Just Breathe (The Protectors Book 2) Read online

  Kelly was beginning to think it was more than that. Abagail had been a courageous teenager who’d lived in a completely different world. Kelly wanted Abagail’s life to mean something and make a difference to future generations.

  She couldn’t do that if her story stayed in the journal. Somehow she had to make sure the whole world knew about Abagail and her life as a slave.

  ***

  Tanner opened the door to his hotel room and breathed a sigh of relief. After three days of being a bodyguard to a rock musician he was ready to go home.

  Living out of a suitcase and traveling to different cities used to be exciting—it wasn’t anymore. He enjoyed his job and couldn’t imagine doing anything else. But after spending most of his life protecting people he was ready to take a back seat and let someone else take the high-profile assignments.

  He took off his jacket and holster and looked at the room service menu. He would order something to eat, then pack his bag for his return flight tomorrow.

  Before he left Bozeman, Kelly had reminded him to take his copy of Abagail’s journal. Until tonight, looking after Fletcher Security’s client hadn’t left him with a lot of spare time. He’d only read another four pages since he’d last spoken to Kelly.

  She’d texted him this afternoon with the news that she’d finished reading the journal. She seemed overly excited, but that could have been him reading more into her text than he should have, or it could have had something to do with all the exclamation marks everywhere.

  His phone beeped and he read the message. He scrolled through his contact page and called Kelly. “What are you doing awake so late?”

  “It’s ten-thirty in Bozeman. I could ask you the same thing.”

  “The person I was looking after left for his European tour an hour ago. His flight was delayed.”

  “I take it you haven’t read the rest of Abagail’s journal.”

  “Not yet. Do you want to give me a quick overview?”

  “You really need to read the journal. If I tell you what it says it won’t have the same impact.”

  Tanner sat on his bed and stretched out his legs. “Humor me.”

  Kelly sighed and he smiled.

  “Come on, Kelly. Take pity on me—I’ve had a hard day.”

  “You’ve been babysitting a rock star.”

  “It’s harder than you think. This rock star has an entourage of twenty people and the sneakiest fans I’ve ever come across.”

  “It must be hard living with the rich and famous.”

  Tanner laughed. “Being rich and famous isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Just ask Ryan Evans why he bought a property at Emerald Lake.”

  “He’s a country music superstar. Montana suits him.”

  “It suits a lot of people. What about you?”

  “Me?”

  “Yeah,” Tanner said. “Does Montana suit you?”

  Kelly hesitated before answering. “Do you think I’m going to run off with the silver teapot and make my fortune somewhere else?”

  The thought of Kelly leaving Bozeman had crossed his mind. She was the kind of person who could build a successful business anywhere.

  He looked through the hotel window at the night lights of the city. “I’m hoping you’ll stay in Bozeman until all your brothers are married. Then you can date who you want.”

  “Are you scared of them?”

  “Do you want to go out with me?”

  Kelly’s laugh echoed down the phone and made his toes curl. “Good try, Sutherland, but it won’t work. Guess what I found today?”

  “A first edition Elizabeth Barret Browning poetry book? Or maybe something from Lewis Carroll. To be honest, as long as it was a first edition and in good condition, I’d buy it off you.”

  “You’re a man of simple needs, Tanner.”

  If Kelly knew what he was thinking she’d realize his needs were incredibly simple. “It makes life less complicated.” Or more, depending on where you started.

  “I didn’t find a poetry book, but I did find more information about the Jackson family. One of the current senators of Massachusetts is a descendant of Alexander Jackson, the man who owned Abagail. Where are you up to in the journal?”

  “About four pages from where we left off on Wednesday night.”

  “You’re about fifty pages away from something Abagail discovered.”

  He sat on the edge of his bed. “Should I be worried?”

  “I don’t think so. Alexander Jackson passed away in 1901 and his secret died with him—until today.”

  Tanner frowned. “I’m getting worried.”

  “Have you got your copy of the journal in front of you?”

