Patricia Johns - Her Lawman Protector

A small, jagged part of her missed having a cop husband...missed the implied protection. But that was over now, and it was time to face life like everyone else did.

Liv brushed her hands down her hips, wiping the dust from her palms. Behind her, there was a tap on the window. Liv recognized the blue uniform but couldn’t make out a face. In her heart, whenever she saw that uniform, it was Evan’s smile that popped into her mind, and she was left feeling that mixture of heartbreak and anger all over again. Whatever. An officer had arrived. She wanted someone to look at the note and give her an honest answer—should she be worried or not? She crossed the store and unfastened the dead bolt on the front door. She pulled it open, and as the officer looked up, she stopped short.

She knew this cop—but not from Eagle’s Rest. This was one of Evan’s colleagues from Denver. She gave him a quizzical look.

“Hi, Liv.” He smiled hesitantly. He was tall and broad, solidly muscled, and “cop” seemed to ooze out of his pores. He had that professionally distant look about him, both comforting and disconcerting at once. But he had a gentleness around the edges, too. Jack always had been a good-looking guy.

“Jack Talbott?” she said. “What are you doing here?”

“I transferred. I’m now stationed in Eagle’s Rest.”

“Seriously?” That was weird—her hometown wasn’t exactly well-known. “And what did you do to deserve the demotion?”

Cops didn’t angle for small-town positions. They all wanted more action, like in Denver.

“It’s a faster climb to chief in a place this size,” he said with an impish smile. “I requested it.”

That might be true, but it was still a weird coincidence. He stepped past her over the threshold and ran a hand through his sandy blond hair. She was struck by the sheer size of him. How often did he pump weights to be that beefy?

“The place looks good,” Jack said. His brown gaze swept around the shop, landing once more on her.

She nodded, accepting his compliment. It did look good in here, and she was proud of it, but she had more pressing concerns right now. “Are you here for the note?”

“That was the idea,” Jack said. “This it?”

He reached for the paper on the countertop and pulled out an evidence bag.

“I’ve held it, touched it, smoothed it...” She winced. “I’m sorry. Of all people, I should know better than that.”

Jack put the paper into a bag anyway and regarded it for a moment.

“So who’s mad at you, Liv?”

“No idea.”

He looked over at her, and she could see that he didn’t quite believe her. That rankled.

“I don’t know,” she said more firmly. “I grew up here. I wasn’t anyone of consequence. I wasn’t beautiful or cruel. I didn’t even have a boyfriend until I left Eagle’s Rest for college. I have no idea who I managed to tick off.”

“Okay...” He nodded. “If you suspect anyone, you need to tell me, though.”

“Is this serious?” she asked.

“It’s...” He nodded again. “Yeah, it’s definitely concerning. When there are personal threats like this one and law enforcement doesn’t take it seriously enough, that’s when tragedy strikes.”

Liv’s heart sped up, and she crossed her arms over her chest as if that might protect her somehow.

“There were two others. But those were handwritten, and...” She sighed. “Looking back they were probably more useful to you. But I didn’t think they were serious.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t know. I thought they were kids being dumb, or a prank. The last thing I wanted to do was go to the cops and have some juvenile cousin laughing at me for being so jumpy. They just didn’t seem like an actual threat.”

“Until now.” He lifted up the note.

“Until now,” she agreed.

“Where are the other notes?” he asked.

“The garbage. I just...tossed them.” She sighed. “So who would do this? What do you think it is?”

“Do you suspect anyone is...abnormally interested in your life?” he asked, not quite answering her question but raising her anxiety yet another notch.

“No.” She sighed. “Would I know, though? I mean, if someone had issues...how obvious would it be?”

“What about Evan?”

Her heart constricted a little at her ex’s name, and she frowned, disliking the reminder. “Jack, Evan’s in Denver. He married Officer Hot Pants. You should know. You were at the wedding, weren’t you?”

Officer Hot Pants was actually Detective Serena Michaels, now Serena Kornekewsky. Evan and Serena had been partners, and the affair had been going on for some time before Liv had clued in... Serena was short, slim and as blond as a Swedish maiden—Liv’s polar opposite. That was insult to injury, especially after all the work Liv had put into slimming down.

“But does he hold any grudges?” Jack asked, those dark eyes still fixed on her with uncomfortable directness. “Divorces get ugly.”

“Marriages can get ugly, too,” she quipped. “And yes, we have some tensions, but this isn’t Evan’s style. And why should he care that I’m in Eagle’s Rest? That doesn’t make sense. His life went on.”

Jack nodded. “Okay. I’m just checking all avenues here. The thing is, Liv, these kinds of threats can be hoaxes, but most times someone won’t go to this much trouble unless they have some personal grievance. The more personal someone’s issue with you, the more dangerous it is. I’d feel better if I could keep an eye on you.”

Great. So she had some vengeful enemy that she didn’t even know about. Liv tried to calm her rising anxiety. But this was Eagle’s Rest. She knew this town like the back of her hand. She was surrounded by friends and family here...and Jack had picked Evan’s side in their divorce. While it might be understandable considering they were colleagues, it didn’t make him her favorite person right now.

“I don’t mean to be petty, Jack,” she said after a moment. “But I think I’d be more comfortable with another officer.”

“Look, I’m just going to say this. I’m a Denver cop. I’m the one with experience in the nastier side of things. The cops here—they just haven’t seen what I have.”

“You’re connected to my ex-husband, and I’m trying to make a fresh start here.”

“I worked with him,” Jack said. “That’s all.”

“You were at his second wedding,” she replied blandly.

Jack shrugged, then met her gaze. “It’s up to you, Liv. But I’m the one with the experience, and they’re short-staffed right now. Just ask the police chief. That’s why he requested I take this one.”

“And you think the local cops can’t protect me?” she asked. “Eagle’s Rest might be small, but—”

“I think they might be blinded to their own neighbors,” Jack interrupted. “And while they are fine officers, I’m a cynical guy, and that’s what you need right now. Whoever wrote this meant business—I’m willing to bet on it.”

She needed him—that’s what he was telling her. But she’d never known Jack terribly well, and something wasn’t sitting right with her about this whole situation.

“How come you’re acting like this is personal for you?” she asked after a moment.

“Because it is,” he replied. “You’re one of my own—you were part of the Denver family.”

“So what are you saying?” she asked. “Cards on the table. Should I worry?”

“Nah.” Jack shot her a grin, the smile softening his chiseled features. “Not while I’m around. You’ll be fine.”

She felt a smile tickle the corners of her own lips. If he was so dead set on standing guard, she’d be stupid to turn him down. Even if these notes turned out to be an elaborate prank, she’d at least rest easier until that was confirmed.