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

  Green eyes. Much brighter than he’d remembered. Flecked with blue and gold. Rimmed with black lashes that were striking against Honor’s creamy skin. For a moment, Grayson felt caught in her gaze, pulled deep into a world he’d stayed away from for months. When he looked in Honor’s eyes, he forgot why.

  “I’m so sorry, Grayson. I hope Lily wasn’t bothering you.” Honor’s voice shook slightly as she spoke and her arms were tight around her daughter as if she planned to hold the little girl close forever, keeping her safe from the ugliness that existed in the world.

  If only life were that simple.

  If only a person really could keep a loved one safe by sheer force of will. “She wasn’t.”

  “I’m not sure I believe you. Lily has a one-track mind about certain things. Though I have to say, she’s never pulled a stunt like this before.” She paused, looking her daughter in the eyes. “And she never will again. Will you, Lily Mae?”

  “I just wanted to see if he had a horse, Mommy. A white one. Like you said. Remember?”

  Honor’s brow furrowed and she frowned. “I remember. Just as I’m sure you remember our rules about going outside without permission. Don’t you?”

  “Yes.” Lily lisped the response, her face a mirror of Honor’s. Both were pink-cheeked with freckles dotting their noses. Lily’s hair was a few shades lighter than her mother’s, her eyes blue rather than green, but she possessed the same heart-shaped face and high cheekbones. And the same indefinable quality that would make people want to take a second look.

  They made a pretty picture as they frowned into each other’s eyes, barely aware of Grayson. If he’d had a camera with him, Grayson would have snapped a picture. It was the kind of moment he’d thought he’d see a lot of as he watched his wife and children blossom in the large house his exfiancée, Maria, had insisted on…before she’d informed him that kids weren’t in her plans for at least another five years.

  He frowned, wondering why he was thinking about something he’d decided months ago to put out of his mind.

  “If you knew the rules, then why did you break them? You could have been hurt, or gotten lost. Anything could have happened. We’ve talked about this before. You know how important it is never to go out alone.” Honor’s words broke into his thoughts, and he was glad for the distraction.

  “I’m sorry, Mommy. I just needed to know.” There were tears in Lily’s eyes, and Grayson felt his heart melting.

  “What did you need to know?”

  “If he was a prince. A real one with a white horse. Because if he is, he can slay the dragon. And then everything will be okay.”

  “Sweetheart, we’ve been over this a hundred times before. There are no princes in Lakeview. And there are no dragons, either.” Honor spoke with weary resignation, and Grayson wondered how many times and in how many ways she’d said the same thing.

  “But, Mommy—”

  “Lily, enough! Just for a while, let’s stop talking about it.” Honor brushed a hand over Lily’s cheek, shivering a little as she set her daughter on the ground. The nurse’s scrubs she wore were short sleeved and her feet were bare. She must have run from the house without thinking of anything but finding Lily. That kind of desperation, that kind of fear was something Grayson understood only too well. When he’d received the call about Jude, he’d left the house unlocked, left the lights blazing, left cases that were going to trial. He’d driven to New York with nothing but his wallet and the clothes he was wearing. And he’d stayed there until his brother was on his way to recovery.

  “Here.” He shrugged out of his jacket and dropped it around Honor’s shoulders. For a moment she met his eyes again, the worry and fear in her gaze making him want to tell her that everything would be okay. That her imaginative little girl would stay safe. That the world would be as kind to Lily as it should be.

  Then she looked away, the contact between them gone, the moment spent. “Thank you, but now you’ll be cold.”

  “I’m wearing a sweater. I’ll be warm enough.”

  “My mother would call you a true gentleman.”

  “Yeah? And what would you call me?”

  She eyed him carefully, her gaze touching hair he knew needed a trim, the beard that he hadn’t taken time to shave, the thick sweater his sister Piper had bought at a county craft fair a few months ago and given to him because, she’d said, it matched his eyes. “Trouble.”

