Yuletide Protector (Love Inspired Suspense) Read online

  “I just want to check around the house.”

  She hiccupped a sob. “I don’t want to be alone.”

  “Go to the truck, Daria. I just need to check around the back and see if whoever did this is still here.”

  “Please don’t go,” she whispered.

  “You’ll be okay. Just get into my truck and lock the door.”

  Although she hesitated, Daria nodded.

  She ran down the stairs toward the street. Once she was out of view, Kevin moved in the opposite direction toward the backyard and into the shadows.

  The door to Kevin’s truck was unlocked and Daria climbed in quickly, shutting and locking the door behind her. But for some reason, she couldn’t sit still. She felt too vulnerable, too exposed, and she really didn’t want to sit out in the dark all alone. She needed comfort. She needed to feel safe and that could only happen after she went inside her home and locked all her doors.

  Slipping back out of the SUV she walked to the front porch. In contrast to the back of the house, the front porch was well lit enough for her to see what she was doing and see anyone around her. She’d have to fight with the front lock again, but she wouldn’t have to deal with being alone in the dark until Kevin came back.

  She struggled with her shaking hands to get the key in the lock, then fought to get it to turn. Tears sprang to her eyes, her shoulders sagging. She’d just replaced the lock last week! Obviously she’d done something wrong or the lock would work right. What would she do if she couldn’t get it open, if she was stuck out here on the porch, completely unprotected?

  Sniffing, she jiggled the key up and down as she turned the doorknob. Relief washed over her when it finally turned and the door opened.

  Once inside, Daria threw on the light switches by the door, illuminating the antique hanging lamp that lit up her stairway and the hall leading to the living room and kitchen. Without pulling off her coat, she moved down the hallway and switched on all the rest of the lights in the house until every room was lit up like a Christmas tree.

  Her insides trembled. Instinctively she hugged her coat tightly around her. But even as she did, Daria knew that wouldn’t make a difference. The cold wind that swept through her had nothing to do with the temperature in the house.

  The front door swung open, creaking on its hinges, and she leaped.

  “Someone was out there, but he’s long gone now,” Kevin said, to her utter relief. “I thought I told you to stay in my truck. I got worried when I didn’t see you in there.”

  “I didn’t want to be alone outside.”

  “You should have let me check the house first,” Kevin said gently. “Whoever left the bird could have gotten inside.”

  Daria’s eyes widened as her jaw dropped. “Are you purposely trying to scare me?”

  “No. Just trying to be cautious.”

  “Did you actually see anyone in my backyard?”

  “I heard something, but I didn’t see anyone. But usually when someone is bold enough to pull a prank like hanging a dead bird on someone’s door, they wait around for the reaction.”

  She laughed without humor. “Well, if someone was watching, they got a good reaction out of me.”

  His shoulders sagged. “This whole thing reeks of a prank from street kids.”

  “You sound like you’re disappointed.”

  “Suspicious. I’m not crazy about the idea of it being common knowledge that you use the back door, in the dark, but that just makes it all the more likely it’s someone from the neighborhood. George was planning to hire a hit man to take you out—he’d have no reason to do surveillance on you himself. Besides, from the amount of complaints I found that were filed from this neighborhood, these kids have been causing trouble for a while. This could be one more prank.”

  Daria straightened her posture. “Say it. You don’t believe it was them.”

  Kevin glanced around the room, his face still wearing the scowl she knew he’d had earlier. “I don’t know. I prefer the street-kids explanation, but I don’t want to overlook anything that might lead back to George. Why would your ex leave a bird on your door? And on a day he also sends you flowers?”

  “The note on the card that came with the flowers said ‘You’ll always be my pretty little bird’ with an emphasis on the word my. George always called me his pretty little bird. Now there’s a dead bird on my door.” She shook her head. “This is crazy. George would never touch a dead bird. He’s obsessed with germs. He even donates blood and stores it just in case he needs it for an operation, because he’s afraid of getting someone else’s tainted blood.”

