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Authors: Julie Miller
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ago, she’d mistakenly thought that a purposeful walk and a steel whistle would keep her and Emma safe.
Now she was more aware. More alert. More suspicious of the dangers that lay in wait for them out there in the night.
Raising her chin against the wary uncertainty she wasn’t used to feeling, Robin’s gaze tilted up to the row of windows over the Fairy Tale Bridal shop. Hope had turned a light on in the guest bedroom, no doubt as a courtesy for her late arrival. Robin’s mouth eased into a smile. She wasn’t alone. She didn’t have far to go to find warmth and welcome and a chance to regain the emotional equilibrium tonight’s attack had stolen from her.
The smile lingered on her lips as she let her gaze follow the line of windows to the end of the redbrick building. She nodded, telling herself she was reassured by the security camera and lights installed at the corner of Hope’s shop. Detective Montgomery had already requested any footage that might have recorded Robin’s attack. She could do this. She could be independent again. Like any other challenge she’d faced in her life, she’d refuse to let the fear defeat her.
Almost hyperaware of her surroundings now, on guard against any threat that might approach her or Emma again, Robin dropped her gaze down the sidewalk, past the row of cars parked there for the night, visually scoping out the path she’d take across the street. She followed the wooden, ivy-twined fence that framed the parking lot beside Hope’s shop. Gaining confidence with every moment of this silent pep talk, she looked into the emptiness of the alley beyond that fence and...her heart stopped.
“Lonergan.”
She breathed his name. Leaning closer to the window, she peered through the rain, fogging up the glass for a moment as she identified the ghost lurking in the shadows. Arms folded across that massive chest, leaning against the bricks at the edge of the alley across the street. Black T-shirt, broad shoulders, silver hair.
Icy blue eyes meeting hers.
“Lonergan!” she shouted, pulling away from the window. Recognition jump-started her focus out of that anxious lethargy. Purpose energized her steps.
Robin ran through the swinging doors into the hallway and dashed into her office where she grabbed her raincoat and purse. She stuffed Hope’s spare keys into the pocket of her jeans and ran through the workrooms. She never questioned the anticipation coursing through her, never wondered what propelled her out that thick steel door.
He’d stayed. He’d come back. He was still watching over her, protecting her.
She had to see him, had to thank him, had to find out his damned first name.
The splash of cold rain on her skin startled her from the blindly eager rush. She paused beneath the edge of the awning to pull on her coat and blink the moisture from her lashes. By the time she’d cleared her vision, he was gone.
“Son of a...” Slightly breathless and unsure whether she felt disappointment or anger, she clutched her slicker together at the neck and trained her gaze onto the alley where she’d seen him. She moved closer to the street, looked up to the stoplight on the corner and deliberately scanned her way down the block, past every recessed entryway and parked car where he might hide. “Why are you doing this to me?”
Her gaze stopped at a dark green sedan, parked next to the entrance to Fairy Tale Bridal. Her breath stopped, too. It filled up her chest and squeezed out any false sense of security she’d felt at seeing Lonergan again.
There was a man inside the car, dressed in dark clothes. But there was no startling thatch of silver-white hair, no battered face—no face at all that she could see—only shadows.
Feeling his eyes on her as surely as she’d felt Lonergan’s, Robin instinctively backed away. She’d go back into the shop. Call 911. Demand to speak to Spencer Montgomery and tell him there was someone outside the shop again. The same man who’d
Now she was more aware. More alert. More suspicious of the dangers that lay in wait for them out there in the night.
Raising her chin against the wary uncertainty she wasn’t used to feeling, Robin’s gaze tilted up to the row of windows over the Fairy Tale Bridal shop. Hope had turned a light on in the guest bedroom, no doubt as a courtesy for her late arrival. Robin’s mouth eased into a smile. She wasn’t alone. She didn’t have far to go to find warmth and welcome and a chance to regain the emotional equilibrium tonight’s attack had stolen from her.
The smile lingered on her lips as she let her gaze follow the line of windows to the end of the redbrick building. She nodded, telling herself she was reassured by the security camera and lights installed at the corner of Hope’s shop. Detective Montgomery had already requested any footage that might have recorded Robin’s attack. She could do this. She could be independent again. Like any other challenge she’d faced in her life, she’d refuse to let the fear defeat her.
Almost hyperaware of her surroundings now, on guard against any threat that might approach her or Emma again, Robin dropped her gaze down the sidewalk, past the row of cars parked there for the night, visually scoping out the path she’d take across the street. She followed the wooden, ivy-twined fence that framed the parking lot beside Hope’s shop. Gaining confidence with every moment of this silent pep talk, she looked into the emptiness of the alley beyond that fence and...her heart stopped.
“Lonergan.”
She breathed his name. Leaning closer to the window, she peered through the rain, fogging up the glass for a moment as she identified the ghost lurking in the shadows. Arms folded across that massive chest, leaning against the bricks at the edge of the alley across the street. Black T-shirt, broad shoulders, silver hair.
Icy blue eyes meeting hers.
“Lonergan!” she shouted, pulling away from the window. Recognition jump-started her focus out of that anxious lethargy. Purpose energized her steps.
Robin ran through the swinging doors into the hallway and dashed into her office where she grabbed her raincoat and purse. She stuffed Hope’s spare keys into the pocket of her jeans and ran through the workrooms. She never questioned the anticipation coursing through her, never wondered what propelled her out that thick steel door.
He’d stayed. He’d come back. He was still watching over her, protecting her.
She had to see him, had to thank him, had to find out his damned first name.
The splash of cold rain on her skin startled her from the blindly eager rush. She paused beneath the edge of the awning to pull on her coat and blink the moisture from her lashes. By the time she’d cleared her vision, he was gone.
“Son of a...” Slightly breathless and unsure whether she felt disappointment or anger, she clutched her slicker together at the neck and trained her gaze onto the alley where she’d seen him. She moved closer to the street, looked up to the stoplight on the corner and deliberately scanned her way down the block, past every recessed entryway and parked car where he might hide. “Why are you doing this to me?”
Her gaze stopped at a dark green sedan, parked next to the entrance to Fairy Tale Bridal. Her breath stopped, too. It filled up her chest and squeezed out any false sense of security she’d felt at seeing Lonergan again.
There was a man inside the car, dressed in dark clothes. But there was no startling thatch of silver-white hair, no battered face—no face at all that she could see—only shadows.
Feeling his eyes on her as surely as she’d felt Lonergan’s, Robin instinctively backed away. She’d go back into the shop. Call 911. Demand to speak to Spencer Montgomery and tell him there was someone outside the shop again. The same man who’d
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