By the time he reached her place, tension wrapped around his neck like a noose. A deputy cruiser sat in the driveway, releasing a bit of his anxiety. But nothing would erase it until he saw for himself both Celine and Parker were okay.
With the truck in park, he shut off the engine and sprinted to the front stoop. He stifled the urge to pound on the door, opting to ring the bell.
Celine answered in an instant and threw herself into his arms. “Oh, thank God. You’re here.”
He tightened his grip, pulling her against his chest. The feel of her against him was so familiar, yet new curves tempted his hands to discover the body motherhood had brought her.
But now wasn’t the time. Hell, the time would never come. He’d thrown away any chance he might ever have to be with this woman again, but the least he could do was hold her—comfort her—let her know he’d stand tall and strong to keep her and their son safe.
Duke stood on the step behind him and cleared his throat. “We should probably head inside and lock up.”
Celine took a step back and wiped the tears from her eyes. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I’m just such a mess right now.”
Lane wanted to slap Duke for ruining the moment, but his pal was right. Standing outside after another attempt on Celine was stupid. “No apologies necessary.”
When she turned to step inside, he rested a palm at the small of her back. He might not be able to take her hand or hold her close, but he could let her know he was still here.
Spencer stood in the living room, his wide mouth in a deep frown, while Deputy Maddie Timken sat on the sofa.
She stood, nodding in his direction. Her dark hair was pulled in a low ponytail and her blue eyes were sharp with observation, her interest barely concealed with a tiny shift of her gaze to his palm before settling back on his face. “Hey, Lane.”
He dipped his chin and swept his cowboy hat off his head. He’d known Maddie most his life. She was smart as a whip and tougher than most men in town. Knowing she was now assisting Spencer with this investigation boosted his confidence that shit would get done.
“Evening. Any word on this bastard yet?”
Maddie shook her head. “Wish there was. The entire department has been sifting through video footage from earlier when Celine’s car was vandalized as well as combing the neighborhood for witnesses. Nothing’s popped up. No one around here has cameras on their houses to catch any activity. All we have is what Celine caught on her surveillance, but it doesn’t tell us anything more than we already knew.”
Celine leaned against his side, as though the news was more than her slim shoulders could stand.
He flicked a quick glance around the tidy room. “Where’s Parker?”
“Asleep in his room.” Celine motioned her wrist toward a little screen on the coffee table. “I can see him from the monitor.”
Spencer scratched his jawline and sighed. “Both of them are safe and sound, for now. But this guy isn’t letting up. We think he wasn’t prepared for the alarm, and knowing law enforcement would be en route scared him off. Next time, he’ll be more prepared.”
“Next time?” Celine squeaked.
Lane fought the urge to press a kiss to the side of her head and tell her everything would be all right.
“Celine,” Maddie said. “There’s every reason to believe he’ll try again.”
“So what am I supposed to do?” she asked, hysteria spiraling in her voice. “Sit around and wait? Lock myself and my son away from the world and hope he’s eventually caught? Pray he doesn’t come back with a way to break down my door or burst through a window?”
“You hire protection,” Duke said.
Stiffening, Lane glared at his new partner. Their business wasn’t even off the ground yet, but even if it were, no way he’d let Celine gave him a dime for stepping up to protect her.
Celine tilted her head to the side, eyes narrowed. “What do you mean?”
Duke shrugged. “Sheriff’s department is busy trying to catch this guy, but you need someone with you and the baby until he’s caught. It just so happens my good friend Lane and I have decided to open a security company in town. You could be our first client.”
She glanced up at him. “Is this true?”
He ran his tongue over his top row of teeth. He’d kill Duke once they left, but for now he was forced go along with the asshat. “It is.”
“And I could hire you guys to help me?”
The hope shining from her eyes was a gut punch. Maybe Duke was on to something. When he’d offered to stay earlier, Celine wouldn’t hear of it. By letting her hire him and his new company, it took away any personal entanglements and apparently made her feel more comfortable.
