Patricia Johns - Safe In The Lawman's Arms

“I think I understand,” she said with a nod.

A smile twitched at the corners of his lips. “Thanks.”

“But I stand by what I said—she needs to know that she matters and that when she does move on, she’ll be missed. That shows her that she has value. It might not be easy on you, but it’s better for her in the long run.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” His tone turned gruff, and he cleared his throat. His walls had just gone back up again.

She could see a flicker of the real man underneath the tough shell, and he had a softer heart than he liked to let on.

“Thanks for the pizza,” she said, licking her fingertips. “That hit the spot.”

He grabbed the plates and proceeded to clean up around her. “Look, I, uh—” He glanced toward her, then turned back to the counter. “I don’t normally chatter like that.”

“Like what?” she asked curiously.

“Oh, family history, that kind of thing.” He turned to face her, and for the first time she saw uncertainty swimming in those dark eyes. He obviously wasn’t comfortable with vulnerability.

“It helps to understand the situation,” she assured him. “And you can trust me to be discreet.”

“Thanks.”

Malory looked toward the window, where the sun was lowering temptingly in the sky. The breeze would be cool by now, and she longed for some time to herself.

“I thought I’d go for a walk,” she said.

He nodded. “You can walk east, if you want to, but don’t head west. There are some dogs that are pretty protective of their property out that direction.”

His eyes met hers, warm and gentle, and her heart gave a lurch. If the situation were different, he’d be very easy to fall for.

She smiled. “Thanks for the warning.”

Mike was afraid to get attached to Katy, and she could understand that. She didn’t really want to take a walk so much as she wanted to get out of the house. Her handsome boss was just a little too attractive, a little too intriguing... She had to say goodbye in a few months, too, and while she knew she’d miss little Katy, she had no intention of making that harder than it needed to be by getting too close to Mike, too.

If nothing else, Malory was a consummate professional.

Chapter Three

The next morning, Mike stood in the kitchen, listening to the soft peals of laughter filtering through the ceiling above. Malory was getting Katy dressed, and he had to admit that there was something very sweet about the sound of a woman’s voice in the house.

“One...two...up we go!” Katy’s laughter followed.

Mike took another sip of aromatic black coffee and leaned with his backside against the counter. Tonight he’d work a late shift, so this morning was free. There’d been a time—about a week ago, to be exact—when that had meant sleeping in, watching a movie or working out at the gym. Now those things seemed out of place, somehow. Malory’s words from the evening before were still echoing through his mind. He had a responsibility to Katy, whether he thought he was good for the girl or not. He might be trying to keep an emotional distance, but Katy needed more from him. He wasn’t even sure he knew how to give it, but maybe he could put in some effort here.

The clatter of footsteps echoed down the staircase, and a moment later, a beaming little face appeared around the corner, blond curls in pigtails and a little pink dress ruffling out around her thin legs.

“Good morning, Katy,” Mike said.

“Hi.” She stared up at him, big blue eyes fixed on his face. “Do you have food?”

“Uh—” He looked over at the kitchen table, where a breakfast spread awaited. “Yes.”

Katy scampered over to a kitchen chair and climbed up, grabbing for the nearest box of cereal and shaking it exuberantly. Malory calmly rescued the box before it exploded, slipping it from her charge’s small fingers.

“Not like that,” Malory said. “I’ll pour you a bowl, okay? Sit down.”

Malory shot Mike a smile as she prepared Katy’s bowl of cornflakes. “How did you sleep?”

“Fine.” He cleared his throat, suddenly uncomfortable with this domestic scene in the middle of his house. “And you?”

“Like a baby.” She chuckled as she stretched forward to reach the pitcher.

“So I was thinking about what you said last night,” Mike said.

Katy wasn’t paying attention, her attention on the food in front of her. Malory glanced up, brown eyes meeting his.

“I thought I might take the two of you out for ice cream this afternoon.”

“Great idea,” Malory agreed. She tucked her sandy-blond hair behind one ear, exposing the creamy length of her neck. “What do you think of that, Katy? Should we go out for ice cream today?”

Katy nodded and picked up a spoon in one fist as Malory set the bowl in front of her. She dug in immediately, milk dribbling down her chin. Her excitement at the prospect of breakfast saddened him. Well-fed kids tended to be pickier eaters than Katy was, and he couldn’t help but wonder how many mornings she’d had the option of breakfast in her young life.

“How are you settling in?” Mike asked as Malory sat down opposite Katy and reached for her own cereal.

“This is a beautiful home. I’m very comfortable.” She poured a full bowl and added milk. “It can’t be easy to share your space, though.”

“Oh, I survive.” A smile played on his lips. Truth be told, he was having trouble thinking about anything more than the pretty nanny in his house. He could smell the sweet scent of her shampoo in the hallway that led away from the main bathroom. The sound of her cheerful tones filtered through the house in daylight, and all last night, he’d found himself uncomfortably aware that she slept down the hall.

“I took a shower late last night,” Malory said. “I was worried it might wake you. Maybe we could decide on a lights-out time so that you aren’t disturbed.”

Mike shook his head. “No, don’t worry about that. You’re no bother.”

Frankly, it wasn’t her problem if he couldn’t get his mind off her. She was just doing her job, and he’d have to practice a little more mental self-control. She was the kind of woman who would draw his eye in a social setting with her down-home good looks. If he saw her standing by the buns at a barbecue, her hair tucked behind her ear like that, he’d find his way over and introduce himself. But this was different—this was a professional line.

“I’ve noticed that you don’t have any photos around your home,” Malory said, her brown eyes meeting his. “Why is that?”

“I’ve mentioned the Cruise clan, haven’t I?” He gave her a wry smile.

“But what about your mom?” she asked. “Don’t you have pictures of her?”

He sighed. Having a woman living in his home seemed like a great idea when he needed round-the-clock child care for Katy, but right about now it made privacy a whole lot harder. “I said that my mom died, right?”

She nodded, chewing her cereal thoughtfully.

“I’m pretty sure she did, at least. I just don’t know when. She ran off and left us when I was young. I don’t have many memories of her, but all of them involved yelling and anger.”

“Oh...” Malory winced. “I’m really sorry.”

“It’s okay. I’ve made my peace with it.”

“Haven’t you searched for her?”

“I have, but I couldn’t find anything. My dad told me she died, so maybe he was right. He had a pretty flexible relationship with the truth, so I didn’t know.” He stopped when he saw the sadness swimming through Malory’s eyes. “Sorry. This is why I don’t talk about these things.”

“Don’t you have anyone you trust?” she asked quietly.

“I trust the sheriff’s department. I trust the officers I work with day in and day out. I trust myself.”