From Roses To Thorns - Sequel To "From Nanny To Wife" (6 page)

Ryan nodded. "An hour early is fine."

Pam blew her nose. "You've known Harvey for many years."

Ryan had a feeling he knew what she was about to say and he wanted no part of it. "Pam, don't ask me questions about Harvey. I don't want to be put in the middle of your problems. I have enough of my own."

"I understand, sir," Pam murmured.

"Go wash your face," Ryan told her gently. "Then take a few minutes to pull yourself together."

Pam got to her feet and headed toward the door. She paused before leaving the room and turned to look at Ryan. "Since you married Hope, you've changed. It's a good change. I'm glad she came into your life."

Ryan smiled. "So am I." He turned and picked up the receiver, dialing the number for home. It rang four times before someone answered.

"Kendall residence," William announced.

"Hello, William," Ryan said. "Will you please put Hope on the phone?"

"Of course, sir."

"Thank you." Ryan perched on the desk and transferred the receiver to his other ear. He raised his hand to eye level and checked his watch.

"Hello, love."

"How are you doing, sweetheart?" Ryan asked softly.

"Okay, except every time the phone rings I feel like my heart is going to jump out of my chest."

"Hope, don't let this make you crazy," Ryan snarled, "because it will if you let it."

"I can't help it," Hope snapped. "You get a call from a stranger wanting to torture you and then you tell me if it doesn't make you crazy."

"You're right," Ryan said. "I'm sorry." He heard her sigh.

"I'm sorry, too," she uttered. "I'm a little cranky."

Ryan snorted. "You're not the only one. I caused Pam to cry."

"Oh, Ryan," Hope said. "How could you? You know she's fragile right now."

"I apologized to her," Ryan mumbled. "By the way, she and Harvey have agreed to stay together and seek counseling."

"Hopefully counseling will work," Hope said.

Ryan wandered over to the window behind his desk and gazed down at the busy street below. "I'm finding it difficult to concentrate, sweetheart. My mind is on you and not my work."

"Come home," Hope told him. "The office will be fine without you for one day."

Ryan hesitated. "I don't know. I-"

"Please, Ryan," Hope cut in. "Come home."

"I'm on my way." Ryan hung up the phone and pressed the intercom button. "Pam, will you please step into my office?" He grabbed his suit coat and flung it over his arm.

"Yes, sir?" Pam said, appearing in the doorway.

Ryan grasped the handle of his briefcase. "Let's call it a day."

Pam frowned at her watch. "It's only five minutes after ten."

"I can't concentrate," Ryan declared. "I know you can't either. Reschedule my appointments, then go home, and get some sleep. Let's try this again tomorrow."

Pam breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you, sir. I didn't know how I was going to make it through the day."

"Sleep is what you need," Ryan stated. "I want you here in the morning ready to work."

"I will be," Pam promised.

Ryan walked in the front door shortly before ten-thirty. He deposited his briefcase and keys on the round table beneath the chandelier and went in search of Hope and Zoe. The sound of barking and laughter spilling in through the open kitchen window drew his attention. He opened the sliding glass door and walked outside. Hope and William were sitting at the patio table watching Bob chase Zoe around the yard.

"Hi, Daddy!" Zoe squealed.

"Hi, baby girl." Ryan bent down and kissed Hope on the lips. He pulled out a chair and sat down. "So what were you two talking about before I showed up?"

"The phone call Hope got last night," William answered.

"I see." Ryan cleared his throat. "Since you brought it up I want to discuss something with you both."

Hope shifted in her chair. "What is it?"

"The sick bastard can't torture you if he can't get to you. I was sitting at my desk earlier thinking of some way to keep you safe. I think I know of a way." Ryan turned his attention to William. "This is where you come in. If you recall I had a background check ran on you before I hired you to work for me. I learned you used to work as a bodyguard for the government."

Hope stared at William. "Did you really?"

"Yes," William said. "I can't go into details, so please don't ask me any questions."

Ryan jerked his tie loose and undid a few buttons on his dress shirt. "I want to hire you to protect Hope."

"No." Hope began to shake her head. "Absolutely not. I will not let William become a human shield for me."

Ryan glared at her. "Then prepare yourself, sweetheart, because you are never leaving this house."

Hope glared back. "Don't tell me what I can and cannot do. I'm not one of your staff anymore. I'm your wife."

"Damn it, Hope!" Ryan whispered harshly. "I'm not doing this just so I can order you around. I'm doing this because I want you to be safe."

"Why William?" Hope asked.

"I don't want to bring in a stranger," Ryan explained. "I want someone I know I can trust to take care of you."

Hope lowered her head. "If something happened to William because of me, I would never forgive myself." She smiled weakly at the man across from her. "I've grown fond of you."

"I've grown fond of you, too," William said.

Hope raised her head and squared her shoulders. "If you insist on hiring a bodyguard for me, I want it to be someone I have no emotional connection with."

"If that's what you want," Ryan said.

"It's not," Hope muttered. "I don't want this, but you're not giving me much of a choice."

"Please, excuse me." William stood and disappeared into the house.

Ryan reached for Hope's hand. "What do you want? I'm giving you a choice."

"I want to wake up and discover that this is just a nightmare," Hope croaked.

Ryan gave her hand a firm squeeze. "I wish I could make that happen, but I'm not that powerful."

"I have some conditions regarding the bodyguard," Hope said, changing the subject.

