the first guests arriving for Thanksgiving dinner. The Colemans—Jake, Cindy and Brody. Yesterday while riding in the training ring, the young wrangler had managed to come into the building and watch Abbey ride. He’d planted himself in the shadows by the back door, but she’d seen him intently watching Abbey. The most alarming thing was that the teenage boy had a sealed juvenile record. Something had happened in Houston right before he’d come to the ranch to live with his older brother. She hadn’t had a chance to talk to Slade about what Kyra had discovered from one of her contacts, but Elizabeth needed to. Until then, she’d have to keep a close eye on the eighteen-year-old, even if Jake was one of Slade’s childhood friends.

  She stepped away from the window and turned toward the long cherrywood dining table, set with twelve places. Her gaze immediately zeroed in on Slade, lounging against the doorjamb, watching her with a hooded expression.

  He pushed away and sauntered toward her, his full attention fixed on her. His eyes still appeared tired, but he’d told her this morning he’d finally gotten some sleep. She’d always become uncomfortable when someone moved into her personal space but when Slade did so, instead of being cautious and antsy, she was charged, her pulse racing, her breathing shallow. This time was no different.

  “Are you ready?”

  His husky question hung in the air. She needed to tell him yes, but all she could think about were those gray eyes, smoldering steel that sliced through her defenses effortlessly.

  “Of course,” she finally murmured, “though I’ve already expressed my objection to this little gathering.”

  “It has been planned for weeks. Something we have done every year since we came to the ranch. My wife started the tradition. Mary has carried it on. If you think this is a big deal, you should see what happens during Christmas. How do you usually celebrate Thanksgiving?”

  “If I’m not working, quietly with Joshua.”

  “These people are like my family. Besides, Abbey gets a kick out of helping Hilda and Mary with the dinner. That doesn’t happen often since she turned fourteen. So much has changed lately. I didn’t want that to, also. I actually got a smile out of Abbey this morning. Besides, the house is secure.”

  “Yes, but Kyra did some checking for me concerning Brody Coleman.”

  “Kyra? I thought Joshua was doing background checks on the people at the ranch, and he hadn’t found anything so far.”

  “He is, but after I saw how Abbey and Brody interacted yesterday, I thought I would have Kyra look up Brody to help Joshua out.”

  “Interact? They know each other casually.”

  “It could be more than casual.”

  “You got that from what little you saw yesterday?”

  “He goes to Dawson Academy, too. They have one class together. They may be more than casual friends. I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t check into every possibility.” Why was Slade so clueless to what was happening between his daughter and Brody? The shared glances. The longing looks each gave the other. If something wasn’t going on, it could easily start at any moment.

  Slade’s eyebrows slashed downward. “What did you find out?”

  “Brody has a juvenile record. Sealed so I don’t know what he did, but the fact that he had been in trouble with the law bothers me.”

  A nerve in Slade’s jaw twitched.

  “Do you know anything about that?”

  “No, but I’ll find out what happened.” His hard expression cemented the determination behind the force of his words.

  “I need to get to the kitchen now that Joshua is letting the first guests inside.” She would plant herself in the same room as Abbey and hope that Slade’s belief in his friends was warranted.

  Voices from the foyer drifted into the dining room. “I hear Jake. This will be a good time to find out about Brody.”

  As he passed her, although they didn’t touch, goose bumps spread up her arm. She rubbed it, trying to erase another physical reaction she had to his nearness. Under different circumstances, she might be attracted… Who was she kidding? She was attracted to him—but she wouldn’t let it go any further than that. A man like Slade who was used to being in control, a man who ran a multi-million-dollar business, was off-limits to her. He was everything she avoided.

  In the kitchen Abbey glanced up from making a salad. “Who’s here?”

  “Jake, his wife and his brother.” With her back to the wall, Elizabeth stood in the large room where she could see all points of entry as well as Abbey.

  The teen quickened her movements, her attention directed totally to her task. Elizabeth suspected it was because Brody had arrived, which only reinforced what she thought. They were involved or at least interested in each other.

  As Slade strode into the foyer, Joshua shut the front door after allowing Jake, Cindy and Brody into the house. “I’m glad you all could make it. I didn’t know if you wanted to spend Thanksgiving by yourselves this year, since it’s your first one as a married couple. Here, let me take your jackets.”

