“I’ve got a surprise for you.”
“You have?”
He nodded. “You’ll have to close your eyes.”
Mallory did the opposite. “Is it the cat we saw at the animal shelter? I knew you liked her as much as I did.”
He felt bad that he hadn’t bought the cat. “No, but we could see if she’s still there tomorrow.”
Mallory’s smile grew wider. “She’s a beautiful tabby. Sally said she’d be great at catching mice.”
“Sally would say anything to find homes for her shelter animals.”
Mallory kissed his cheek. “True, but it’s all worth it. She’s found so many homes for unwanted animals that she deserves an award.”
Grant sighed.
“Oops, sorry. I’ll close my eyes. Are you sure your surprise doesn’t involve a cat?”
“Positive.”
“Can you give me a clue?”
“No—you’ll have to wait.” He looked closely at her eyes to make sure they were closed.
“Has this got anything to do with John? He wanted us to leave Emerald Lake in a hurry.”
Grant walked her toward the front door. “He helped me.”
Mallory sighed. “You’re lucky to have each other.”
“We are.” Grant found the remote control he’d left on the hall table. “Keep your eyes closed. We’re going outside. I’ll lead you carefully down the stairs.”
By the time Mallory was standing in front of the house, he was so nervous that a rocket could have landed behind him and he wouldn’t have noticed.
He clicked the remote once. “Okay. Open your eyes.”
Mallory opened her eyes and smiled. “It’s beautiful!” Her gaze roamed over the house. Thousands of white fairy lights twinkled from the roof, windows, and chimney. “It reminds me of Christmas. You did all of this while I was in Billings with Rachel?”
“Yes—I wanted to do something special for you. I enjoy having you here.”
Mallory sighed. “I like being here, too. I can’t believe you were able to decorate the house so quickly. It really is wonderful.” She touched his arm. “Are you okay?”
“I’m all right. I just need to...” He cleared his throat and held her hand. “I need to tell you something.”
He took a deep breath, thinking about the words he needed to say. “For most of my life I didn’t feel as though I belonged. I tried to be like my biological father—to prepare myself for the worst that could happen. But when you live like that, it’s easy to miss the good things. When I came home from Afghanistan, it was worse. Nothing was the same—I wasn’t the same. I wanted to change, to look forward to a good life. But living with a future was a lot harder than knowing the end of the world wasn’t far away.”
Mallory’s hand tightened on his.
“When I met you, I knew you were the person I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. You don’t focus on the negative. Even with everything that’s happened, you never gave up believing that it would be okay. I wanted to be the person who would protect you, who you could depend on. When I saw you in the bunker after you’d been shot, I knew I had it all wrong. The person I’d been protecting was myself. I was so scared of being hurt that I told myself I wasn’t good enough for you—that what I have here in Bozeman isn’t enough.”
“You’ll always be enough,” Mallory whispered. “You’re the most amazing man I’ve ever met. I love you.”
Grant hugged her close. “I love you, too.” He wiped his eyes and pointed the remote at his house. Two clicks later, a mass of red and green fairy lights lit the roof, putting into words what he was finding so hard to say.
Mallory’s eyes filled with tears.
He lowered himself to one knee and held her hand. “Will you marry me, Mallory Fraser?”
His hands shook as he opened the small black box he’d been carrying. “I hope you like it.”
“It’s wonderful.” Tears fell down her face as she looked into his eyes. “I’d love to marry you.”
Grant slipped the diamond ring onto her finger. “I hope you’re okay with a short engagement?”
Mallory helped him to his feet. “Is three weeks too long?”
“It’s perfect.”
“So are you. I love you.”
Mallory’s softly spoken words filled his heart with joy. Whatever happened, he knew they would be there for each other.
“You can kiss your bride-to-be, now.”
Grant grinned. “I like that idea. Welcome to our new life together, Mallory Fraser.” And he kissed her with all the love inside him. She was his beginning, his middle, and his end. The person he would love, forever and always.
THE END
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Keep reading for a preview of The Promise, Matthew and Ashley’s story, the third book in The Protectors series!
The Promise
The Protectors Series, Book 4
“What literary masterpiece are you writing?”
Ashley pounced on the cup of coffee her friend and fellow journalist, Bonnie, left on her desk. She sipped the heavenly brew and waved her hand toward her computer. “What do you think?”
“20 New York Socialites You Need to Know. Wow. You must have spent all day planning that column.”
“You’re supposed to tell me what an interesting piece of investigative journalism I’ve written.”
Bonnie grinned. “I’m saving that for the good stuff.”
Ashley peered over the partition separating her cubicle from the next.
“Harry’s gone home,” Bonnie said with an eye roll. “He told me he’s got a social life, unlike the reporters he works with.”
Ashley choked on her drink. “And you believed him?”
“Why wouldn’t I?”
“It’s Thursday night.”
“And?”
“There’s a Twilight Zone marathon on TV.” She tilted her head to the side, waiting for Bonnie to remember the only thing Harry had talked about all week. “You can’t have forgotten that quickly.”
