“You have my word, Tammy,” he said, taking her shoulders in his hands. “I won’t shut you out again. I’ll include you in all the discussions from here on out.”
“Including your dealings with the police?” she pressed.
His exhalation was long suffering. “If that’s what you want.”
“Yes, I want to know what the police know.”
“Then fine. Clayton here has the official report.” He took her hand and led her over to the chair in front of his desk.
She lowered herself, realizing she was shaking pretty much from head to toe, and Clayton joined her in the other chair while Rye sat on the edge of his mammoth desk.
“As Rye’s mentioned, we want to add permanent guards around the house for the time being. The police recommended one at the gate and two guards both in the front and back of the house.” Clayton extended the first file to her. “I’m suggesting we hire Lanier Security. It’s a well respected company, and I’ve had four glowing references on them from people I trust. They’re discreet and especially good in situations involving women and children.”
The security group’s information was secured with a large binder clip. She didn’t know anything about security, so she handed it to Rye. “I like that they’re good with kids.”
“Fine. It’s done then,” Rye said, setting that file aside.
“I’ll let them know. We’ll release the temporary guards the police arranged for us when the contract is signed. Should be later today. We can reassess the size of the contingent as time marches on.”
“Good. What next?” Rye asked.
“I’ve contacted your old contractor about replacing the broken window in your studio now that the police have given their go-ahead.”
Rye glanced at her, and it was like he was pulling teeth when he briskly asked, “Is that all right, darlin’?”
“Of course,” she said, feeling uncomfortable now. “It’s your house, after all.”
“It’s yours too, and don’t forget that.” He coughed like he was trying to clear cobwebs from his throat.
Clayton laid another file on Rye’s lap. “Here’s the initial police report, which isn’t complete by any means, but I was able to get a copy because I went to school with one of the guys on the force. Are you sure you want to see it, Tammy? It outlines what happened…in a…well, a straight-forward police sort of way. And there are pictures of Bandit that will turn your belly.”
Everything inside her wanted to revolt at the thought of seeing what that man had done to her son’s dog.
Rye cocked a brow at her. “You don’t need to, Tammy.”
Putting on this new armor of hers, she bit her lip. “No, I need to know.”
The pictures of that sweet little dog were ghastly, and she squeezed her eyes shut, fighting tears. Dear God, Bandit was lucky to be alive. He’d been kicked bloody, and oh, it was too horrible.
Rye pried the file from her fingers. “Enough. Sometimes seeing things doesn’t help, and this is one of those occasions. Damn that bastard to hell. It looks like he tried to kick Bandit to death.”
“Yes,” Clayton said with an edge now. “They can’t determine if Bandit bit the man, but they swabbed his mouth just in case. The tests will be back soon.”
He was talking about DNA, she realized, and she hoped Bandit had taken a chunk of that horrible man’s flesh.
“We’ll catch the bastard, Tammy. Pardon my language.”
“That’s a polite name for the man who did this,” she said, feeling like her body was held together by nothing but toothpicks.
“Amen,” Rye said.
“And we’re keeping a lid on everything, saying as little to the press as possible,” Clayton said. “I’ve talked personally to the chief of police about it. There won’t be a tabloid incident this time. That I can guarantee.”
The thought drove a spear of fear straight through her heart. Would someone leak something like this to the press? She couldn’t imagine why they would. Then again, people had stopped making sense to her long ago.
They looked up when the door clicked open. Daddy strolled into the office with John Parker behind him.
“Y’all having a meeting in here or something?” Daddy asked.
Rye rolled his eyes. “Well, hell, why don’t we invite the whole gang in here? Call roll. Take a vote.”
Daddy went over to the bar tucked in the corner and took out a bottle of Jack Daniels. “Anyone want a drink?”
The men all accepted his invitation, and Tammy stood. “I’d like one too.”
“It’s pretty strong stuff,” Daddy cautioned her, and it was like a Christmas present that he hadn’t refused her outright like he might have done in the past.
“It’s time I got tough,” she told him.
John Parker, who’d walked up behind her, closed his hands on her shoulders. “You don’t need to be
that
tough, honey.”
