AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Olivia rubbed her head. A headache was brewing along her temples. It was terrifying having one man after her. She didn’t want to consider that her stalker had hired someone else to do his dirty work. “I want to talk to Susan. She worked with David just as much as I did. If he’s infatuated with me, as Angie claims, then I guarantee Susan noticed. Truthfully, I should’ve told her about the stalking earlier.” She dropped her hand and gestured to the window where a news crew filmed the front of her house. “Chief Sims wanted to keep the attacks against me quiet, but that’s no longer possible.”
“I agree.” Eli clicked the television off. “Cole, your cover is still in place, so I think you should continue working as her assistant. Like I said, I don’t want to limit our investigation to David. If the stalker hired someone to break into Olivia’s house, then he’s keeping his distance. It gives us time to find him before he can plan his next move.”
Olivia chewed on her bottom lip. She didn’t want Cole getting hurt in the process of protecting her. “As much as I hate to admit it, maybe Cole was right and I should lie low. I have a wedding this weekend that I need to see through, but after that, I can move some commitments around.”
Cole shook his head. “We don’t have to decide that right now.”
“But the stalker threatened you?—”
“It’ll take a lot more than a silly note and some bullets to scare me off.” He met her gaze, his jaw set and determined. “I’m in this, Olivia, and I’m not going anywhere until it’s finished.”
FOURTEEN
The scent of fresh coffee greeted Cole as he followed Olivia into Blessed Events. He breathed in deep. He’d already had two cups this morning with breakfast, but the caffeine had done little to ward off the exhaustion weighing him down. Months of working murder cases prior to taking on the role as Olivia’s bodyguard had left him sleep deprived.
Susan wasn’t behind her desk. A note stated she was running a quick errand and would be back soon. Cole beelined for the kitchen and poured two mugs of coffee. After adding hazelnut creamer to Olivia’s, he brought it to her office. Her laptop was powering on. She wore slacks and a soft burgundy suit jacket that made the caramel highlights in her hair even more noticeable. Makeup framed her gorgeous eyes, but couldn’t completely erase the dark circles underneath them. She hadn’t slept well last night either. Or the night before. The amount of stress and pressure she’d been under for the last several weeks tugged at Cole’s emotions. He wanted to shift some of those burdens off her delicate shoulders.
“Here.” He handed her the mug of coffee. “It’s creamer with a touch of caffeine.”
Olivia laughed. The sound reminded Cole of the wind chimes on his grandmother’s back porch.
She took the cup from him. “Hazelnut makes everything better. Coffee. Chocolate. Ice cream. I even have a recipe for a creamy pumpkin pasta sauce with hazelnuts that will knock your socks off.”
His nose wrinkled. Hazelnuts were okay, but paired with pumpkin?
“I might be able to get behind the hazelnut ice cream, but in my pasta… that’s a step too far.” Cole sipped his own black coffee. “Still, I’m man enough to try it. Convince me otherwise.”
She arched a pretty brow, a smile quirking her lips. “Challenge accepted.”
They shared a laugh. Then Cole gestured to the mood board propped up behind her desk. “The Gonzales wedding is tomorrow. Are you ready?”
“I think so. After we talk to Susan, I’d like to pop over to the Oak Gardens and inspect the ballroom. Make sure everything is going according to plan.”
Cole nodded. He’d already researched the venue’s layout. It was a local establishment with gorgeous outside gardens, a small chapel, a ballroom for formal weddings, and a rustic barn for more casual receptions.
Eli and Sienna had rented Oak Gardens for their wedding as well. They would get married in the small chapel and have their reception in the barn. Cole could barely process that he needed his speech ready by next weekend. What was he going to say? He didn’t like public speaking, but that wasn’t what worried him the most. It was the topic. How could he give a speech worthy of his friends without allowing any of his own negative feelings about marriage to seep in?
The memory of the car crash that’d taken his parents’ lives replayed in his mind. Harsh words and yelling. The accusations of cheating. Cole, his voice cracking with pain and frustration, screaming at his parents to stop from the back seat. Then the crash of metal and the sound of shattering glass that followed.
Cole had survived. His parents hadn’t. And to this day, he blamed himself for distracting his dad by screaming. It’d caused the accident.
“Earth to Cole.” Olivia waved a hand in front of his face. “Are you okay? You were lost in thought.”
He blinked, as the memory faded, leaving him hollowed out. “Sorry, I was thinking about my speech for Eli’s wedding.” Cole swallowed hard as the urge to tell Olivia about his past took root. He rarely discussed it, even with Nana, but something about Olivia’s loving nature made him want to open up. “I’m honored Eli asked me to be a part of the wedding, but I’m the last person on earth who should give a speech about love and marriage.”
“Why is that?”
Before Cole could answer, the bells over the entrance jingled. Susan strolled in. She’d wrangled her curls into a ponytail and carried a bag from the local pharmacy.
She beelined right for Olivia and embraced her in a hug. “I’m so glad you’re okay. The break-in at your house was all over the news this morning. Everyone in town is talking about it.”
Cole grimaced. He’d debated the wisdom of telling Susan about Olivia’s stalker, but ultimately decided she was right. The woman was a busybody, but she was also observant. Her perspective on the interactions between David and Olivia might prove valuable.
“Thank you for calling me this morning.” Olivia extracted herself from Susan’s embrace. “And for handling phone calls from worried clients.”
“Of course.” Susan hurried back to the front desk, her voice trailing behind her. “Sorry about not being here when you arrived. My husband is having back trouble and demanded I get him some disposable heat packs.” She tossed the bag on a chair and shed her coat. “Men. God forbid Mitch get his own things from the pharmacy.”
Olivia grimaced at Susan’s caustic tone. “Has he seen a doctor about his back?”
