Keeping Guard (3 page)

She gasped.

Written across the inside cover, in fat red marker, were the words “Kylie, I'll always be watching you.”

N
ate's eyes drooped with sleepiness as he rapped on Kylie's door at seven the next morning. He'd downed two cups of decaf and three cups of full-strength coffee last night to make himself stay awake. Good for his possible concussion but bad for his mental health.

He hadn't been able to get Kylie Summers's porcelain face and delicate figure out of his mind throughout his sleepless hours. He didn't know what he'd expected of his best friend's sister, but not the beautiful woman who'd shown up three hours late with rain plastering her chestnut hair to her face and wide, imploring eyes.

He rapped at her door again, harder this time.

“Coming.” The word couldn't have been said with much less enthusiasm.

Nate shifted his weight until Kylie finally pulled open the door. The circles under her eyes showed him that she clearly hadn't gotten much more sleep than he had. But she still looked beautiful, even in khaki pants and a long-sleeved red T-shirt.

“Morning.” She barely smiled as she reached over to grab her coat from the couch.

Nate stuffed his hands into his pockets, unsure of exactly what to say to his new boarder. “Morning, Kylie. Rough night?”

“You could say that.”

“Too much on your mind?”

She reached back inside the apartment and fumbled with something before finally revealing a book. She shoved the paperback toward him and frowned. “Open it.”

He did as she said. His eyes widened at the roughly written words on the inside cover. “You just found this?”

“No, I found the message last night as I tried to relax before going to bed.”

“Hence your sleepless night.” He stared at the words, personalized to Kylie so she could make no mistake they were written for her. “When did you get this book?”

She answered immediately, probably because she'd been replaying all those events during her sleepless night. “Right before I left for this trip. I bought it at the grocery store and stuck it in my purse.”

“Did you go anywhere after that?”

She shrugged. “I stopped by work for a few minutes to pick up some papers and then I had dinner with my brother.”

“Any opportunities for someone to access your purse?”

“Apparently.” She shrugged, sounding defeated. “It makes no sense.”

“I'm sorry, Kylie. I know this guy has got you shaken up.”

“He's right, you know. He is always watching me. He must have been waiting until just the right moment when he could grab the book from my purse and send me that message.” She tossed the book back onto the dinette and raised her eyebrows in conjunction with her sigh. Nate couldn't help but think she looked like she bore the weight of the world. “It doesn't matter now, I guess. What matters now is that we go eat breakfast.”

“I know Harvey and Darlene will be a nice distraction from everything. They always are. Full of surprises.”

“I would have guessed that.” Her face registered a slight but genuine smile.

The two walked silently down the steps and out the back door. A brisk wind greeted them, matching the gray day. Kylie's gaze roamed the parking lot behind his restaurant.

“So, this is Yorktown?”

Nate shrugged. “Well, this is a public parking lot for Yorktown. The rest of the town is there on the waterfront or on the bluff to the south.” He pointed to the blocks of historic houses. “There's some great stuff to see around here if you like history.”

“It was always one of my best subjects in school.” She stuffed her hands into her coat pockets as they journeyed across the parking lot toward Harvey's house. “I'll have to take some time to explore, if I have the chance. Of course, I may not be here long enough.”

It sounded like they were both praying for the same thing.

They reached the house, which also served as a bed-and-breakfast, and Nate rang the doorbell. He knew the couple didn't have any guests at the time. Immediately, Tinkerbell began barking inside. Sometimes Nate was convinced that the couple would never know anyone was at their door if it weren't for that dog. Neither of their hearing was great.

Harvey opened the door and the scent of bacon drifted out. As if on cue, Nate's stomach grumbled. He'd always been a sucker for Darlene's cooking. Her food reminded him of his mother's—only better, which he never admitted out loud.

“Come in, come in,” Harvey extended his arm behind him, welcoming them inside. “You got here just in time. The pancakes are just coming off the griddle.”

“Smells wonderful.” Kylie reached for Harvey's hand. He grabbed it and, instead of shaking it, placed a kiss there. Nate carefully watched Kylie's reaction. She didn't seem taken
aback by the action, thankfully. In fact, she smiled. Harvey had always been a charmer.

