LITMIR.BIZ

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you.”

      But before she could do that, Lila continued, “Look, I know you’re probably angry about the bodyguard I hired, but it was necessary. And I knew you’d be too stubborn to hire him yourself. How did I possibly give birth to such a bullheaded daughter who won’t listen to reason?”

      Bailey’s mouth tightened. Her eyes narrowed a bit.

      “Oh, well,” Lila added. “You’re obviously in a snit right now, but get over it, sweetheart. It’s not as if I saddled you with a Neanderthal. Bart sent me Parker Mc Kenna’s photo and his bio. In addition to being incredibly easy on the eyes, he’s a decorated army officer….”

      Hell. Parker didn’t need to hear this, and judging from Bailey’s expression, her mother’s opinion of his looks and his military record weren’t helping with his argument to convince her that she did indeed need him.

      “I’ll wait downstairs for Sheriff Hale,” Parker mumbled to Bailey.

      But on the way down the steps, he could still hear Lila’s voice oozing through the answering machine. “Parker took a bullet for the Under Secretary of Defense a few years ago when things went bad on a hush-hush visit to the Middle East. It shouldn’t be too difficult having him around. In fact, he’s a good catch, and you’re not getting any younger—”

      Thankfully, the machine clipped off the rest of what the governor had to say. Also thankfully, Parker heard someone at the front door. Probably the sheriff who could take a stab at talking some sense into Bailey. But when he looked out the small sidelight window, he didn’t see Sheriff Hale. He saw the woman with red hair fumbling with her keys.

      Parker unlocked the door and opened it. The woman went stiff when she saw his gun, and she sucked in her breath. “Who are you?”

      “Parker McKenna. I’m Bailey’s bodyguard. Who are you?”

      “Charlotte Manning. I work here, and I usually come in through the back entrance, but I wanted to see Bailey first. Where is she? Is she all right?”

      Since this woman didn’t seem much a threat, Parker put his gun back in his boot holster and hitched his thumb toward the stairs. “She’s in her office. Someone broke in and vandalized it.”

      “A break-in?” However, Charlotte didn’t wait for him to confirm it or that Bailey was all right. She mumbled an Oh, God and went racing up the stairs.

      Hopefully, this Charlotte Manning could make Bailey understand how serious this situation was.

      And another possible ally arrived.

      Parker saw the sheriff’s car pull to a quick stop in front of the building. Parker recognized the African-American man who exited. Sheriff Bernard Hale. He was in his late forties and had been sheriff for years. Plenty of experience and he knew Bailey. Hopefully, he could accomplish more than her mother’s call had.

      “Captain McKenna,” Bernard greeted when the sheriff reached the front door, and he shook Parker’s hand. “Good to see you again.”

      “Parker,” he offered.

      “I got over here as fast as I could. You think this is related to that car you showed me on the surveillance film?” the sheriff asked.

      “Yeah, I think it probably is.” And he was about to give the sheriff what few details he knew about the break-in. However, his phone rang, and when Parker saw the identity of the caller, he knew he had to answer it. “Bailey’s upstairs. If you need me, just let me know.”

      “Zach?” Parker answered the moment the sheriff stepped away. “What’s wrong?”

      The question was a given, especially since his son rarely called him. Heck, Zach rarely spoke to him, especially since this move to Freedom. Parker loved his son more than life itself, but he was positive Zach didn’t feel the same about him.

      “You forgot to leave the money for basketball camp,” Zach snarled. Or maybe it wasn’t a snarl. Come to think of it, that was the only tone Parker had heard his son use in years.

      Parker groaned. Yes, he had forgotten, though Zach had left him a reminder note taped to the fridge. His son needed twenty-five dollars for a half-day camp being held at the town’s community center.

      “You said I could go,” Zach accused. “You said you’d leave the money.”

      Yes, he had—Zach’s request and his approval had also been delivered in notes they’d left for each other. And Parker had meant to put the money on the kitchen counter, but this morning he’d gotten caught up viewing those surveillance disks, and then he had rushed out of the house so he could follow Bailey from her home to work. He’d been doing that for over a week now in the hopes of not just protecting her but also catching her stalker.

      “I’m at Cradles to Crayons on Main Street,” Parker explained. He heard footsteps behind him, turned and spotted Bailey and Charlotte making their way down the stairs. “And I can’t leave right now. I’m on the job.” Whether Bailey considered it a job or not.

      Parker obviously couldn’t see his son’s face, but he heard Zach’s silent disapproval. Of course, Zach disapproved of everything, so this was nothing new. “I’ll ride my bike over there and get it.”

      Since their new house was only a quarter mile away, Parker couldn’t object. Well, he could because he was always worried when Zach was on his bike and near traffic.

      Heck, he was always worried about him, period.

      But he wanted Zach to attend that camp. It was a chance for him to meet some new friends before school started in mid-August, just six weeks away. God knew his son needed someone to help him adjust to the move and yet another new school.

      “Zach, when you get here, don’t come inside.” Parker didn’t want Zach underfoot during the sheriff’s investigation, not that his son would want to be underfoot anyway. “I’ll meet you on the porch. Oh, and remember to wear your helmet and watch out for cars.”

      “Right.” More of the snarling tone, and he hung up.

      “Your son’s coming here?” he heard Bailey ask.

      “He won’t stay long,” Parker settled for saying. He hadn’t wanted her to hear any of that conversation. “Have you changed your mind about closing down for the day?”

      “No.” Bailey folded her arms over her chest and shook her head, causing her silver hoop earrings to dangle against her hair and ears. “It’s too late to call everyone. Parents are already on their way. Besides, if the children don’t come here, a lot of the parents would have to miss work.” She glanced at Charlotte as if seeking approval.

      Charlotte didn’t exactly give that approval. She looked shaken up, and rightfully so. “I need to go to the preschool and unlock the door.”

      Parker knew the preschool section was in the back of the building, an addition that Bailey had added on to accommodate the classes. “You can’t access the preschool from inside this building?”

      Charlotte shook her head. “We have a door that leads from here to there, but it’s blocked off right now for a construction project. We’re adding another bathroom. It’s no big deal. I’ll just go outside and around back.”

      “I’ll go with you so I can make sure no one broke into that area,” Parker offered.

      “If they had broken in, it would have set off the security alarms,” Charlotte explained. “And the company that monitors it would have called either Bailey or me.”

      “You use the security system?” Parker asked.

      Charlotte nodded. “Just in that area and the basement. It has its own separate system that was added when it was built. We have a lot of computers and other equipment, and what with the older kids out of school for summer break, I didn’t want to tempt anyone with sticky fingers.”

      “Smart

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