Someone To Watch Over Me (19 page)

***

He should feel nervous. Morgan had gone
domestic goddess on him. Making dinner at his place was the type of
thing a long-term girlfriend might do, not someone you met less
than two days ago, and certainly not a client. The speed at which
things were progressing would make almost any normal red-blooded
American male freak out. Hell, he should be running for the hills;
instead here he was, standing in his kitchen helping her prepare
dinner and feeling good about it.

After the casserole dish went into the oven,
Shawn pulled a second beer from the fridge and retreated to the
living room where he sank into a leather recliner and turned on the
flat screen TV. The cable news channel recapped the day's major
events while sound bite news items scrolled along the bottom in
ticker tape fashion. Shawn stared at the screen and pretended to
watch while his mind processed what she’d said.

He'd been a bit ruthless in probing about her
relationship with Brad. Had Morgan kicked back, he would have
countered that her ex-boyfriend might be connected with her
stalker. But, for some reason he couldn't clearly define, he needed
to know how committed the relationship had been, and why they’d
broken up.

Morgan had surprised him with her honest
admission that she'd been ready to settle down, and Brad hadn't.
The good old biological clock, it was as simple as that. Most men
eventually would have to deal with the use-it-or-lose-it fertility
issue when it came to the women they dated long term. In his
experience, most women in their late twenties heeded the clock's
call. He cast a glance over at Morgan as she pulled plates and
silverware from the cabinet and came around to set the dinner
table.

“You're staring,” she said quietly.

The evening shadow placed the dining room
area in darkness and the lights over the dining room table were
off, so Shawn couldn't read her face, but he detected a touch of
amusement in her voice.

He shifted his gaze back to the TV and took
another swallow from his beer.

“What do you want to drink with dinner, iced
tea?” Morgan asked.

“Tea’s fine. How long do the enchiladas need
to cook?”

“Not long, maybe another twenty minutes.”

Shawn picked up the remote control and
switched channels to ESPN. He glanced back at Morgan as she added
tortilla chips to a bowl and salsa to another before bringing them
to the table.

His eyes shifted back to the TV screen. He
didn't want to get caught watching her again.

After she finished in the kitchen Morgan came
and sat down on the sofa. She sipped the beer and announced, “Since
we're checking in to the resort tomorrow, I'll think I'll pack
tonight.”

A soft tremor of regret rippled through him
as a battle raged between his brain and his gut.
I shouldn't
have brought her here in the first place. This is inevitable, even
necessary.

He looked at Morgan. She was all coolness and
courtesy. What a contrast from the temptress he kissed this
afternoon. Was she battling the same emotions that he was but
better at hiding it? “When do we need to be at the hotel tomorrow?”
He asked.

Morgan took another sip of her beer. “Check
in is at two. I'd like to go over at noon, do one final walk
through, then see if I can squeeze a manicure in at the spa.”

He nodded. “I'll have Sabrina be there at
eleven thirty. She'll escort you on your rounds tomorrow.”

“Where will you be?”

He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.
“I’ll be around.”
Just in case
.

A troubled expression floated across her
face. He left the recliner and joined her on the sofa. She took a
slow ragged breath, reached for his hand, and threaded her fingers
through his. The simplicity of her gesture made his chest tighten,
and he wrapped his fingers around hers. “Morgan, I'll be there for
you. But maybe if I pull back, he’ll make his move, and we’ll catch
him.”

He shifted his body to angle hers and looked
into her eyes. Morgan's eyes watered, and she gulped, “I know.”

“I believe this thing with your stalker will
resolve itself soon. Then you'll have your life back.”

She nodded, took a deep breath, and bit her
lip. “I hope when this is over...”

He didn't let her finish. He leaned down and
kissed her. Morgan untangled her fingers and snaked her arms around
his neck. Her lips were soft, and she had the faint taste of beer
on her. He cupped his hand to her cheek and deepened his kiss as
she shimmied closer.

The soft trill of the oven timer went off
behind them. For a fraction of a second Shawn thought he imagined
the sound. Morgan pulled back and gave a soft throaty giggle.
“Dinner is served.”

