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A movie wasn’t going to cut it. Not even close. Especially hearing she’d have to wait for grandkids. “That’s a great idea,” she said brightly to assure him. “Okay, I love you and will talk to you tomorrow.”
She was a few steps away when he called, “Hey, Mum.”
She turned around. He stood in the porch light, looking very much like the man he was. Some Bruce. Some her. Mostly himself. “By the way, Taylor lovesJaws. She’s really big on movies.”
Of course she is, Bets thought, because she’d learned that was how it worked with soulmates.
She found her steps lighter as she walked to her car andhersoulmate to go home.
CHAPTERFOUR
Agood reporter wasn’t supposed to be part of the story or the center of attention.
And yet, Taylor was. The barrel-chested new Garda officer, John Hart, had just finished interviewing her. With Linc and Ghislaine’s husband, Donal O’Dwyer, in the room along with Linc’s new security officer, Wilt Mather, a former Marine with a long history of corporate security.
She’d felt like Thumbelina around all those giants. Sure, it had happened in her new living room decked out with a beautiful Italian leather sectional in caramel tones, but the setting hadn’t made her any less nervous.
She hated being interviewed by cops.
Of course, it hadn’t happened for fourteen years…
She’d done everything possible to avoid a reoccurrence, learning new skills, researching everything she could to become more elusive and avoid being arrested. Again.
Since Donal and Linc were shooting the shit with the new guy, she walked over to Wilt to run through some of her thoughts. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”
He nodded his bald head, which was attached to a tree-trunk neck, and followed her over to the corner of her living room. “What can I do for you, Ms. McGowan?”
“First, please call me Taylor.” She made sure to smile. “Second, I was troubled to read last night that pepper spray, cat eye key chains, and tasers are illegal in Ireland. I didn’t bring mine as you can’t travel with them. After yesterday, I’d like to have more than just my phone handy in case it’s not enough of a deterrent, especially if four big guys decide to confront me again. What would you recommend that I and the other women artists carry?”
His already serious face somehow turned more grim. “That’s a very good question. I’d planned to talk to Linc about some additional safety measures for female staff after the incident yesterday. We need to obey the laws in Ireland, but we also want everyone to feel safe. I would recommend over-the-counter hair spray as it’s something you can easily put in your purse—”
“And something we can deny having bought for protection because we’re chicks. Got it.”
That made his mouth lift a little. “Between us, I think it’s terrible you can’t carry some basic self-defense tools.”
She wanted to give him a high five for understanding something so many men were clueless about. “Right. But laws are made by men and yada yada. If it had been a man faced with four scary women yesterday on the road, those tools being legal for protection would be inked into the Irish constitution like that.” She snapped her fingers.
“Exactly.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a couple of dongles the size of a half-dollar. “I’m checking out the possibility of issuing personal panic buttons. The problem in this area—”
“Is cell service,” she finished. “No steady signal in the boonies. I was lucky to have cell reception yesterday, or I could never have streamed live. I realized that last night when I got home. And then I almost threw up.”
He nodded crisply. “I can imagine. Linc said there’s resistance to my idea of having each arts center employee assigned their own security guard.”
Good. That kind of constant surveillance would cramp her style, especially given the way she was planning to take Malcolm down. “People huddled after the incident, huh?”
“Everyone takes security at the center and with its personnel very seriously,” he answered like the professional he was.
“Anything else you can suggest, Mr. Mather? Because I’ve taken self-defense classes, and I know there are limits.”
“It’s Wilt, and yes, I have others. We’re having a meeting on this topic later with the board and other interested parties.”
“Do I need to attend that?” She’d been looking forward to going sightseeing with Liam, as she’d told Sophie when she’d called her this morning. First, she couldn’t imagine a better diversion, and second, Liam was really great to be around. And that was all she would allow herself to think right now, something she’dalsomade clear to Sophie, who had practically sung out her goodbye after telling her to have a fabulous time. Funny, her friend.
“I can give you a preview, and you’ll be receiving a supplement to our existing security manual—”
“Which I read again last night,” she told him. “This time with a highlighter. Sorry for interrupting again. I get excited about things I feel passionate about. Security is one of them.”
He met her eyes. “We’re on the same page. It’s important to be conversant in our security plans and to sign on to them. After yesterday, we’d like to put trackers on everyone’s cars and have twenty-four seven monitoring. So if your car stops randomly on a road for no reason—”
