Stars Over Alaska

by Jennifer Snow

  Obviously she didn’t want to discuss what had happened. Unfortunately, that meant he had some explaining to do. “I am, yes, but Eddie called.”

  She shook her head. “You were supposed to be ignoring Eddie’s calls, remember?”

  “I knew something was wrong. When you weren’t answering... I just had a feeling that something was wrong, that’s all.”

  She stared at him as though conflicted by his actions. That made two of them, but he couldn’t regret his decision. He wanted to give himself shit over putting his career on the line, but ultimately it was a decision he’d make over and over again. What if something had happened to her? The thought of potentially losing her for good was too much. He was glad he was there. This was the only place he should be right now.

  Although standing there, not touching her was torture.

  She looked like she’d been through hell that week and he was a mess, but he didn’t care, he’d wrap his arms around her, if she’d give any indication that she’d welcome that.

  She didn’t. Instead, she folded her arms across her chest. “What about the assist call?”

  “I can’t say I’m even thinking about that right now.” He stepped forward and touched her arms anyway. “All I care about is you being okay.”

  “I’m fine. And you could have risked your job...”

  “It’s a risk I was willing to make. For that matter, it’s a risk I’d make over and over again.”

  She shook her head, irritated by his concern. “That doesn’t even make any sense, Levi. This is what we do. We all know there’s an element of danger in our careers. The job comes first.”

  “Not for me. Not when it comes to you,” he said gently. Of course she’d feel that way. She’d grown up with a family of law enforcers who put their careers above all else. She’d been prepared to marry someone who would do the same... Who had done the same.

  He wasn’t like the rest of them. He’d never had a real, solid family, anyone he could rely on, depend on...and Leslie was the person he trusted and loved the most in the world. That was worth putting above all else, even if she didn’t feel that way.

  Her expression changed, softened slightly, then she looked away quickly. “I should get cleaned up and get ready to give my statement.”

  He nodded slowly and let his hands drop. What had he expected? This love had always been one-sided. Thinking that things might have changed that week between them had been foolish. “Yeah. I should go too.” He was covered in sweat and soot and he smelled like a wildfire. He wasn’t exactly making it hard for her to resist him.

  “Levi, I...” She stopped as though she had no idea how to finish the sentence. No matter what she said, it wouldn’t be what he longed to hear.

  “Yeah, I know. Take care, Leslie.” Walking quickly, he headed down the hall and out of the station, hoping he didn’t look as pathetic as he felt.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  THE NEXT TWENTY-FOUR hours were a blur and it was only when she was in her seat on a plane from Anchorage to LA that Leslie let herself relax. The Alaska state trooper department was holding Eoghan in custody until he could be transferred back to California. Leslie and Selena had provided their statements and she’d received medical treatment for a fractured cheekbone. Her call to Federico at the agency had been short and sweet—he’d advised her to get Selena back to LA as soon as possible and he was glad they were both okay. Flying back was faster. She’d figure out how to get her car back later.

  The movie star looked like she wasn’t suffering any aftereffects from the trauma. Sitting in the first-class window seat next to her, Selena thumbed through a fitness magazine and sipped a glass of wine.

  “Hey... How on earth did you do that anyway? With the handcuffs.” She hadn’t had a chance to ask Selena about her quick-thinking skills with everything else going on.

  “I pay attention sometimes,” Selena said with a grin. “At your family’s house. I watched and learned.”

  Leslie laughed, but it was more strangled relief. “I think you might have saved our lives.”

  “Might have?”

  “Okay, definitely did.” She hesitated. “I’m sorry about all of this. I should have listened to you when you said you didn’t trust Eoghan and when you said you hadn’t posted those pictures.” She shook her head. Disappointment in herself—her judgment, her perception of things, her inability to listen to Selena—was starting to set in now that the immediate danger was over.

  Selena shrugged. “Don’t beat yourself up over it. We’ve all been gaslit by a man before.”

  “Yeah, but I shouldn’t have been. Not by Eoghan. I’m trained to see the signs, the dangers, the warning patterns of behavior, but I...just didn’t.” Maybe she wasn’t as cut out for this career as she’d thought. How could she not question her abilities when she’d failed the first time she’d really been put to the test?

  Selena closed the magazine and touched her shoulder. “Why are you being so hard on yourself? Of course you didn’t see it with Eoghan, because he didn’t show any of that. He was trained the same way you were, so he knew how not to act. He knew you’d pick up on anything suspicious, so he made sure not to fall into any of those recognizable patterns.”

  She had a point, but... “But I still let him get close. To both of us. That never should have happened.”

  “Why? Are you immune to the need to have connections with people? Leslie, you’re only human and as much as you push people away, even you needed someone in your life—even if it was just casual. Eoghan was a safe choice for you because you knew there was no chance of getting hurt because your feelings for him weren’t that deep,” she said.

  Wow, when had Selena gotten so deep? Having misjudged the woman and not actually getting to know her before making assumptions compounded Leslie’s guilt. “Still, I’m sorry.”

