Daddy Defender

“As soon as I looked over there, he disappeared. I called for Ashton who was out at the power box at the street and he went to look out back.”

Ashton nodded at the two men. “Here, you take this wiggle worm,” he said, handing Chloe to Summer, “and I’ll take the officers outside and show them what I saw.”

He didn’t want to talk shop in front of Summer. It wouldn’t take much of a slip before she realized he knew way more about crime scenes and pursuit tactics than a condo handyman should.

When the door closed behind him, he immediately identified himself, pulling his credentials from his pocket. “I’m Ashton Fitzgerald, with Omega Sector.” The two officers introduced themselves as Jackson and McMeen.

He showed the men where the wires had been cut in the main fuse box and they went around to where the perp had been looking through Summer’s window. Sure enough, a footprint was clearly evident in the soil beneath Summer’s window.

The two men looked at each other. “This matches a couple other calls we’ve gotten the last few days. Mostly apartments and condos, but a couple of houses,” McMeen said.

“Dangerous?”

Jackson shook his head. “No. Power cut, some graffiti. General building damage. Nobody has actually seen them before Ms. Worrall.”

“Whoever it was took off immediately as soon I headed their way.”

McMeen wrote something down in his notebook. “That would be consistent with our theory that it’s some teenagers just looking for a little trouble.”

That made Ashton feel better. He knew it would Summer, too.

The officers left and Ashton made a call to the power company. They assured him they’d have someone out there first thing in the morning to look at it. By the time he made it back inside Summer’s house, she was laying Chloe back in her crib.

“Did they find anything?” she whispered as she came back out, closing Chloe’s door behind her.

“There was definitely a footprint under your kitchen window and some of the wiring to all the units had been tampered with down at the box by the street.”

“Why? Do the police have any idea who it is?”

“It looks like it’s probably some high-school kids trying to make trouble. They’ve had other similar calls around town this week.”

Some of the tension eased from Summer’s shoulders. Stupid kids were just stupid kids.

Now that the immediate danger was past, Ashton could feel every bruise and burn on his body from the electrical shocks earlier today. God, he was tired.

Evidently it showed.

She touched him gently on his arm. “Thank you for coming over here tonight. I was a mess.”

“No, you were fine. Anyone would be a little frightened in these circumstances. Kids didn’t mean any harm, but that doesn’t mean it’s not scary.” He remembered carrying Summer and Chloe out of that burning warehouse a few months ago. If anyone had logical reason to worry about a masked face in a window, it was her.

She turned away. “I guess so.”

“The power company said they’ll be out here first thing in the morning, so that’s good.”

“Yeah. I’m glad it’s not too cold out yet. We should be able to sleep comfortably.” But her eyes darting around the room said otherwise.

“Summer, are you going to be okay? Do you want me to stay? Camp out here on the couch?”

Or so much more. He wanted to do so much more.

She studied him for a minute but then swallowed whatever it was she’d considered saying. She wrapped her arms around herself. “No. You’re tired, I can tell. We’ll be fine. Like you said, just kids, no danger.”

Disappointment hit Ashton in the gut. He hadn’t realized how much he’d wanted her to ask him to stay. Even if it had just been on the couch.

In any other situation, he’d just tell her that was what he was doing regardless. He’d wink at her and offer to be her own personal SWAT security.

And tell her she was welcome to join him on the couch if she got scared at any time. Or he’d be happy to bring the security detail into her bedroom.

But he couldn’t laugh and wink and make jokes and charm his way into staying.

There were too many secrets between them. Too many lies.

He walked over to the door. “I’ll call you tomorrow to make sure the power got turned back on. If not, I can call the power company again.”

“I’m sure it will be.” She opened the door and looked at him again like she wanted to say something, but then her gaze slid to the ground. “Thanks again, Ashton.”

He touched her arm, wanting to do so much more than that.

“Good night.”

He heard the door shut and lock behind him and he walked down to his truck. He eased his sore body into it then, staring back at her condo, started the ignition.

Then promptly turned it back off.

He wasn’t leaving her.

Yeah, it was probably just kids trying to scare people, but Ashton didn’t care. On the off chance it was someone with a more sinister intent directed at Summer, he wasn’t leaving her alone.

He slid his seat back in an effort to get more comfortable inside his truck.

It was going to be a long night.

Chapter Six (#u9c6b789b-f83c-56ec-8300-d90dd93a0220)

Summer could make a list of all the ways she’d been an idiot tonight, but it would probably take too long.

But Ashton offering to sleep here and her turning him down? That would be at the top of said list.

She’d been fascinated with the man for months, hoping he would ask her out. Finally he’d done something that could be categorized as romantically encouraging—or at least protective—and she shut him down.

Not to mention they still didn’t have power and she was pretty nervous. It was past midnight already. She wondered if she’d be able to get any sleep.

Even though she’d already double-checked them all, Summer went around to make sure she’d locked the windows. When she got to the bay window, she saw Ashton’s truck still parked out front.

Why was he still here?

She moved the curtain more to the side so she could get a better look. Maybe he was on the phone or something and just hadn’t left yet.