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

She didn’t know anyone in Lakeview well enough to be missed by them, and she couldn’t believe someone from St. Louis had come all the way to Lakeview to send her a bouquet. If someone in the city had missed her enough to come to town, surely he would have stopped in to visit before going home.

  “Oh, flowers!” Candace walked into the room, her eyes bright with excitement as she caught sight of the roses. “They’re gorgeous.”

  “They are, aren’t they?”

  “So why do you sound less than happy about getting them?” As usual, Candace picked up on Honor’s worry.

  “I’m just not sure who sent them.”

  “Is there a card?”

  “Yes, but no name.” As she spoke, she slid the card into her pocket. There was no sense in sharing her worry with Candace.

  “If you really want to know who sent them—”

  “I already called the florist. They weren’t able to tell me who the flowers are from.”

  “Of course you called the florist.” Candace smiled and shook her head, her sleek ponytail sliding over her shoulder.

  “What is that supposed to mean?”

  “It means, you don’t have an impractical bone in your body. Everything has got to be planned out and scheduled and perfectly in line. Unless it is, you just can’t enjoy yourself.”

  “And is it so wrong to want things to go smoothly?” Stung by her sister-in-law’s assessment, Honor turned and grabbed a box from the floor, pulling out a few framed photographs that were wrapped in brown paper and setting them on the end table.

  “No, but sometimes it’s okay to not have all the answers. Sometimes it’s good to just go with the flow.”

  “‘Going with the flow’ often means being dragged by a current carrying you where you don’t want to go.” Jay had been a prime example of that. His laid-back attitude had resulted in more trouble than Honor cared to remember. Unpaid bills, missed appointments, paychecks spent before they ever made it to the bank. That had been Jay’s life. It would never again be Honor’s.

  “Probably, but in this case, it just means accepting a gift from a secret admirer. A secret admirer! How cool is that?”

  Not cool, creepy, but Honor decided not to say that to Candace. “Really cool. Is Lily still in her room?”

  “She was sitting on her bed looking dejected when I checked on her.” Candace didn’t seem to care that Honor had changed the subject. Her gaze was on the flowers, a soft smile playing at her lips. Did she dream of finding a handsome prince to carry her away? In all the years she’d been living with Honor, Candace had never mentioned wanting to date, get married or have children.

  And Honor knew better than to ask. Candace was as close-mouthed about her dreams as Jay had been verbal. “I guess I’d better go deal with our little escape artist.”

  “I’ll put the flowers on the dining room table. They’ll look nice there.”

  For some reason, the thought of having the flowers sitting in the middle of the table while she enjoyed a meal with the girls didn’t sit well with Honor. “No. Just leave them here. They’re too pretty to put in the dining room. We’ll keep them out here where visitors can see them.”

  Candace looked doubtful, but shrugged. “If we had any visitors that would make sense.”

  “We’ve had a few visitors recently.”

  “A sheriff and our neighbor.” Candace paused. “You know, maybe that’s who sent the flowers.”

  “Who?” Honor headed toward her bedroom, anxious to put the conversation behind her, but not wanting to cut Candace off. Despite her harsh upbringing, Candace was a sensitive soul. Sometimes too sensitive.

  “Grayson Sinclair.”

  “You’re kidding, right?” Honor laughed at the thought of her good-looking neighbor sending flowers and a note that said he missed her. Sure, he’d hinted that he might like to pursue something with her. Friendship. More. But Honor knew enough about men like him to know his words were as meaningless as thunder in the desert.

  “Why not? He’s handsome, rich and has a house to die for.”

  “If I were looking for someone to date, which I’m not, those wouldn’t be the most important qualities on my list.”

  “Then what would?”

  “I don’t know. I’ve not spent much time thinking about it.”

  “Maybe you should, Honor.”

  “No. I shouldn’t. Now, I’m going to deal with our Lily before she completely forgets she’s in her room because she’s in trouble.”

  “And I’m going out. I’m meeting a few friends in town.”