Shawn nodded and sat back. Morgan stood up
and walked to the kitchen. Isolation and a chill enrobed him. Then
Shawn knew. The end of this case would signal a new beginning.

***

Morgan placed the last of her makeup in the
tote. Shawn had already taken the garment bag with the evening gown
and her large suitcase down to the SUV.

The Internet auction bids would bring more
than enough funds to make the fundraiser an unqualified success;
however she wouldn't feel completely out of the woods until tonight
was over. She surveyed the loft, doing a visual once over to check
that she didn't leave anything.

The light in the kitchen was on. She stepped
over and flipped the switch off as Shawn came in and picked up her
tote bag.

“Ready?” He asked.

“Yes, let's go.”

They walked down the hall in silence, and as
they reached the elevator, Morgan's phone chimed. She glanced at
the caller ID. “It's my parent's home line.”

“Go ahead and answer,” Shawn replied as they
stepped in and traveled down in the elevator.

“Hi.”

“How are things going?” Her mother asked.

“Can't complain. I checked the auction this
morning and we're doing well, absolutely no problems.”

“Morgan, Vicki's coming.”

“Fantastic.” Her younger sister had been in
Mexico working on an archeological dig and hadn’t been sure she
would be back in town in time for the event.

“Where's she staying?”

“We got her a room. She's flying back the day
after tomorrow.”

“So soon? I wanted more time to visit with
her.”

“So do your father and I,” her mother
replied. “Perhaps you can talk her into staying longer. Any new
developments?”

Morgan immediately picked up the concern in
her mother's voice and sought to assure her. “No. Things have been
quiet.”

“Maybe he's gone,” her mother added
hopefully.

Morgan didn't want to upset her mother, so
she replied evasively. “Time will tell.”

She cast a quick glance over at Shawn who
gave her a sharp look. He overheard her side of the conversation
and had managed to put the pieces together. They walked out of the
elevator and across the underground garage to his SUV. The phone's
reception became scratchy.

“Mom, you're cutting out. I'll check in
later.”

Shawn pushed the unlock button as the SUV
chirped and the lights flashed. He walked her around to the
passenger side and held the door for her to slide in. Morgan
wondered if Shawn’s plan of pulling back and baiting her stalker
would work.

She couldn't keep him in her employ forever,
and her stalker had been quiet, or at least not destructive, in the
past twenty-four hours. Perhaps her mother had a point, and her
stalker had given up?

Shawn slid in and started the engine.

“You'll get to meet my sister tonight,
Vicki's coming.”

“How long is she staying?”

“She'll be leaving the day after tomorrow.
She came in only for the fundraiser.”

“Has she heard about your stalker?”

“I don't know. Maybe my parents told
her.”

“I'm looking forward to meeting her.”

Morgan smiled and glanced out the passenger
side window as they left the parking garage. Her sister was a
shrewd judge of people. In Morgan's experience, no one could size
things up quicker and put the puzzle pieces together faster than
Vicki. Her sister's appraisal of the situation would be
valuable.

***

Shawn pulled the SUV up to the resort's front
entrance and turned the motor off. As the staff took the luggage,
he canvassed the parking lot. A slight adrenaline buzz hummed
through him as if he were on deck and next to bat in a baseball
game.

He and Morgan entered the lobby and found
Sabrina standing against the wall across from the front desk. He
studied her and frowned. She looked nervous. Not terrified, just
fidgety what-the-hell-am-I doing-here nervous. Sabrina saw him, and
she forced a smile.

Morgan recognized her, walked up, and
extended her hand. “Hi. I understand you're my new best
friend.”

Sabrina grinned. “Let’s hope by the end of
today you won't kick me to the curb.”

Morgan's smile faded. “Why would I do
that?”

Sabrina blushed and began to fidget with her
fingers. “What I mean is you don’t grow tired of me escorting you
everywhere.”

“I'm sure we'll get along famously,” Morgan
replied.

Shawn spoke up, “Let's get the luggage into
the rooms and firm up the game plan for today and this
evening.”