  Her answer surprised him, and Grayson laughed. The first honest-to-goodness laugh he’d had in weeks. Maybe longer. “I guess you get points for honesty.”

  “And I guess you get points for not denying the truth.” Honor took her daughter’s hand. “We’ve got to get back home, Lily Mae, or Candace will have the police out here looking for you.”

  “But, what about the dragon? We need to find a prince to slay him before he gets us.”

  “There is no dragon, so there’s no way he could get us.”

  Really, Grayson should stay out of it. Go back inside the house, close the door and let Honor and her daughter work things out without an audience. Unfortunately, staying out of things wasn’t something Grayson had ever been good at. “Listen, Lily, I don’t have a white horse. I don’t have a horse at all, but if a dragon does show up, I’ll do my best to slay it. I promise.”

  Honor stiffened, shooting Grayson a censorious look. “Promises are a dime a dozen, Grayson. As easily broken as they are made. Besides, there are no dragons. And if there were, I would figure out a way to slay them myself.” Obviously, he’d touched on a sore point, but Grayson didn’t plan to apologize.

  “I’m sure you would, but a little help wouldn’t be amiss in a situation like that.”

  “Besides, Mommy, the princess never slays the dragon. Only a prince can do that.” Lily had broken away from her mother and was spinning around in circles, her tutu as bright as the flowers that had bloomed last spring.

  “Who says princesses never slay dragons?” Honor continued walking across the yard, Grayson’s coat falling past her thighs. She looked smaller than he’d remembered. More delicate.

  “All the books, Mommy. Every single one.”

  “And we know how true those books are, don’t we?” There was amusement in her words and in the fond gaze she settled on her daughter.

  “They are true. They really are.”

  “Oh, Lily, what am I going to do with you?” Honor spoke so quietly, Grayson almost didn’t hear.

  “You’re going to keep doing what you’ve been doing—loving her unconditionally.” He bent close to whisper the words in Honor’s ear and caught the heady aroma of summer sunshine and wild flowers.

  “You’re right. That’s exactly what I’ll do. That, and worry every day that her dreams will take her away from me.” She smiled, but the sadness behind her eyes was unmistakable. “For now, I’m just enjoying her. She’s such a funny little girl.”

  “And a special one.”

  “That, too.” Honor called to Lily and pushed through the heavy shrubs.

  Grayson knew he should probably stay on his side of the barrier, but knowing that didn’t stop him.

  He followed the two Malones through the shrubs and into Honor’s backyard, pausing as the two went up the back steps, not sure how he’d even ended up there. Honor was pretty. Intelligent. Compassionate. He’d known other women like her. What was it about Honor that made him want to know more? That made him want to talk to her about everything and about nothing?

  She turned before she opened the door, the morning sunlight reflected in her blue-black hair and shimmering in her forest-green eyes. The sight made the breath catch in Grayson’s throat, made his heart leap in acknowledgment of her simple beauty.

  “I’m putting on a pot of coffee if you’d like a cup.”

  Being pulled into Honor and Lily’s lives probably wasn’t the best idea. Then again, sharing a pot of coffee with a neighbor seemed a lot more appealing than reading the deposition he’d left sitting on the table in the solarium. An
d, quite honestly, he wasn’t ready to say goodbye yet. “That would be great. Thanks.”

  “Come in then, but just remember, I’ve been working long shifts. The house is still a bit cluttered.”

  “Why would I notice clutter when I have two beautiful ladies nearby?”

  Lily must have been listening, because she giggled.

  Honor, on the other hand, didn’t look amused. “There you go again with your flattery.”

  “Is it flattery when it’s the truth?”

  “Grayson Sinclair, you are more trouble than I have time to deal with.” Honor shook her head and pushed open the back door, ushering Lily into the house. “Come in anyway. We’ll discuss what flattery is after I start a pot of coffee. And Lily, we’ll discuss the consequences of your behavior after Mr. Sinclair leaves. Off to your room, now.”