  “Friends from college?”

  “Yeah. A couple of kids from my English class. We’re going to study together, then they’re going to bring me to the mall in Lynchburg. I’ll be home for dinner.”

  “Have fun.”

  “I will.” Candace walked back down the hall, and Honor pushed open the bedroom door. It was time to deal with Lily. After that, she’d tackle the chores. What she wouldn’t do was spend one more minute thinking about the roses or wondering who sent them. Nor would she think about Grayson and his blue eyes that reminded her so much of home. God was in control. Of her life. Of her daughter. Of Candace. There was no reason to worry and fret. No reason to think beyond this moment.

  The future would come soon enough, bringing whatever the Lord had in store. For now, Honor had a house to organize and a child to discipline. That was quite enough for one day.

  SIX

  The hard day’s work had paid off, and by midnight Honor had finished turning chaos into order. Every box was unpacked and ready to be recycled, all the laundry was washed, dried and put away and the dishes were sitting in cupboards, scrubbed free of grime and grease. All in all, it was a good effort toward turning the ramshackle little bungalow into something more. Something worthy of creating memories.

  Considering the fact that Honor had signed the rental paper work before she’d ever stepped foot in the house, she couldn’t complain. Renting to own had always been her goal, and Mr. Silverton had been as anxious to find someone willing to take on the run-down place as Honor had been to plant roots. If she stayed long enough, she’d own the little bungalow and the half acre of land it sat on. Close to the lake, in a quiet community set apart from the more commercial areas around Smith Mountain Lake, the 1920s-style house had the potential to be a forever kind of place. After years of apartment living, that had appealed to Honor as much as the price. She made decent money as a nurse, but had taken a pay cut to be closer to Candace. The fact that she’d spent the past several years paying off the debt Jay had accrued, hadn’t helped Honor’s financial situation. There had been no money for a down payment on a house, no way to come up with closing costs. She’d been sure she’d have to rent an apartment in Lakeview and had been on-line comparing places when she’d spotted Mr. Silverton’s lonely little house. She’d known immediately that she and the girls would fit there perfectly.

  She glanced around the living room, satisfied with the time-nicked but gleaming hardwood floor, the newly polished art deco mantel. Next weekend, she’d buy paint and put some color on the walls. Maybe a creamy yellow or cool sage. In the meantime, she’d simply enjoy the fact that the place was clean and neat and organized.

  Not that everything had to be organized for Honor to be happy.

  She frowned, thinking over her earlier conversation with Candace and wanting to deny the truth of her sister-in-law’s words. Honor was open to a little spontaneity in life. She wasn’t completely sold on plans and structure.

  Of course she was.

  Since Jay had been killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq, she’d kept a tight rein on her little world. Her daughter might not have a father, her sister-in-law might not have a brother, but they would have security. There was nothing to be ashamed of in wanting that for her girls, was there?

  No. Of course there wasn’t.

  And liking things orderly and predictable did not make a person boring.

  She circled the room, checking the wi
ndows and the front door to make sure they were locked. She studiously avoided looking at the roses. They’d been sitting on the coffee table all day, and if it wasn’t for the fact that the girls would demand an explanation, she probably would have given the flowers a new home in the trash can outside.

  Blood-red roses from someone who missed her.

  She shuddered, turning off the light and leaving the room. Everything was locked up tight. The girls were safe in their beds. Still, she couldn’t shake the unease that shivered along her spine as she changed into thick flannel pajamas.

  The wood floor was cold under her feet, the house silent as she crossed the room and stood over her daughter’s bed. Lily slept soundly, her face turned toward the wall, a stuffed bear clutched in her arms. Even in sleep she looked restless, her brow furrowed with whatever images filled her dreams, her body tense as if she were ready to leap from the bed.

  “Lily-girl, you’re going to be the kind to put gray hair on your mother’s head, aren’t you?” Honor whispered as she brushed strands of baby-fine hair from Lily’s cheek. “It’ll be worth it, though, to see you grow into the woman God plans for you to be.”