“I have a short-term memory when it comes to Harry.”
The blush on Bonnie’s cheeks told Ashley a different story. “It doesn’t matter. I’ve got even more exciting news.”
“You were employed by the catering company?”
“It was the only way I could get into Jasmine Alfredo’s dinner party.”
“No one knew you were working undercover?”
Ashley shook her head.
“That’s so exciting. Did you get any photos?”
Ashley clicked on a folder she’d saved on her desktop. “Harry worked his magic on some of the images before he went home.”
Bonnie pulled her chair close to Ashley. Her eyes almost popped out of their sockets when she saw the photos. “Why are you writing about socialites when you’ve got the story of the year sitting in front of you?”
“The story of the year still needs some work. I’m not telling anyone that Jasmine Alfredo could be defrauding her nonprofit charity until I’ve got more proof. Otherwise, her lawyers will come down like a ton of bricks on our esteemed leader’s head.”
“Spelling the end to your illustrious journalistic career.”
“Exactly. The Daily Times needs reporters like us, even if I am writing for the society pages.”
“This isn’t your forever job. It’s a stepping stone to greater things.”
“Where have I heard that before?”
“Oh, I don’t know,” Bonnie said with a smile. “You could have said the same thing a hundred times. And on that bright note, it’s time for me to go home. Are you coming?”
Ashley glanced at her watch. “You go. I want to
finish my story on the socialites.”
“They’ll wait until the morning.”
“I wish.” Ashley sighed as she reopened the file. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
Bonnie pulled out her bag from under her desk. “Okay. I’ll tell security you’re still here. Don’t stay too late.”
“Thanks for the coffee.”
“You’re welcome. Bye.”
After Bonnie left, Ashley kept typing. Most of the socialites were the wives, children, or grandchildren of billionaires. Even though they had the pick of what they could do with their lives, they somehow seemed lost. Making a career out of attending charity luncheons, galas, and concerts weren’t her idea of fun, but what she thought didn’t matter.
She found stock photos of each person and added them to the article. If she was being totally honest with herself, the photos were more interesting than her text. As long as her editor didn’t think the same thing she’d be fine.
Before she went home she checked her email. Harry had been busy. He’d sent through more photos from last weekend’s dinner party. She flicked through the images. They weren’t bad considering the camera had been hidden in her necklace. Sherlock Holmes would have been proud of her.
She stopped at a picture of Jasmine Alfredo. With her jet-black hair coiled on top of her head and a scarlet dress draped across her body, she was stunning. But it wasn’t Jasmine that made Ashley frown.
A man wearing a navy pinstripe suit stood on one side of the picture, almost lost in the cropped image.
Ashley went back to the other photos. He wasn’t there. She opened another file, this time from Jasmine’s charity gala for Reach High, another nonprofit she managed. The same man was there. She’d seen his face before, but where?
If anyone knew who he was, it would be Harry. She picked up her phone and called him.
He answered after the second ring. “You didn’t give me much to work with, so no grumbling about the quality.”
Ashley smiled. “I thought you’d be watching The Twilight Zone.”
“I am, but you’re lucky. An ad break has started. What do you need?”
“One of the photos you sent through has a man almost cropped out of the image. Can you send me the original and tell me who he is?”
She heard Harry moving across his apartment.
“Shouldn’t you be home by now?” he asked.
“I’m leaving soon.”
Harry laughed. “That’s what you always say…Okay…I’m at my computer. Which photo are you talking about?”
“The one with Jasmine standing on her own. She’s holding a glass of wine.”
“Got it. I’m sending through the original now.”
Ashley reopened her email account and waited for Harry’s photo to arrive. “What season are you up to in The Twilight Zone?”
“Two. I’m sending you the rest of the images I downloaded off the camera. I haven’t retouched them yet, but it will give you an idea of what it takes to make them brilliant.”
“You’re just showing off.” She clicked on the first email Harry sent through and studied the man. “I still don’t know who he is.”
“Have you been living under a rock for the last six months?”
“Come on, Harry. Don’t hold out on me. You’re going to miss some of your TV show.”
“The Twilight Zone is not a TV show. It’s a cult classic.”
“So is The Princess Bride and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, but you’re not watching them.”
She could imagine Harry shuddering. The thought of his beloved program being compared to a movie about a princess being rescued from an evil villain would be too much. “Your small town background is showing. The man in the picture is Gareth Welsh.”
“Congressman Gareth Welsh?”
“The one and the same. He’s the poster boy for social reform. Wait a minute.”
Ashley could hear Harry typing on his keyboard.
“He’s also one of the board members for Reach High, the nonprofit charity Jasmine started.”
“Maybe that’s why he was at her dinner party.”
“Probably. Check the other photos I sent through and call me tomorrow. Ad break is over.”
Before Ashley could thank Harry, he was gone.
She opened the other files and peered at the photos. Over the space of three hours, she’d photographed most of the people at the dinner party. All she had to do now was figure out who they were, how much money Jasmine had stolen from her nonprofit, and why she’d done it.
