Safe Haven (The Protectors Book 1) Read online

  Tank frowned at the smile on Hayley’s face. “Okay. I’ll go. But if the dinosaur costume doesn’t fit, I’ll go as myself.”

  Hayley pulled him toward her front door. “Did I tell you I’m an excellent judge of size?”

  “It must have slipped my mind.”

  She peeked behind his back. “Has something else slipped your mind?”

  “No. You can open the box after you’ve bought me an ice cream.”

  She sighed. “Okay. What about giving me a clue?”

  “One clue and that’s all. What’s in the box will keep six-foot-tall dinosaurs away from you.”

  Hayley frowned. “What if I want six-foot-tall dinosaurs close to me?”

  “That’s easy. All you have to do is kiss me, and I won’t give you the box.”

  Hayley put her hand over her mouth. “No kissing allowed until I’ve opened my present,” she mumbled from behind her fingers.

  Tank laughed and kissed the top of her head. “You’d better show me the dinosaur costume. It’s going to be a long night for both of us.”

  ***

  “I feel ridiculous,” Tank muttered for the twentieth time since they’d left Hayley’s house.

  “You look cute,” she said in the most encouraging way she could. “The children are going to love you.”

  “Barney isn’t even a real dinosaur,” he grumbled. “None of the children will know who he is.”

  Hayley parked their vehicle and climbed out of the driver’s seat. Her car was too small for both of them, so they’d decided to take Tank’s SUV to the community center. To make matters worse, his dinosaur feet were too big for the brakes, so Hayley had to drive.

  “Of course they’ll know who you are. Barney is way up there with Big Bird and the Cookie Monster.” She glanced at him and smiled. “Look on the bright side—once you’re wearing Barney’s head, no one will know it’s you.”

  “If Jeremy finds out he’ll broadcast it to everyone in a fifty-mile radius.”

  “Just be grateful that Sophie left early to take mom to the party. Otherwise, you’d be sharing your SUV with Minnie Mouse and a pumpkin. That would definitely give Jeremy something to talk about.” She opened Tank’s door and waited for him to squeeze himself out of the vehicle. “We were lucky your seatbelt was designed for dinosaur-shaped bodies.”

  Tank grunted and opened the back door. He pulled out Barney’s head and turned it around. “I’ll need a hand with the Velcro.”

  Hayley was only too happy to help. When he’d tried the costume on at her home, she’d burst out laughing. Tank was the cutest dinosaur she’d ever seen. He had just the right amount of swagger when he walked and even sounded like Barney when he spoke.

  With Barney’s head secure and her pumpkin body fully expanded, they made their way into the community center.

  Minnie Mouse came scurrying across the room with a camera clutched in her hands. “I need a photo,” she gushed. “You look amazing, Tank.”

  “Shh,” Barney said. “I don’t want anyone to know who I am.”

  Minnie grinned. “Don’t worry. Your secret’s safe with me. The only other person who knows is Jeremy. He wanted to know how to find you when you arrived.”

  Barney’s head dropped to his chest and he muttered a very un-Barney-like curse.

  Hayley patted him on the shoulder. “Don’t worry. The children won’t know who you are.”

  “That doesn’t make me feel any better.”

  Sophie looked behind Hayley and smiled. “Everyone put your party faces on. There’s a group of excited children racing toward us.”

  Hayley and Tank turned around in their alter ego bodies and waved at the children.

  Within seconds, Barney was swamped with besotted fans all clamoring for a few minutes with their purple hero.

  Sophie held onto Hayley’s hand. “He’s a hit. How did you convince him to wear the costume?”

  “Ice cream,” she said with a smile. “He’s got a sweet tooth.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes, really. And before you start imagining things, you need to know that Tank is my friend.”

  “A sweet, sexy, purple friend who’s waving at you. He’s not going to let you off the hook with ice cream.”

  Hayley straightened her pumpkin body and grinned at her sister. “I’ve got ulterior motives, too,” she whispered, “and it involves a small box with a red bow.”

  Before Sophie could ask her what she was talking about, she walked across the room and joined Barney.

  A lump formed in Hayley’s throat while Tank made each of the children feel special.

  Her sister was right about one thing. He was the sweetest and sexiest Barney she’d ever seen.

  ***

  After the not-so-scary Halloween party, Tank was glad they’d changed out of their costumes. The ice cream shop was busy. If Barney and an orange pumpkin had walked through the door, a mini stampede of children would have wanted their autographs.

  He dipped his spoon into his hot fudge sundae. “Are you sure you don’t want some?”

  Hayley shook her head. “If I have chocolate at this time of night I’d never sleep.”

  “Sleep is overrated.”

  “Not from where I’m sitting. I’m happy with my strawberry sundae.” Hayley tilted her head to the side. “Are you getting more sleep?”

  “Some.”

  “Tank?”

  He put his spoon down and smiled.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing.”

  “You don’t usually smile so much.” She picked up a napkin and wiped her cheeks. “Have I got some orange paint on my face?”

  “No. Go lower.”

  She looked confused.

  “Top lip.”

