The Protector's Promise

“They weren’t bothering me. And your sister-in-law isn’t really a girl.” Grayson stood near the mudroom door, his hip leaning against the counter, a coffee cup in his hand. Light brown hair fell to just below his collar and a hint of stubble shadowed his jaw. He looked rugged and outdoorsy. Exactly the kind of guy Honor would have taken note of years ago.

But this wasn’t years ago, and she’d decided after Jay’s death that her days of noticing men, of dating them, of falling in love were over. She’d had enough of all three to last a lifetime. “No, she isn’t. She’ll be nineteen in a few months.”

“You said she was a college student. Is she attending Liberty University?”

“Why do you want to know?” Honor’s question came out much more abruptly than she’d intended it to. A month ago, Grayson’s curiosity wouldn’t have seemed odd. Now she was suspicious of everyone.

“Because he can’t leave his work at the office,” Sheriff Reed answered, a touch of amusement in his voice and a half smile easing the harsh angles of his face.

“His work?”

“He’s a prosecuting attorney for the state of Virginia. And he’s never met a question he didn’t want to ask.”

“Guilty as charged.” Grayson flashed a dimple Honor hadn’t noticed before and shouldn’t be noticing now. “Sorry. Sometimes my curiosity gets the best of me. Although this time I had a good reason for asking. We’ve got several teens in the community who are attending Liberty. I thought Candace might like to meet them if she’s attending the same school.”

“She is.” Feeling foolish, Honor stirred two spoonfuls of sugar into her coffee and topped it off with a dollop of cream. She was suspicious of everyone lately and knew she shouldn’t be.

“I’ll give the kids a heads-up. Maybe they can stop by one day.”

“That’s very kind of you.”

“It’s no problem.” He raised an eyebrow as she spooned more sugar into her coffee, but didn’t comment.

“And I may be able to hook your daughter up with a play date or two. How old is she?” The sheriff broke into the conversation, and Honor gladly pulled her attention away from Grayson.

“Four going on forty.”

“Mine is three going on thirty. They probably have a lot in common.”

“I think they probably do. Would either of you like a biscuit to go with your coffee? I’m sure I’ve got shortbread.” She opened the cupboard closest to her and stretched to reach the box of biscuits on the top shelf.

“Let me.” Grayson grabbed it from her hands, his fingers brushing hers. It had been a long time since a man had helped her like that, and Honor’s cheeks heated, her heart jumping in silent acknowledgment.

“Thank you. The biscuits are from Ireland. My mother sends them every few months because she knows how much I enjoy them.” She opened the box of biscuits, biting her lip to keep from saying more. The last thing she wanted to do was babble on about biscuits when what she should really be doing was hurrying the men through their coffee and out of her house. With Grayson on her left and the sheriff on her right, Honor was boxed in. Out-sized and outnumbered by two men who seemed to be taking up more than their fair share of space.

“Ireland, huh? I thought I heard a bit of Irish brogue in your voice.” Grayson took a biscuit from the open box she held out to him, smiling his thanks.

And what a smile it was.

Stunningly warm and inviting, begging Honor to relax and enjoy the moment.

“Yes, well, it’s faded a lot since I arrived in the States thirteen years ago. Would you like one?” She held the box out to the sheriff, but he shook his head, setting his mug in the sink.

“Actually, I’ve got to head out. Thanks for the coffee, Mrs. Malone. It was nice meeting you.”

“Thank you for coming out for a false alarm. I’ll see you out.” She set her coffee down, but Sheriff Reed shook his head.

“No need. I can see myself out. Grayson, you take care of yourself. Keep us updated on your brother’s progress. Tiffany and I will keep the prayer loop going as long as necessary.”

“Thanks. My family and I appreciate that more than you know.”

His brother was ill?

Honor wanted to ask, but she was sure that would qualify as getting involved in Grayson’s life. And that was something she was certain she didn’t want to do.

Of course, she knew she would do it anyway.

As soon as Sheriff Reed walked out the back door, she turned to her visitor, noting the shadows beneath his eyes and the tension bracketing his mouth. Now that she knew something had happened to his brother, she saw the evidence of his worry clearly. Whatever was going on, it had to be big. “You said you were out of town for a couple of weeks? Was that because of your brother?”

