Protector's Honor

“Oh.” He chuckled then leaned forward running a hand across the fresh buzz. “I don’t usually—my grandmother likes it like this.”

“Nice.” Tabitha didn’t stop her grin. It wasn’t every day she met a bona fide tough guy willing to shave his head for his grandmother. “So, did the cops find those men on the mountain?”

“No. They’re probably long gone. But the detectives will be here any minute and we can give them good descriptions.”

She pressed away from the table. “In that case, I’m going to change.”

“I don’t think so.” He grabbed her wrist. His eyes shifted toward the colonial-style inn with its multistepped entrance then looked at her bad ankle. “I’ll go. Tell me what to get.”

Tabitha took in a sharp breath, acutely aware of his touch. And it annoyed her that he was right about the ankle. She was in no shape to hop all the way to her room. She exhaled, showing her agitation.

“I’m just trying to help,” Rory explained.

“I know.” She dropped her head, pushed the loose wisps of hair from her face and smiled. “I left the key at the front desk. Will they give it to you?”

“Yep. I know the manager.” He winked.

“You know everyone,” she teased.

“The benefit of growing up in a small town. So, tell me what you need.”

Tabitha sighed and gave into his offer. “Well, on the bed you’ll find my warm-up pants and a pink Nike T-shirt. And if you could, grab my cell phone, too. It’s on the dresser.”

“Pants, shirt, phone. Got it.” Rory’s kind smile flooded her with an unexpected rush. He moved beside her, his eyes fixed on her bad ankle which he lifted and placed on the chair where he’d been sitting. He put the ice pack over the sore joint and gave her hand a little squeeze. “Be right back.”

As he disappeared into the inn, she stared after him wondering what had just happened. Her fingers tingled where he’d touched them and her heart fluttered in an unsteady pattern. She hadn’t had that reaction to a man in years. Had to be her overwrought nerves. Prayer could fix that.

Lord, my head is clouded. Please be with me. The Lord is my rock, in whom I take refuge…

The psalm brought Tabitha some comfort until she noticed two men in suits talking to one of the police officers assigned to the event. The detectives. She drew in a sharp breath as her thoughts went back to the attack.

She shut her eyes and tried to remember the details of the morning. What had the men looked like? What had they said to her? They had wanted something. Something Max had given her? But what could her brother have given her that these men would be willing to kill for?

Rory funneled his way through the hordes of people between the lunch tent and the inn. His mind swirled in a confusion of excitement and concern. Nothing like this had ever happened at a triathlon. Even as a federal agent, he’d only dealt with one case of abduction—enough to know they didn’t always end well.

God, thank You for using me to help Tabitha.

A prayer?

Yep. He’d said a prayer and it had flowed out of him quite naturally.

Was anyone listening?

That he didn’t know anymore. No one had listened when he’d begged for his father’s recovery.

Lifting a hand to his temple, he mounted the narrow set of whitewashed stairs. His headache had returned with the bitter emotions. The happiness he’d experienced helping Tabitha over the past hour slipped away with each step.

He entered the small lobby of the old B and B–style hotel, passing several antique hutches and tables, all loaded with country knickknacks and crockery. Crossing the wide-plank floor, he headed straight to the check-in. The manager, a petite blonde dressed in a simple white linen outfit, gave him a wide smile from behind the front counter.

He returned his cousin’s smile despite his heavy heart. “How are you, Terri?”

“Busy. But glad you came in,” she confessed. “You’ve been mighty scarce this week.”

“Yeah, well, you know…” Rory’s jaw clenched at the truth in her words. Hanging out with family only emphasized the absence of his father. It had been easier to be alone. “So, I guess you heard a racer was injured?”

“I heard you rescued someone.”

“Tabitha Beaumont, one of your guests.”

A look of concern fell over Terri’s face. “Ms. Beaumont? She’s hurt?”

“Sprained ankle. Nothing serious. But that’s only part of the story.” Rory shifted his weight back.

Terri folded her arms across her chest. “Well? What happened?”

“Two men, one armed, attempted to abduct her.”

“What?” The petite woman’s gray eyes grew large and a worried look settled across her face. “I didn’t know. I just heard someone needed a ride back from the trail. Where did this happen?”

“About halfway down. I know the whole mountain belongs to the resort so I wanted to tell you that I’ve called some detectives in. They’ll want to talk to you.”

“Certainly. This is terrible. I can’t believe it. Ms. Beaumont seems so sweet. I had tea with her when she arrived yesterday. I enjoyed chatting with her. Do you think she’s in some kind of trouble? You know, she’s a lawyer in Charlotte.”

“A lawyer? Really?” He’d not even asked. Come to think of it, he hadn’t asked her anything. He’d been talking about himself. How had that happened? “What else did she tell you? Did she seem upset about anything?”

“No. Not that I could tell. A little nervous about the race. She said her older brother’s into triathlons and talked her into trying one.”

“This was her first race?” His eyebrows lifted.

Terri nodded. “That’s what she said. Why?”

He chuckled. “She did well. She’d been moving along for a first timer…” Rory stopped his pointless comment. Where was his focus? “I—I doubt it’s important. Anything else you remember? Was anyone meeting her or assisting her at the bike drop-off or the finish?”

“Now that you mention it, I recall her booking two rooms.” Terri took a moment to pull up some records on her computer. “The other room was registered under the name Bristow. She canceled it a few days ago.”

Bristow. Probably not her brother. Different last name. Boyfriend? Could this person be connected to what had happened? Rory pressed his fingers to the bridge of his aching nose, wishing he’d taken some aspirin for himself. “Did she say why?”

Terri shook her head. “No. Is it important? Is this what the police will ask me?”

“Maybe, but they’ll also want to know about the grounds and security. How you handle the event. Stuff like that.”

“Okay.” Terri rubbed her hands together nervously.

“I’ll go see if they’ve arrived, but first, Ms. Beaumont needs a favor. A few things from her room. Could you let me in since she can’t get up here with her bad ankle?”

She rolled her eyes. “Always ready to help a damsel in distress, huh? Especially if she’s beautiful?”

“Do you really think I’m that shallow?” Rory held his hands in the air, feigning innocence.