  Hayley wiped her mouth, then looked at the napkin. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

  “Because you looked cute with a blob of strawberry sauce on your mouth.”

  “Thank you—I think. Now tell me about your parents.”

  “What do you want to know?”

  “It’s nearly two weeks since you saw them. Did anything happen while you were in Detroit?”

  “I talked to mom, but not dad.”

  “Is he still upset?”

  “I guess so. Mom’s giving him another few days to think about what I said. After that, she’s taking him to see his counselor. He hates going to a doctor almost as much as I hate needles. Mom’s threats are never hollow, so I guess he’ll call me before the end of the week.”

  “How do you feel about that?”

  “I don’t know. I hope dad understands that I’m just as upset about how David died as they are.”

  “Did you have any panic attacks while you were away?”

  “No, but I did do a lot of thinking. The worst times were in the early hours of the morning. I nearly called you, but you would have been sound asleep.”

  “I wouldn’t have minded.”

  “But I would have,” he said quietly. “I don’t want you worrying about me. You know how hard my PTSD can be to manage. Within a short time, I can change from a fully functioning adult to someone who is depressed and moody.”

  “You don’t scare me, Tank.”

  He smiled. “And that, Little Miss Pumpkin Head, brings me onto the other reason we’re here tonight.”

  “It does?”

  He pulled out the gift he’d bought her. “There’s more to this present than you think.” He passed Hayley the box and waited for her to open it.

  She held it to her ear and shook it.

  “Don’t shake it too hard,” he warned. “Otherwise, we could both end up in trouble.”

  Hayley took the ribbon off the box. “It’s not one of those surprise boxes that sprays glitter and tinsel everywhere, is it?”

  Tank shook his head. “Not even close.”

  She sniffed the box and frowned. “It’s not cake or cookies, and it’s too big for jewelry—unless you bought me a million-dollar pair of earrings?”<
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  He laughed at the hopeful look on her face. “Not on my salary. Open it.”

  Hayley took the lid off the box and frowned. “Pepper spray?”

  “Don’t sound so disappointed. I don’t know if you replaced the pepper spray you used on me, so I bought you another can. But there’s more.”

  “You should have been in sales. What more could a girl possibly need?”

  If it hadn’t been for the grin on her face, Tank might have been worried. “The pepper spray comes with unlimited self-defense classes. The instructor is highly trained in hand-to-hand combat and has a soft spot for women who wear pumpkin costumes.”

  Instead of thanking him, Hayley looked as though she was about to be sick.

  “What did I say?”

  “It’s not you. It was a really thoughtful present, but I’ve already done self-defense classes.”

  He moved around the booth until he was sitting beside her. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Even though the person who tried to kidnap you has been arrested, you still need to know how to look after yourself. I could teach you different ways of protecting yourself.”

  Hayley’s face turned an even whiter shade of white. “I can’t do it, Tank.”

  He held onto her hand. “We’ll take it slow, one move at a time. We can build on what you already know.”

  Hayley bit her lip.

  “This isn’t about the self-defense classes, is it?”

  “No.”

  “Has it got anything to do with being afraid of the dark?”

  “Yes.” Hayley pushed the rest of her ice cream away and looked at their linked hands. “I was attacked when I was in college.”

  Tank’s whole body stilled. “Were you hurt?”

  “A little.” She glanced at him. “Maybe more than a little, but nothing life-threatening.”

  “But enough to make it impossible to sleep without a nightlight?”

  She tried to smile. “I guess I take a while to get over things.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “I didn’t want you to think I couldn’t look after myself.”

  “What happened?” Tank tried to keep his voice calm and low. If Hayley thought he was upset she would stop talking.

  “I was walking home after a party. My friend didn’t come with me—she wanted to stay for longer. I didn’t think about my safety. We were just around the corner from my apartment. When I was almost home, someone grabbed me from behind.”

  Hayley’s hands shook. “I fought so hard to get him off me. He tried to stop me from yelling, so I bit his hand. When he threw me to the ground I knew I was in serious trouble.” She wiped tears out of her eyes. “I kept pushing him away, but nothing worked. And then my guardian angel arrived.”

  The watery smile she sent Tank made his heart break. “Who was it?’

  “A golden labrador called Misty. She was walking with her owner and heard me from halfway down the street. I don’t remember what happened, but Craig, Misty’s owner, said that between Misty’s barking and his yelling, the man attacking me ran away. We called the police, but they never found him.”

  “I’m sorry that happened to you.”

  She nodded. “Afterward, Sophie and I did self-defense classes. I feel more confident when I’m walking alone, but I’m still afraid of the dark.”

  Tank rubbed the top of her hand. “I’ll come around tomorrow. You can show me what security you’ve installed in your house.”

  “Sophie made sure we would be safe. We already have every deadbolt and window lock you can imagine.”

  “Trust me,” he said half-seriously, “I know what I’m doing.”

  “That’s what you told me in Fort Wayne.”

  “And I got you to Bozeman in one piece.”

  Hayley smiled and Tank’s heart squeezed tight.

  “You brought two of us to Bozeman in one piece.” She touched the side of his head where his stitches had been. “Your skull could have been fractured. The scar is looking good.”