If he was bothered by her question, his expression didn’t show it. “I’m afraid so. Jude was nearly killed by a hit-and-run driver two weeks ago. Both his legs were crushed, his back was broken and his spinal cord was affected. Add that to head trauma, and you’ve got injuries that were barely survivable. Jude is stabilized now, but it was touch-and-go for several days.”

“I’m so sorry.”

“Yeah. Me, too. My brother is a homicide detective in New York City. A good one. That’s been his passion for as long as I can remember. Now he isn’t sure if he’ll ever be able to return to work.”

“That’s terrible. Is there anything I can do besides pray for him?”

“Unless you can assure him that he’ll be up on his own two feet, running and climbing and working like he used to, no.”

“I wish I could do that, but the prognoses on spinal cord injuries are as varied as the injuries themselves. That, combined with the injuries to your brother’s legs, will give him a long row to hoe, but if the spinal cord wasn’t severely damaged then there’s every chance your brother will walk again.”

“So the doctors said, but it’s two weeks after the injury and Jude still has residual paralysis.”

“Two weeks out isn’t as long as it seems. I’ve seen people regain nerve function all at once. I’ve seen others regain it slowly over the course of weeks and even months. Don’t let your brother give up hope.”

Grayson grabbed another biscuit from the box, eyeing Honor with steady intent. “I’d forgotten that Jake said you were a nurse.”

“Should I ask how he knew that since we’d never met?”

“News travels fast here in Lakeview.”

“I’ll have to keep that in mind.”

“Why? Is there something you’d rather people around here not know?” He raised a dark eyebrow, and Honor laughed, hoping he didn’t sense the truth. Of course there were things she’d rather keep to herself. Like the fact that she’d been attacked and nearly killed a month ago. Or that the death of the drug user who’d broken into her apartment had been headline news.

“Just that my daughter believes in fairy tales and that she’s constantly looking for a prince.”

“In that case, your secret is safe with me.” He placed his cup in the sink. “I’ve got to head out. Thanks for the coffee.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Funny, I had the impression you’d much rather I’d declined your invitation.”

Honor’s cheeks heated, but she refused to look away from his steady gaze. “Entertaining guests wasn’t on my agenda for today.”

“But you invited Jake and me anyway.”

“It seemed like the right thing to do.”

“And you always try to do the right thing?”

“Are you back to prosecutor mode?”

“Actually, this time I was just being a curious neighbor.” Grayson smiled, his firm lips curving, his eyes crinkling at the corners. Not a man given to sulking and anger, Honor thought. More the kind to find the fun in the most ordinary of circumstances. It was a good attitude to have, though carried too far it could lead to trouble. Honor had seen enough of that in her husband, Jay, to know just how far a happy-go-lucky attitude could take a person—from the height of success to the depth of ruin and back again.

She grimaced as she hurried through the mudroom and opened the door for Grayson, waving goodbye as he strode across a yard bathed in silvery morning light.

It was for the best that he was leaving, and for the best that Honor avoid seeing him again. She’d fallen for an easygoing, fly-by-night kind of guy once. In the six years she and Jay had been married, she’d been passionately in love with him and, at times, just as passionately frustrated with him. No way would she go through that again. Not for love. Not for companionship. Not for anything. Her girls deserved a stable, secure home. That’s exactly what Honor planned to provide for them. Nothing would change that. Not circumstances. Not friendships. And certainly not a good-looking prosecutor whose eyes reminded her of home.

THREE

The next few days passed in a blur of work and chores. Honor’s supervisor had worked hard to schedule around Candace’s classes, allowing Honor to work four ten-hour shifts. Honor appreciated it, but by the end of the fourth night, she was exhausted, dragging herself to the nurse’s station to punch out and praying she had the energy to drive home.

“Are you heading straight home, Honor? Or would you like to go have something to eat and a cup of coffee first?” William Gonzalez glanced up from some paper work he was filing as Honor grabbed her coat and purse. Despite the long shift he’d just worked, Will looked wide awake and raring to go.

“I’m definitely going straight home. I’ve got a million things to catch up on this weekend. The sooner I get started, the sooner I’ll be done.”

