Alarms sounded in Billy’s head. There was some tricky history between the sisters—Sorrow had been more hurt than he’d realized, harboring it more deeply than he’d guessed.
He made a snap decision to broach a topic that maybe wasn’t ready for broaching. “Well,” he said gently, “if she decides to take off again, I think we might have some other help for you. ”
“What do you mean?” Sorrow gave a rueful laugh. “First the Laura hard sell. You’re not going to foist Ruby and Pearl on me, are you?”
“Better than that. Bear’s hiring you an assistant. At least I think he will. ” He waited, excited and anxious to see her response.
But she looked at him as though he’d just spoken in Greek. “Assistant? What kind of assistant?”
“The helpful kind,” he said. “The kind who’ll make the beds, and answer the phones, and do the grocery runs. ”
“An assistant,” she said in a dreamy voice. “How fancy. I’ll believe it when I see it. ”
“Well, you’ll need one. Because I’m taking you to Silver City. ”
“Cool. ” She paused. “Why?”
“Remember my chef buddy?”
It took her a second to follow him. “You mean the freezer guy?”
“That’s the one. He’s arranged for you to shadow him for a night at his restaurant. ”
“Get out! I’ll get to work under him like a sous-chef?”
“Something like that, yeah. ” He stole a glance at her. The way her sweater clung to her curves gave him a good idea of what—and whom—he’d like to get under.
“Wow,” she marveled. “Working with a real chef. How can I ever thank you?”
He practically skidded into his driveway. “I’ve got some ideas. ”
Thirty-four
“Can’t sleep?” Billy asked, his voice low in the dark. He pulled her closer to cradle her body more snugly to his, and she felt him begin to rouse at her back. “I could try to take your mind off things. ”
She chuckled and rolled around to face him. “If you take my mind off of it any more tonight, I’m afraid I might have trouble walking tomorrow. ”
“Then stay in bed all day. My bed. I can protect and serve, and all that. ” He tugged her closer to prove his point, but reading the anxiety on her face, his tone turned somber. “You know you’re safe here. ”
“I know it. But…” Sorrow tried to relax—Billy was being so charming and sexy—but her mind was going a million miles an hour. Someone had been inside her house, probably even while she’d been at home. The idea chilled her. It was too much like something out of a horror movie. “It’s just…someone broke into our garage. While we were home. It feels so creepy. So personal. ”
“This has been personal all along. But I will protect you. We will find the bastard. ”
A sharp blade of moonlight shone through the slats in his blinds, illuminating him. She drew strength from those strong features—even in the shadows, she could see his resolve. She had every faith in him.
She couldn’t help but think about her father and mother still at home. It seemed like one day her father had been the strong daddy swinging her up on his shoulders, and then the next she was fretting over his ability to walk up and down the stairs unassisted. And now he was acting so stubborn, refusing to accept these were more than simple accidents. What would happen if someone broke in again? What if next time whoever was after them did something worse than just snip some wires? “I’m worried about them. ”
“Your folks?” Of course he’d known exactly whom she meant, and at her nod, he told her firmly, “They’ll be fine. Eddie said he’d crash in one of your spare rooms. Those Jessup boys are tough—he can handle whatever comes up. ” But then he laughed low. “The question is, will Eddie survive your sister? There are sparks between those two. ”
She felt a smile flicker on her face. “Laura totally denies it. ”
“What’s the line…the lady protests too much?”
“Something like that, y
eah. ”
They both grew quiet, and when he spoke again, his tone was grave. “I hate to say it, but without you there, I don’t think anything else will happen tonight. ”