Jennifer Morey - Executive Protection

Lucy didn’t respond. What could she say? If she agreed to do that, she’d agree to spending time with Thad on romantic terms. Kate may claim to not coerce her, but she definitely supported something along those lines.

Chapter 3

Lucy arrived home from her parents’ house. Her mom had made her favorite brisket recipe, and her dad had rented a funny movie. Her older brother had been there with his wife and young boy. They were expecting another baby. He was a lawyer and practiced in Raleigh. He’d stayed close to family the way Lucy wanted to. Family nights were the best. She felt rejuvenated. Happy. Content.

What made the night awkward was how many times Cam had text messaged her. Everyone had noticed. She’d tried to keep up with answering them and then finally gave up. Cam wouldn’t quit. He knew she was with her parents and he kept interrupting her.

Removing her shoes, she checked her phone. There were six more messages, each one a desperate attempt to get her attention. The last one said, Why are you ignoring me?

“That’s it,” she said aloud. Not only would she not reply to any of his messages, she would never see him again. Thank God she never gave him her address.

Maniac.

Her cell rang. Seeing it was Cam, she subdued a rush of alarm and quieted the ringing. Going to her front window, she peered outside into the darkness. No cars were parked on the street and nothing seemed amiss. She went through her 1930s era two-story Victorian house and made sure all the windows and doors were locked. Then she went up to bed. Her phone rang again fifteen minutes later.

Another text message chimed five minutes after that. When he called yet again another fifteen minutes later, she gave up trying to fall asleep and grabbed up her phone, mad as hell.

She answered. “Why do you keep calling me?”

“Lucy,” he answered, sounding relieved. “I got worried when you didn’t answer.”

Worried? What was he? A freak? “Look, Cam. I think you’re a nice guy and all, but I don’t want to see you anymore.”

“What?”

“I told you I was going to my parents’ tonight.”

“I know.”

“You kept text messaging me and calling. You’ve texted and called me about thirty times tonight.”

“Not thirty.” He snorted a laugh.

“I don’t want to see you again. Please stop calling and texting.”

He was silent for several seconds. “Are you serious?”

“Yes.” God. Just get lost, she thought. She normally wasn’t a mean person but he was about to turn her into one if he didn’t listen.

“I don’t understand. I thought we hit it off great.”

“We barely know each other.”

“Then why not give it a chance? Aren’t you being a little rash?”

Lucy sighed. “I’m not interested anymore. I’m sorry.”

“Why not?”

“I need to be able to live my own life without being interrupted every fifteen minutes. I can’t watch my phone and constantly text you. I have a life I’m living here.”

“I won’t text you, then. Come on. Don’t give up yet. Let’s get to know each other. I’m sorry I texted you so much tonight. I’m just...I don’t know...excited to have met you. I didn’t mean to freak you out.” He laughed at himself. “I can see why you don’t want to see me anymore. I’m sorry. Really.”

She hesitated. “All right. It’s late. I need to get some sleep.”

“So, you aren’t breaking up with me?”

“Breaking up with you? We aren’t in a relationship yet.”

He was silent on the other end.

“Look, why don’t you let me call you next time, okay? I’m going to be busy over the next few days.” Then she’d call him and tell him she didn’t want to see him. For now, she just wanted him to leave her alone.

Several seconds passed before he said sadly, “All right. I understand.”

“Thank you.”

“Bye for now.”

She disconnected, not liking the way he said “bye for now.”

* * *

Thad thumbed through a magazine, sitting in a chair waiting for the doctor to come and tell them when his mother could go home. His mother stirred, waking from sleep.

“Ah.” He put the magazine back on the table.

“You’re still here.” She blinked past her drug-induced grogginess, growing more and more alert. Not even drugs could douse the fire in his mother. No wonder she was such a good politician. She kept going and going.

“We need to make arrangements for when you come home,” he said.

“That’s easy. Hire Lucy.”

When she tried to sit up on her own and grunted in pain, he went to her. Stacking her pillows, he helped her sit up and lean against them.

“Lucy has a job.” And he didn’t need her that close to him while he searched for his mother’s shooter. “I’ll call a home care company.”

“I want Lucy.” His mother moved toward the side table where a container of water sat.

Thad reached over and put it in her hand. She held it by the handle and sipped through the plastic straw.

“Why do you want Lucy?”

“Offer her the job, Thad.”

His mother could be stubborn, and he could see she was going to be regarding this. “Me?”

“Yes, you. Please, do this for me.”

“Why Lucy?” he repeated.

“You yourself mentioned how good you thought she is. I agree. There is no better nurse for me. Offer her the job.”

“What about after you’re better? You won’t need a home care nurse after you heal. She’s not going to give up her permanent job just because you want her for a month or two.”

“Offer her twice what she makes here. And talk to her boss and see that he gives her a leave of absence so she can have her job back when I’m no longer in need of her. If she wants it.”

What was his mother up to? “What do you mean, ‘if she wants it’? Why wouldn’t she?” At Duke University Hospital. She had a great job there.

“Who wants what?” Another female voice joined in.

Thad inwardly cringed as he recognized Lucy’s voice. Facing her, he took in her trim shape in the white uniform and her long, auburn hair up in a ponytail. And those green eyes. He could stare at them for an hour.

“Just the person we need to talk to,” his mother said. Her energy was returning with each passing day.

“Mother...”

“This is my decision, Thadius H. Winston.” She leaned to put the water container on the table.

Thad took it from her and did it for her. If he didn’t suspect she was playing matchmaker, he wouldn’t care who she chose for a home care nurse. But Lucy...?

“What’s going on?” Lucy went about her usual routine in the room.

“My mother is going to need a home care nurse and she’s decided that should be you,” Thad said. If he didn’t say it, his mother would. She was in one of her I-will-have-my-way modes.

Lucy stopped what she was doing over by the IV lines and shot a look at him, and then Kate. “What?”

“I’ll make all the necessary arrangements.” Thad explained the terms on salary and that he’d make arrangements with her boss. “All you have to do is move in with my mother until she can take care of herself.”

“Is that all?”

Hearing a note of sarcasm, he pressed ahead regardless. “Yes. I’ll take care of everything.”

“You’ll take care of everything.” More of that sarcasm came into her tone.

“You won’t have to do a thing. Other than...take care of my mother.” He studied her eyes, those green windows that revealed nothing but patient contemplation, yet he sensed there was more burning behind them.

She folded her arms. “Last I recall, this was my life and I made all the decisions regarding it.”

She was offended. He hadn’t meant to offend her. Why was she so hard for him to predict? With most women he saw what was coming ahead of time. With Lucy, he never knew what he’d get.