Her cell phone beeped and she read the text.
“GO HOME!!”
She smiled as she typed a reply to Bonnie. The best thing about her job was that she could do it from anywhere. In no time at all she’d emailed Harry’s photos to her personal account and shut down her computer. With a little research, she should be able to identify most of the people at the dinner party. Then, if everything went to plan, she would be ready for phase two of her story.
***
Matthew parked his truck as close to the Gallatin County Fairground as he could manage. Each summer, people came from all over Montana to enjoy seven days of horse and livestock shows, markets, exhibitions, and sunshine. This year, he’d come to the fair with Sean, his twin brother and, Catherine, their seven-year-old niece.
“Can we buy some cotton candy, Uncle Matthew?”
He looked over his shoulder as Catherine undid her seatbelt. “Sure. Just don’t tell your mom.”
A cheeky grin lit her face. “Dad says the same thing.”
Sean laughed. “If your mom discovers the secrets we’re not supposed to tell her, we’ll all be in trouble.”
Matthew knew for a fact that Amy, their sister-in-law, knew almost everything there was to know about the Gray family. It was just as well she chose to ignore most of it.
“Oh, wow!” Catherine jumped out of the truck and grabbed Sean’s hand. “Look at the Ferris wheel. We gotta go, Uncle Sean.”
Matthew pushed his hat to the back of his head and stared at the huge wheel in front of them. “That’s a mighty impressive piece of machinery.”
“It’s a death trap,” Sean grumbled.
Catherine pulled Sean’s hand. “Come on, let’s go together. It will be fun.”
Sean turned a delicate shade of green. “Uncle Matthew wants to take you on the Ferris wheel.”
“Don’t mind if I do, little lady. Where’s your sun hat?”
Catherine rushed back to the truck. “Here it is.” She pulled on her hat and handed Matthew a small bag. “Mom gave me this, too. There’s sunscreen inside. She said I have to use it or I’ll end up all wrinkly like you.”
Sean laughed. “Your mom is a wise woman.”
“She’s a doctor,” Catherine said proudly. “Dad says she’s smart as well as beautiful.”
Matthew tugged Catherine’s hat over her pigtails and squirted sunscreen onto his hands. “We’d better do what she says or she won’t let us to you to the fair again.”
Catherine scrunched up her face as he rubbed the lotion into her skin. She waited patiently while he pulled his backpack out of the truck and locked the doors.
“Can we go now?”
Matthew tweaked the front of her hat. “I don’t see why not. Did Uncle Sean print off the timetable of what’s happening today?”
Sean’s eyebrows rose. “Of course, I did. One of us has to be organized.” He pulled three copies out of his back pocket and gave one each to Matthew and Catherine. “The barrel racing starts in thirty minutes. You should have time to go on the Ferris wheel first, depending on how many people are waiting for a ride.”
Matthew walked toward the main gates, holding Catherine’s hand and trying to read the timetable.
“Watch out for the dog,” Catherine squealed as he nearly stepped on the smallest excuse for a four-legged canine he’d ever seen.
“Thanks for the warning, short stuff.”
“You’re welcome. Are you sure you don’t
want Uncle Sean to be in charge of the map? He doesn’t get lost.”
Matthew knelt down and smiled into his niece’s upturned face. “Sometimes when you get lost you end up in a better place than where you thought you’d be.”
“Not in the supermarket parking lot, you don’t. Dad melted a huge tub of ice cream when he couldn’t find our truck.”
“Don’t worry,” Sean said. “I’ll look after you. Your dad and Uncle Matthew share the same type of challenges.”
“Yeah,” Matthew laughed. “And our biggest challenge is called Sean.”
“Very funny,” his brother muttered. “It won’t be so funny when you can’t find the barrel racing.”
“Or the line for the Ferris wheel,” Catherine added.
Matthew nodded at the solemn expression on his niece’s face. “We’d better get a move on. If we don’t, Uncle Sean is going to get upset.”
“I don’t get upset,” Sean said as he paid for their tickets. “I get even.” He handed Matthew his ticket. “If you get lost you could miss out on cotton candy.”
Catherine gripped his hand tighter. “Don’t worry, Uncle Matthew. I’ll look after you.”
He looked down into her brown eyes and smiled. That was the nicest thing anyone had said to him in a long time.
***
Ashley looked over her shoulder, frowning at the people walking along the sidewalk. For the last week she’d been worried that someone was following her. She was turning into a paranoid reporter, jumping like a scared rabbit whenever anyone bumped into her.
After speaking to Harry last night, she was even more worried. She’d stayed awake for most of the evening, going over her notes, searching the Internet for any connection between Jasmine Alfredo and Congressman Welsh.
She glanced at her watch. She’d called Harry on the way to work, hoping he hadn’t left for the day. Something was going on, and it was bigger than she ever thought possible. She pushed the buzzer and watched yellow taxis zoom past his building.
“Come on up,” he yelled from the intercom.
Always (The Protectors Book 3) Page 23