The Protector's Promise (The Sinclair Brothers) Read online

  “It’ll have to wait. I need to get home to the girls.”

  “I’ll call Candace and tell her what happened.”

  “No!” Honor lowered her voice. “She’ll panic.”

  “Then I’ll just tell her you got held up. You can explain things when you get home.”

  “Explain? I don’t even understand what happened.”

  “I’ll go see if Jake has any information.” He started to rise, but Honor grabbed his hand, holding him in place.

  “Don’t go. I need to thank you before I forget.”

  “Thank me for what?”

  “For slaying the dragon.” She smiled, her pale face beautiful in the moonlight.

  “I didn’t slay him. I wanted to, though.”

  “You did slay him, and I can’t wait to tell Lily what I learned tonight.”

  “What’s that?”

  “That you really are a prince.” She laid a palm against his cheek, urging him closer and placing a kiss on his lips.

  Grayson laughed, relief and happiness stripping away anger and fear. Hope replacing anxiety. He didn’t know what the next few hours would bring, had no idea what would happen over the course of Jake’s investigation, but he knew Honor was going to be okay.

  That was enough for now.

  TWENTY-TWO

  Honor stared at her reflection in the bathroom mirror and grimaced, wishing she hadn’t agreed to go out. She had looked bad enough after a few sleepless nights. Add fifteen stitches and a bruised cheekbone and her face was shudder-worthy.

  Someone knocked at the front door, and Honor froze, her heart pounding with anticipation and dread. She’d been imagining this moment all day. Now that it was here, she wasn’t sure she was ready for it.

  Lily’s squeals of excitement told Honor that Candace had opened the door and let their visitor in.

  “Is Honor ready?” Grayson’s voice carried down the hall, and Honor glanced at her reflection one last time.

  Was she ready?

  “I’ll be right there.” She dusted powder over her bruised cheek, pulled hair over the stitches and prayed Grayson wouldn’t take one look at her and change his mind about their date.

  Honor’s first in over eight years.

  Just the thought made her stomach churn.

  “Honor, come on. Mr. Sinclair is waiting.” Candace appeared at the bathroom door looking as nervous as Honor felt. “You look beautiful, so stop staring at yourself and go.”

  “Maybe I should cancel.”

  “Are you nuts? That man is the best thing that has happened in your life since I moved in with you.”

  Her words made Honor laugh, and she winced as her cheek throbbed in response.

  Two days after Chad had attacked her, and she was just be ginning to heal. She could only hope Candace’s emotional wounds were doing the same.

  She studied her sister-in-law’s face, trying to find some clue as to how the teenager was doing. But Candace looked the same as always—sweet and just a little closed off, her expression impossible to read. “Are you sure you don’t mind me going out tonight?”

  “Are you kidding? I’ve been praying you’d hook up with Grayson since the first time I saw him.”

  “You have not.”

  “I have, too. Now come on. Before he decides you’re taking too long and leaves.”

  “Candace…” She wasn’t sure what she wanted to say, but only knew it was there, just below the surface, waiting to be revealed.

  “Honor.” Candace used the same inflection Honor had, her eyes sparkling with humor and hiding whatever grief she might be feeling. Then she sobered, putting her hand on Honor’s arm. “You don’t have to worry about me, you know.”

  “Of course, I do. I love you.”

  “And I love you, too.” It was the first time she’d ever said the words, and Honor’s eyes burned with tears she didn’t dare shed. “But love doesn’t mean worry. It means prayer. And with your prayers over me, I’ll be just fine.”

  “What your father did was awful, but it had nothing to do with you. You know that, right?”

  “It had plenty to do with me. He wanted control of the trust funds Mom had left to me and Lily. He was willing to kill you to make sure he got it.” Candace’s jaw tightened, but she didn’t walk away as she had every other time Honor had broached the subject.

  “Which had nothing to do with you.”

  “Honor, a man whose DNA I share waited until Mom was getting ready to take her last breath and then hired a doped-up druggie to kill you in St. Louis. When that failed, he decided to ‘stalk’ and kill you, figuring the police would never suspect him of the crime. If he had succeeded, he would have effectively gotten rid of the trustee to Mom’s estate which was the only thing that stood between him and two million dollars.”

  “He didn’t succeed, though.”

  “Not for lack of trying. And the way he just blabbed it all out hoping for a plea bargain? What a coward.” Candace stepped back, her expression closed off again. “You really need to get moving. Lily is probably making Mr. Sinclair crazy. Ever since you told her he really was a dragon slayer and said you’d seen him slay a dragon, she won’t stop pestering him to tell the story.”

  “Grayson will be okay for another minute.”

  “Honor, please, just go.” The tears in Candace’s eyes were unmistakable, and Honor wanted desperately to pull her into a hug.

  She knew she’d be rebuffed, so she patted her shoulder instead. “I really don’t want to leave you, Candace.”

  “And I already told you that you don’t need to worry. Go have dinner and enjoy being with a handsome man.”

  “I—”

  “Honor, is everything okay?” Grayson stood in the hallway, his hair brushed back from his forehead, his gaze touching on her bruised cheek, then resting on her lips before he met her eyes. Her heart jumped in acknowledgment, all the anxiety she’d been feeling melting away.

  “Everything is fine. I’m just not sure I should leave Candace…and Lily home tonight.”

  “Then we’ll order pizza or Chinese and eat it here.” He brushed strands of hair from her cheek, his fingers lingering, his touch heating her skin.