  “Apology accepted and I’m sorry if I was...difficult at times.”

  Leslie laughed. “Understatement.”

  “We’re safe now. I can return to my life. And for what it’s worth, I think you did everything right,” Selena said.

  Leslie swallowed the lump in her throat. “Thank you.” Unfortunately, her superiors wouldn’t see it that way.

  * * *

  THAT PAST WEEK took the award for craziest week of Levi’s life.

  He’d struggled with every emotion possible—heartache, love, fear, disappointment, and now that it was all over, he wasn’t sure what to feel. It was as if his body had shut down, gone numb in a form of protective mode.

  Leslie and Selena were back in LA. The stalker was in custody and everyone was safe.

  Her goodbye this time had left him with the impression that he was nowhere on her mind right now and he understood—she had a lot to deal with still back in LA. She’d just escaped an abduction and there were far more pressing things for her to focus on. He wasn’t sure he’d ever make her priority list.

  But damn if he didn’t miss her already. Maybe if they’d had more time and the circumstances hadn’t been so intense.

  He’d give anything to see her right now.

  “Hey, turn on Channel 5 News,” Chad said, entering his office without knocking. He and the rest of the team had just gotten back from Florida a few hours ago. Levi still had a tough decision to make regarding his own career. He needed to meet with his team and find out whether they all still felt confident with him at the lead.

  Levi grabbed the remote and turned on the news. On the screen, Selena was being interviewed by the media at a press conference. Dressed in a pale pink sundress, her hair and makeup done, Levi almost didn’t recognize her. No wonder Leslie had believed she could keep the star safe from her usual fans. Gone was the girl next door look she’d sported here in Alaska, replaced with a glamorous Hollywood persona. Next to her stood what he assumed was her management team while several LA officers kept the crowd ba
ck and under control.

  “It’s been a scary few weeks,” she was saying, “but I’m just happy to be back in LA, knowing that the bad guy is behind bars.”

  The bad guy. Eoghan. The guy Leslie had been casually dating. He knew she’d be beating herself up over that right now, blaming herself for allowing Eoghan to get to Selena through her. Once again she’d feel validated in keeping people at a distance.

  Keeping him at a distance. She hadn’t called or texted to let him know they were settled, and resisting the urge to reach out to her was nearly impossible. He didn’t need answers about them... He just wanted to hear her voice. Selena was safe, her nightmare was over, but he was still worried about Leslie. She’d push through this the way she always did by shutting down, putting walls up and pushing everyone away.

  “We know it’s been tough on her fans, but we needed to do what was in her best interest, to keep her safe,” her PR rep said, speaking next.

  Bullshit. Leslie had made that call all on her own and now she’d be the one owning up to that decision, her future on the line. She deserved praise for her actions, but unfortunately, Levi knew the agency was going to want to make a clean break, distance themselves from this mess, and that would include letting Leslie go.

  Next, to his surprise, Leslie appeared on the camera, her right eye still swollen and bruised. Levi’s fists curled and anger raged through his body. That son of a bitch. If he could have five minutes alone with the guy...

  He stood and moved closer to the television as though it could somehow bring him closer to Leslie and studied her expression as the interviewer questioned her.

  “So, the Executive Protection Agency had no idea that one of their employees was the suspect?” the female reporter asked, turning the microphone toward Leslie.

  “No. Eoghan Hartright’s background checks came back clear of any indication that he could be a threat to any of the company’s clients.” Her voice was confident, clear and sure, and her demeanor was professional and calm, but he knew she had to be fighting turmoil within. The agency hadn’t taken her concerns seriously enough. They hadn’t listened to her and now she’d be the scapegoat. “The company’s emphasis on safety is the number one priority.” No doubt she’d been coached to make sure the agency’s reputation was protected and while he admired the hell out of her for her show of respect, this was bullshit.

  “Were you authorized or advised to take Ms. Hudson away from LA?” the reporter asked.

  Leslie hesitated. “No, that was my decision. It was impulsive and could have ended badly. I take full responsibility for my actions.”

  They were the right actions. From what he’d learned about the case from Selena and Leslie, she’d had no other choice. Her decision to leave LA had ultimately saved Selena’s life. And then Selena’s quick thinking had saved hers.

  What if something had happened to her? His blood chilled in his veins at the very thought. For so long, he’d kept his feelings to himself. Then that week everything had changed. He didn’t know what would happen next, but he knew he wasn’t ready to just let her go again. If this experience had taught him anything, it was that life was too short to have regrets or let doubt—or guilt—prevent him from living his life the way he most wanted to.

  With her in it.

  But how could he help her reach the same realization?

  Turning off the television, he left the station and climbed into his truck.

  Walking into Flippin’ Pages a few hours later, Levi’s heart was even heavier. His grandmother’s call saying she’d been able to restore the photo should have been good news, but the events of the last few days only made it harder.

  He’d been looking forward to surprising Leslie with the photo, but now she had so much else going on, so much to deal with... Would she even care?

  “Hey, Levi, how are you?” Ellie asked, touching his arm gently.

