To Love, Honor and Defend

Cal was right. She knew how it felt to be neglected, how lonely and frightened Ally had to be.

When sleep had finally come last night, Cal’s voice had become her mother’s. An echo of the past. Memories she couldn’t outrun.

You have to help me, honey. I can’t do it alone.

You’ve ruined everything, Libby! How could you do this to me?

She flinched when Cal touched her arm and stopped her from dumping another load of coffee.

“Just how strong do you intend to make that?” Amusement laced his tone and chafed her raw nerves.

When he took the scoop from her hand, she realized she’d been dumping grounds into the filter without measuring. Irritated by her inattention, she flipped the top down on the machine and jabbed the start button. “I can’t marry you. I can refer you to people who will help with Ally’s situation, but I—”

“No!” Cal touched a finger to her lips to halt her argument. Even that mild contact made Libby’s heart jump, and the spike of adrenaline left her trembling.

Geez, that dream had left her jittery, reviving the terror she’d known on the stairs. The stairs…

Libby’s thoughts snagged on the memory. What was she thinking? How could she consider bringing Cal and his daughter into her life while she was being stalked?

She schooled her features as Cal leaned toward her, his arm braced on the counter.

“Go with me this morning and see for yourself what I’m talking about. See for yourself how much she needs our help.”

“It’s not that I don’t care what happens to Ally—I do! The thing is…I’m embroiled in a touchy situation.”

Cal raised one dark eyebrow. “What kind of situation? Are you involved with someone else?”

She sighed. “No, it’s nothing like that. I…someone is watching me. Sending me letters. Trying to frighten me.”

Cal drew himself to his full, impressive height. “Watching you? Like a stalker?”

Libby stalled, turning to pour a cup of coffee. She didn’t want to sound like an alarmist. And she really didn’t want Cal meddling in her affairs, which she was certain he would do if he knew the whole truth. “He’s more of an annoyance than anything. It’s no big deal, but I can’t justify bringing you or Ally into the mix right now.”

She gazed at him over the rim of her mug as she sipped, trying to act as unconcerned about the stalker as she claimed.

A dark shadow crossed Cal’s face. “The other night in the garage… Is that what had you spooked?”

She nodded and glanced away from his incisive stare. “I thought I heard him following me.”

“What do the cops say about this? You have reported this guy to the police, right?”

She snorted. “You sound like Stan. Of course I’ve called the cops. As soon as you left Thursday night, I called, and they came to take my statement about his latest ploy. They’re working on it, and they’ll catch him. Soon.”

Please, God. Her nerves couldn’t handle much more of the creep’s scare tactics.

“Has he ever hurt you? Do you think he’s dangerous?”

I’m gonna get you, bitch. She suppressed a shudder.

“No.” Maybe. “Look, I know his type. Hateful letters are part and parcel of my job. He probably just wants to scare me, but I won’t let him. If I refuse to let him manipulate me, eventually he’ll get tired of his games and go away.”

Cal frowned. “You don’t really believe that, do you?”

“Yes.” No. But maybe if she kept telling herself she had no reason to be worried, she would eventually believe it.

He arched his eyebrow again, clearly unconvinced. “Seems to me this guy is another reason you should marry me.”

She choked on her coffee. “What?” she sputtered.

“I can protect you.”

She thunked her mug down on the counter. “I don’t need protection. Besides, what about the potential danger you’d put yourself in?”

Cal brushed a wisp of hair from her cheek, tucking it behind her ear. “I can take care of myself.”

“So can I.” She ducked away from his hand. The mere touch of his finger against her cheek curled her toes, sent ribbons of pleasure swirling inside her. Damn it, spending any length of time with this man threatened her libido. And the shabby patchwork of her reconstructed heart.

“What about Ally?” she asked. “Aren’t you worried about her being at risk from this guy?”

“He’d have to come through me to get to Ally. Or to you. I would never let that happen. She’s at far greater risk as long as she’s living in that dump with Renee. That’s the problem I’m concerned with.”

Cal slid warm hands over her shoulders and gripped her arms, pinning her with an intense blue gaze. “Please, Lib. Go with me to get Ally. It’s important to me that you understand what’s at stake.”

She knew the stakes better than he did. To her heart. And to Ally. She’d lived it.

The answer wasn’t clear-cut, black or white.

As much as she wanted to tell him no, the incident on the stairs, her nightmare had rattled her more than she cared to admit. Maybe having Cal around would give her more protection. And a little peace of mind.

But protection wasn’t justification for getting married. Especially not to Cal. Letting Cal back into her life posed a far more imminent danger to her heart. Her throat tightened. Damn it, he’d already made a riot of her emotions.

“If I go…” she began, hating the seductive rasp in her voice.

The smoky haze in his eyes told her he’d noticed, too. His gaze locked on her mouth, and she fought the urge to retreat a step. Or to lean in and kiss him. She cleared her throat before she went on. “If I go with you now, you’ll take my no for an answer and leave me alone?”

“You won’t tell me no.” His grin was confident and disarming. “As I recall, you never could.”

Libby scowled at his back as he sauntered toward her living room. Maybe the old Libby never could tell him no, but since he’d walked out on her five years ago, she’d changed.

Chapter 3

Nothing had changed at Renee’s apartment since he’d been by earlier in the week. Except perhaps a few more crusty dishes were piled in the sink and on the coffee table. A stronger stench of rotten garbage permeated the air.

Cal watched Libby react to the scene. With her eyes wide and her stance rigid, she pressed a hand over her mouth and took in the chaos of clutter and filth.

“You’re early.” Renee stumbled back from the door, tripping past the spot where her boyfriend Gary—or Jerry, or whatever the creep’s name was—lay passed out on the floor. Judging from Renee’s glazed expression, she was high again. Surprise, surprise.

“Actually I’m not. It’s past nine. Where’s Ally?”