Darlene appeared from around the corner wearing a checked blue-and-white apron, holding her now famous rolling pin in one hand. Nate's head throbbed just looking at it. “Welcome! I'm so glad you're both joining us. Kylie, I look forward to finding out all about you.”

They were ushered into the dining room and promptly seated. If only the waitresses at Nate's restaurant would be this prompt and welcoming, then maybe he'd get some more business. Of course, some people might say the same thing about his food. If it tasted like Darlene's, people would be standing in line to eat at his place.

“Everyone recovering okay from last night?” Darlene stared at them with sweet, blinking eyes. Her hands were clasped in front of her, as if at any time she might clap joyfully.

Kylie nodded. “I'm hanging in. My arrival didn't exactly go the way I'd planned. I do apologize again for the way everything played out yesterday.”

“I'm sure your actual arrival was much more exciting than you could have planned. It's good to add some excitement to your life sometimes.” Darlene grinned and giggled. Finally, she used those posed hands to actually clap. “Well, let's eat before the food gets cold.”

Harvey offered up a prayer and then Darlene brought out banana pancakes with cream-laced syrup, maple bacon and a festive fruit salad.

Kylie's eyes lit up on the first bite of pancake. “This is fabulous, Darlene. Truly amazing.”

Harvey winked. “She's one great cook, isn't she?”

“Darlene makes all the desserts for the restaurant,” Nate informed her.

“Well, you need to keep her around. That's for sure.” Kylie nodded and took another bite of pancake, her eyes closing in what looked like pure delight.

Harvey and Darlene began to talk about an upcoming church social, a visit from their grandkids in the summer and changes in the Fife and Drum of Yorktown. Nate listened, relieved to not have to talk. He preferred listening, most of the time.

Kylie had warmed up to the couple quickly. She asked lots of questions, nodded, laughed. She actually seemed halfway normal. Maybe her stay here wouldn't be a total headache.

At nine o'clock, Nate stood and announced they needed to go and begin prepping the kitchen for the lunch crowd.

Kylie nodded and rose. “Thank you so much for having us. I really enjoyed your food and would love the recipes.”

“I'd love to pass them on to you.” Darlene hugged Kylie. “Now, you come back and see us again before you leave, you hear? And don't let Nate work you too hard.”

Kylie glanced at him. “I won't.”

Nate wasn't sure about that. He knew one thing: the busier he kept her, the less she'd think about her stalker or have the chance to get in trouble.

 

By the time the lunch crowd began to wander in, Kylie had chopped every vegetable imaginable, sorted through various lunch meats and prepared two different kinds of soup. She'd also reviewed the menu multiple times with Nate, not overly impressed by his selections, which were vast. Too vast, truly, for a restaurant like this. She kept quiet, though. She wasn't here as a consultant, nor had he asked her opinion.

“You never did tell me if you had experience working in a restaurant,” Nate said in between explaining how to make maple-glazed chicken. “You seem to know what you're doing.”

“I have my own cooking show back at home. It's nothing huge, and I'm by no means famous, but I do cook in front of a camera for viewers every week. It's a great job. I also have my own catering business.”

“You'll have to tell me more about it sometime. It sounds interesting.” Nate walked to the freezer and pulled out a container of something. “Right now, I need to explain these crab cakes.”

Kylie blinked. “They're frozen?”

“I make them ahead and freeze them. Saves a lot of time.”

Kylie nodded, deciding not to interject her opinion as Nate showed her how the cakes were prepared. When he finished, Kylie glanced at her watch and saw they were close to opening. “So, when do the cooks get here?”

Nate scowled and wiped the cast-iron stove top one more time. The appliance was spotless. “I am the cook.”

Kylie nodded, choosing her words carefully. “I thought you managed the restaurant?”

“I manage the restaurant and cook. Just like the hostesses are always the waitresses also. We're not a big place, so we all have to wear multiple hats.”

