THE HAPPILY EVER afters were falling into place, in McKenzie Ridge, for all but one. Lydia. She had a good life in McKenzie. After two years there, it felt like home. She had built a family of friends who she adored, even opened a business. She had no regrets – but one – and it was loving a man who couldn’t love her enough to fight for her. It seemed to be a pattern with her, so she wrote off men altogether and focused on building her business and raising her son, Jax.
Lydia had put Jax to bed for the night after celebrating engagements, weddings, and good health with her friends. It had been an amazing day full of love and joy, albeit exhausting, and as tired as she was, she couldn’t go to sleep herself. She was really good at putting on a happy face, during the day, when she was around other people. Nighttime was a different story – she felt safe in McKenzie – most of the time.
After the ordeal she went through with her now deceased husband, living on the run and in fear for her life and the life of her son…she struggled with feeling safe at night, when it was dark, and she was alone. When it was dark and quiet, she was left with her haunting thoughts. Every sound, every shadow, it all spooked her. Her routine now was to stay up late until she couldn’t fight sleep, and she would finally succumb to dreams over nightmares out of sheer exhaustion, albeit with the lights and TV still on.
She was nearing that time of night, ready to head to her room, when there was a knock at her door. It was well after midnight, and she wasn’t expecting anyone. None of her friends would ever think to come by so late, knowing she had a little one in the house. It just wasn’t like them in general.
Paranoia rolled in, and adrenaline had taken over. Going to the hall closet, she reached for the gun she had hidden on the highest shelf out of Jax’s reach. Turning off the safety, she slowly went to the door, jumping when another knock came harder and louder.
She stood there a good minute, recalling what she had been taught about handling and firing a weapon. She was taught how to shoot by the very man who protected her on the run and then ran from her when their journey came to an end. Declan O’Reilly was easy on the eyes, delicious in bed, but bad for the heart.
With her hand on the door knob, she waited for a third knock before throwing the door open, startling the person on the other side of the door, banking on the element of surprise.
A sharp gasp escaped her when she saw who was standing at the other end of a potential bullet. Declan O’Reilly. He was back and standing on her front step with his hands up in surrender.
“We have a problem…”
Lydia knew he was in town, had been for weeks, meddling in his sister’s relationship, along with his brothers. It wasn’t entirely a family reunion. He and his brothers were instrumental in a local rescue when her dear friend, Everly Shaw, had gone missing and was held by a psychopath. For that, she was grateful, but standing on her door step in the middle of the night just plain pissed her off.
“We do have a problem. You…knocking on my door in the middle of the night.” She started to close the door, but he put a hand up and stopped her.
“Lydee, I’m serious. I’ve been in town for weeks. We need to talk.”
“Oh, got bored with the family and decided, hmmm, I think I’ll drop in on Lydia see what she’s been up to the past few years. Yeah, no thanks. Goodbye, Declan.”
“Damn it, Lydia. I was only here with them as a cover. I’ve been staking out the place and following leads. Leads that brought me to your doorstep in the middle of the night,” he said.
“Right, middle of the night,” she waved her hands around and spoke in a quiet spooky voice, “all stealth-like to hide from bad guys.”
With her hand on her hip and a death glare locked on him, she said, “Newsflash, big guy…Esteban is dead. The bad guys are gone. You saw to that; remember? We were safe here because you were off fighting them.”
“No, Everly’s case was just an unforeseen distraction. I’m glad we were here to help, but it isn’t why any of us were here,” he confided.
“Convenient. So…what’s the big threat then. It’s late, and I’m tired. Speak,” she said with as much sass as she could muster.
Declan knew it would be anything but easy to talk to her again and that she would be angry, to say the least, but this was a side of Lydia he’d never encountered. He broke her heart and dragged his ass getting back to town, but it was all for them. It was apparent that convincing her of that would be anything but easy.
“It’s complicated – can you put that gun away and let me inside?” he said, looking around with a concerned scowl. “Jesus, Lydee. Just let me in.”
That had her attention. He didn’t scare easily, and something had him stressed. Knowing he was probably the only real threat, as he still held pieces of her heart, she reluctantly let him in. Truth be told, seeing him made her heart skip. It was one thing seeing him from afar, but up close and personal was trying her will power.
“Fine.” She held the door open wide and let him pass through before closing it behind him. She engaged the safety on the gun and followed him into the living area. “So, what’s the big threat? If it’s Everly’s stalker, I’m already fully informed. He’s dead too and wasn’t into me to begin with. Sounds like you can go home now.”
“It’s late; I’m going to bed,” she said. “This will have to wait until tomorrow.”
“You’re going to bed with a gun? Why do you have that anyway? Has something happened? Has he been here?” Declan became more concerned.
Giving him a side-eye, trying to decide what he was really asking, she fired back, “He? Oh, so that’s what this is about! You think someone – a guy – is staying here? Well, there is – my son – now leave.”
“I’m not leaving you alone. It isn’t safe,” he declared before nodding at the gun she was still holding. “Especially with that thing around. You couldn’t shoot anyone; it’s not your thing.”
“Well, Captain Asshat, a lot has changed since you left. I could and would shoot this thing.” She aimed the gun at his knees, safety engaged; she wasn’t that stupid. “Would you like me to demonstrate?”
“Damn it, Lydee – you’re pissed at me; I get it, but we really do have a problem. You and Jax are not safe – not alone anyway, not until we figure this all out.”
“Keep it down! Jax is sleeping. Go stay with your sister – we’ll talk tomorrow,” she grumped.
“Can’t. She’s a newlywed.” Declan shrugged with a smug grin – two could play at this game.
She rolled her eyes at his excuse. It was going to be one of those nights, apparently. “Okay, go stay with Blake.”
Shaking his head, he crossed his arms. “He likes his privacy…”
“Oh, gee, imagine that.” Her surprised look turned to an irritated frown. “So do I. Surely there’s somewhere else – we can talk about your new bad guy tomorrow.”
“There is somewhere – right here, in this house. It’s safer this way, and you are just going to have to wrap your pretty little head around that.” He didn’t tend to be condescending, but she was starting to push his buttons, so he pushed hers right back. “I’m not messing around here, and I’m not leaving.”
She tossed her hands in the air in defeat and frustration. “Fine! You aren’t sleeping in my bed, and I don’t want to confuse my son. Couch. Lock the door behind you; apparently there are bad guys in town.”
As frustrated as she was, she was glad he was there. Nights were the worst, and lately, she had that odd inkling that made the hair on her arms tingle. She was being watched.
She stormed off to her room, leaving him standing in the middle of the living room. No blanket, no pillow, just stormed off. He’d slept in far worse conditions with a pillow and blanket, so he wasn’t going to complain.
Dec laid on the couch, trying to shift his pants in such a way as to relieve the hard ache she left him with. She was just as feisty as he remembered – tough, strong, and confident. Gorgeous with curves that gave guys hard-ons for days.
He fell asleep at some point, his thoughts of Lydee leading to memories that played like erotic teenage wet dreams. He was dreaming about their last time together and the perfect O her mouth made just before she fell over into pure ecstasy, which shook him awake just in time before he finished that teenage boy-like accident. His timing was spot on since he woke to the quickest cold shower ever, in the form of a four-year-old little boy standing over him. Staring. Jax.