“I have my family.” She shrugged. “They’re the best. They talk me down, as you know now. And I have?—”
You.
“—a whole lotta friends who would protect us.”
“Friends.” Some of the light left Shane’s eyes when he said the word.
April grabbed his hand. “Good friends.”
He glanced away for a moment. “Let me help you with that worry.” He pulled out his phone and typed quickly.
“What are you doing?”
"Sending Vince Romano’s name to Kyle now. We’ll keep an eye on him, make sure he’s behaving himself."
"Shane, you don't have to?—"
"Yeah, I do." He looked up from his phone, and the intensity in his eyes made her breath catch. "Kevin asked me to protectyou. But even if he hadn't..." His voice dropped lower. "I'd do anything for you, April. Anything."
The words hung between them, heavy with old pain and new possibility.
"This is ridiculous," April said, but there was no real heat in it. "I'm probably just being paranoid. What would you even do—park yourself at a corner table all day?"
Shane's eyes lit with humor and something warmer. "Twist my arm."
Despite everything, April found herself smiling. "You're serious."
"Dead serious. Kyle can run background, track his movements, see what he's up to. If he's behaving himself and staying put, we'll know. If he starts heading this way, we'll know that, too." Shane leaned back slightly. "You don't have to look over your shoulder anymore, April. Let us do that for you."
April studied his face—the quiet confidence, the way he made it sound so simple and reasonable. Not like she was asking for the moon, just basic peace of mind. And after the day she’d had, how could she say no to that?
“Thank you.”
“It’s the least I can do.” He grinned. “Now, about the bodyguard gig.”
“Of course you don’t have to.”
“Mom?” Kevin’s voice came from the crack in the door. April and Shane moved apart quickly.
“Hey, I thought you were up front watching Pete,” April said, her voice pitched just a little too high.
“He has to go potty so I’m taking him out the back.” April opened the door to see Pete wagging his tail beside Kevin, looking way happier than her son. “You need a bodyguard and Shane said he would.”
“I said I’d discuss it with your mom,” Shane corrected.
“Please, Mom. I don’t want you to get hurt.”
April blew out a breath. “I’m not going to get hurt, honey.”
Kevin switched his stare to Shane. “Then if Mom’s not going to hire you, teach me how to be a bodyguard. Please.” He was near tears.
Shit. If I tell him no, I’ll find him hiding under the bed again. I’m not going to let my stubbornness get in the way of my kid’s happiness.
She looked at Shane, whose expression told her he was out of his league. Funny to see such a tough guy look so helpless in the face of a third grader.
"For Kevin's sake," she said quietly. "A trial period?"
Shane nodded, though something in his expression suggested it was for his sake, too.
