Protector: Doms of Mountain Bend Book 1 by BJ Wane (good books to read for 12 year olds .txt) 📕

Jen as she left the enclosed commode and surveyed herself in the mirror. “I’ll be right behind you.”

“Catch you later. That looks great, by the way.”

Sailing out with a breezy wave, she left Lisa alone with her worries and pondering how she would get through another scene while fretting about Shawn’s reaction to her revelation.

****

“What’s her name, the little girl we brought with us that night?”

Father Joe sighed as he walked through the quiet church, unsure how to answer Shawn’s inquiry even though he’d known it would be coming ever since Lisa left town. “Hello to you, too,” he returned dryly, leaving the sanctuary and following the connecting hall to his living quarters.

“Don’t mess with me, Father. I need to know. It’s important.”

The boy’s impatience came through the phone, alarming Joe. Even though he insisted, Shawn never dropped his respectful title unless he was angry or worried. “What’s happened?” he asked with sharp concern, his gut tightening.

Shawn’s short silence was followed by a change in his brusque tone to caution. “I’ve met someone new in town who seems familiar. Why would you think something untoward has occurred?”

Pushing his door closed, he leaned against it with a breath of relief. If this kept up, those two would put him in an early grave. “You said it was important, and, from your voice, I just assumed there was a problem.”

“There is. I think I’ve met her before, and if I didn’t know better, I’d swear she’s the same kid I brought to you that night. But that’s not possible, is it?”

“Anything is possible, son. You should know that.”

“So, it is her. Lisa Halldor is her name, right?”

Joe wouldn’t lie, not for either of them. “Yes, and yes I know she accepted a temporary job near you. I couldn’t believe the coincidence, but all I told her was the three of you lived in the area. I never revealed your names as I hoped it would prevent an awkward reunion.” All that was true, but he left it at that instead of telling him she insisted she didn’t want to know anything else.

“So, it’s a coincidence she’s here, this close to me after all this time, huh? I was wondering if she even remembered that night, what happened after suffering such a shock.”

Joe didn’t like straddling this line between the two of them and wished Lisa had taken his advice and gone straight to Shawn with who she was and why she’d left town. It sounded like she’d gotten herself in a bind with her evasions and procrastinating, but he wouldn’t interfere. The interest had been there all these years, for both of them. How they acted on it now was up to them.

“All I can tell you is she wanted to get away for a while and found that job. And, yes, I confirmed you lived there, leaving it up to her what she did knowing that. How much she remembers other than a teenage boy carrying her to safety, I don’t know for sure as she doesn’t talk about it. She’s a nice girl, Shawn.” And as alone as you still are. He knew better than to say that aloud.

“I never said she wasn’t, except for her penchant to keep secrets.”

Joe figured Lisa had her reasons, and he wouldn’t butt in without her permission. He’d spoken with her a few days ago, relieved to hear she hadn’t heard anything from her stalker since leaving. Maybe that was why she didn’t feel the need to say anything to Shawn.

“I can’t help you with any other questions about Lisa, Shawn.”

“Can’t, or won’t, Father?”

Padding into the kitchen, he ended the conversation as abruptly as Shawn had started it. “I haven’t eaten yet. Tell Clayton and Dakota hello. Goodbye, Shawn.”

Shawn clicked off and shoved his cell in his back pocket, leaving the office at Spurs to join Clayton and Dakota at the bar as the doors opened. Father Joe’s confirmation of Lisa’s identity did little to appease him as he’d pretty much come to that conclusion on his own. There were several unanswered questions left, like why she hadn’t told him who she was when she remembered him, leaving him no choice but to wait on her to answer them. He respected she might have her reasons, but if she showed up tonight, they couldn’t continue in this vein, with secrets between them. Inside these walls, there was no room for secrets, something her experience would have taught her before she had come last week.

“Are you starting the night in a snit?” Clayton glanced at him with a raised brow as he brought his beer up for a long pull, leaning his other elbow on the bar top.

“Maybe. I haven’t decided yet.” Nodding his thanks to Ben who slid a beer over to him, Shawn remained standing, facing the bar, too edgy to sit.

Dakota’s lips tilted at the corners, as close to a smile as he usually revealed. “That schoolteacher still getting under your skin a whole week later?”

“No, yes. Fuck. Shut up, both of you.”

“No problem.” Clayton stood and slapped him on the back. “I’d rather go play anyway.”

“How about you?” Shawn asked Dakota. “We don’t have to baby newbies tonight, so you’re free, too.” Dressed in his usual black, with his Stetson lowered and a forbidding set to his jaw, it was always a mystery to Shawn how Dakota could draw so much interest from women. But there was no denying he did, as several pairs of eyes were already aimed his way from submissive members sitting around the tables or on the sofas.

“I’m in no hurry.”

Shawn chuckled. “You never are.”

Shrugging his massive shoulders, Dakota turned toward the room, straightening as he appeared to spot someone who interested him. Shawn didn’t think anything of it until his friend’s slow drawl and next