Kylie bit her lip. No, she'd never run a restaurant, but Kylie knew enough to know Nate needed more help. She did have experience running a successful catering business, so she knew how to manage people, how to develop recipes that would satisfy crowds, how to make her staff feel appreciated.

Still, Kylie couldn't waltz in, criticize Nate's work and then be on her merry way. So she'd stay quiet, no matter how miserable it made her. She didn't like to be told what to do, so she certainly didn't want to offer unsolicited advice to others.

Their first order came in, and both Nate and Kylie got busy. And quiet. Neither of them said anything, except for Kylie to occasionally ask questions about an order, or for Nate to state how to prepare a dish properly.

Kylie felt at home in the kitchen. She always had. She loved coming up with new recipes or new takes on old recipes. But the food she prepared today was mindless. Sandwiches, soups, salads. Nothing exciting. Nothing revolutionary.

It didn't matter. This wasn't her restaurant, she reminded herself again.

After the lunch crowd left, Nate moseyed out front to talk with someone who appeared to be a regular customer. One of the waitresses came back to introduce herself to Kylie.

“I'm Suzy.” The woman was probably in her mid-twenties with a sharp wedge hairdo that was black on the bottom and bright red on top. She had multiple earrings in both her ears and tattoos instead of jewelry around her fingers and wrists. “Good to have you here.”

Kylie wiped her hands on a white dish towel and reached for Suzy's hand. “I'm Kylie. I'm just filling in here for a few days, trying to get some restaurant experience.” Her words weren't a lie. She did want experience. She didn't want anyone else to know the real life-or-death reasons behind her being here. Only Nate. Her brother had said she could trust Nate, and she was going to have to take him at his word.

Suzy set her tray on the counter, as if prepared to stay awhile and talk. “Well, I know Nate could use the help.”

Kylie prepared a glass of water for herself and decided to take a break. She took a sip and stood across from Suzy. “You guys have a small staff.”

“Things have been tight, so Nate tries to watch every dime. I tried to tell him there are some things you just shouldn't cut back on. He doesn't listen.”

Kylie nodded. “He seems pretty…”

“Gruff?” Suzy laughed, obviously not shy about sharing her opinion. “You don't have to beat around the bush with me. Yeah, he comes across as a little grumpy sometimes. Deep inside, he's not. I think the stress of owning this restaurant has just taken its toll on him.”

Kylie leaned against the counter, intrigued to find out more about her temporary boss. “You make it sound like he doesn't want to own this place.”

“The restaurant was handed down to him from his father.
Nate never wanted to own it, but I'll give him credit, he's tried to make the best of it. There's rumor that the place might go up for sale soon, though. If Nate has his way, he won't own this place very much longer.”

Kylie pulled her chin back in surprise. “Up for sale? I had no idea.”

“Yeah, he doesn't tell many people about it. I think he's afraid of disappointing some of his father's old friends.”

“Darlene and Harvey, by chance?”

“Yes. You've met them?”

Kylie nodded. “A couple of times already.”

“Yeah, so all of that combined with the bad relationship he just got out of a few months ago—”

“Kylie.” Both women snapped their heads toward Nate, who'd appeared in the doorway dangling a telephone. How much of the conversation had he heard? “You have a phone call. Your brother.”

Suzy scurried away, no doubt before she heard an earful from her boss. Kylie had no choice but to approach Nate, though. She couldn't read his expression as she took the phone and placed it at her ear. His gaze remained on her another moment before he turned and stomped back into the dining room.

Once he was out of earshot, she finally spoke into the receiver. “I thought I already called you and told you I was here and doing okay. Are you doing the overprotective thing on me again?” She tried to sound lighthearted and erase all the worry that always seemed to be present in her brother's voice.

“Kylie.” His voice sounded serious, much more serious than she'd expected. “Your house was ransacked last night.”

“Ransacked? What do you mean? I thought the police were watching it.” That ice-cold feeling chilled her spine again. She backed away from the dining area, out of earshot.

“A cruiser was going past every ten minutes. We have no
idea how the break-in happened. It almost seems like someone was watching, like they knew we were monitoring the house and waited until just the right moment to strike.”