Morgan glanced at him and annoyance briefly
graced her face, “Fine.”

She turned and walked toward the check-in
desk leaving Shawn and Sabrina standing together. Sabrina looked up
at Shawn with a puzzled expression before she picked up her tote
bag and followed behind Morgan.

Shawn soon discovered one of the major perks
of being the patron of a charity fundraiser is that you get to
check into the hotel early and with a level of speed which left him
speechless. The staff treated Morgan like a celebrity. No waiting
in line, a bellboy appeared out of thin air to collect the luggage,
and within minutes they were on the way to their rooms.

As Morgan walked alongside the bellboy,
Sabrina trailed a few steps behind looking around like Dorothy when
she landed in Oz. Shawn pressed his lips together; had he made a
mistake asking for the young woman to provide back up on this case?
Shawn didn't know much about Sabrina, but she was acting as if she
had never been at a resort before. He caught up and gently pulled
her arm, so she turned to face him.

“What’s going on? Are you okay?”

“Nothing,” she replied. “I’m fine.”

He leaned over Sabrina and growled, “Are you
sure?”

Sabrina eyes widened, and she started to step
back from him. Suddenly, she checked herself, straightened up, and
looked him directly in the eyes. “Yeah, I’m sure.”

Shawn smirked and nodded. “Good. Look, your
job is simple. Morgan is running the event. She has a schedule of
things to do today. All you have to do is be near and make sure
that her stalker doesn’t get to her. Don't get distracted. We're
her bodyguards. You saw the video footage and know what to watch
for. This event is a perfect opportunity for him to try to get to
her. I'm hoping with you by her side, we might bait him into
action.”

He stared into her eyes. She nodded as his
words sank in. “It's a job,” she whispered.

“That's right,” Shawn replied.

Shawn let go of her arm and stepped back.
Sabrina jogged to catch up with Morgan. After a few yards she
stopped and glanced back at him. She cracked a mischievous grin as
she mouthed, “A really cool job.” He grinned at her, and before he
could reply, she spun and hurried to catch up with Morgan.

***

Morgan was slightly surprised when the
bellboy opened the door. Sabrina quietly spoke up and asked to go
in first. She stepped aside and waited as the petite woman walked
in and disappeared for several minutes. Morgan glanced over at
Shawn. He stood nearby and made no comment. He had changed from
last night. Here stood the cool, no nonsense man she encountered
when they first met.
He’s expecting something to happen
. A
shiver rippled through her, but before she could speak, Sabrina
reappeared and gestured for her to come in.

Morgan looked at the young woman as she
walked into her suite. What a major change from the nervous young
woman in the lobby. Shawn had spoken to her in the hallway and
Morgan walked on ahead, letting them talk in private. Whatever
Shawn had said must’ve made a big impression because the nervous
girl from the lobby was gone.

The living room was decorated in soft earth
tones and on each side sat a bedroom. Morgan directed the bellboy
to put her luggage in the room on the right. “Let's take a few
minutes to unpack, and we'll meet back here.”

Sabrina nodded and turned to the bedroom on
the other side. Morgan had barely finished removing the evening
gown from the garment bag and unloading the tote bag in the
bathroom when she heard a knock on the front door. She went to the
living room to find that Sabrina had let Shawn in.

He entered the room and gestured to her to
sit down with Sabrina. “Okay, give us your itinerary.”

Morgan paused briefly and collected her
thoughts. “Well, the flowers will arrive at two. My parents should
also arrive around then. I expect my father will want to go see the
ballroom first thing. Band has a sound check at three. The jewelry
will be coming in around 5:30. I must be there to receive the
shipment and set things up. My schedule is open for the next two
hours and I was hoping to squeeze a quick manicure in at the
spa.”

Shawn looked at Sabrina. “You go with her
this afternoon to the salon and on her rounds. I'll be present when
the jewelry arrives. In the meantime, I'm hanging back. When your
parents and sister arrive, inform me. I'll check on them
periodically.”

Morgan's stomach tightened into a knot at
Shawn's last comment. “Do you think my family is at risk?”