“I hear you. Maybe we can hook up another time?” He smiled, flashing straight white teeth. At a little over five foot nine, with dark eyes and a compassionate nature, William was the handsome center of romantic attention at Lakeview Haven, and he knew it.

Unfortunately for Will, Honor was much too busy for light flirtation—or anything else, for that matter. Though she had to admit, since she’d met Grayson Sinclair, she’d spent far too much time wondering what it would be like if she did have time. Remembering his dimple, his eyes, the warmth of his fingers when they’d brushed against hers…

Stop it!

You are not some teenage girl mooning over a boy. You’re a grown woman who’s had enough of love to last her a lifetime.

She forced her attention back where it belonged: on her conversation with Will. “My life is pretty hectic right now. I don’t have time for much more than work and the girls.”

“Too bad. You and I have a lot in common.” He smiled again, but there was a tightness to his expression that hadn’t been there before. Had her refusal offended him? Honor hoped not. She and Will worked the same shift and she didn’t want there to be tension between them.

“The same thing we have in common with all the other nurses here, I’d say. Our jobs.” She tried to make light of things as she put on her coat and buttoned it.

“And that we’re both far from home. I grew up in Mexico. My entire family is still there. Makes for a lonely life sometimes.”

“Lonely?” Honor smiled and hiked her purse up onto her shoulder, knowing that Will was anything but that. “The way I hear it, you keep pretty busy with the other nurses around here. I’m not sure how that adds up to being lonely.”

Will laughed and shook his head. “I do like to hang out with some of my co-workers, but that doesn’t mean I’m not lonely. Especially on the days I work. These ten-hour shifts are killers when it comes to friendship.”

“We do get three days off. I’m sure you find plenty of time to go out when you’re not here. Rumor has it you’ve dated every nurse here.”

“Except for you.”

“Which is exactly how I plan to keep it.”

“Why?” He seemed sincerely curious, and Honor answered.

“I was married before, Will, and I have a daughter. At this point in my life, I’m not looking to begin another relationship.”

“All right. That’s cool. Hey, give me a minute to finish filing this paper work and I’ll walk you out. It’s still dark, and you never know what might be hiding in the shadows.”

“The parking lot is well lit, I’ll be fine. Thanks for offering, though. See you Tuesday?”

“See you then.” He waved and turned his attention back to his filing, leaving Honor to walk down the corridor and into the lobby alone.

The front door opened onto a wide veranda that wrapped around the building and provided a covered area for the residents. Colorful chairs and small tables were spaced carefully to allow room for walkers and wheelchairs. During the day, the area had a serene and cheerful air.

In the dark hours before dawn it was anything but cheerful. Bright overhead lights cast long shadows across the cement floor, creating odd shapes that could have been object, creature or person.

Honor shivered as she hurried toward her car, trying to tell herself there was nothing to be afraid of, but unable to shake her fear. She might have left behind the apartment where she’d been attacked, but the memory still haunted her. Wild eyes peering out from a black ski mask. A knife slashing toward her. The quick, hard beat of her heart as she put her hand up to defend herself and fell backward screaming. The crashing thud of the door as her neighbor kicked it in, running to her rescue with his service revolver in hand, shouting for Honor’s attacker to put down the knife. The sharp report of the gun as he’d fired. The soft thud of a body hitting the ground.

Blood.

Everywhere.

Honor shuddered. Thank the Lord Lily and Candace had been at the library. If they’d been home…

She shook her head, refusing to put words to what could have happened. She’d been over it all in her mind during the days that followed the incident. After several sleepless nights, she’d known she had two choices—spend her life reliving the horror she’d experienced or thank God for keeping her family safe and move on. She’d chosen the latter.

Sometimes, though, doing that was harder than it should be.

She pulled open the car door and had started to slide inside when she heard the quiet shuffle of feet on pavement. She glanced around, saw nothing and dropped into her seat, pulling the door closed, locking it against whatever might be lurking in the darkness.

A sharp tap sounded on the back window of the car, and Honor screamed, her hands shaking as she tried desperately to get the key in the ignition. Another knock sounded, this one next to her ear, and she screamed again, turning toward the sound, expecting to look into a ski-masked face.

