“Actually,” Tara said, grin growing, “I ran into a man at the coffee shop who asked me to give these to you. How sweet is that? Seems like you have your share of admirers in town.”
Wide-eyed, Eve rose to her feet and backed away from the explosion of colorful blooms.
Raw, hot anger mixed with ice-cold fear, causing spikes of adrenaline to pump through Reid’s body. “What did the man look like?”
Oblivious to the shift in energy, Tara chuckled and shook her head in an aren’t-you-jealous way. “Don’t worry, he wasn’t nearly as handsome as you, Reid. Not unless Eve has a thing for long bushy beards and dirty jean jackets.”
“He knows I’m here,” Eve said, her voice breathless. “He knows Tara was coming back and would see me.”
Tara frowned. “What are you talking about?”
Gritting his teeth, Reid fought the urge to throw the flowers in the trash can. “The man who gave these to you isn’t Eve’sadmirer. He’s her stalker, and he’s dangerous. And now he knows you’re both here.”
As much as Eve loved visiting Lily at her family’s ranch, showing up at her and Madden’s doorstep to discuss a murdering asshole wasn’t exactly how she’d wanted to start her day. The sound of horses playing in the pasture turned her toward the frolicking animals.
She wished it was just another day. That she was here to enjoy a morning off work with her friend. Maybe sit in one of the rocking chairs on the wide porch and stare at the mountains over girl talk. Or take a walk through the meadows down to the creek behind the barn.
Anything other than creating a plan to evade the man desperate to terrorize her.
Tara stood close to Eve’s side, her arms wrapped around her middle. She hadn’t said much since she’d learned exactly how close to danger she’d been.
Reid knocked on the door, standing in front of them, gaze darting all around as if someone waited to jump out and grab her.
Hell, for all she knew, someonewasthere. Waiting. Watching. Ready to finally take what he wanted.
Her.
The door swung open and Madden stood in the doorway, a scowl on his chiseled jaw. “Come on in.”
Reid waited for her and Tara to step inside before entering behind them and closing the door.
Lily stood in the foyer, hands clasped in front of her. She hurried to welcome Eve and Tara with hugs then walked them to the tan leather couch in the middle of the living room.
“Thank you so much for letting us come over,” Eve said, sitting next to Tara.
“Are you kidding?” Lily took a seat on the overstuffed chair beside the large stone fireplace. “You’re always welcome here.”
Madden and Reid spoke in hushed whispers as they stepped into the room.
“With this guy strolling around town like he doesn’t have a care in the world, I’m not sure how I’ll ever be safe.” Eve trusted Reid and knew he’d do everything possible to protect her, but she’d underestimated just what they were dealing with.
Reid shook his head. “I still can’t believe he’s just walking around town. If I’d gone to the coffee shop with Tara, I could have put a stop to this once and for all.” He crossed to stand beside where Eve sat on the couch and anchored his arms over his chest.
She reached up to grab his hand. “He’s not stupid. If you’d been around, he wouldn’t have shown his face.”
“He shouldn’t be able to show his face anywhere around here without the cops grabbing his ass and throwing him in a cell,” Reid said.
“That’s something I plan to speak with the sheriff about,” Madden said. “We know who this guy is. Know his face, his name, his target. His picture should be plastered all over. The town is swimming with people right now, which makes it easier for him to blend in, but if his photo was out there, it’d also make it easier for people to spot him.”
“People don’t always pay attention,” Lily said. “I agree, there’s more that could be done, but the sheriff’s department is short-staffed right now as it is. That’s why Sunrise Security is helping with crowd control at the rodeo and needed to hire more specialists. That’s a tough enough gig, but with the parade tomorrow, I’m not sure what else can be done besides keeping Eve out of sight.”
“Damn, I forgot about the parade.” Reid slipped his hand from hers and pinched the bridge of his nose.
Tara bounced her gaze between them all. “What parade?”
Eve sighed, hating that she’d forgotten for a second about another tradition she looked forward to every year. “At the end of the rodeo, the town puts on a parade. Everyone dresses in historical costumes and puts together floats. There are awards for fan favorites, and people take it very seriously. It’s usually one of the most fun activities to close out the summer.”
“And one of the most hectic,” Reid added. “Sunrise Security already committed to working the event. We’d started discussing hiring Ben and Dax to prepare for that, and now they’re needed elsewhere.”