  Everyone in town knew by now about the situation and how he’d helped the women by letting them hide out at the station.

  “I’m okay... Just here to see Grandma,” he said.

  “She’s in her office,” Ellie said.

  He ran a hand over his face as he headed toward the back office.

  “You look horrible,” his grandmother said as he entered.

  “Thanks. It’s been a rough few days,” he said, accepting the cup of hot coffee she extended to him.

  “I heard about the kidnapping...” She shook her head. “So glad Leslie and that young starlet are okay,” she said.

  “Me too,” he said, emotion thick in his voice. He sipped his coffee—the fourth one that day—but the liquid held no taste and the caffeine seemed to have little effect.

  His grandmother eyed him. “You still didn’t tell that girl, did you?”

  His forehead wrinkled. “Tell her what?”

  “That you love her.”

  “You know that?” No sense denying it. His shocked expression must say it all anyway.

  “Always have. I may not have been one of those...helicopter parents, but I paid attention.”

  He nodded. He wished she had been more hands-on, but she’d been there when it mattered and he couldn’t fault her for focusing on her own life. She’d raised her kids and he’d been dumped on her.

  She sat across from him. “Look, Levi, you were a good kid and you were mature for your age. I never worried about you. You had a good head on your shoulders. And the Powells had kinda taken you under their wing...” She shrugged. “But I did pay attention to the important things and my heart has always hurt just a little, knowing you were keeping your love to yourself for her sake...for her happiness.”

  The heart-to-heart might be coming a little late, but he held no grudges. He sighed as he stared into the dark liquid, watching the swirls of steam escape the cup. “I did tell her. Probably wasn’t the best timing or situation. And I was starting to think she might have feelings for me too.”

  “That’s good. Progress,” his grandmother said, looking truly engaged.

  “Yeah, but now she’s gone again and things have always been complicated. Even more so now.”

  “Complicated, sure. But not impossible,” she said, handing him the restored photo. “Just like this picture.”

  * * *

  HAD THE LA sun always been this blinding?

  Despite her dark sunglasses, Leslie’s eyes hurt as she entered the Executive Protection Agency later that week. Exhausted from lack of sleep and worry, her body still aching from the attempted abduction, she longed to put off what was sure to be her firing, but she had to face the music today. Get this over with, then decide what was next for her.

  Entering her boss’s office, she slid her sunglasses to the top of her head.

  He winced, a note of sympathy in his expression seeing the black eye and bruised cheek she still sported. “That looks like it hurt.”

  “I’ve been through worse.” The emotional toil of the last few weeks had her hurting more than the physical damage she’d suffered on assignment.

  Levi’s confession of love replayed in her thoughts and in her dreams and her own conflicted heart was killing her. A month ago, she was successfully keeping her past in the past, along with her feelings. Now, everything had been dug up from where she’d kept it buried and she didn’t know where to begin to start healing. She never really had.

  “Have a seat,” Federico said, standing and closing his office door. Several other agents were standing in the hall, no doubt eager to listen. It didn’t matter, she didn’t care what they all thought. She’d be walking out for the last time in a few moments anyway.

  Federico returned to his chair and sat. He cleared his throat and got straight to it. “Leslie, you’ve been a great agent, and we were fortunate to have you on this assignment.” He folded his large wrinkled hands in front of him on his desk. “Your quick thinking and skills help
ed to save Ms. Hudson’s life.”

  But...

  “But your impulsiveness and unauthorized decision making is questionably what put her in more danger in the first place.”

  She wished she could argue that, but she couldn’t. She’d reacted on instinct that day instead of policy.

  “Fleeing the state and not advising anyone of your plans was rash and unfortunately, we aren’t able to overlook the...liability you are to this company.” Federico shook his graying head.

  She nodded. Liability. That stung more than she thought it would.

  “I’m afraid we have to let you go,” Federico said, looking genuinely saddened by the decision he felt forced to make. “Effective immediately.”

  “I understand, sir.” She stood. “I apologize for putting the agency under scrutiny and for not recognizing the danger that Eoghan proposed to my client sooner.”

  He nodded quickly at the mention of Eoghan, almost as though he’d hoped not to have to discuss the agency’s own lack of judgment in hiring the man. “Yes, well...”

  The office door flew open and Selena burst in.

  Federico stood. “Ms. Hudson, what are you doing here? I mean, nice to see you... Is everything okay with the new security detail?”

  The agency had convinced Selena’s management team to allow them to stay on and had replaced Leslie with another agent.

  “No, everything’s not okay,” Selena said, sliding her Tiffany sunglasses up over her dark hair. “I got up this morning expecting my peppermint herbal tea with my two scoops of Swerve and honey made the way I like it to be waiting for me after my workout and it wasn’t there.”

  Leslie hid a smile at the overdramatic outburst. This wasn’t the Selena she’d gotten to know but she was enjoying the theatrics.

  Federico looked confused. “Um...”

  “Do you know why it wasn’t there?” she asked, hands on her tiny hips.

  “No, Ms. Hud—”