  It felt good to talk. Not about George but just to fill the quiet with noise. Kevin seemed oblivious to her need for chatter as he moved around the rooms, searching downstairs. He then stopped in the hallway and dialed a number on his cell phone.

  He was being professional and she appreciated that. Kevin was, after all, a police officer. He wasn’t there to make her feel better. Her knee-jerk reaction to run into his arms earlier had been an emotional response.

  “Where’s Carlisle?” he growled into his phone. Kevin listened for a few minutes, then talked a little more to whomever it was he’d called. Daria wasn’t listening. She was glancing around the rooms at all that she’d created, and all she’d envisioned this house could be.

  She’d never imagined someone would breach the safety of her home and she hoped there was no evidence that anyone had gotten inside. Anger surged through her, replacing the heart-pounding fear.

  After stalking to the front door, Daria tried the knob. It turned easily enough from the inside. She turned the dead bolt with added pressure. It squeaked, but slipped into place. Perhaps all it would take would be a few drops of oil to remedy the problem. She could fix that. Daria could fix lots of things.

  “Ski’s had your ex under his nose for the past hour. Whoever was out there, it wasn’t him. That should make you rest easier tonight,” he said as he folded his cell phone and slipped it back into his pocket. There was a deep crease in his brow.

  “What kind of kids do something like this?”

  “I know you’re upset, and rightly so, but sticking a crow on the door was probably some kind dare for some junior-high-school kid out to have a little fun. Scaring up trouble by scaring you was probably all they were after.”

  That should have put her at ease, but it didn’t. She closed her eyes, turning away from Kevin. She wanted to believe it was a street thug trying to spook her. But it seemed rather brazen to think they’d leave her a dead animal like that. But regardless of who was responsible, her response would be the same—nothing. There wasn’t anything she could do.

  “What is it?” Kevin asked, his brows furrowing with suspicion.

  She’d never felt stuck before, but like it or not, she was stuck here now. The feeling wasn’t very appealing, but it was reality.

  “Nothing,” she said, rubbing her hands over her face. “It’s just been a long day and I didn’t get a lot of sleep last night.”

  “You and me both. Ski’s coming over with a crew to dust the back porch. Maybe we’ll get lucky and find some fingerprints. If this joker’s been brought in before, he’ll have a file that will help us ID him.”

  “Whoever did this wasn’t a boy,” she said, not wanting to admit it. “Boys don’t terrorize people that way.”

  He smiled crookedly. Small as it was, it did wonders to put her at ease. She liked it when he smiled. His voice was low and quiet when he spoke. “Daria, I was a boy once. Sometimes the highlight of my day was getting my sister, Judy, and her friends to scream by playing some prank.”

  “You?”

  Kevin laughed then and for the first time that evening, she felt herself coming back. It was going to be okay.

  “Much as I’d love to blame this on your ex as a way to nail him, I can’t. He wasn’t anywhere near your house today and it doesn’t seem likely he’d have been able to convince some kids to do the deed without Ski having seen him t
alk to them. The clowns who did this are probably down at the park having a good laugh about the whole thing.”

  “At my expense,” she said, chuckling nervously. “Is that what you used to do?”

  He shrugged. “I was no angel.”

  Sighing, she said, “This has just shaken me a bit. I’ve always suspected that some of the kids who used to party here might not have heard the house was sold, and that they might come back for some mischief.”

  “It’s very obvious the house isn’t abandoned anymore.”

  She glanced at him, saw the dark shadow that seemed to cross his face and knew he wasn’t going to let the subject go.

  “It couldn’t have been George. But I can’t help thinking about the flowers and the note. The flowers George sent me were birds-of-paradise.”

  His expression was blank. “And?”

  She walked to the counter and leaned against it. She needed the distance, if only for the few extra feet it afforded.