  Jake helped Cindy out of her coat then shrugged out of his and handed them to Slade. “I can’t pass up Hilda and Mary’s cooking.”

  Cindy laughed. “I’m the first person to tell you I’m not a good cook. I’m learning, but it’s gonna take some time.” She grasped her husband’s hand. “Time I’m happy to say Jake has given me.”

  After grabbing Brody’s hoodie, Slade slung it over his arm. “Can I steal Jake away from you for a few minutes?”

  Cindy released Jake’s hand. “Yeah. Is there anything I can do to help other than actually cooking? I can chop up food or set the table.”

  “All the others are in the kitchen. You know the way, don’t you?”

  Before Cindy could reply, Brody said, “I can show her.”

  Slade studied the young man, a good employee who did what was asked of him, and wondered if Brody was involved with his daughter. He should know that. But then he’d have to be home more regularly to see something like that. Well, things were going to change. He had to cease working nonstop and discover what was happening in his daughter’s life. He’d promised his wife he’d take care of Abbey, but he’d let his grief keep him away and had immersed himself in a job that had slowly taken over his life. No more.

  “Let’s go into the office,” Slade said, leading the way. Jake and he had been good friends ever since they had been ten years old and Jake had stepped in to stop a bully from beating Slade up on the playground at school. He hated having to ask Jake about Brody, but this was his daughter, and he couldn’t keep blinders on where she was concerned anymore.

  After shutting the door, Slade faced Jake, trying to figure out how best to approach the subject of his brother. “With all that’s been happening around here, Joshua and Elizabeth have done some background checks on the people on the ranch. They found something about Brody that has them concerned. I told them I would talk with you.”

  “They found his juvenile record.”

  Slade nodded. “It’s sealed.”

  “And you want to know what he did wrong.” Jake kneaded his upper arm and began pacing. “I’d hoped never to have to tell anyone here. I wanted to give Brody a clean slate, and he has done great for the two years he’s been here, but I can understand your concern. My parents couldn’t deal with him anymore, so I volunteered to help. He was getting involved with a gang in Houston, doing stupid things. The last one was joyriding in a stolen car.” Jake paused and turned toward Slade. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. But your offer to send him to Dawson Academy is just what he needed. A different set of friends. A different environment. His grades are good. He has plans to go to college after he graduates this year. That wouldn’t have happened if he�
��d stayed in Houston.”

  Slade moved closer to his friend. “I’m satisfied. This won’t go any further than this room.” He held out his hand for his friend to shake.

  “Thanks. I haven’t even shared that with Cindy. After you gave me a second chance working here when no one else would hire me because of my drinking, I know how important it is to have a clean slate. I wanted to do the same for my little brother.”

  “You pulled your life together and haven’t had a drink in years. I say, let’s go join the others. I’m sure the other cowhands should be here soon.”

  “With, no doubt, their huge appetites.”

  “Yeah, Mary and Hilda’s cooking has that effect on people.” As Slade opened his office door, he took a deep breath. “I love the smell of turkey and dressing baking. I’m starved.”

  Jake’s stomach rumbled. “I guess I am, too.”

  Voices coming from the dining room drew Slade and Jake. Abbey, Elizabeth and Cindy were setting the table with the good china, crystal and silver. Brody, lugging more glasses, came from the kitchen with them.

  When Elizabeth peered at Slade, her inquiring gaze mesmerized him. Her dark eyelashes were long and framed the prettiest green eyes he’d seen. He worked his way toward her while an army quickly took care of the task of putting out the dishes and silverware for a big Thanksgiving dinner. Elizabeth sidled up beside him.

  “Find out anything?” she asked in a whisper.

  “Everything is fine. Nothing to worry about with him.”

  Moving back a few more steps until both he and Elizabeth were in the living room, she kept her attention trained on Abbey but said, “What was he arrested for?”

  “Nothing that matters now.”

  “Let me decide that.” She flicked her gaze to him. “You never know.”

  “I gave my word I would keep it confidential, but it doesn’t have anything to do with what’s going on here. It happened over two years ago in Houston and didn’t involve my family in any way.” Determined not to break his promise to Jake, Slade clenched his jaw and firmed his mouth.