“Many years,” Brandon repeated.
Again Madelyne shot him a look. Was it something beyond his cheating that bothered her?
“Bless you,” Lizzy said, though she was uneasy about this ‘pairing’. “I guess you both know about my … past.” She was always too profuse, but she didn’t like talking about her controlling and sometimes abusive exes or the man who’d almost killed her.
She glanced at the guard closest to Brandon. He was huge and buff. He offered her a smile. The sincerity and kindness in his dark eyes surprised her. She returned the smile, hoping they all didn’t know about her rocky past and praying her face didn’t show how uncomfortable all these tough dudes made her.
She’d always been drawn to well-built and handsome men, and she had been burned every time. Now, with the notes from her attacker getting more threatening, escaping to Europe for two weeks and being with a kind man who could still protect her sounded like the ticket. Even still, she was hesitant about being alone with some bodyguard she’d never met.
“Yes,” Madelyne said. “That’s why we’ve matched you with the ultra-tough, retired Army Ranger Lieutenant Chase Tenley, now a police officer and one of the best men we know.”
“That’s right,” Brandon said. “Chase is your perfect partner.”
Lizzy’s smile disappeared. She’d only broken up with Darren a month ago. She wasn’t ready for any kind of ‘ultra-tough partner’, perfect or otherwise. She backed up a few steps, seconds away from spinning and bolting to her rusted out Ford Fiesta in the parking lot. The only problem was she couldn’t spin and run. They’d see the stain on her dress and know instantly something was wrong with her legs.
“Um … this might be a mistake,” she whispered, her eyes darting around at all the tough guys. “I’m grateful to military heroes like Army Rangers, but I’m not comfortable with buff and attractive men. They like to belittle and smack me around when they get to know me. Too chatty.” She raised and lowered her shoulders, not telling them her disability was the prime motivator for her father’s and exes’ frustrations with her.
The large men somehow drew closer. Their faces looked intent on protecting her from anyone who would injure her. Her heart beat faster. She needed some space.
Could she back up all the way to the parking lot, or would she trip?
“Oh, Eliza,” Madelyne murmured.
“Lizzy,” she automatically corrected. “We’re friends, remember?”
Brandon nodded, as self-assured as ever. “Best of friends,” he said, his blue eyes intense. “Which means Madelyne and I would only pair you with someone who is kind to a fault and would rather cut off his own arm than hurt you. Chase is a ‘buff and attractive man’ and a military hero. He’s also one of the best men I know.” He gestured around. “All of my lifelong friends are good to the core, but Chase is special. He’s more thoughtful and kind than any man out there.”
Lizzy’s chest felt tight. Despite his reassuring words, the large men around them were forming a protective circle, as ifone of her exes would drive up to the airport and attack. She appreciated them, but their proximity made her feel unsteady.
The huge dude who’d smiled at her murmured, “Give her some space.”
Miraculously, the rest of the men fanned back toward the plane, and she was able to catch a full breath.
Madelyne and Brandon studied her with concern. Brandon rocked on the soles of his expensive cowboy boots.
“I’m sure none of your men would hurt anyone …” That wasn’t quite right. These men were bodyguards and most likely retired military. They had to ‘hurt’ people in their line of work. “I mean, they wouldn’t hurt anyone innocent, and I pray you’ll forgive me and not take offense. Just in my life …”
How could she explain that starting with her own father to every boyfriend she’d ever had to the deranged man who’d almost killed her, she’d been hurt emotionally and physically. She restrained herself from rubbing at the barely healed knife wound on her chest. Each of the men in her life had been body-builder types similar to these brawny men. She hated to stereotype, but how did the saying go?Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twenty times, learn a lesson, girlie?
“I hate that I feel like this,” she squeaked out. “I’ve always been happy and effusive, but after my boyfriend Darren knocked me to the ground when I broke up with him, and two days later Grady Worthen ripped me open with a knife …” she trailed off and put a hand over her scar. The wound was healed, but it seemed to throb. She was saying too much. “I’m so sorry that I’m a conflicted mess.”
“Please.” Madelyne stepped forward and took her hand. “I promise you that each of our friends”—she gestured around to the men—“are protectors, not abusers. And I promise you that Chase is so kind that you will feel comfortable around him. He will protect you, and this will be the best two weeks of your life.”
“Big claims,” Lizzy murmured.
“True claims,” Brandon said, stepping up to Madelyne’s side. “Please trust us, Lizzy.”
Lizzy wished she could step away, pray and stew and be reassured she wasn’t putting herself in another awful situation. She looked to the bodyguard who had asked the others to back off. He’d also taken a step back but was close enough to hear the conversation.
“Ma’am, my name is Rockwell. I’ve known Chase since middle school, and I swear to you he is everything Brandon is saying—a true hero and a gentleman. He’ll keep you safe.”
She focused on Rockwell’s dark eyes. “Um, thank you.”
He nodded and gestured around to his men with a deep-brown hand. “I’ll tell you what. You don’t have to trust this group of large and intimidating men. But can you trust one man? A man who personally escorted and sat by my grandma at every high school basketball game because the crowd overwhelmed her. A man who asked a girl with Down Syndrome to Prom and also asked my cousin, who’d never been on a date in high school because she is six-three and intimidated most boys, to Senior Ball?”
He paused to let his words sink in, his dark eyes sincere.
Lizzy’s heart was still thumping fast, but she liked the image of this man Rockwell was creating for her.