  “But, Mommy—”

  “Lily Mae, is that you I hear?” Candace’s voice rang out from the kitchen, cutting off whatever argument Lily might have made. Too bad. The kid was a good negotiator. A lawyer in the making. And Grayson enjoyed seeing her in action.

  “Yes.”

  “Where have you been? Do you realize how worried I’ve been? I was just getting ready to call the police.”

  “I’m sorry, Aunt Candy.”

  “Sorry? Sorry doesn’t help. You should never have disobeyed me. Do you realize…” Candace’s voice trailed off as she stepped into the mudroom and saw Grayson. “Oh, sorry. I didn’t realize we had company.”

  “Mr. Sinclair is here for a cup of coffee. It’s a thank-you for keeping Lily safe until I found her.”

  Honor seemed to want to qualify the invitation. Grayson told himself that that was fine with him. Whatever it was about her that attracted him, he didn’t have time to act on it. He had work to catch up on, a brother to worry about. He didn’t need to add more complications to his already complicated life.

  Whether or not he wanted to, that was a different story altogether.

  “You were in the neighbor’s yard? Lily, how could you?” Candace brushed thick blond bangs from her eyes and sighed, taking the little girl’s hand and leading her from the room. Lily sent a beseeching look in Grayson’s direction, and he did his best not to smile at the dramatics. Honor had quite a kid.

  “She’s quite a drama queen, my daughter.” Honor spoke as she started the coffee maker, her voice lilting and exotic.

  Maybe it was the accent Grayson found so appealing.

  Or maybe it was simply the woman herself. “She’s definitely got an acting career ahead of her if she wants one.”

  “Funny you should say that. Her father always dreamed of being a film star.” Honor smiled, but it didn’t hide the sadness in her eyes.

  “And did you always dream about being a nurse?”

  “I always dreamed about being married and having kids.”

  “Then I guess you achieved your dream.”

  “I guess. Sometimes, though, the reality of a dream isn’t nearly as beautiful as the dream itself.” She poured coffee and offered him a cup, her expression filled with a yearning that made Grayson’s chest tighten.

  “You didn’t have a happy marriage.”

  “Everyone’s definition of happy is different, Grayson. I was content enough. How about you? Did you always want to be a prosecutor?”

  “For as long as I can remember.”

  “Then you’ve achieved your dream, as well.”

  “Yes, but it’s like you said. Sometimes the reality doesn’t quite live up to the dream.”

  “You’re not happy?”

  “I’m happy.” But he wasn’t content. And until this minute, standing in Honor’s warm kitchen, sipping coffee and listening to the lyrical sound of her voice, he hadn’t realized it.

  “Then you’ve got nothing to complain about.” She reached into the cupboard and pulled out the box of cookies she’d offered the previous day. “Biscuit?”

  “Thanks.” He took one, watching Honor’s face as she bit into one of the rich shortbread rounds. “I’ll have to remember how much you love these cookies if I ever visit Ireland.”

  “No worries. Mum keeps me well stocked.”

  “Yes, but I’d still want to bring back a gift for a friend.”

  “Is that what we’re going to be, Grayson?”

  “Maybe.”

  “Unless my daughter comes in your yard and bothers you again?” She grinned, all the sadness and longing that had been so clear in her face gone.

  “Actually, I was thinking we would become friends unless we became something more than that.” The words slipped out, surprising him.

  Honor froze at his words, her expression closing off, her bright gaze dimming. “I’m afraid that is an impossibility.”

  “I don’t believe in impossibilities.” He set his cup in the sink, took another cookie from the box. Honor might think that a relationship between them was out the question, but he didn’t have to agree.

  “And I don’t believe in more than friendship.”

  “Then for now, I guess friendship will be enough.”

  “For now?” The wariness in her eyes was unmistakable, and Grayson wondered what her marriage had been like. Obviously much more disappointing than she’d let on.

  “You never know what time will do. It can fade memories and it can change minds. I’ve got to run. I’m meeting contractors in Lynchburg. We’ve got to have my parents’ rental property ready when my brother is finally released from the hospital.”

