Colton's Secret Bodyguard

She sank down onto the tiled floor, clutching the little dog to her as the tears came thick and fast.

It took a long time, but when she was all cried out, she got to her feet. Going to the bathroom, she grimaced at the pitiful reflection in the mirror. After splashing water on her face, brushing her teeth and tidying her hair, she started to feel more human.

She returned to the living area where Jekyll had resumed his staring competition with the rug.

“Come on.” Bree picked up his leash. “I’ll introduce you to your grandma Audrey.”

* * *

While he tended to the animals, Rylan mentally called himself every foul name he could think of. The dogs sensed his mood and either fussed around him or kept their distance. Only Papadum seemed to understand. Leaning against his legs, the big dog forced him into a moment of stillness.

Rylan sat on an upturned barrel and rested his hand on Papadum’s head. “You’ll miss her too, won’t you, big guy?”

Bree loved his animals as much as he did. They would all feel her loss.

Despite his efforts to remain clear-headed, Rylan’s mind swam with half-formed regrets. He thought of his frame of mind as he’d started his run earlier in the day. Now, even the colors of spring were drab, the birdsong shrill, grating his nerves. His mood was his personal rain cloud, pouring sorrow onto the perfect vista.

“I suppose you think I’m an idiot.” Papadum nudged his hand. “Okay. I am an idiot. But how could I tell her I love her? Think about it from her perspective. When we first got together, I was pretending to be someone else. She forgave me.” He managed a ragged laugh. “Although I didn’t deserve it, she gave me a second chance. But how do I explain to the most wonderful, perfect woman in the world that I’m still pretending to be someone else?”

Papadum grunted and placed a heavy paw on his knee. “That’s where we’re different,” Rylan said. “You’d just slobber all over her face, then eat her soap.”

By evening, the silence in the house was unbearable. How had he ever thought this was peaceful? He even missed Jekyll. Wandering aimlessly from room to room, he told himself he would avoid going into Bree’s bedroom. Who was he kidding? That’s exactly where he’d been going all along.

Although she’d removed all her belongings, a trace of her floral perfume lingered in the air. Rylan closed the door and leaned on it, breathing in the delicious scent. It was sweet torture. For a second, he panicked. What would happen when it faded?

His eye was drawn to the bed. Bree had pulled the bed covers neatly into place, but there was an object on the pillows. If she’d left something behind, he would have to contact her...

Ruthlessly, Rylan quelled the burst of optimism. His heart couldn’t stand that sort of stop-start elation. If Bree had forgotten something, he would give it to Trey to pass on to her.

As he stepped closer, he saw it was a sketch. A smile dawned when he realized it was a picture of him. He had no idea when she’d drawn it, and it was hardly flattering, but she’d captured him perfectly as he slept. Half squished into the pillow, his face had a softness that was lacking when he was awake. He appeared younger, more carefree...more sensitive.

He realized he was looking at himself as Bree saw him. He’d never fooled her. She’d seen through the tough guy image to the person beneath. The picture revealed the truth. With the strokes of her pencil, she had shown him her heart.

Instead of her usual B signature, she’d written luv, bree in loopy childish letters. He knew how difficult she found writing, and that simple gesture touched him almost as much as the picture itself.

He’d never moved so fast. Dashing through the house, he grabbed up his jacket and keys, sending a text message to Dinah as he ran. The journey to Roaring Springs seemed to take twice as long as usual. In his head, he’d rehearsed the conversation where he told Bree he was a wimp. Now, he had to start a new one. It began with the words I’m an idiot...

When he reached the Diamond, Wise Gal was already closed. Darkness was falling and the Diamond was coming alive. As Rylan raced toward the steps to Bree’s apartment, he caught a glimpse of her heading toward the restaurants and bars. She was wearing a long orange jacket and carrying Jekyll.