Colton's Secret Bodyguard

He knelt next to Papadum. To Bree’s surprise, he sniffed the dog’s breath. “Do you by any chance use lemon-scented soap in your kitchen?”

“Um...yes.”

Rylan pried Papadum’s jaws open and gently shook the dog’s head. A bar of soap fell out of his mouth and onto the rug. “Yeah. That was one of the things I meant to warn you about. Papadum eats a lot of things he shouldn’t. Soap, socks, coins, nails, rocks... His best so far was my phone charger. Nature takes its course with most things, but he needed surgery to remove that.”

“You loaned me a broken dog?” Bree huffed.

His face was inches from hers, his blue eyes alight with laughter. “Sorry about that.”

“Anything else I should know?” She edged a little closer.

“When you ask him if he’s been fed, he may not always give you an honest answer.”

His arms closed around her and his lips met hers. The kiss was exactly what Bree needed. She felt safe, warm and protected. Giving a little murmur of appreciation, she pressed tight against him. The embrace didn’t last long. Papadum raised a paw and struck Rylan on the shoulder. The move almost sent him sprawling face first to the floor.

“I think that means he needs more water.” He grinned. “Although I have no sympathy for him.”

Papadum rubbed his face affectionately along Rylan’s arm, leaving a trail of lemon-scented foam.

Bree laughed. “Go see to your dog. I’m late for a meeting.”

He got to his feet, holding out a hand to help her up. His gaze scanned her face. “Has something happened? Other than my crazy pet eating your soap?”

“Later. I’ll tell you all of it then.” Just being near him had given her new strength.

He took her face in his hands and pressed a kiss on her forehead. “Okay.” Stooping, he ushered Papadum toward the door.

She drew in a breath. “Rylan?” He turned to look at her, and her nerve almost faltered. “You don’t have to sleep in your car tonight.”

The change in his expression almost sent her running back into his arms. Somehow, she managed to get her trembling limbs under control and make her way out into the gallery for her meeting.

* * *

“No one is ever going to believe I didn’t train you to do this.” Kasey had provided Rylan with a roll of paper towel, which he used to dry Papadum’s dreadlocks. “Although I think you could have found a smarter way of getting her attention than eating her soap.” The dog held up a heavy hairy paw. “Shaking hands? Yeah, that could have worked, but it’s hard to see how it would have needed my intervention. Maybe you should have tried the non-stop sneezing thing you did that time when you caught a fly.”

Once Papadum was restored to normality, Rylan decided to return him to Bree. The dog’s purpose was to guard her after all. He couldn’t do that if they were in different rooms.

The gallery was a vast open space. Having studied a floor plan of the building, Rylan knew there was ten thousand square feet of floor space. With its high ceilings and white walls, the former warehouse provided a unique opportunity to display large sculptures and paintings, as well as smaller pieces. Bree had made it bright, open and fun, with a strong sense of diversity.

Her own paintings were glorious. Celebrating people, African American women in particular, she had a knack for capturing the perfect moment. Characterized by bold angular shapes and brilliant colors, her pictures evoked feelings of heart and home. Little girls playing, women gossiping, family gatherings—all were treated with Bree’s own unique empathy and quirky humor. Her signature was a simple letter B.

Rylan found her in an area that had been completely cleared, ready for the Spirit show. She was so deep in conversation with a dark-haired man about her own age that she didn’t notice Rylan as he approached. They were standing side by side with their heads bent over a large sheet of paper. The guy’s stance caught Rylan’s attention. He was just a little too close to Bree, a little too attentive.

He tried to dismiss his unease, telling himself he was letting his feelings for Bree get the better of him. When Papadum saw Bree and gave a delighted bark, interrupting their conversation, Rylan had a chance to review his first impression. Instead of changing his mind, however, his opinion was reinforced.