  He purposely shifted the conversation, and Honor seemed relieved. Her shoulders relaxed as she walked him to the back door. “Let me know if I can help your brother in any way.”

  “I will.”

  “Thanks again for looking after Lily when she wandered away. Goodbye, Grayson.” The way she said it, Grayson was certain she’d meant it to sound permanent.

  Too bad.

  Because suddenly Grayson’s decision to avoid relationships seemed premature. Suddenly the idea of getting to know a woman, of courting her, of inviting her into his life seemed much more appealing than it had a few hours ago.

  FIVE

  Obviously, Honor was even more tired than she’d thought. Why else would she have invited Grayson Sinclair in for coffee? There were unpacked boxes awaiting her attention, dishes piled up in the sink and a load of laundry in a basket on the coffee table waiting to be folded. She had more than enough to do without adding entertaining a neighbor.

  And not just any neighbor.

  Grayson Sinclair.

  Handsome, charming, Grayson Sinclair.

  She shook her head and drained the last dregs of coffee from her cup, hoping the caffeine would work its way into her system and clear her thinking. The shock of being woken up from a sound sleep and told that her daughter was missing must have scrambled her brains and affected her judgment.

  Grayson wasn’t all that handsome or charming.

  Okay. He was. But that didn’t mean Honor found him attractive. She’d learned her lesson about men like that when she’d married Jay. They could be loved, but they couldn’t be counted on and they couldn’t be trusted. She’d do well to keep that in mind.

  Honor sighed, rinsing her cup, and then walked down the hall. She needed to put Grayson out of her mind and deal with her daughter. She had to make it very clear that there would be no more wandering outside without supervision.

  A quick, hard rap on the front door made Honor jump. She turned toward the sound, her heart racing in her chest. The neighbors had stopped by on moving day, but since then there had been no unexpected visitors. Unless she counted Grayson.

  She frowned.

  There he was again.

  Right in the center of her thoughts.

  The visitor knocked again, the sound echoing through the cozy living room. Honor knew she shouldn’t feel alarmed. There was nothing frightening about someone knocking on the door during daylight hours, but adrenaline coursed through her as she approached the door, telling her she should
run and hide rather than see who it was. “Who is it?”

  “Flower delivery for Honor Malone.” The speaker was female, and Honor relaxed.

  Surprised, she peered out the peephole in the door to see a bouquet of blood-red roses.

  “Who are they from?”

  “I don’t know. There’s a card though. Want me to open it?”

  “No. That’s okay. Thanks.” She pulled the door open and accepted the flowers from a fresh-faced blonde who looked to be about Candace’s age.

  “They’re beautiful.”

  “Yeah, they are. Enjoy them. Have a good day.” Before Honor could ask any more questions, the young lady hurried back to the driveway, climbed into a bright pink delivery van with the name “Blooming Baskets” emblazoned on the side and drove away.

  Honor carried the roses into the house, touching a smooth petal as she set the vase on the coffee table in the living room. Someone had sent her roses.

  How long had it been since that had last happened?

  Five years ago. She could remember it as vividly as if it were yesterday. Jay had been deployed to Iraq the previous month and Honor had realized she was pregnant soon after. She’d called him with the news and a day later he’d managed to have four dozen roses delivered to the apartment. One dozen for each member of their family. Four dozen more than they could afford on his soldier salary.

  Honor blinked away the memory, reaching for the note attached to the vase.

  I’ve missed you.

  Three words that meant absolutely nothing to Honor. She turned the card over, searching for a name, but there wasn’t one. No signature. Nothing indicating who had sent the flowers.

  Curious and slightly uneasy, Honor grabbed the phone and called information, then dialed the number of the florist. The owner tried to be helpful, but the information she had was vague. A dark-haired man wearing a suit had ordered the flowers. He’d paid cash and hadn’t given a name.

  Honor found the news oddly disturbing.

  She touched a petal again, frowning as she stared down at the flowers.

  I’ve missed you?