  He grabbed his bag and pulled out the papers. “What am I looking for?”

  “Go to the entry on November 20, 1851.”

  He shuffled through the pages until he found the entry. “Got it.”

  “Tell me what you think after you’ve read it.”

  Tanner’s eyes had already started moving across the text. “You’ve got to be kidding,” he muttered. “Alexander Jackson killed his brother to get his hands on the family fortune?”

  “That’s what Abagail thinks happened,” Kelly said quickly. “Whether it did or not is another story. Keep reading.”

  Tanner didn’t think it could get much worse, but it did. “Alexander Jackson wasn’t the biological son of the people he called his parents. He was an orphan?”

  “He started living with the Jacksons when he was seven years old,” Kelly added. “I don’t know if they legally adopted him or not.”

  “Should Alexander have inherited everything if he wasn’t their son?”

  “I have no idea. It wasn’t until after his ‘brother’ died that the family fortune really started to grow. Alexander might have been a murderer, but he was also a shrewd businessman. He created incredible wealth and built an empire.”

  Tanner was still trying to get his head around what he’d read. “So the family fortune might have gone to the wrong person?”

  “If someone realized what Alexander had done it most definitely went to the wrong person.”

  He reread the beginning of the entry. “Abagail saw a confession he wrote on a piece of paper?”

  “She did. Alexander would have been about forty years old. He was never arrested, so he must have changed his mind and not told anyone about the murder.”

  “Or maybe the person he told covered it up.”

  Kelly was silent. “I never thought about that. What do we do now?”

  “What were you going to do with the journal?”

  “Share it with the world. I don’t know if that’s such a great idea now. What if it upsets the Jackson family?”

  “Let me read the rest of the journal. I’ll be back in Bozeman by eleven-thirty tomorrow morning. I’ll call you as soon as I’m home.”

  “I’ll be at mom and dad’s ranch until three o’clock. If you’re feeling brave, you could join us for lunch.”

  “Will your brothers be there?”

  “Probably.”

  Tanner smiled. “Text me your parents’ address. I’ll be there as soon as my flight lands.”

  “You’d better bring your gun,” Kelly said half-seriously. “My brothers appreciate a man who wears a holster.”

  “They sound like the type of guys I could enjoy spending time with.”

  Kelly sighed. “I hope for both our sakes your right.”

  After they’d finished talking, Tanner ordered something to eat and read Abagail’s journal. By the time he was three-quarters of the way through he knew Kelly needed more help than she thought she did.

  Powerful people could become powerful enemies. Senator Jackson was one of those people.

  ***

  Tanner glanced at his GPS and turned right onto an unpaved road. He could see a house in the distance and presumed it was Kelly’s parents’ home.

  Half of him wanted to turn around and head back to Bozeman, the other half was curious
about Kelly’s family. He couldn’t imagine five brothers and two sisters living under the same roof. It was as foreign to him as being asked to knit a pair of mittens.

  He pulled into the front yard and looked around the property. The single story, stone and cedar home looked as though it was part of the landscape. Snow covered everything, from the mountains in the distance to the barn on the right. It was the kind of place that yelled ‘home sweet home’ and made Tanner uneasy.

  Kelly told him the cattle ranch had been in her family for three generations. Her brothers would take over when her parents were ready to retire, but until then, everyone pitched in to help.

  He walked toward the entranceway and frowned. A Christmas wreath hung on the door and fairy lights sparkled under the porch. He felt as though he’d stepped into a Norman Rockwell painting and was about to be swallowed whole.

  The front door opened and Kelly smiled. “Hi, Tanner. Are you feeling brave?”

  Brave didn’t begin to describe how he was feeling. He’d made a serious mistake coming here, but he couldn’t do anything about it now.

  He stepped onto the porch. “I left my gun in the car.”

  “Probably wise. Come and meet my crazy family.”

  She held open the door and he followed her into the living room. The smell of roast beef and fresh bread made his stomach rumble. “Something smells good.”