Still angry at him, even though she hadn’t yet had the chance to tell him so, she leveled him a glance over her shoulder. “I’ll decide how tough I need to be.”
Rye downed his shot in one swallow, and Clayton did the same. Daddy and John Parker sipped theirs. All of the men watched as Daddy extended a highball glass to her. The smell was enough to take paint off a barn, but she raised it to her lips and downed it just like they had. It took some doing not to cough and sputter, but she managed even though her throat felt like a blazing inferno had rolled through it.
“Feel tougher?” John Parker nearly growled.
She didn’t, but she needed to show these men that she was just as strong they were. This was not tea time at Mrs. Habershak’s garden party. She was rarely the sole woman in the company of men, and it felt a little…well, intimidating.
Daddy eased into the chair Clayton had vacated for him and picked up the police report, paging through it. “From this account, you and the kids were very lucky, Tammy,” he commented after a while.
“I know it,” she whispered, unable to forget the pictures of Bandit’s injuries.
John Parker paced across the floor and took the report from Daddy as soon as he set it aside. When he was finished, he slammed it down on the desk and crossed his arms over his chest, his face darkening. “Do they have any leads, Clayton?”
“Not that I’m aware of yet. Rye, we’re combing through social media to look for any strange fans, but none of them register for this. You know we keep an eye out for crazies at all times, and no one new has shown up lately, so this seems out of the blue.”
“And yet, the whole burglary suggests a large degree of intent,” Daddy said, “all the way down to using a boat. Smart move there.”
“We’re pulling a lot of threads on our end,” Clayton continued. “The police are hoping the burglar will try and sell your CMA award, but I just don’t see that happening. It’s too risky. This guy doesn’t strike me as a dumb hick.”
“Me either,” Daddy commented. “We’ll just have to trust the police to do their job.”
“Exactly,” Clayton said, “and by the way, Detective Rawlings is going to call and set up a time to take…you and Tammy through the rest of the house to make sure nothing else is missing. They’ve already gone through the security company’s list of valuables, but they want to double check for more personal items.”
Rye set his glass aside. “I’ll have Tory help if you don’t want to do it with me, Tammy. I don’t want that to…stir you up.”
“I’m already stirred up plenty.”
Daddy rose and put a steadying hand on Tammy’s shoulder. “I’ll stay as long at the house as you need, darlin’.”
She covered his hand with her own. “I appreciate that, Daddy.”
“I’m going back to the kids,” he said. “I suggest you come with me. Rory’s been asking after you.”
“I’ll be there shortly,” she told him, “but first I want to talk to John Parker.” It was time for a reckoning. “Will y’all excuse us?”
Rye and Clayton shrugged and took off after Daddy, shutting the door quietly behind them.
Tammy turned to look at John Parker, taking in the stubborn set of his chin, a look she hadn’t seen on him before. “I know you and Rye have decided you should stay here, but you need to understand that I don’t like you two making decisions about me and the kids without seeking my opinion.”
“With you and I growing closer, I didn’t think you’d mind. Rye and I only care about protecting you and the kids.”
“I’m aware of that, and I’ll admit that part of me wants to let you. This whole thing has shaken me to the core.” Yet she couldn’t,
wouldn’t
let it defeat her newfound sense of independence. “But Rye’s hiring security guards, so we’ll be fine.”
“What exactly bothers you about me staying here? I promise I won’t be in your way.”
Why couldn’t he understand? “It’s superfluous when there are guards. You won’t be doing anything more than they can.”
“Is that what you think after kissing me upstairs? Here I thought I would be able to support you and the kids and ease your fears by being around. Hold y’all some when you need a shoulder. Dammit, Tammy, you’re making me sound like the bad guy here.”
Seeing him lose his temper was such a shock, it took everything in her to stand her ground. “I’m not trying to hurt your feelings, John Parker. You
can
support us by coming over here, but you don’t need to stay.”
He stared off for a moment and took a deep breath before meeting her gaze again. “It’s a big house, Tammy. Wouldn’t you and the kids feel better, knowing I was sleeping down the hall?”
