Some guard dog.
Lawson Malssum’s face softened as he lowered his gaze to the dog.“Well, hello there.You’re another beauty, aren’t you?”His face flushed at his words, but he kept his eyes on the dog.
Dani didn’t want to get closer to a stranger, but Bibi was nearly frantic, so she released the dog and stayed with her hand on the door.
She didn’t sense any creepy vibes from Lawson, but she wasn’t taking chances.
He murmured to Bibi and rubbed her down until she was belly up and begging for more.
Grinning, he complied.“You’re a great dog.I wonder if you’ve met Fox.”
Dani relaxed a fraction more at further proof he was exactly who he said he was.“Fox was here earlier.He and Bibi are good friends.”
“So, Bibi’s your name.Hi, Bibi.I hope we’ll be friends, too.”
Nothing about this man screamed fake or creepy, but Dani still didn’t relax her position, even if her body wanted to follow Bibi’s example.
Then Lawson looked up from where he petted her massive dog, and his eyes sparkled with fun and appreciation.“I have to confess I came with an ulterior motive.”
Everything inside Dani shut down.So much for her instincts.He was a threat, after all.
Chapter3
Speed Bump
Lawson watched nerves and fear chase themselves over the face of the stunning woman who hadn’t yet given him her name.
He’d decided to visit her rather than get more information about her from his siblings first.Judging from her face, that impulsive decision had been a colossal mistake.
He tried to keep his face and voice in friendly mode.“That sounded ominous.It’s not, I promise.As I said, I’m a brother to Knox, Jolie, and Amber.I arrived at the apple farm late last night, and I think my brain hasn’t caught up.I should have asked my siblings to come with me to introduce myself.Most women wouldn’t want a strange man showing up on their doorstep.”
And he hadn’t left when no one had answered his knock on the cottage door.Instead, he’d moved further onto her property and knocked on her garage when he’d heard metal banging inside.Intrusive.
Now, she held the door as a barrier between them—one she could quickly shut to keep herself safe.Shewasperfectly safe with him, but had no reason to believe that.
After a final belly rub of the massive Bibi, Lawson stood and backed away.“I’m not a creep or a bad guy, but you have no way of knowing that.I can see that I’ve screwed up by arriving this way.Sorry.”
Her eyes narrowed as if she were considering his words.“Why are you here?”
He shoved his hands in the pockets of his jeans, trying to look normal and safe.“I was trying to get an overview of our apple farm this morning, so I used a drone.”
“That was you?”
Her voice shook, and he frowned.The fear was back in her eyes.
He nodded.“The drone’s a new toy, and I thought it would be fun to check out the farm with it.Anyway, I spotted a beautiful truck in a field back there behind your place.”
Her frown deepened, and his brain clicked.He’d thought the woman he’d spotted earlier might be this woman’s grandmother.But she was wearing a flowery dress.If he mentally added a floppy hat and an old sweater, he supposed it could be her.“Was that you I saw by the truck?Your hat covered your face.”
She nodded warily, and the door inched closer to being closed.Ignoring the woman’s nerves, the dog stood and licked Lawson’s hand.He patted her absent-mindedly while he tried to figure out what had made this woman afraid.Was she growing something illegal back there?Or hiding something?
Jolie and Ford had found a thermos filled with diamonds in the pond, so anything was possible.
He’d observed a lot of fear during his years in the army.Hell, he’d felt a lot as well.This woman’s fear was personal.For herself, not for what he might find.
His senses told him she fearedhim,and he didn’t like that at all.He wasn’t that kind of guy.
He needed to explain himself better.“I’m a mechanic, and I love to restore old vehicles.I saw the truck and couldn’t ignore it.Looks like a 1930 or ’31 Ford.I was hoping to see it close up one day.I’d love to buy it from you and restore it.Of course I’d pay you for it.”