  “George proposed to me at a place called the Paradise Inn. At one time, it used to be our restaurant. We would go there for special occasions. They had these silk flowers on every table.”

  “Where are you going with this?”

  “They were birds-of-paradise. Just like the ones I got today. Today would have been our anniversary.” She cleared her throat and looked down at her cruddy linoleum floor.

  Kevin nodded. “That would explain why he chose those flowers then. But sending them on your anniversary…I don’t understand that.”

  “If he was still carrying some kind of torch for me, I could see it,” Daria said. “But when I filed for divorce, he made it very clear that everything would be over between us if I walked out that door. He said he couldn’t forgive my ‘betrayal.’”

  “Do you think that’s what this is about?”

  She snapped her gaze to him as she nervously kicked a worn patch of linoleum on the floor. “How do you mean?”

  Kevin took a small step toward her. “Maybe he’s planned this as revenge?”

  She frowned. “I thought he’d already gotten his revenge with the divorce settlement. I was left with next to nothing—I figured that would satisfy him. But when I saw the flowers today, I started to wonder. If this is his way of showing he can still get to me, in spite of you—if this is his way of scaring me, then it’s working.”

  She stared at the spot on the floor she’d been worrying. The pressure of tears behind her eyes made them ache. She didn’t want to spend her days picking at the significance of every moment she’d spent with George to see if he had always been this cold, this frightening. When had the man she loved turned into this monster? Was he truly capable of hiring her murderer? Could she really have been that blind?

  Daria folded her arms across her chest, breathing deeply while she felt her pulse easing and her heartbeat growing steady.

  She waved off the thoughts flooding her mind.

  “I thought I was beyond my marriage. Starting over. But I’ve been doubting a lot of things lately. All I know is that the problems with neighborhood kids causing trouble around here didn’t start when I moved in. It’s been going on for years. But I’ve never heard of something like this happening before.”

  “Even if this wasn’t your ex-husband’s doing, you’re still not safe here.” Kevin lifted an eyebrow, emotions she couldn’t quite decipher racing across his face. “Have you thought any more about leaving?”

  “Did you hear anything I said outside? I don’t have the money to just pick up and leave. All my money is tied up in this place.”

  Shame enveloped her for the predicament she’d put herself in. She should have kept a reserve of money aside the way she had when she’d been saving for the house. That money was long gone now. If she’d had even a portion of it, she could use it to get by at least until her vacation pay kicked in. Admitting how dire her financial situation was to Kevin only made her feel worse.

  “I spent all of last night trying to figure out a way to go away even for a little while. But I can’t keep up the house payment and upkeep here and afford to stay at a motel somewhere else. As it is, my paycheck barely covers my personal expenses, and what little is left over goes to building supplies.”

  “Can’t you ask your parents for a loan?”

  Daria laughed softly. “My parents live a very modest lifestyle. Right now they’re not even in the country. Where they’re staying they don’t even have a phone.”

  “I see.”

  “No,” she said, “I don’t think you really do. But it doesn’t matter. I’m going to go into my bedroom, find a nice comfortable pair of sweats and then go take a long, hot bubble bath in my big claw-foot tub. It’s been a long day. I think I’m due.”

  Kevin’s crystal eyes stared back at her with sympathy and it shamed her. Did he believe her to be as much a failure as she felt right then? She was an accountant. She knew better than to leave herself exposed without any money in reserve for emergencies.

  Daria dragged her gaze from him. She wanted to know what he was thinking as his eyes grazed the windowpane, but she was afraid to ask. Was he angry with her for the position he seemed to be in, feeling as if his life was on hold because she refused to leave?

  But instead of scolding her or making judgments, he said, “You may be more comfortable holding off on that bath until the boys have had a chance to dust the porch.”

  She held his gaze for as long as she could stand it. In the end, she wasn’t as strong as Kevin. Daria finally nodded and walked to the bedroom.

