Page 95 of Serve ’N’ Protect

“Yesterday, Mom said that Markus had been here.”

Cassidy looked at her mother. “Mom?” If Markus had been here, surely someone would have told her.

“Well, yes.” Her mother exchanged looks with her dad, who remained silent at the head of the table, looking completely nonplussed. “Your father told him you were staying with us, and he came here to see you. He was here when you sent that odd text about staying with friends for a couple of days. He was immediately suspicious and asked to see your bedroom.”

“You took him into my bedroom?” Oh God. She’d always meant to take Justin off the wall but had never gotten around to it.

“Must be the cop in him,” Cherisse offered.

“That’s how he knew something was wrong,” her mother added. “You’d left all your clothes and your toiletries behind. He took one look at your suitcase then charged over to your house to check on you.”

Kaitlyn sighed and held a hand to her chest. “That is so romantic.”

“There’s nothing romantic about it,” Cassidy corrected. Although she wished there had been. “He’s a cop. Protecting people is what he does for a living. It’s ingrained in him. To serve and protect.”

“Are you sure that’s all it is?” her mother asked softly. “You told me he’s a man who keeps a lot of things bottled up inside, and that he would never be able to tell you how he feels. But people can show their feelings and emotions in other ways. Has he ever done something really nice for you?”

“Right,” Cherisse said. “Like, has he ever unexpectedly left you a nice note or sent you a gift? Not for your birthday, but out of the blue. Just because he wanted to.”

Um, yeah. She nodded. Markus had sent her flowers for that exact reason. Just because he wanted to, he’d said.

“Anything else?” Brianna asked.

“He fixed my broken window,” she mumbled.

“Hey, I helped with that, too,” Sean piped in as he reached for more mac ’n’ cheese.

“No, not that time. The first time,” she said, more to herself than to Sean.

“The first time?” her dad asked.

“The night of the burglary,” Cassidy explained. “Markus had to break in through the window. He arranged for a company to repair it right away. Then he installed the security system for me.” And didn’t ask for a dime.

“Did he ever buy you any jewelry?” Cherisse bobbed her dark brows. “Sean knows diamonds are the way to my heart. That and his foot rubs.”

“No. But he did buy me a new laptop when mine was stolen during the burglary.” Better than any diamonds, in her opinion.

Tears began backing up behind her eyes, and she had to blink rapidly or lose it right there in front of her entire family. “And he…” She broke off, losing the battle as big drops spilled onto the tablecloth. “He came here with me for Christmas even though he didn’t want to. He’s—he’s not used to big family gatherings, and…” He’d come anyway.

She rested her elbows on the table and lowered her head into her hands, wondering if she’d been a fool. Was this a classic case of actions speaking louder than words? She’d sent Markus away because he hadn’t been able to voice the words I love you. But maybe he had, in his own stoic, reticent way. Maybe her love really had gotten through to him, after all. Even if he didn’t know it.

Kaitlyn leaned over, giving Cassidy a big sisterly hug. “It’ll be okay. I promise.”

“Thanks.” She hugged her sister back, knowing deep down inside that it would never be okay. Not today, tomorrow, or the next day or the next. She couldn’t imagine her world without Markus in it. His leaving had left her life empty, her heart and soul withered beyond recognition. The last time that had happened—

Was when Hugh had left her high and dry. But that wasn’t true.

Sure, when Hugh dumped her, she’d been wrecked. Sure, she’d cried her eyes out. But somehow she’d always known she’d carry on. Her world hadn’t been shattered. Losing Markus was entirely different. Hugh hadn’t reached into her body and torn out her very heart and soul. Markus had.

Automatically, she picked up her fork, about to eat a bite of mac ’n’ cheese, but she stopped when her stomach rolled unpleasantly. No sooner had she set down the fork than something else her mother had said stuck in her brain. “Dad? When did you talk to Markus?”

Just as importantly, why had Markus and her dad started chatting secretly in the first place?

Her dad cleared his throat, not meeting her gaze, which told her something conspiratorial was afoot. “I might have called to tell him about the attempt on your life at the grocery store.”

“Why did you do that?” Since the moment she and her sisters had been old enough to date, Cassidy couldn’t recall her father ever calling any of their boyfriends. Not even Hugh, whom she was engaged to.

Her dad winked. Actually winked, another thing he never did. “I think I’ll let him tell you why himself.”