The drive home was quiet, until Wes’s phone rang. He picked it up and held it to his ear. “Hey. What’s up?”
I heard someone talking on the other end but couldn’t make out most of what they said. Though I thought I heard, “Landed at LAX.” We pulled up to my house just as Wes hung up, and his jaw seemed pretty tense.
“Is everything all right?” I asked.
“Yep.” He jumped out of the car and looked around the street before opening my door. Then he took the sandwich tray out of the backseat. I held out my hands to take it, but he shook his head. “I got it.”
“We discussed this already. You’re not coming to my book club meeting.”
“I’m at least going to check out the house. Your friend’s not home yet anyway. Her car isn’t in the driveway.”
“Do you really think someone broke into Pam’s house and is hiding there to get me when I go to mybook club?”
“Just let me do my damn job, and both our lives will be easier.”
I huffed. “Fine. But you only have two minutes.”
Inside Pam’s house, Wes did a full sweep—going from room to room while I stood in the kitchen.
“Was the boogeyman waiting for me?” I asked when he returned.
Wes shook his head. “I’ll be outside in the car.”
I rolled my eyes. “Whatever…”
After I was alone, I went about setting everything up. People started to arrive just as I set the last chair into place. And at seven, our official start time, Pam walked in. Unfortunately, she wasn’t alone. Her arm was linked with Wes’s.
“I saw this handsome man sitting outside in his car,” she said. “And I insisted he come in.”
I walked over and took Wes’s other arm. “I must’ve forgotten to give him my key again. Excuse us for a moment.” I practically shoved him back out the front door.
“You’renotcoming to book club,” I hissed, attempting to keep my voice down.
“Fine with me. I only came in because your friend practically dragged me out of the car. She’s a pushy one.”
I shook my head. “Just go next door. You already checked out the house, and you know I’m not in any danger. You’ll be thirty feet away.”
“I’ll stay outside, but I’ll be in my car or sitting on the porch.”
“Why are you being such an ass about this?”
“You want to know why? I’ll tell you why. Because that call I got in the car a little while ago was someone letting me know that your father’s enemies have landed in LA, specifically two guys who have been arrested for murder more than once but always seem to get off, even though they shouldn’t. So you’re lucky I’m even saying I’ll sit out here because I shouldn’t let you out of my damn sight.”
Shit.“People are going to be coming and going all night. I don’t want them feeling uncomfortable with some guy watching their every move.”
The front door swung open. Pam smiled and held out two glasses of wine. “Hey, you two. Allison has to leave by eight to relieve her sitter, so we’re going to get started.”
“I’ll be right in.”
“Wes, honey, you should come too. Lord knows we could use some testosterone at our book club full of ladies.” Her eyes sparkled. “Maybe we can even get youto read a little of the male part from the book we’re discussing. I bet you’d play a great bodyguard.”
Wes’s eyes narrowed. “Excuse me?”
“The book we read this month,” Pam said. “The heroine has a steamy affair with her burly bodyguard.”
Wes looked at me. “Is she serious?”
I grabbed his arm and tried to turn him to leave, but the big oaf didn’t budge. “Wes has somewhere to be. I don’t want to make him late.”