  Kevin was still watching her as she closed her bedroom door. Such fortitude, such strength, she thought. As irritating as this situation was, his steadfastness was something she admired about Kevin. It was a quality she’d hoped to find in a life partner some day in the future. If she’d met Kevin under other circumstances, she’d be thinking of the possibility that this man could be something more than her protector. He could be part of her future.

  It looked as if George had destroyed her chance at that, as well.

  SIX

  The “boys” had come and gone. Kevin had left the house along with them. Scrubbed clean from her bath, Daria paced the bedroom in her slippers, sleep eluding her again. It was hard enough to handle the idea that someone had come to her house with the express purpose of trying to scare her. But knowing that Kevin felt the need to stay outside her door to protect her from that danger was unsettling.

  The wind rattled through the rafters of her old house, finding the drafts and holes she’d put on her list to fix eventually. In a few short months spring would tease the air again and she’d be able to get to her to-do list. But right now the temperature outside was freezing, and the wind howled like a lone wolf in the distance. The cold wind, along with the quiet creak of the floorboards beneath her feet, only made her more restless.

  After slipping into an old, comfortable terry-cloth robe, Daria pulled open the lid of the trunk at the foot of her bed and grabbed the extra blanket she kept stashed there, before heading to the kitchen. She poured the mixture of hot chocolate she’d prepared into a thermos and screwed on the lid, sealing it tight and capping it off with a cup.

  There was nothing like a delicious cup of hot chocolate to keep a cold and sleep-deprived person warm. Kevin would probably collapse in the middle of roll call if he had to endure one more sleepless night. But at least he wouldn’t be as cold tonight with some hot liquid warming his insides. It was the least she could do, since she knew that with Kevin sitting in front of the house the likelihood of someone coming back tonight was nil.

  Besides, Daria couldn’t stomach looking at her finances again. Her head ached from running numbers and coming up short every time. A walk in the fresh air would do her some good. Maybe even help settle her nerves so she could sleep.

  It was nearly 1:00 a.m. and the temperature had dropped well below freezing. The nightly weather report warned of an added drop of ten degrees due to windchill. Snow was coming, even if it hadn’t start
ed yet.

  After she gave Kevin the blanket and hot chocolate, she’d climb into bed and try to get some rest. If sleep didn’t come soon she’d be barely coherent in the morning. Marla would throw a million and one questions filled with innuendo her way and Daria wasn’t quite prepared to deal with that another day. She’d had her fill today every time Marla had come into her office and glanced at those stupid flowers.

  Her assistant had always liked George, a fact that had been evident when George had visited the office before Daria had filed for divorce. Daria had always known George’s flash and position were things he prided himself on, as well as assets that drew women to him.

  Being an outgoing woman, Marla had her pick of male suitors. But it was more than just envy over the flowers this morning that had Marla gazing longingly into Daria’s office. Daria had always suspected that all it would take would be a tiny nudge, and Marla would make a move on George.

  The sour feeling that churned in her stomach wasn’t jealousy, but deep concern. While they were not close, Marla had been a good friend at work while Daria had gone through her emotional and legal trials. If George was capable of hiring someone to murder her, then no woman was safe with him. It would be easy for Marla to get caught up in a web from which she couldn’t untangle herself.

  Grabbing her jacket, Daria decided she wouldn’t think about it now. Marla was a big girl and Daria neither had nor wanted control of the men her assistant chose to date. Daria had her own life and problems to deal with. Including the man camped out in front of her house.

  Throwing open the front door, she stepped outside into the bitter cold, clutching the blanket in her arms as she moved down the stairs. The icy breeze shocked her skin and bit through the threads of her jacket. The trees lining the street creaked in protest against the wind and cold. A lone dog barked on the next block, and Daria practically jumped out of her skin.

  Quickening her step, Daria hurried down the driveway to where Kevin was parked at the curb, expecting to find him sitting fitfully asleep in the front of his truck.