Made For Loving You (Rescue My Heart Book 3) by Kait Nolan (i can read book club txt) 📕

took them through it. As she talked about the realization that Ty hadn’t sent the flowers and that the alarm was no longer on, she shook harder, her fingers fisting in the dog’s ruff. Here was the fear that righteous anger had drowned out. She didn’t look at Ty as she spoke, and he felt the greasy fingers of guilt slithering through him.

“Was the door locked when you got here?” Xander asked.

Ty crossed his arms so he wouldn’t give in to the urge to curl his hands into fists. “No. She about took off my head with the skillet though.”

Clyde picked it up off the floor, testing the heft. “Good choice.”

Leanne snapped a picture of the flowers. “I’m gonna try to get up with Misty. See if she sold any in the last couple days that would fit this description.”

“Good.” Xander nodded in approval. “Brooks, let’s check out this alarm system, see what happened there.”

“Can…can one of you check the loft?” Paisley asked.

“On it!” Clyde trotted over, and Ty dutifully followed Xander outside.

It only took minutes to find the cut phone line.

“Older system. Came with the place when Porter bought it. Reckon he’ll be upgrading now.”

Ty grunted. He should have updated it himself. Should have beefed up his own security, as he had Paisley’s house in Nashville. But he’d been arrogant, figuring he and his training would make up the difference. The more fool him. “It’s not that sophisticated a system, but it still indicates we’re dealing with someone who has some kind of knowledge.”

“You suspected that when you searched her house, though, right?”

“More in a staying open to all possibilities kind of way. The Metro PD detective on the case thought I was a paranoid nut job.”

“Not looking so paranoid now. Good instincts.”

Ty wasn’t sure his instincts could be trusted.

“Hey, Brooks? You okay?”

“The woman I’m supposed to protect just had a home invasion while she was in the shower. What do you think?”

Unruffled, Xander clapped him on the shoulder. “Put it away, man. That kind of thinking will run you crazy, and you’re no good to her like that.”

He wasn’t sure he was any good to her as it was.

“You have access to monitor the system you set up in Nashville?”

“Yeah.”

“Check it. See if anybody’s been screwing with that.”

But all systems appeared to be functioning normally. No recordings, no interference, no alarms. Which would make sense since her stalker was here instead of there.

“Maybe Leanne has something.”

Back inside, Paisley was coming out of the bathroom, dressed in her own clothes. Her eyes met Ty’s and held for a few, unreadable beats before she looked away again. A little bit of color had come back into her cheeks, but she still seemed a little shaky.

“Misty hasn’t sold anything like this at any point in the last two weeks,” Leanne reported. “The flowers didn’t come from Moonbeams and Sweet Dreams. We can try checking with florists in surrounding towns, but that might take a while.”

“The stalker’s in the Nashville area,” Paisley said. “They could’ve come from there, in which case, you’ll never manage to track the purchase.”

Which left them where? Still no real leads to follow, no closer to an answer, with yet another space that should have been safe violated.

This bastard was mocking him. Or that was what it felt like.

She’s not safe with you.

Short of sequestering them both in a remote location under 24-hour guard—which even Ty recognized was not the answer—he was running out of options, and he was beginning to doubt his ability to figure it out.

“Pack your stuff. We’re not staying here.”

A frisson of irritation flickered over her features. Probably about the bossy thing. She could deal.

“Where are we going?”

“I don’t know yet.”

“There’s space up at the inn,” Xander put in. “Lots of people around. I’ll call my wife, get her to book you in.”

Ty nodded. That would work until he could make a better plan. “Appreciate it.”

With a sigh, Paisley turned away and began to gather her things. Again.

Chapter 12

“Do you want to tell me why I had to hear from my sister-in-law that you and Ty have moved into the inn?”

Paisley scowled at Emerson’s voice on the phone, wondering which one of Caleb’s four sisters had blabbed. Either Xander’s wife, Kennedy, or Pru, the one who also had a teenage daughter. “Hello to you too, Em. How are things in preggoland?”

“Don’t change the subject. What’s going on?”

Probably Pru.

Knowing she’d been cornered, Paisley shoved back from the desk and began to pace the confines of the comfortable room that had begun to feel like a prison over the past three days. “That little maybe-a-stalker problem has turned into definitely-a-stalker problem.” She gave Emerson the summarized version of events as Duke trailed her around the room like a faithful shadow.

“Oh my God! Why didn’t you tell me?

“I didn’t want to worry you.”

“How bad is it?”

“I mean, I’ve been forced to uproot again. Without being consulted. Again.” She sighed. “On top of which, I’m beyond tired of having my life interrupted. All this chaos isn’t conducive to my work. Your sisters-in-law are lovely, and the inn is great, but I’m desperate for some privacy and routine.”

A deep male voice spoke up. “I have another brother who can help with that.”

Of course, Caleb was right there. His seemingly endless parade of former foster siblings was the epitome of “I’ve got a guy for that.”

“Hi, Caleb. And that’s not necessary.”

“Are you sure you’re safe there?” Emerson asked. “I mean, Ty still has to work, right? He’s not on 24-hour bodyguard duty?”

“No, he’s not. But I’m as safe here as anywhere. It’s a houseful of people.”

“Offer stands.”

“Thanks.” She paused. “Is Caleb still right there?”

“He doesn’t have to be.”

“Understood. Girl talk. I’m gonna go take Mooch for a run. Take care, Pais. Be careful.”

“I will.”

“Okay, he’s gone. What is it, babe?”

“I’m worried about Ty. When this started, it felt like we were a team in this, but since this latest thing, he’s been in a really bad headspace. We’ve