  She let her hand drop away from her daughter’s cheek, and moved to the window that looked out over the backyard. In St. Louis, they’d lived on the third floor of an apartment building in a decent part of the city. There’d been no worry that someone might knock out a pane of glass and get inside. Now that they lived in a one-story house, Honor realized just how little protection a window offered. A brick could easily shatter the glass. Then, as quick as a wink, danger could enter their sanctuary.

  She scowled, leaning her head against the cold glass and staring into the darkness. At times like this, she missed Jay desperately. Despite all the disappointments and heartache he’d caused, his solid presence had always made Honor feel safe. Alone with the girls, she felt vulnerable. It was a feeling she didn’t like at all.

  Darkness pressed against the glass, the shadowy world beyond the window cast in shades of black and gray. Honor had never been afraid of the dark, but suddenly she was sure a million eyes were watching her from the gloom.

  What she needed to do was climb into bed, close her eyes and sleep. When the sun rose, she’d feel more herself and less—

  A face appeared at the window. Pale against the darkness. Hollow eyes. Blurred features.

  A mask?

  Honor screamed, stumbling back, her heart slamming against her ribs, her body cold with horror. She grabbed the phone, lifted Lily and raced from the room, sure that at any moment she’d hear the sound of shattering glass.

  Call 911. Get the police here.

  Frantic, she dialed the number as she skidded into Candace’s room, praying the Lakeview police would arrive before whoever was standing outside her window realized just how easy it would be to get inside the house.

  Something was going on at Honor’s house. Grayson watched with mounting concern as the formerly dark bungalow lit up one room at a time. There were plenty of reasons he could think of for Honor to be walking through her house flipping on lights, but none of them were good. The one that was the most worrisome involved Lily wandering outside again.

  Grayson rubbed the back of his neck and watched as the outside light beside Honor’s back door went on. Midnight wasn’t the best time to be awake, but since he and his neighbor both were, maybe he should take a quick walk across the yard and find out exactly why every light in Honor’s house was blazing.

  In a matter of moments, he was stepping out his back door and starting across the yard. Still and silent, the night seemed hushed with anticipation, the sky deep azure and speckled with stars. Nothing moved. Dry grass crackled beneath Grayson’s feet, the thick scent of pine needles and wood smoke wafting on the frigid air.

  Somewhere in the distance a siren blared, the sound a discordant note that jarred Grayson’s nerves and made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. Lakeview was a quiet town not given to sirens in the middle of the night. Something was going on, and he prayed it wasn’t what he’d first suspected. It was too cold for a little girl like Lily to be outside. Too dark. Too dangerous. Sure, Lakeview was safe, but no matter how safe a neighborhood was there were always predators just waiting for an opportunity to strike.

  He pushed through the shrubs that separated his yard from Honor’s and hurried to the back door. Despite the bright lights, the bungalow was silent, the windows empty of life. Grayson could see into the kitchen, but none of the Malones were there. He knocked on the door, anxious to make sure Lily was okay. The kid had a wild imagination and the kind of gumption that could get her into all kinds of trouble.

  It would kill Honor if anything happened to her little girl. Images flashed through Grayson’s mind. Family members sitting in the courtroom, listening as the criminals who had stolen their loved ones were tried. So many tears. So much heartache. It was what drove Grayson to continue as a prosecutor, and what drove him now. If Lily had wandered away, they needed to call in tracking dogs, gather the teams who would make finding her a possibility.

  Grayson knocked on the door again. This time with more force.

  “Who is it?” Honor’s voice was thick with fear.

  “Grayson.”

  “It’s late for a visit, isn’t it?” She didn’t open the door, and Grayson didn’t ask her to. Whatever was going on had frightened her enough to make her hesitant. That was good. Smart. As far as he was concerned, a little caution went a long way toward keeping people safe.

  “I saw all the lights on, and I wanted to make sure everything was okay.”