Instead, she met Will’s concerned gaze.

She unrolled the window, fear making her angry. “What in the world are you doing?”

“Bringing you a message.” If he realized how afraid she was, he didn’t show it.

“A message?”

“Yeah. Janice just called and said we’ve got a staff meeting Tuesday at noon. It’s mandatory. She was going to call you at home, but I told her I thought I could catch you.”

“Tuesday at noon? Are you kidding? Our shift doesn’t begin until two.”

“That’s what I told her, but she said we’ve all got to be there.”

“All right. I guess I’ll have to work it out.”

“See you then.” Will waved and strode away.

For a moment after his departure, Honor didn’t move. Her hands were too shaky, her legs too weak to drive. She took a deep breath. Then another, forcing oxygen into her lungs, her brain, her limbs. Coming to a small town was supposed to make her feel safer, so why was she jumping at everything?

Frustrated with herself, she put the car into Drive and started toward home, fear still pounding a hollow beat in her throat. “Lord, I need Your help pulling myself together. I can’t afford to be afraid all the time. Not when the girls are depending on me. Not when I know You’re in control.”

She muttered the prayer as she drove along the winding road that led home, the sense of peace she always felt when bringing her problems to God filling her. No matter what her troubles, her faith had always carried her through. These new challenges and new worries would be handled with the same firm trust in God that she’d always had.

And she would get through them.

She would.

She pulled up in front of the bungalow, forcing herself to relax and enjoy the sight of the little house.

A house on a quiet street.

She’d dreamed of it for years, and now she had it. She wouldn’t let the past steal the pleasure of achieving what she’d longed for.

The door creaked as she opened it, the light from a small table lamp welcoming her home. Candace’s doing, of course. In the five years since the teenager had moved in with Honor, Candace had worked hard to be a productive member of the family. While other teenagers partied and rebelled, Candace studied hard and helped around the house. After Jay’s death, when Honor had been at the end of her pregnancy and overwhelmed with the prospect of raising a child alone, Candace had promised to do whatever she could to help out. She’d been true to her word, never once complaining when she’d had to rush home to babysit Lily while Honor worked. Even now, when she could easily exert her independence, insist on living on campus away from her rambunctious niece, she’d chosen to live at home and continue to help out. Honor would miss her when she finally made her step into independent living.

“Mommy?” Lily’s loud whisper came from the dark hall, and Honor tensed. She’d been praying for a few hours of sleep before her little girl woke up. Apparently she wasn’t going to get them. She shrugged out of her coat and turned to face her daughter.

“Sweetheart, what are you doing up?”

“I have to tell you something.”

“At three-thirty in the morning?”

“It’s important, Mommy.” Lily bounded toward her, the pink nightgown she wore brushing the floor as she moved, her wild curls bouncing.

Honor lifted her, inhaling the sweet smell of innocence and life. “Okay. So tell me. Then we’re both getting into bed.”

“I’ve been thinking about something.” Lily put her hand on Honor’s face and stared into her eyes, the deep blue of her gaze so similar to Jay’s it made Honor’s throat tighten.

“About what?”

“About the prince.”

Honor bit back impatience and answered in a quiet tone. She and her daughter had had this conversation too many times over the past two days. “Lily Mae, what did we decide before I left for work?”

“That there wasn’t a prince.”

“Then there’s nothing to talk about, is there?”

“But, Mommy, there is. There really truly is. He was right here in our house, and he must be a prince because he lives in that big castle.”

“That isn’t a castle. It’s just a big house. And Mr. Sinclair is not prince. He’s a man.”

“Princes are men.”

Honor sighed, setting her daughter down. “Yes, but not every man is a prince. Some are just men. Some are even frogs dressed up as men.”

As she’d hoped, the idea caught her imaginative daughter’s attention, and Lily laughed. “You’re very silly, Mommy.”

“And so are you to be thinking we have a prince living in our backyard.”

“Not our backyard. In his house. Only I think it isn’t a house. I think it’s a castle.”

“And I think it is not. So that is the last we’ll say about it tonight. Come on. Back to bed with you.” She took her daughter’s hand and began leading her down the hall, but Lily was her father’s daughter, and she wasn’t willing to give up her dream.