Of course she would, but that wasn’t the point. “We need to figure out how to feel safe again on our own, John Parker.”
“So you don’t want my help?” He shook his head. “This isn’t just about you, you know. What about
me,
worrying about you and the kids each night? And your family? Heck, Rye wanted to cancel his tour.”
“I know. But he can’t.”
“Oh, he could all right. He wouldn’t blink at the backlash from his fans or the millions of dollars in lost revenue. He’s going back to the tour because he knows
I’ll
look after the three of you.”
As a tool, guilt had worked for years, but she couldn’t let it sway her now. “Don’t you see how that sounds? You’re implying I can’t look out for myself and my kids.”
He held out his hands to her, fingers spread, like he was making a plea. “If that’s the way you hear it, then you need to clean your ears. I’m only saying, obviously poorly, that I want to be an extra supporter around here. Heck, even my mama and sisters would admit they’d feel better knowing a man is sleeping in the house if there’s some kind of threat, and they’re some of the most independent women I know.”
For a while, she had felt the same way. Until the man in her house had turned on her and made her fear him. Fear being in her own home. “Don’t you understand how archaic that sounds?”
“You’re not following me,” he burst out, and it was the first time he’d ever raised his voice in her presence. “What I mean is you don’t have to do this alone. If you don’t want me to stay, I’ll come over as often as I can, but I think you’re refusing the easier solution.”
He would see it that way. “You don’t know what it’s like to never have stood on your own, John Parker. Do you think I’m not afraid? That I don’t want to let you be the big strong man who keeps the monsters away? Well, I learned something about myself last night.
I
can protect my children if they need protecting. Do I ever want to do that again? Not in a million years. But I’m capable of solving my own problems, John Parker, and I wouldn’t give that up for the world.”
He gestured to the door. “And what about the kids? Don’t you think they would feel better, having a man around?”
“I don’t know,” she said bitterly. “Their father never exactly made them feel safe.”
For a long moment, he stood there silently, his jaw ticking. “You darn well know I’m not him and that the kids have
never
felt that way around me.”
Since his pain was evident, she closed the distance between them and touched his arm. “I know, and I’m sorry if you took offense. Please try and understand why this is important to me.”
Finally he cupped her cheek, and she saw the sensitive man who’d kissed her this morning. “I’m trying, but you should know it’s not easy for me. I don’t understand why you won’t let me support you.”
As though it belonged there, she covered his hand with her own. “I
am
letting you support me, and this way, we’ll have some space between us to…see how things grow.”
His mouth quirked up then. “So you’re not shutting me out completely?”
She sighed long and deep, feeling like she’d finally gotten through to him. “That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you, only you’ve been too stubborn to listen.”
He took a moment then and rubbed their foreheads together, a gesture so sweet and endearing her heart finally settled down from its erratic beating.
“Okay. I hear you. I don’t like it, but I hear you. Now, how about I kiss you again to reassure us both?”
“Oh, John Parker,” she whispered, her heart rate kicking back up. “I am
so
not good at this.”
His body pressed against hers, all warm and male and strong. Her hands wrapped around him of their own accord, wanting the connection, wanting to be held.
“You mentioned earlier about forging a new path for yourself and the kids. I want to be a part of that.”
She was afraid she would grow to rely on him too much if she let him in, but she knew deep down she had to try. “It’s all so new.”
“And here I’ve been trying not to rush you.”
He laughed and leaned back until his face was just inches away from hers. Those blue eyes stole her breath, and she rose on her tiptoes so their lips could meet, silencing all the earlier misunderstandings and frustration.
The first brush was delicate and sweet, and he took his time showing her there could be kindness and comfort in a kiss. Yet as their lips continued to slide over each other, she felt the unstoppable urge for more. She gripped his back, and he answered her by sliding his tongue between her lips.
It was shocking, being kissed like that. Sterling had never been much on kissing, and the feel of John Parker inside her mouth rocked her to the core. Her fingers dug into his skin, and he rubbed his tongue over hers, a move so carnal she uttered a low moan before realizing what she’d done. Breaking free, she put a hand to her sensitive mouth.