  “Mom loves cooking, especially for our Sunday lunches. I hope you’re hungry.”

  He nodded and stood taller. Three of Kelly’s brothers were walking toward them. Before they had a chance to say anything he met them in the middle of the room and held out his hand. “I’m Tanner. You must be Kelly’s brothers?”

  The tallest of the three shook his hand first. “I’m Luke. Brett’s beside me and Charlie’s beside him. Steven and Ethan have gone away for the weekend.”

  All three brothers would have been in their early thirties. They had the same green eyes and dark hair that Kelly did. Their smiles weren’t as welcoming as their sister’s, but that wasn’t totally unexpected.

  Charlie shook Tanner’s hand next. “It’s good to meet you. Kelly’s said as little as possible about you.”

  Kelly rolled her eyes. “Do you blame me?”

  “Not really,” Charlie said. “I wouldn’t tell Brett and Luke anything either.”

  Brett shook Tanner’s hand. “Don’t listen to Charlie. He’s still annoyed that Steven and Ethan have gone to Colorado for the weekend.”

  “They’re watching the Nashville Predators play the Colorado Avalanche,” Charlie muttered.

  Tanner might know nothing about living on a ranch, but he did know a lot about ice hockey. “How are Kurt Ellis’ injuries? I heard he had to miss the last two games.”

  Brett looked impressed. “He’s back on the ice this weekend. You like ice hockey?”

  “I follow it when I can. I saw the Rangers and Islanders play in New York a few weeks ago.”

  “You’ll fit in here okay,” Brett said as he waved him through to another room. “Mom’s in the kitchen. You’d better meet her before my sister tells us we’ve got no manners.”

  Kelly followed them out of the room. “I’ve already warned Tanner about you.”

  A lady with dark hair and a blue polka dot dress turned from the kitchen counter. Her smile was as wide and friendly as Kelly’s had been.

  “You must be Mrs. Harris. I’m Tanner.” He shook Kelly’s mom’s hand.

  “It’s nice to meet you, Tanner. You can call me Denise. My husband will be back in a minute.”

  She looked at her sons. “Can you see if your dad needs a hand in the barn, Luke?”

  “Sure.”

  He left the kitchen and Tanner turned to Kelly’s mom. “Can I do anything to help, Denise?”

  “Thank you for asking, but everything is ready. Would you like a cup of coffee while we’re waiting for Gareth?”

  “I can get it, mom,” Kelly said.

  Denise handed her daughter a tablecloth. “You set the table with Charlie. Brett can find some Christmas music for us to listen to.”

  “You wouldn’t be keeping Tanner to yourself, would you mom?” Brett asked.

  “Of course not,” Denise said. “I’m protecting him from an interrogation. Go and do your chores before your dad and brother come back.”

  After everyone left, Denise smiled at Tanner. “It’s nice to finally meet you. Kelly told me about the journal. It sounds as though you’ve found something important.”

  “It could be. Abagail was an interesting person.” Tanner stood when Kelly’s dad came into the kitchen.

  “It’s good to finally meet the man my little girl has been spending time with. I’m Gareth.”

  Tanner held out his hand. “I’m Tanner. It’s nice to meet you.”

  Luke followed his dad into the kitchen.

  Tanner didn’t say anything for a while—he didn’t need to. He listened to the gentle banter between Kelly’s parents and added the odd comment when he thought it was necessary. By the time they were ready to have lunch he didn’t feel like a complete fish out of water.

  Family lunches weren’t something he was used to. He just hoped his discomfort didn’t show.

  ***

  Kelly passed Tanner the jar of fudge her mom had made the day before. “Try the Russian fudge. You’ll think you’ve died and gone to heaven.”

  Tanner wasn’t going to say no. Lunch hadn’t been the trial he thought it would be. Kelly’s brothers had mostly behaved themselves and her mom and dad had been, well, normal.

  After lunch he’d taken over clean-up duties with Kelly, leaving the rest of the family to watch an ice hockey game on TV.

