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“Got it,” she whispered. “Although I couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn right now.”
“Your hands are shaking. Right?”
Brody’s calm voice eased her jitters, and she took a deep breath. “Yeah,” she breathed.
“You won’t need to shoot anything. Or anyone.”
He was so calm. So steady. Exactly what she needed to regain control of her shaky hands and wobbly legs.
“Sit on the couch. Wait for the deputy. He should be there any minute. I’m ten minutes out,” Brody said, his voice even. Knowing he was on his way settled her. She swallowed and gripped the gun more tightly. Her hand wasn’t shaking wildly anymore. She was stronger. Her confidence flooded back.
The quiet rumble of a car stopped at the front of her house. A car door opened and closed, and footsteps hurried around the side of her house and toward the back yard. “I think the deputy is here,” she whispered to Brody.
“Then your prowler is probably long gone,” Brody replied, still calm. Still steady. “He would have heard the car arrive, too.”
Lainey clutched the phone as she listened to the deputy’s footsteps tromping along the side of her house. The back. The other side. Then a shadow crossed the lawn in front of her window.
A sharp knock sounded on her front door. “Ms. Dearborn? It’s Deputy Stevens.” Lainey’s stomach clenched.
In her ear, Brody murmured, “Look out your front window. Make sure it’s him. Do you know what he looks like?”
Lainey nodded, then cleared her throat. “Yes. I do.” Too well.
With the phone to her ear, she stepped to the window and peered out. A beefy man wearing a deputy’s uniform stood on her front porch. “It’s Stevens.”
Of all the deputies, why did it have to be Stevens who’d shown up at her door? He’d been Ron’s best friend in the department, and he’d been furious when Ron had been fired from his deputy job. Even angrier when Lainey had filed for divorce. He’d gotten in her face once at the grocery store. His rough voice had growled, “What kind of bitch kicks a man when he’s down?”
Lainey straightened her shoulders. She wouldn’t let Stu Stevens intimidate her tonight.
Stevens knocked again. Harder. Brody said, “Go ahead and open the door. But keep your gun in your hand. I’m five minutes away.”
Lainey wanted to wait for Brody to arrive to open the door. She wanted Brody at her side when she faced Stevens.
But she straightened her shoulders. That was ridiculous. She’d made a call about a prowler. Stevens would be professional.
Taking a deep breath, she turned and set her gun on the end table. Then she opened the door. “Deputy Stevens,” she said, making sure her face didn’t give away her dislike of the man. “Thanks for coming so quickly.” She unlocked the storm door and let him inside. “Did you see anyone when you walked around the house?” she asked.
Stevens shook his head. “No, Lainey. Didn’t see a soul. Which door was he at?”
“The kitchen door. I’ll show you.”
She led the deputy through the living room into the kitchen, where she threw on the porch light. Stevens unlocked the door, stepped outside, then closed it again.
As she waited, she heard another vehicle pull to the curb in front of her house. She hurried into the living room and saw Brody’s truck. Moments later, he eased out of his truck and stepped onto the lawn.
She wanted to run outside and throw herself into his arms. Hold tightly to him until her heart stopped racing. Until her breathing steadied. Instead, she took a deep breath, then another. Finally, she opened the front door just as he reached her porch.
“Lainey.” His gaze traveled over her face, searching. To make sure she was unhurt? “You all right?”
“I’m fine,” she said, swallowing the lump of fear that had settled in her throat when she heard the noise at her door. She reached for his hand, needing the comfort of skin to skin contact, and drew him inside.
His fingers tightened around hers, and she clung to him for a long moment. Then she disentangled her hand from his. She couldn’t let herself lean on anyone. Especially not Brody. She knew he was… attracted to her, and she didn’t want to take advantage of that. She would not lead him on.
She was attracted to him, as well. But she had things to work out. Knew she couldn’t jump into anything with him. She’d always thought of herself as a strong woman. But she hadn’t walked away when Ron began to hit her. “Thank you for coming here,” she said. “I… I really appreciate this. You must have been sound asleep.”
“I asked you to call, and I meant it,” he said, studying her intently. Could he see the cold fear inside her? Her shaking hands?
Could he see how much she wanted to lean into him and feel his strong arms curling around her? Keeping her safe? And how hard she had to work do make sure she didn’t do just that?
