He gave her a curious look, as if contemplating the reason for her caution.
The girls burst back on the scene, begging for dessert, so Leah rose to get the ice cream. Grabbing a few small plates, she scooped smooth vanilla bean alongside the warm cherry torte. Do you want some? she asked Brian, serving her daughters first this time.
Is it as good as the cookies?
Better, she said.
His brows rose in agreement as he took a first bite. Wow.
Leah lifted a spoon to her mouth, enjoying the sweet, tart cherries and creamy vanilla ice cream. By the time dessert was over, they were all stuffed. Mandy and Alyssa had both been up since the crack of dawn and looked tired. Leah put on a Disney movie for them and returned to the kitchen, surprised to see Brian at the sink.
I thought Id help you load the dishwasher.
It doesnt work, she said, surprised. Ive never used it.
Do you mind if I take a look?
Go ahead.
He glanced into the cabinet under the sink, checking the wiring. Its not hooked up right.
Really?
I can fix it if you want.
She crossed her arms over her chest, drumming her fingertips against her elbows. How long will it take?
Half an hour.
What do you charge?
He shrugged. A plate of leftovers.
I was going to offer you that anyway.
Then its a deal. Ill get my tools.
Brian came back five minutes later with a scarred metal toolbox. Setting it on the floor, he opened the sink cabinet and hunkered down. You have an old towel?
She had nothing but old towels. Grabbing a couple of different sizes from the bathroom, she brought them to him. He placed one of the large ones over the lip of the cabinet, making a more comfortable spot to lean against. Then he stretched out on his back and got to work, unscrewing bolts and taking the plumbing apart.
With his head under the sink and his long legs sticking out, he should have looked odd. Instead he seemed at ease, even masterful. There was something very manly about this task. As he cranked a wrench, shifting his weight in the cramped space, the hem of his T-shirt rode up, revealing a strip of his taut abdomen. She averted her gaze.
John had never been handy with tools.
Leah concentrated on putting away the leftovers. She packed a hefty portion of ham, potatoes, and green beans into a plastic container for Brian. Then she wrapped a piece of cherry torte in foil and added a tin of cookies to the stash.
There, he said, making a final adjustment. Turn it on.
She pressed the button to start the dishwasher. Water rushed into the machine, beginning a new cycle. It works!
He moved his head out from underneath the sink. Run it once without any dishes to make sure.
Thank you so much, she said, marveling at his skills. Shed been meaning to get the dishwasher fixed for ages. Youre a lifesaver.
It was nothing.
Are you sure I cant pay you?
He gathered up his tools, preparing to leave. Im sure.
Leah was both sorry and relieved to see him go. Although she enjoyed his company and appreciated his help, his presence unnerved her in a way she didnt want to analyze. She also couldnt afford to let anyone get too close. Intuition told her that Brian Cosgrove had a canny mind, along with deft hands.
To keep her children safe, she had to stay guarded.
Turning back to the counter, she put the food containers in a striped gift bag. Merry Christmas, she said, handing it to him.
He accepted the bag with a polite nod and she saw him out, locking the door behind him. As soon as he was gone, the house seemed empty. And too quiet. She went to check on the girls, noting that Alyssa had fallen asleep with Dr. Elmo in her arms. Mandy was still watching 101 Dalmations.
Leah curled up beside her, staring sightlessly at the screen.
Brian wasnt able to relax when he came home from Leahs.
The meal had been fantastic. Even after tasting her cookies, he hadnt expected her to be such a good cook. Maybe because she was on the slender side and had kind of a skittish personality. Sharing a meal with a neighbor seemed out of character for her. Brian imagined that most chefs were round and gregarious.
It wasnt that she wasnt friendly. It was more like she wasnt happy.
Shed lost her husband and was raising two kids on her own, so that was understandable. Most women in her position wouldnt feel overjoyed.
But there was a deeper issue with her, he suspected. Shed panicked when she saw him this morning. Shed also made sure he didnt have access to the serving fork. Although his sister had often moved sharp items out of the childrens reach, Leahs kids werent babies. She considered him a threat.