  He bit into the smooth fudge and sighed. “It’s good.”

  “The best,” Kelly agreed.

  “Your family were okay.”

  Kelly snorted. “Apart from when Luke asked what your intentions were toward me. I thought mom and dad were going to strangle him.” She closed the door to the dishwasher and surveyed the kitchen.

  “Charlie seems a lot quieter than your other brothers.” Tanner knew he was changing the subject, but he’d sooner not focus on what Luke had asked or his reply.

  “He’s going through a rough patch. His girlfriend dumped him last week.”

  “Ouch.”

  “Precisely. Personally, I think there’s someone better out there for him, but he was heartbroken.”

  “You sound like your brothers.”

  Kelly sat on a kitchen stool. “If we can’t look after each other, who will?”

  Tanner didn’t know what to say. He’d never had anyone watching his back. The sense of what he’d missed out on hit him in the chest. Kelly’s family had something special, something that didn’t come along every day.

  A part of him craved the closeness, the banter and the unfailing loyalty he’d seen. The other part of him wanted nothing to do with it. It scared him witless thinking about being a permanent part of someone else’s life.

  He was happy. He didn’t need the complications a family would bring to his life.

  Kelly handed him the jar of fudge. “I talked to a neighbor of Celeste Madison’s this morning.”

  “What did they say?”

  “Celeste was an only child. Her parents died when she was in her teens.”

  “Did her neighbor mention anything about the journal?”

  Kelly bit into a piece of fudge and smiled. “She did. The box I bought at the auction was passed down Celeste’s family from the eldest daughter of each generation.”

  “Are you telling me that Celeste was a direct descendant of Alexander Jackson or Abagail?”

  “There’s no record of Celeste or her mother in the Jackson family. So that only leaves Abagail’s family.”

  He sat back in his chair and frowned. “I wonder why no one deciphered the journal.”

  “Maybe they did, but they didn’t want to share the information with the rest of the world.”

  “Or th
ey could have had a reason not to.”

  “You’re too cynical.”

  “And you’re too trusting.”

  The kitchen door opened and Luke came in. “Mom’s wondering where you are.”

  Kelly held the jar toward her brother. “We’re eating mom’s fudge. Do you want some?”

  He glanced at Tanner before sitting down. “What are you talking about?”

  Kelly waited until he had a mouthful of fudge before replying. “Tanner and I are planning our getaway. We’re going to Las Vegas to get married with Elvis.”

  Luke choked. “You’re joking.” He looked at Tanner and frowned. “You’d better be joking.”

  Kelly grinned and Tanner shook his head. “Your sister has a warped sense of humor.”

  “Only when nosey brothers come into the kitchen,” Kelly said. “We were discussing Abagail’s journal. We need to work out what we’re doing next.”

  Charlie joined them. “Kelly, did you tell Doris Stanley about the journal?”

  “She helped me find information about the Jackson family.”

  “You need to read this.”

  He passed his cell phone to Kelly and she groaned. “I think the decision about what we’re doing next has been made.”

  She showed Tanner her brother’s phone.

  Doris had posted a message on Facebook telling everyone about the journal. Not only that, she’d mentioned Senator Jackson and his family’s connection to Abagail. Except Doris didn’t know the full story and half of what she’d said wasn’t true.

  Tanner read the comments people had left. If they weren’t careful, Abagail’s journal could change everyone’s life—and not for the better.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  At five o’clock the next evening, Tanner arrived at Kelly’s store.

  She looked at him from behind the counter and smiled. “Thank goodness you’re here. Can you lock the front door and turn the sign to “Closed”?”

  “Tough day?”

  “Busy. The Facebook story brought everyone in to see us. I don’t think I’ve ever sold so much stock.”

  He glanced at the shelves. Displays that were usually full of Christmas gift ideas were half empty. “Where’s Avery?”

  “I’m here,” she yelled from the back room. “I’ll be out soon.”