“Can we go there and visit? Maybe we can find his crown. Then we’ll know he’s really a prince.”

“No, we can not. Mr. Sinclair is a busy man. He doesn’t have time to entertain us.”

“But—”

“Listen, my sweet, don’t the princes in fairy tales always ride white horses?”

“Yes.”

“And have you seen any white horses around here?”

“No.”

“Then there can’t be any princes around, either, can there?” It was twisted logic, but if it worked, Honor would use it.

“Maybe—”

“Maybe we should stop talking and go to sleep.”

“But I’m not tired.”

Honor shook her head and pressed a finger to her daughter’s lips. “Maybe you aren’t, but I am. I worked for a very long time today, remember?”

“Yes.”

“And now it’s time for me to sleep so that I can be ready to do lots of fun things with you and Candace later on.”

“Like go to the library?”

“Exactly like that.” Honor started down the hall again, stopping when Candace peeked out of her room.

“Is everything okay?” Candace’s voice was husky from sleep.

“Yes. Lily just needed to talk to me.”

“Not about Prince Sinclair, I hope.” Candace wrinkled her nose, and shot a disgruntled look in Lily’s direction. “Didn’t I tell you not to bug your mother about that?”

“I wasn’t, Aunt Candy. Really.”

“Yeah? So why are we all awake when we should be sleeping?” Candace ruffled Lily’s hair and met Honor’s gaze. “Sorry about this.”

“Why should you be sorry? You weren’t the one waiting up for me with dreams in your eyes.” Honor smiled at her sister-in-law and pushed open the door to the room she shared with Lily.

“Yeah, but I am the one who keeps bringing books of fairy tales home from the library. Listen, why don’t you sleep in a little today? I don’t have school, so I can watch Lily until you’re ready to get up.”

“Candace, you’ve watched her every night this week. I can’t ask you to do more.”

“You’re not asking. We’re family. Helping each other is what we do.” She smiled, the shadows in her eyes speaking words she wouldn’t say. Words about what real family meant to her. About the time she’d spent without the kind of love every child deserves.

“Maybe I will, then, but the rest of the day will be yours to do with as you please.”

“Being here pleases me.” She smiled again, stepping back into her room and closing the door before Honor could comment.

Honor resisted the urge to knock on the door, make sure Candace was okay, that the shadows in her eyes were gone. Though she’d tried to broach the subject of Candace’s childhood many times over the years, what she knew about it could fit on half a sheet of paper.

Jay’s mother had inherited a fortune from her father and the family had lived a high-society life in Houston. Money hadn’t bought the family happiness, though. Jay’s stories of the abuse he’d suffered as a kid had torn at Honor’s heart. When his mother had called to ask if Jay’s troubled sister could stay with him for a while, Honor had been quick to agree.

Five years later, she didn’t regret the decision. Though she wished Jay had been around to see how much his sister had grown, how mature she’d become.

The melancholy thought brought the sadness that always came when Honor thought of Jay. He might have been a happy-go-lucky dreamer with more ideas than plans for achieving them, but they’d been good friends before they married, and had continued to be friends until the day he’d died. “Come on, Lily-girl, let’s lie down until the sun comes up.”

“When is that?”

“A few hours.” Honor tucked Lily under thick blankets, pulling them up around her chin and leaning down to kiss her daughter’s forehead.

“Maybe we should have a snack first so we don’t get hungry while we sleep.”

“I don’t think so. Snacks are for times when the sun is up.”

“Later?”

“Yes, later. Good night, sweetheart.”

“Good morning, Mommy.”

Honor smiled and shook her head. Lily was a funny little girl. Advanced for her age and filled with imagination, she kept Honor and Candace on their toes. For now, though, she seemed to be content to lie in bed quietly. Perhaps she was hoping that would get her an extra snack later on. Whatever the case, Honor was thankful for her daughter’s quiet cooperation. Sharing a room with Lily could be difficult. Especially when Honor was tired and her daughter was not. Unfortunately, the bungalow only had two bedrooms, and it had seemed more important for Candace to have her own room than for Honor to have one.