He wasnt insulted by her attitude. She was a protective mother and he respected that. What unsettled him was the thought of someone traumatizing her so badly that she expected others to do the same.
In a way, she reminded him of himself. Hed been bounced around a lot when he was a kid. So had his little sister. A few of the foster homes theyd lived in were just as dysfunctional as his mothers house, and it wasnt unusual for him to get picked on or roughed up. As he got older hed become less of a target. Hed learned how to defend himself and his sister, but hed never forgotten how it felt to be small and scared.
During the meal, hed wondered if Leahs husband had been abusive. Then her eyes had softened when she spoke of him and he dismissed the idea.
Whatever shed gone through was none of his business. He was drawn to her and he had the strange feeling that she shared his interest. But he also realized that she didnt welcome the attraction. He should forget about their impromptu Christmas get-together.
She wouldnt invite him back.
Brian decided to keep an eye out for her anyway. The remodel would take several more months, and he liked the idea of being her unofficial security guard. No one could approach Leahs house without him noticing.
Hed had no control over his foster-care childhood or his sisters untimely death. He had no chance at having a relationship with his nieces, his only relatives. But he could take on the responsibility of watching over Leah and her children.
He could do it from a distance.
Chapter 3
Leanne was driving home from the grocery store, humming along to the radio.
Baby Melissa was fast asleep in her car seat. Leanne parked in the driveway and grabbed several bags of groceries, walking inside. Johns car had been alone in the garage, so she was surprised to hear more than one voice coming from the bedroom. Her husband sounded desperate, the other man, angry.
Frowning, she went down the hall. An intense wave of foreboding washed over her, and she almost turned around to go back to the car. Instinct told her to get Melissa and run. Instead, she moved quietly, softening her steps.
The door was cracked open. As she peered inside, her blood turned to ice. John knelt on the carpet, pleading for mercy. The man standing over him showed none. While she watched, he pulled out a gun and shot her husband in the head.
Leanne was too terrified to scream. But Johns killer looked up and their eyes locked. It was Mariano Felix, one of his business associates.
She dropped the groceries in the hall and fled. She ran through the garage, past the driveway, across the yard. She left her car. There was no time to put the keys in the ignition, and she didnt want to endanger her daughter.
Heart pounding, she sailed over the hedge, into the neighbors yard, and ducked down out of sight. Her purse was still hanging off her shoulder. With a shaking hand, she reached for her cell phone, dialing 911.
Heart hammering, she peeked over the hedge. Felix burst from the house, approaching the drivers-side door of her car.
No! she screamed.
He turned his head, catching sight of her behind the hedge.
She straightened, showing him the cell phone. An emergency operator had already responded to her call. Please, she said, begging for help. Begging for her life. For her babys life.
The neighborhood was quiet, but it wasnt deserted. There were people in the nearby houses, cars on the street. Felix took off at a brisk pace, choosing not to murder her in front of dozens of possible witnesses.
He rounded the corner and disappeared.
She woke up in a cold sweat, his cruel face etched in her memory. The police had never found the loan shark whod killed her husband. He was a cold-blooded criminal in a mafia organization and a very real threat to her.
The nightmare came less frequently now, over a year later. But it still had the power to set her nerves on edge.
Rising from the bed, she changed clothes, donning a pair of jean shorts and a white tank top. Judging by the bright sunshine and absent marine layer, it was going to be another unseasonably warm day.
The girls were on winter break for another week, and shed promised them a trip to the beach. In her old life, shed have gone shopping on the day after Christmas. Her world had changed so much that she didnt miss spending money. And she certainly didnt miss the credit card bills or the arguments with John.
When they first met, his success had impressed her. Shed grown up in a financially unstable household, so it was comforting to date someone rich. Hed spoiled her with expensive gifts and told her to never worry about a thing.
A few years after they got married, his career took a nosedive and their relationship followed suit. He hid his gambling addiction from her and lied about his whereabouts. Soon the facade came tumbling down.
If he hadnt been murdered, shed have filed for divorce. Hed refused to face their problems and never acknowledged that he needed help.
He wouldnt let her in.
Johns death hadnt been easier to deal with because shed fallen out of love with him. Failing marriage or not, Leah had depended on him. Hed abandoned them and left her to pick up the pieces, and she still resented him for it.
