Susan Mallery - The Bodyguard & Ms Jones

Mike grimaced. “That’s one of the reasons I never married. In my line of work, it’s a mistake.”

“You never wanted a home life? Something stable, something of your own?”

“Nope.” His brown eyes held hers. “Not my style.”

In her heart, she knew exactly what Mike’s style would be. He had the looks to turn any woman’s head. He would seduce her easily, then move on. He seemed nice enough to issue a warning first, but women too often believed they could change a man, maybe even make him want to stay. Cindy knew better.

“My stepfather was just like my dad,” she said. “I guess my mom was attracted to the type.”

“Where did that leave you?”

“Alone.”

“Is that why you’re a teacher with two-point-four children?”

“I guess so. I wanted them to have what I never had. A stable home life. Two parents who really cared about them. I was determined to marry someone sensible. Unfortunately, I picked Nelson.” She moved closer to him and reached for the tray.

“Better luck next time,” he said.

“Right.” Next time she was going to do the leaving so it wouldn’t hurt so much. “You’re looking pretty tired. Why don’t you try and get some rest?”

Mike shook his head. “I was going to tell you I’m fine, but I can’t keep my eyes open. I appreciate this, Cindy. I’ll get out of here tomorrow.”

“Don’t be foolish.” She started walking toward the door. “According to your doctor, you’re going to be here for at least another week. You haven’t been any trouble. Besides, it’s summer vacation. Having you around keeps the kids from being bored.”

She turned back to him. Mike was sprawled out on the pillow, already asleep. A short lock of hair fell over his forehead. His tanned torso contrasted with her pale sheets. The bed and linens had been purchased since the divorce, so Mike was the first male to sleep there.

“Ah, Cindy, you live a wild life,” she told herself as she walked into the kitchen. “What would the neighbors think if they knew you had a nearly naked man in your bedroom in the middle of the day?”

The way her luck with men ran, Mike was about as good as it was going to get. She was fooling herself when she said she planned to be the one leaving next time. There wasn’t going to be a next time. It was so much easier not to get involved at all.

Chapter Three

Cindy looked up when she heard the knock on her back door. Beth waved and turned the knob.

“I came by to say hi,” Beth said.

“Sure you did.” Cindy added the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and stirred. “You wouldn’t be the least bit interested in how Mike is getting along.”

Beth stuck her finger in the bowl and scooped out a taste. She licked off the batter. “You make the best peanut butter cookies on the block. You must be adding something I don’t know about. And you have to admit, life is certainly more interesting since your young man came to stay with you.”

“He’s not a young man, he’s close to forty. He’s also not mine. And to answer the question I see burning in your eyes, yes, last time I checked he was asleep.”

Beth grinned. “Oh, goody!” She slipped off her sandals and walked quietly across the floor. “Yesterday he had his sheet all bunched up around his waist. Do you think it’s still like that?”

Cindy rolled her eyes. “Beth, he’s been up and sort of staggering around since then. I doubt he’s in exactly the same pose. While we’re on the subject, I’m sure he wouldn’t appreciate knowing you come to look at him like he’s some animal on exhibit at the zoo.”

“Don’t be a stick-in-the-mud. How often does a handsome man just fall into our lives? We must take advantage of the situation. Strike while the iron’s hot. Seize the day. Begin as—”

“How many more clichés?”

Beth grinned again. “You don’t appreciate me, Cindy. And you should. I’m not just a good friend, I’m highly entertaining.” She tossed her head, sending her spiked bangs dancing across her forehead, then turned and headed for the bedroom.

It was several minutes before she returned. Cindy had already filled two cookie sheets and stuck them in the oven. She was filling a third when she heard an exaggerated sigh.

“He’s incredibly gorgeous.”

She glanced up and saw Beth leaning against the doorway to the dining room. She had a hand pressed against her chest. “I swear I got palpitations just looking at him. Feel.”

“Thank you, I’d rather not.”

Beth walked over to the kitchen table and pulled out a chair. “My Lord, how do you stand it? He’s just lying there, naked.”

“He’s not naked.”

Eyebrows nearly as red as her hair raised slightly. “How would you know?”

“I put out clean underwear every morning, and it disappears.”

“How disappointing.” Beth leaned back in the chair and sighed once more. “Still, it’s just you and him alone. Night after night.”

“The kids are here,” she reminded her friend. “You’re trying to make this into something it’s not. Mike is Grace’s brother. I’m doing this for her, not him. As for him being attractive...” Beth looked at her. Cindy held up her hands in a gesture of surrender. “Okay, I’ll admit he’s pretty good-looking.”

“Good-looking? The man could jump-start a person in a coma.”

“Beth!”

“Well, he could! I just wish he’d wake up so I could see his eyes. What color are they?”

“Brown.”

“Oh.”

Cindy looked up from the cookie batter. “You sound disappointed.”

“I was hoping for something more exciting. Gray maybe, or a nice—” She broke off and frowned. “You know, there aren’t many colors for eyes to be, are there? Okay, brown.”

The timer on the oven beeped. Beth stood up. Like Cindy, she was dressed in shorts and a T-shirt. The Houston summer heat required a minimum of clothing, even in the air-conditioned house.

Beth grabbed the pot holders resting on the counter and took the baked cookies out of the oven. She set them on the cooling racks on the edge of the island, then grabbed the filled pans Cindy had prepared.

Cindy smiled. This was one of the things she liked about where she lived. Being friends with her neighbors and sharing time with them. She, Beth and Grace had canned fruit together, baked pies and even prepared holiday dinners. They ran back and forth when ingredients were low, the days too long or something bad happened in their lives. Both women had been there for her when Nelson had walked out. She would never forget that.

Beth closed the oven, then tossed the pot holders on the counter next to the cooling cookie sheets. She grabbed a spatula, slipped a cookie off and picked it up. “Hot!” she said, bouncing it from hand to hand and blowing. When it was cool enough, she took a bite. Her eyes closed and she smiled. “Perfect.” She offered half to Cindy.

Cindy tasted the cookie and had to admit, she had a way with peanut butter. She took the glass of water Beth had filled and sipped. “I miss Grace,” she said.

“Tell me about it. I miss her, and I miss my kids.” Beth returned to the kitchen table and sat down. “I know, I know. I’m the one who couldn’t wait for them to leave. They annoy the hell out of me. I mean, they’re practically teenagers. That’s their job. When they said they wanted to go to camp I was thrilled. But it’s only been a few days and the house is so quiet and boring.”

Cindy smiled. “I thought you and Darren were going to plan things for the two of you to do.”

“We are. It’s kind of fun, actually. But I still miss the kids. I guess this is what the empty nest is like. I’ll end up like those old women who keep their children’s rooms as shrines. Everything in its place.”