Cowboy Cool: Book 5 (Cowboy Justice Association) (26 page)

“Enjoy it. I don’t think the babies will let you read again for maybe ten years or so.”

“I think you’re being wildly optimistic,” Ava laughed. “But that’s what I love about you. Your glass is always half full.”

“And what I love about you is that you can get me back on track. I seem to lack writing motivation today.”

“Put the laptop away and pick up a notebook and pen. That always makes things better for me when I have to slow my thoughts down enough that my hand can keep up. Give it a try.”

Kaylee had already closed her laptop so it was worth a shot. “Why not? Worst case scenario I end up outlining another book and putting that in my backlog.”

“Just how many do you have in reserve?”

“Dozens. At the rate I’m going I’ll need to live to be a hundred and ten to be able to write them all and that’s if I don’t come up with any more.”

“Then I better let you get to work. Call me in a few days and let me know how things are going.”

“I will. Take care and get some rest.”

After ending the call, Kaylee stood and headed into the kitchen. Maybe some baking would help with writer’s block. It couldn’t hurt and even if it didn’t help they would still have cookies to eat. It was a win-win in her book.

Rummaging through the cabinets, she checked her ingredients. She was going to need a trip to the store. She snuck a peek outside and Reed didn’t look like he was on his call anymore so she rapped on the window to get his attention.

“I’m going to the store,” she mouthed, picking up her car keys from the counter and holding them up. “I’ll be right back.”

Reed frowned and shook his head. Not paying him any mind, she slung her purse over her shoulder and mouthed again, “I’ll be back in a few.”

This time Reed set his laptop on the glider cushion and pulled open the door between the porch and the kitchen.

“You’re not going anywhere by yourself, remember? If you need to go somewhere I’ll take you.”

He had that “I am God, don’t argue with me” tone she’d grown used to and wasn’t intimidated by in the least. But he did have a damn point. Someone wanted her dead enough to try and run her down. She didn’t really want to become road kill in the parking lot of the Schnucks.

“Fine,” she conceded. “Can we leave now?”

“Sure, and we’ll take my truck.”

He didn’t like her cute little economy car? He did probably feel like a giant in it.

“Whatever,” she said with a long-suffering sigh. “Can we just go now? I have a craving for cookies.”

A grin spread across his face. “Why didn’t you say so in the first place? Cookies? Let’s go.”

Kaylee smiled back, glad that they could be still be natural around each other after last night. She could only hope that their talk was the first step on his long road to healing.

*   *   *   *

Reed pulled the truck into the driveway and Kaylee dug into her purse for the house keys. They’d ended up doing more than cookie shopping. Since they were at the store they’d shopped for the whole week. Since they hadn’t heard anything from her stalker since Friday night, it looked like Reed might be here for quite a while.

Kaylee was just fine with that.

“I’ll carry the groceries in,” Reed offered. “Why don’t you get the mail?”

“Chauvinist,” she joked, sliding out of the truck and unlocking the front door while Reed grabbed the bags. “I’m perfectly capable of carrying some groceries.”

“Aren’t you lucky that you don’t have to,” Reed shot back with a grin as he brushed past her into the kitchen. She giggled and sauntered back down the driveway to the mailbox. She wasn’t a big fan of snail mail, most of it junk. She paid her bills online and didn’t subscribe to any magazines.

She grabbed the mail and walked toward the house, sifting through the usual contents.

Advertisement. Another advertisement. Paper bill for something already paid online.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

The same blank envelope except for her name in block letters. Sliding her trembling fingers under the flap, she pulled out the single sheet of white paper. This letter was brief and succinct.

Your time has come. The day of reckoning is nigh, sinner bitch.

Taking a few calming breaths to slow her heart, she walked into the house where Reed was already unpacking the groceries. He’d become such an integral part of her world in so little time. She cleared her throat and held out the paper and envelope.

“I got another letter.”

Anger kindled in his eyes and his jaw tightened ominously. “Set it down on the counter. Let’s keep as few prints on it as possible although there wasn’t any to be found on the other letter.”

She placed it in front of him and he perused the small amount of contents, shaking his head. “Son of a bitch. We’ll need to call the cops again of course.” He exhaled slowly. “I wasn’t going to mention this right away but I talked to the guys this morning and we floated an idea of setting a trap to flush this guy out.”

Kaylee had heard Ava talking about the group of local sheriffs who met to help one another enough to know who “the guys” referred to. But what about this trap? It sounded a little Scooby Doo.

“A trap?” she repeated. “What did you have in mind?”

“If Brent is obsessed with you because of your career it might bring him out if we had some sort of get-together to celebrate your latest book.”

“If it’s Brent,” she countered. “And if that’s the reason someone is stalking me.”

“He’s our best bet right now. He’s not accounted for when that car tried to run you down. But you make a good point. It may not be professional jealousy—it may be good old-fashioned jealousy. So for good measure I would stick close to you and make sure everyone knew we were a couple.”

“Are we a couple?” she challenged, the words coming out of her mouth before she could stop them. It was an incredibly stupid thing to ask but there it was.

“Considering the things we did together yesterday and this morning I would say yes.” His eyes narrowed dangerously. “Just because it’s not ’til death do us part doesn’t mean we aren’t together. Unless I’ve missed something.”