Leah made breakfast for the girls, who couldnt wait to walk down to the shore. Theyd been in this house for several months, and although the beach was only two blocks away, they hadnt spent much time there.
Can we wear our suits? Mandy asked.
I suppose, Leah said, smothering a surge of anxiety. Both girls had taken swimming lessons, but they were small, and the Pacific Ocean was dangerous. Were just going to get our feet wet.
That was good enough for them. While they ran to their room to don their bathing suits, Leah packed a bag with snacks, drinks and towels. She didnt have any beach toys, so she grabbed her gardening tools and put them in a small plastic bucket.
When they were ready, she ushered the kids outside, locked the door and set the alarm behind her. Brian was in his driveway, scrubbing down his work truck with a long brush. He was wearing gray cargo shorts and a faded red T-shirt.
She couldnt ignore him like she used to, so she waved hello.
What are you girls up to? he asked with an easy smile, turning off the water faucet.
Were going to the beach! Alyssa said.
His eyes traveled along Leahs legs, which hadnt seen the light of day, or felt the heat of a mans gaze, in a long time. My favorite place, he said, clearing his throat. He winked at Mandy. Have fun.
She expected one of her daughters to invite him along. When they didnt, Leah urged them forward, feeling like shed dodged a bullet. But every step she took away from him made her insides twist with guilt.
Wait, she said, tugging on Alyssas hand.
Mandy stopped her forward march. What?
She turned to look at Brian again. He was wiping down the interior of his truck, studiously ignoring her. Would you like to come with us?
His hands stilled and he glanced over his shoulder.
Leah wasnt surprised when Mandy and Alyssa started jumping up and down in agreement. They lived an isolated existence. The prospect of hanging out with anyone besides their mother was wildly exciting.
Okay, he said, tossing aside a dust cloth. Just like that, he slammed the drivers side door of his truck and followed them to the beach.
They lived a few blocks from a long, narrow stretch of coastline known as The Strand. Several miles of road ran parallel to the beach, offering drivers a scenic view of girls in bikinis. Teenagers and rubberneckers drove up and down the strip every day of the week, checking out the hotties. Between the street and the beach there was a barrier of large, slate-colored rocks, mixed with heavy chunks of concrete. During high tide, the waves met these rocks and the beach all but disappeared.
Leah knew that because last time theyd had to walk all the way to the pier to find enough space to lay down a towel.
Today there was a nice amount of sand and it wasnt too crowded. Leah pointed to a spot near the lifeguard tower and they headed toward it.
Is the tide coming in? she asked Brian.
Going out, he said.
There were some advantages to bringing a surfer along, she supposed. If one of her children got knocked down by a wave, he could save them.
Fortunately, the ocean looked peaceful at the moment. There were no powerful breakers churning up the sand. Soft waves lapped at the shore, barely causing a stir. Did you go surfing this morning?
He shook his head. Nothing to ride.
She glanced out at the gentle water. Oh, of course. Silly question.
Not at all.
Well, I obviously dont know anything about the ocean.
You didnt grow up here.
Right. And this was why she avoided people. Pretty soon hed ask where she was from. Did you?
Yes. Born and raised. Although raised is too kind a word to describe my upbringing. Turned loose might be more accurate.
Whys that?
I was a foster kid. My sister and I both were.
Leah came to a stop near the shore, spreading out her towel and spraying the girls down with sunscreen. Can we build sand castles? Mandy asked. When Leah said yes, they grabbed the bucket of tools and started digging.
Alyssa got upset when her first tower crumbled.
You need to pack it down, Brian explained, helping her fill the cup again. He patted the sand with the flat of his hand, showing her. She turned it upside down and lifted the cup, delighted with the smooth-set formation.
While Alyssa and Leah made a grand sand castle, Mandy and Brian started digging a moat the size of a small pond. Soon it was a major building project, complete with a seaweed drawbridge and pebble walkway.
The girls were covered in sand by the time they were finished, so Leah took them to rinse off in the ocean. Although the water was very cold, they splashed in the shallow surf, chasing each other along the shore.