  “We’re fine. Thank you.”

  “Lily hasn’t escaped again?”

  “No.”

  “So she’s with you?” Grayson knew there was a problem. Whether it was big or small remained to be seen, but he did intend to find out what it was.

  “Yes, where else would she be?”

  “Looking for horses and princes?”

  “Not this time.”

  “Then I guess there’s another reason that all the lights in your house are on?”

  “We’ve had…” She paused as if trying to decide what to say. “An incident.”

  “What kind of incident?” The sirens were screaming closer, the throbbing pulse of them pounding in Grayson’s ears.

  “The kind that requires police help.” The door cracked open, and Honor peeked out, her face pale, silky strands of hair falling across her cheeks. Just seeing her made Grayson’s heart trip and his pulse race. It was as if he’d been waiting his entire life to meet her and as if he had known her forever.

  “Do you want me to wait while you speak to the police?”

  She hesitated, and Grayson was sure she was torn between needing another adult around and wanting to take care of her family herself.

  Finally, she pulled the door open farther, her gaze darting to the yard behind him. “You didn’t see anyone out there, did you?” “No.”

  “Good. Maybe that means he’s long gone.”

  “Who? What happened, Honor?” He put his hands on her shoulders, looking down into her face and trying to will some of his calmness into her trembling body. “Someone was at the window staring in at me. I only saw him for a second, but it was enough.” She shuddered, turning as a loud knock echoed through the house. “That must be the police.”

  He followed her through the kitchen and dining room and into the living room. A bouquet of roses sat on the coffee table, blood-red and velvety. A gift from a friend? An admirer?

  Honor fumbled with the chain that hung across the front door, her hands shaking so hard she couldn’t seem to maneuver it open.

  “Let me help.” Grayson covered her hand with his, sliding the chain off in one easy movement. For a moment, he let his palm rest against her knuckles, letting the warmth of his skin heat the coolness of hers. Then he let his hand drop away, gently nudging her aside so that he could open the door.

  Sheriff Reed stood on the other sid
e of it, a scowl darkening his face as he met Grayson’s eyes. “I hear there’s been some trouble out here.”

  “So Honor was saying.”

  “You were here when the incident occurred?”

  “No. I came over when I saw all the lights being turned on. I wanted to make sure everything was okay.”

  “But you didn’t see anything?”

  “I’m afraid not.”

  “According to the dispatcher, someone was looking in your window.” Jake addressed the comment to Honor, his gaze searching the room as if a clue as to what had happened might be there.

  “Yes, the bedroom window.”

  “It looks out over the backyard?”

  “Yes.”

  “Why don’t you show me which one?”

  “The bedroom is right this way.” Honor led Jake down the hall, and Grayson stayed put, walking to the windows and checking the locks on each. They were old. Not much protection if someone wanted to break in. He needed to replace them. Make sure that no one could harm Honor or her girls.

  But would she let him? Honor seemed so determined to do everything herself—and to keep him at a distance. Grayson had a feeling that if he insisted on stepping in, she’d push him away completely. Better to step back than risk that.

  If Honor wanted help, he’d give it, but forcing his ideas on a woman who’d obviously had her fill of men, a woman he was determined to get to know better, wasn’t a good idea.

  He’d find another way to make sure she was safe. Maybe a few subtle hints about the condition of her window and door locks?

  It only took a few minutes for Honor and Jake to return, but it seemed like a lifetime.

  He walked toward them as they reentered the room. “What did you find?”

  “Nothing yet. I’m going outside to look around.” Jake started toward the kitchen, and Grayson followed.

  “I’ll come with you. Two people looking will make finding something more likely.”

  “You know better than that, Grayson. If there’s evidence out there, I don’t want it contaminated. I’ll be back in a few minutes.” Jake walked outside, and Grayson stared after him, frustrated and not sure why. Jake was right. Of course he was. But Grayson wanted to be out there with him, searching for the guy who’d frightened Honor so badly.