“Nope.” Kaylee shook her head, feeling better than she had all day. He truly cared about her and it did make her feel special. “So you want to throw a party? For my book? I don’t usually self-congratulate like that.”

She didn’t like drawing attention to herself.

“Let’s make an exception this time. Plan something that will get people here. I’ll set up the surveillance system.”

“More cameras.” Kaylee sighed in resignation. “How can you watch them and be a doting boyfriend at the same time?”

“I’ve got friends,” Reed replied enigmatically. “Good friends. So are you okay with this plan? I don’t want to put you in danger, honey. If you don’t feel comfortable doing this we’ll find another way.”

She’d trust Reed with her life, didn’t he know that?

“No, I think it’s a good idea. I’m not scared as long as you’re there with me.”

“I’ll never leave your side for one second. I promise,” he vowed. “Your safety is the most important thing to me.”

“So we plan a party?”

Reed smiled and laughed. “You plan a party while I set up the equipment. I don’t think I’d be very good at selecting piñatas and finger sandwiches anyway.”

One party to catch a stalker coming right up with a side of surveillance. She’d have to put this in a book someday.

Chapter Twenty-Four

R
eed was standing in the middle of the living room watching Kaylee greet their guests. Friday night was a good time for a party and the house was filling up with people—some Reed had met, and some he’d never seen.

“Can you hear me?” Jared’s voice came through the earpiece Reed was wearing in a hopefully discrete manner. If anyone noticed, he hoped they would think it was a hearing aid and not remark on it. “Just nod your head if you can.”

Reed nodded and glanced up at the camera in the corner. Every inch of the house and yard was covered. He’d spent the better part of the week setting them up, making sure the angles were perfect. Now his buddies a thousand miles away were sitting in their homes and offices watching the footage while he kept his eye on Kaylee.

He let his gaze linger on her curvy form and bright smile. Damn, she was beautiful. He was used to the tightness in his chest now and the way his mind went all mushy when she was close to him. He liked the scent of her skin after a shower and how she frowned at her laptop when she was writing. He liked the cookies she made and the way her lips tasted of sugar and vanilla. He especially liked the way she sighed in her sleep and cuddled close to stay warm on chilly nights.

He liked pretty much everything about her, and it was going to hurt like hell when he left. Funny how a few weeks ago he hadn’t felt much of anything. In a way it was like waking up after being in a long, deep sleep. The world looked brighter and sharper and his senses were far more attuned to everything around him. He still felt the pain of the past but also the contentment of being here with Kaylee. He wouldn’t lie though and say he wasn’t tempted to go back and shut himself off again. Life had been in many ways much easier then.

“You’re scowling again.” Kaylee was standing in front of him with a smile on her face and her hands on her hips. “Any particular reason?”

“The usual ones,” he responded, knowing it would make her laugh. She was more in sync with his moods than he was. She seemed to know instinctively when he needed to be alone and when he wanted company but perhaps all women were more sensitive than men. Or at least him in particular. Or maybe he was simply that transparent. He’d have to remember to ask her later.

“Well, wipe it off of your face and paint on a smile. I don’t like being the center of attention for all these people either but we need to make the best of it.”

They were so alike—he and Kaylee. Neither of them wanted to spend the evening making vapid small talk with semi-friends and acquaintances. A much smaller group of people to dinner would have been preferable but wouldn’t have given the stalker as much opportunity. With all this activity it would be easy for him to slip in and out of rooms. Reed had his fingers crossed for another letter or picture tonight.

“Is our friend Brent here yet?” he asked, watching Walt pour himself a glass of wine at the kitchen island that was doubling as a bar tonight. Reed’s gut was telling him that Walt was an odd duck but had nothing to do with Kaylee’s stalking and attempt to run her down.

Shit, call it what it really was. Attempted murder. Some asshole had tried to murder his woman. Reed sure as shit wasn’t going to give them another fucking chance.

“I haven’t seen him yet. Maybe he won’t come.” She sounded kind of hopeful but Brent wouldn’t be able to stay away. Reed had recognized the want in the man’s expression that first day at the writer’s group. Brent wanted Kaylee.

Glancing at his watch, Reed waited for his friends to check in. Every fifteen minutes on the dot.

“Nothing to report,” Jared said. He was watching the kitchen and living room.

“Nothing here,” Griffin chimed in. He’d been assigned the exterior of the house.

“Not a thing,” Seth agreed. He had Kaylee’s bedroom and bathroom.

“Nothing,” Evan reported. He was observing the office and spare bedrooms.

Tanner, Dare, and Logan were all on duty. Reed had finally been able to talk to Logan about everything that had been happening and it had gone better than expected. Ava had prepared her husband well apparently for the news that Reed and Kaylee were an item. Logan had growled a few times but had eventually said that he was glad that Reed was there to take care of Ava’s friend.

Reed had “cared” for Kaylee twice last night and then once more this morning in the shower. It just kept getting better and better. Last night they’d played doctor and naughty nurse.

“Kaylee!” Turning in the direction of the squeal, Reed inwardly groaned at the entrance of Linda and Cheryl. The two women, seemingly joined at the hip, had come over earlier in the week to talk to Kaylee about what they should wear to the party and if they could bring any food or drink.

“Congratulations on the new book! It’s really zooming up the charts,” Linda gushed, batting her eyelashes that were too thick with mascara. “I was bragging to my hairdresser only yesterday that I know a famous author.”