  “The doctor knew what he was doing.”

  “They usually do.” She took a deep breath. “How about this? Tomorrow you look at our security and show me some of your moves. If it works out okay, we’ll do another class. But if it doesn’t feel right, we stop.”

  “You’ve got a deal.”

  “Good.” Hayley let go of his hand and pulled her sundae close. “You should eat your ice cream. It’s melting.”

  Tank looked at his sundae and frowned. He needed to ask her something, but he wasn’t sure where to begin. “Do you like living in Bozeman?”

  She licked strawberry sauce off her spoon and grinned. “It’s a lot quieter than Chicago, but I like it. The people are lovely and I feel like I’m already part of the community.”

  “So you don’t think you’ll be going back to Chicago anytime soon?”

  “I like living close to my family. Sophie’s getting married next year and Ryan won’t be moving from Emerald Lake. Mom’s happy in her new apartment and my design course is fantastic. Did I tell you that I interviewed Emily Green yesterday?”

  “You might have mentioned it once or twice.”

  “She’s amazing and her boutique is so pretty. I’d love to work with her one day.”

  “Did you tell her that?”

  Hayley looked horrified. “She’d think I was a groupie or a stalker.”

  “If she doesn’t know, you might never get the chance to work together.”

  “Don’t say anything to her, Tank.”

  “Why?”

  “Because at the moment, designing clothes is my dream. Telling someone I want to work with them makes it more real.”

  “Aren’t you making it real by doing your fashion course?”

  “Yes, but apart from Emily and her assistant, you’re the only person I’ve told.”

  “What about your sister and mom? You share everything with them.” He looked closely at her. “Why haven’t you told Sophie?”

  “Because if I told her, there’d be expectations about what I could do. She’d start planning my life, telling me the best way to get what I want. And the worst thing is that she would be right. She loves me Tank, but I need to do things my way.”

  Hayley took a deep breath. “She’s always been good at everything. Do you know how hard it is to have an older sister who always comes home with awards and trophies? The best I could do was a soccer certificate for the most improved player.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with that. You should be proud of what you’ve done.”

  “My sister has found a potential cure for Alzheimer’s disease. You can’t get much better than that.”

  “You don’t need to be better than she is. You’re two different people. I idolized my brother for most of my life. Whatever David did, I had to do it too. I didn’t have dreams of my own, and I’m worried that I never will. You know what makes you happy and that’s a gift more precious than any award.”

  “Designing clothes isn’t going to change the world.”

  “It will make you happy, and that’s more important.”

  “You’re right, but don’t say anything to my sister.”

  Tank picked up his spoon. “You’ll have to tell your mom and Sophie sometime.”

  “I know, but not yet. What are your plans? Will you keep working for Fletcher Security or is there something else you want to do?”

  “I’m happy working with John. He’s a good friend. Bozeman suits me, although I’m not here all that often.”

  “Do you think that might ever change?”

  He shook his head. “There isn’t enough work in Montana to keep John’s entire team busy. Working out of state is part of the job. We’re usually away for only two or three days at a time.” He stirred his spoon through his sundae. “How do you feel about me being away so much?”

  “I could get used to it. I like spending time with you when you’re here. If working for Fletcher Security makes
you happy, then traveling around the country is an important part of what you do.”

  He left his spoon in his bowl and focused on Hayley. “While I was away, I thought about you. About us.”

  Her eyes widened. “You did?”

  Tank’s heart sank. He’d expected her to react differently. It wasn’t the right time to ask her to be his girlfriend. He knew the chance of her saying yes was practically zero, but he’d hoped she knew how much he cared about her. Looking at her now, he wasn’t so sure.

  She was waiting for him to say something, so he blurted out the first thing that popped into his brain. “I thought about the self-defense classes while I was in Vancouver. We could spend time together and get fit.”

  Hayley blinked, then shifted her gaze to her empty bowl. “We’ll see how it works out tomorrow. Are you ready to go home?”

  Home was the last place he wanted to be, but Hayley had a life of her own. If he wanted to be part of her life, he’d have to do something to make it happen. And that scared him almost as much as telling his parents about his brother.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Hayley blocked Tank’s arm and spun to her left.

  “Drop your right wrist,” Tank said. “How does that feel?”

  “Like I need to stop,” she panted. “We’ve been out here for more than an hour. I need a drink.”

  “You had half a bottle of water about ten minutes ago.”

  “I need caffeine.” She leaned forward and rested her hands on her knees. “Your self-defense class is like boot camp.”

  “There’s no harm in being focused.”

  “I gave up being focused when my arms felt as though they were falling off.”

  Tank grunted. “We’ll soon fix that. We can add some upper body exercises into your fitness routine.”

  Hayley held her hand up to her ear. “I must be going deaf. I thought you said something about a fitness routine.”

  “Did I forget to tell you the first rule of self-defense?”

  “Would that be the one where people defending themselves can use deadly force if the threat involves deadly force?”

  “Very clever,” Tank said with a grin. “But that only works if you’re a lawyer. My first rule of self-defense is much easier to remember. It might even save your life.”