"Of course you do." Ryan rubbed the back of his neck. "You always have conditions. Let me hear them."

"He has to be single and no children." Hope stared at Ryan. "If heaven forbid the man died I don't want there to be a wife and children left behind to grieve."

"I will take your conditions into consideration." Ryan picked up Hope's glass of tea and took a sip.

"I don't understand why this is happening to me," Hope said after a brief silence. "I didn't do anything to anyone." Suddenly her eyes grew wide. "You don't think Laura had something to do with that man calling me, do you?"

A feeling of dread washed over Ryan. He had been so worried about Hope that he had not stopped to consider that his ex-wife could be behind the phone call. "No," he said, lying to her. Truth was he would not be one bit surprised if Laura did have something to do with it. The only problem was there was no way to prove she was the mastermind behind the call.

Chapter 8

Ryan was sitting at his desk, later that day, checking his email when he felt as if he were being watched. He glanced up from the computer screen to find Hope standing in the doorway. His eyes swept over her and a mixture of love and desire came over him. He locked eyes with her and his heart skipped a beat. Breaking into a smile, he held out his hand to her and she crossed the room, placing her hand in his.

"How long have you been standing in the doorway?" he asked.

"Not long," Hope said.

Ryan pushed back his chair and pulled Hope onto his lap. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed a kiss to her jaw. "What is our Zoe doing?"

"She's helping Gordon load the dishwasher," Hope answered. "What were you doing on the computer?"

"Checking my email."

"I never get email," Hope murmured.

Ryan nuzzled her ear and heard her sharp intake of breath. "I will send you an email later," he whispered, his breath caressing her sensitive ear.

Hope shivered. "I'm looking forward to it."

"I did some research online and found a security agency in the area. I called and they are sending a man over for me to meet with. He should be here-" Ryan checked his watch, "any minute now."

Hope frowned. "That was fast. We were just talking about hiring a bodyguard this morning."

"I explained to the lady I spoke with that it is urgent I find someone as quickly as possible."

Hope laid her head on Ryan's shoulder. "I still don't like the idea of a bodyguard. If something happened to him-"

"Sweetheart," Ryan interrupted. "We've been through this before. Please, don't make me go through it again."

"Fine," Hope sighed. "I'll be quiet about it."

"Thank you."

"I won't like it, but-"

"Hope," Ryan growled.

She raised her head and gazed at him. "Yes, love?"

"You are making me crazy," he said.

Hope smiled. "Good, because it's no fun being crazy all by yourself." She kissed him on the mouth and then got off his lap. "Am I allowed to stay while you interview Mr. what's his name?"

"His name is Alex Crawford and yes you can stay." Ryan grinned. "As long as you promise me you will behave."

"I promise, I will behave," Hope said.

"That must be him," Ryan said, hearing the doorbell.

William entered the room, a few minutes later. Ryan looked past the butler to the man behind him. In his mid forties, Alex Crawford had light brown hair, deep brown eyes and a crooked nose. He was of average height and broad shouldered.

"Thank you, William," Ryan said.

"You are welcome, sir." William left, closing the door behind him.

Ryan rose from the chair, moved around the desk, and offered his hand to Alex. "Ryan Kendall."

"Alex Crawford," he said, shaking Ryan's hand.

Ryan put his hand on the small of Hope's back. "This is my wife, Hope."

"Mrs. Kendall," Alex said, holding out his hand.

"Please, call me Hope." She grasped his hand and he shook it gently. "May I ask you a question, Mr. Crawford?"

"Yes and its Alex."

"Do you have a wife and children?" she asked.

"I have a wife," he said.

"Thank you for coming. Let me walk you to the door."

"Hope." Ryan gritted his teeth. "You promised."

Hope turned her head and stared at Alex. "When my husband told me he was going to hire a bodyguard for me, one of my conditions was that he could not have a wife and children. If God forbid he died while protecting me, I do not want him to leave behind a family. I don't want to be the reason his children don't have a daddy and his wife doesn't have a husband."

"My wife knows the risks that come with my job," Alex told her. "She supports me because she knows my job is important to me."

Hope arched an eyebrow. "More important than her?"

"Of course not," Alex said calmly. "If she asked me to quit my job I would do it."

"Yet you know she won't ask you, because she knows how much it means to you to be a human shield for people. I wonder-"

"You will have to forgive my wife," Ryan said, shooting Hope a dirty look as he spoke to Alex. "She likes to speak her mind."

Alex smirked. "I can see that."

"I have a feeling you will be talking about things I don't want to hear, so I'm not going to stay after all." Hope made her way to the door.

Ryan turned to Alex once Hope had left the room. "That is what you will be protecting should I decide to hire you. Do you think you can handle her?"

"I've dealt with people far worse than your wife," Alex stated.

Ryan nodded. "Then let's get down to business."

Hope was standing in the foyer the next day, searching through her purse for her cell phone when the doorbell rang. She set her purse down and hurried to answer the door. Opening it, she saw it was Alex. She moved aside to allow him to enter and then shut the door. Without saying a word, she retraced her steps, picked her purse up from the table, and started going through it once more.

"What are you looking for?" Alex asked.

"My cell phone," Hope muttered. "I could swear I put it in here last night."

Alex unhooked his phone from his belt and flipped it open. "What's your number?"

Hope told him. "It might be on vibrate and-" She heard a faint ringing coming from the family room.