Keeping Guard Read online

  All she knew was that he was tall, broad-shouldered, relatively thin. On the phone, his voice sounded gravelly and low—probably disguised. In emails, he used proper English, which made Kylie think he had to be educated. On handwritten notes, his writing appeared calm, controlled—like he knew just what he was doing.

  Kylie shuddered.

  She’d been over a list of suspects with the police, but the list seemed so ambiguous. There was the fan who constantly left aggressive messages on the public online forum to her cooking show. Of course, the police could never trace the address, as the man seemed to use computers at various places around town, all without security cameras. However, the stalker could be someone who’d given no clue to his identity—someone who’d watched her show and developed an obsession, someone who’d seen her shopping and she’d caught his eye. He could be a friend, a neighbor, an ex-boyfriend.

  At the thought of an ex-boyfriend, Kylie squeezed her eyes closed. Colin was far too sophisticated and cultured to pull off a stunt like this. Besides, he’d avoided her since they broke up. Why would he avoid her in general and stalk her at every other time? Sure, he’d been controlling, but he would never go this far.

  Would he?

  They’d dated for a year before Kylie finally had the sense to break up with him. He was the president of a local advertising agency. She’d catered an event at his office and he’d immediately taken an interest in her. She’d been flattered and, initially, swept off her feet. His strength and advice had been comforting in the beginning. But as she got to know him, she realized that the more they were together, the more she was losing herself.

  Slowly, he’d begun to isolate her from her friends and family. He’d begun to critique everything she did. He’d begun giving career advice and calling her producer to insist he make it happen. He’d even figured out her email password and begun answering her emails. He’d accepted invitations or declined opportunities without so much as a mention to Kylie. He’d claimed he was only trying to make her into the successful woman she had the potential to be, and in order to do so, she needed to align herself with certain people and write others out of her life completely.

  The final straw came when she found out he was cheating on her. She wished she’d seen the signs earlier, that she’d gotten out before discovering his betrayal. The good thing, she comforted herself, was that at least she’d gotten out.

  Despite his cheating, Colin hadn’t taken the breakup well. Told her she’d realize her mistake and come running back.

  She hadn’t.

  Instead, she’d avoided him whenever possible and comforted herself with her friends and family, who’d been terribly neglected. Life had finally started feeling normal and happy again.

  Until her stalker showed up.

  She braced herself to face Nate. She rounded the corner into the dining room, where Nate sat with two steaming mugs before him. The rain still pounded against the window as the storm raged outside.

  Kylie took a minute to observe him as she approached. He really was a good-looking guy in a tough, outdoorsy type of way. As his arms rested on the table, she noticed the fine definition of his muscles peeking out from under his T-shirt. She scolded herself for even noticing.

  Nate nodded her way when he spotted her in the doorway, thankfully not seeming to notice that she’d been staring. “Come on over and have a seat, Kylie.”

  Her slippers made no sound as she crossed the floor and sat across from Nate. He pushed a ceramic mug toward her.

  “It’s decaf.”

  She wrapped her fingers around the warmth of the mug. “Thanks.” She normally used cream and sweetener, but tonight she’d drink it black. She sipped the bitter liquid.

  “So, Kylie, I need you to tell me what’s going on. I don’t mind you staying here—I’m more than happy to help out you and your brother—but I need to know more about the circumstances bringing you here.”

  How did she tell him without causing him to overreact? Of course, with everything that had already happened since she arrived, him overreacting could be a forgone conclusion.

  “How much did Bruce tell you?”

  “Just that he was fearful for your safety. He told me you would fill in the rest of the blanks.”

  She’d have to give her brother credit for that. It must have killed him not to go into detail, but that’s what Kylie had requested. She wanted to handle this mess on her terms, as much as possible, at least.

  She sucked in a breath. “The rest of the story would be that a man has been following me—stalking me, I suppose—for the last several months. Recently, he’s become more aggressive. It’s become more and more apparent that this man has no intention of backing off. The police finally collected enough evidence to press charges, but first they have to figure out whom to press charges against. My brother is working with the police to set up a sting and make that happen. I just need to lie low until everything settles.” She looked away and took a sip of coffee.

  “Are you sure he didn’t follow you here?”

  The thought caused fear to grip her heart as the emotion had done several times already this evening. “I’m not sure of anything, Nate. My brother is the only one who knew I was coming here. I didn’t even tell my best friend or boss. I took back roads on my way here. I didn’t see any signs of anyone following me. But this man always seems to be a step ahead of me.”

  “And you have no idea who he is?”

  She shook her head. “No idea. I’ve never seen his face.”

  “Which is why you freaked out when you saw me approaching you with my sweatshirt hood up…”

  She nodded and glanced at the knot already forming at his temple. “I’m sorry about that. Is your head okay?”

  His eyes darkened. “I’ll be fine.” He leaned back in his chair and took a breath. “You know anything about working in a restaurant, Kylie?”

  “A restaurant? No, not terribly much. But I have experience as a cook.”

  He cocked an eyebrow and waited for her to explain.

  Was this the time to tell Nate about her cooking show back in Kentucky? Or about the successful catering business that she and her friend had started? No, she decided. She’d have time to share that later. Right now, her head pounded and she needed some time alone.

  She stood. “I’ll explain tomorrow. I promise you have nothing to worry about. I may not have restaurant expertise, but I’ve got plenty of experience. But before I get into that, I could really use some sleep.”

  In her room, Kylie pulled the covers up tight around her neck. Despite adding another layer of clothing, shivers still racked her body. Was the weather causing her chills? Or could it be everything that had happened?

  She pushed her face into her pillow, remembering what a fiasco tonight had been. The fact that someone had intimidated her enough for her to go running sent a flare of anger up her spine—at herself and her stalker. She fought against anyone dictating what would happen with her, preferring to make her own decisions. But now she found herself in this situation.

  Thunder rolled outside. She pulled the covers up to her eyes.

  Soon enough, all this would be over. Her brother had promised her. She expected a call sometime this week saying that her stalker had been arrested and she could go back home and resume her normal life.

  She sighed and turned over in bed. Would her life ever be normal again? Or would she always jump at every shadow, tense at every unknown sound? She bit her bottom lip, hoping that wouldn’t be the case. She’d overcome other obstacles in her life—big obstacles. She could overcome this also.

  As thunder grumbled again outside, Kylie realized she shouldn’t have drunk that coffee, even if the brew was decaf. Despite how tired she’d felt downstairs, her mind felt fully alert right now. She glanced at the clock beside her bed. 3:23 a.m.

  She pressed her head back into the pillow, wishing sleep would find her. Instead, her thoughts raced, replaying her drive here.

  Could she really be certain that no one had followed her? She’d continuously checked her rearview mirror for headlights. At times on the road, no one was behind her. That meant no one could be trailing her, right? She had no reason not to feel safe here.

  Her heart slowed some.

  She sat up and flicked the light on. She had to distract her self from these thoughts before she went crazy. From the floor, she grabbed her oversized purse, reached into it and pulled out a paperback novel.

  Reading always relaxed her. This particular book was a romance novel. Just the thing to distract her from her troubles.

  She leaned back into her pillows and opened the first page.

  She gasped.

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

  FIVE

  Nate’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.