  “No, you won’t!” Candace protested loudly, but Grayson just smiled in her direction.

  “Sorry, kid. You’re outvoted.”

  “This is ridiculous. I’m not a baby, you know. I don’t need a sitter.” Candace huffed the words and stomped away, her disgust obvious.

  “Do you think she’ll get over it?” Grayson tugged Honor a few steps down the hall, stopping before they got to the living room and wrapping his arms around her waist, his scent and his warmth as familiar as an old friend.

  “Get over us not going out for dinner? Yes. Get over what her father did? I don’t know.” Honor sighed and snuggled close to his chest.

  “It must be tough for her, knowing that her father is a murderer.”

  “Chad didn’t actually kill anyone.” And Honor liked to tell herself he wouldn’t have. That either she would have escaped, or he would have changed his mind. She knew the truth, though. Chad would have done anything to gain control of what he thought was rightfully his—the money his wife had inherited from her parents and had kept out of his hands for their entire marriage. It was the one thing he had never been able to take from her. The one thing he’d been determined to get.

  No matter the cost.

  As soon as he’d realized that Melanie would not be leaving him anything in her will, he’d begun plotting. When hospice had been called in to care for his ailing wife, he’d set his plan in motion, hiring a druggie to kill Honor. Jake and Grayson both suspected that he planned to kill the man after the fact.

  Honor preferred not to speculate on any of her father-in-law’s plans.

  When his attempt to have Honor murdered had failed, Chad had decided to take matters into his own hands. Stalking Honor became a game that he learned to play well. His phone calls were forwarded from his house in Fl
orida to his cell phone, and neither Jake nor Honor had realized he was in Lakeview until it was almost too late. If he hadn’t slipped and mentioned Jay’s infidelity they might never have made the connection to him. Whether or not Jake’s phone call had forced Chad’s hand and made him act earlier than he’d planned, was something Chad refused to discuss.

  He’d certainly been willing to discuss just about everything else. Like Candace had said, he’d spilled everything, hoping for leniency that Grayson was determined to see he never got.

  And rightfully so.

  Just thinking about the terrifying ride up into the mountains made Honor shiver.

  “Hey, are you okay?” Grayson cupped her face, his hands anchoring her to the present, his eyes beckoning her into the future. And she knew she would risk her heart to go there with him.

  “With you here, how could I not be?”

  He smiled, pressing a kiss to her lips, the touch so gentle a tear slipped down her cheek.

  “Don’t cry.” His rough palm smoothed away the moisture.

  “How can I not when I’m so happy?”

  He kissed her again, stealing her breath and filling her heart so that there was no room for regrets or sorrow.

  “Mommy? Is this the part in the story when the prince gets to kiss the princess and they live happily ever after?” Lily’s voice cut into the moment, and Grayson pulled away, smiling down into Honor’s eyes, offering her everything she’d ever wanted.

  “Yes, Lily Mae. It most definitely is.” And she pulled Grayson’s head down for another kiss, sealing the moment and their future together.

  Dear Reader,

  Honor Malone’s character was inspired by my grandmother, a widow who raised five children alone. Nana poured her heart, soul and passion into her kids. Perhaps that was why she never remarried. Like my grandmother, Honor is a strong, determined mother who has no intention of marrying again after her first husband dies. Despite her deep faith in God, she doesn’t want to acknowledge that Grayson Sinclair might be part of His perfect plan for her life. I hope you enjoy reading Honor and Grayson’s story, and I pray that wherever you are heading, God will be the compass that guides you on your journey.

  If you have time, drop me a line at: [email protected] or by mail at P.O. Box 592, Gambrills, MD 21054.

  All His best,

  QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

  Why is Honor so determined to remain single?

  In what way did Honor’s marriage to Jay change her perspective on life?

  How did that change affect her relationship with her daughter, her sister-in-law and even with God?

  How would you describe Honor’s relationship with God?

  Honor is a strong woman who doesn’t want to need anyone. What is it about Grayson that makes her want to rely on him?

  Grayson has spent years pursuing his career. What things has he put on hold in order to be successful?

  Grayson has been a Christian for many years, but his relationship with God has waned. Have there been times in your life when you’ve felt distant from God? What things in your life draw you away from a close relationship with Him?

  What steps does Grayson take to reclaim his relationship with God?

  Grayson has put aside the thought of marriage and family, but meeting Honor makes him wonder if both might once again be possible. How does his renewed relationship with God strengthen his resolve to pursue a relationship with Honor?

  Trust is an underlying theme in Honor and Grayson’s story. Why is it so hard for Honor to trust Grayson?

  Honor’s relationship with Grayson isn’t the only thing that changes during the course of the story. How does Honor’s faith grow during her troubles?

  Honor has difficulty believing that Grayson is part of God’s plan for her life. Have you ever struggled to understand the truth of God’s plan? How were you able to finally understand what He wanted for your life?

  ISBN: 978-1-4268-2468-5

  THE PROTECTOR’S PROMISE

  Copyright © 2008 by Shirlee McCoy

  All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the editorial office, Steeple Hill Books, 233 Broadway, New York, NY 10279 U.S.A.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  This edition published by arrangement with Steeple Hill Books.

  ® and TM are trademarks of Steeple Hill Books, used under license. Trademarks indicated with ® are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the Canadian Trade Marks Office and in other countries.

  www.SteepleHill.com

  *The Sinclair Brothers

  *The Sinclair Brothers