It had been a hell of a day. It was late now, almost ten o’clock, and the stress had worn her out. She sat on the sofa next to her brother in the rectory living room, trying to pay attention as they formulated their plans. But concentration was difficult, and she couldn’t keep her thoughts from wandering. She couldn’t even seem to block out the background noise. An old air conditioner propped in the window adjacent to the fireplace droned on and on like a swarm of angry bees, yet barely cooled the room. Occasionally the unit would shudder violently before returning to the monotonous droning again. She kept expecting the thing to leap out of the window. Icy condensation dripped down into a spaghetti pot Tommy had placed under the window to protect the hardwood floor he was determined to refinish one of these days, and the constant pinging noise was driving her to distraction

Nick was full of energy. He was pacing around the living room, his head down as he listened to what Tommy was saying. Her brother, she noticed, was quieter-he’d taken his tennis shoes off and propped his feet up on the ottoman. There was a huge hole in one of his white socks, but he didn’t seem to notice, or care, that his big toe was sticking out. He was yawning every other minute.

Laurant felt as limp and lifeless as a rag doll. She put the china cup on the table, sank back into the soft cushions of the sofa, took a couple of deep breaths, and closed her eyes. Maybe tomorrow, after a good night’s sleep, she’d be more clearheaded.

So lost was she in her own thoughts, she flinched when Tommy nudged her knee to get her attention.

"Are you falling asleep on us?"

"Just about."

"I think you and Nick should stay here tonight. We’ve got two extra bedrooms. They’re Spartan but adequate."

"You’ve only got one extra bedroom," Nick said. "Noah’s going to be here anytime now."

"Who’s Noah?" Laurant asked.

"A friend," Nick answered. "He’s coming in from D.C."

"Nick thinks I need a baby-sitter."

"Bodyguard," he corrected. "Noah’s good at what he does. He’s going to stick to you like gum on a shoe. No arguments. I can’t be in two places at once, and since you want me to stay with Laurant, I’m putting Noah on you."

"Do you think Tommy’s in danger?" Laurant asked.

"I’m not taking any chances."

"Is Noah with the FBI?"

"Not exactly."

He didn’t go into detail, but she was too curious to drop the subject. "Then how do you know him?"

"We used to work together. Noah’s… specialized… and Pete uses him every now and then. I had to call in a favor to get him. He’s swamped with business these days."

"As a bodyguard?"

"You could say that."

"You aren’t going to tell me what his specialty is, are you?"

Nick grinned. "No, I’m not."

Tommy yawned loudly. "It’s settled then?"

"What’s settled?" she asked.

"Haven’t you been paying attention? We’ve been discussing the matter for the past fifteen minutes."

"No, I haven’t," she admitted, and because he was her brother she didn’t feel the need to apologize. "What did you settle?"

"You’re going away with Nick." He glanced up at his friend and added, "That’s what I decided anyway. Nick’s ambivalent."

"Oh? Where would we be going?"

"Nathan’s Bay," he answered. "You could stay with the family. They’d love to see you, and I know they’ve been begging you to come. It’s a great place, Laurant, and it’s isolated too. There’s only one way in and out," he added. "Over a bridge. I’m telling you, you’ll love it there. The front yard is the size of a football field, and just beyond is the water. Maybe Theo will take you sailing. You’ve met Nick’s brother, remember?"

"Yes, of course I remember him. He stayed with Grandfather and me for a week after he finished law school."

"And aren’t you still corresponding with Jordan?" he asked, referring to Nick’s sister.

"Yes, and I’d love to see her again, and Judge and Mrs. Buchanan too, but-"

Tommy cut off any protest she was going to make. "And you’d finally get to meet all the others," he pressed. "I’m sure they’ll come home to see you."

"That would be nice, but Tommy, now isn’t the time."

"It’s the perfect time. You’ll be safe, and that’s all you should be thinking about now."

"What makes you think this lunatic won’t follow me? Have you considered Nick’s family? I could be putting them in danger."

"We’d make it secure," Nick said. He sat down in the easy chair on the other side of the ottoman and leaned forward, bracing his arms on his knees. "But I think we’re going to be staying here for another day, maybe two."

"To wait for the letter the man told Tommy he mailed to the police?"

"We don’t have to wait on that."

"I want my sister out of here now," Tommy insisted.

"Yeah, I know you do."

"Then why do you want to hang around? It’s dangerous," he argued.

"I doubt our man is still in Kansas City. He’s done what he came here to do. He’s probably gone back home. We’re staying because Pete’s coming here. He’s personally overseeing the investigation, and he wants to talk to you."

"About what?" Laurant asked. "What can Tommy tell him he doesn’t already know?"

Nick smiled. "Lots of things," he said.

"When is he coming?"

"Tomorrow."

"I was pretty shaken up when I talked to him," Tommy said. "I was real desperate to find you because I figured you’d know what to do."

"Do you still figure that?" Nick asked.

"Of course."

"Then let me do my job. Laurant and I will wait to talk to Pete before I take her away. I’m going to protect her, Tommy, and you’re just going to have to trust me."

He slowly nodded. "I’ll try not to get in the way. Is that good enough?"

The doorbell rang and the conversation came to an abrupt end. Nick told Tommy to stay where he was and went to open the door. Laurant noticed he unsnapped the flap over his gun on his way out of the room.

"I’m sure that’s Nick’s friend, Noah."

"Do you think he sleeps with it?" she asked her brother in a whisper.

"Sleeps with what?"

"His gun."

He laughed. "Of course not. You don’t like it, do you?"

"I don’t like guns."

"Do you like Nick?"

She shrugged. "I liked him before I met him because he’s been such a good friend to you, and he seems very nice."

"You think so?" he asked, and then he laughed again. "Nick would get a kick out of hearing that. When the chips are down, when things get bad, he isn’t nice at all. That’s what makes him good."

Before she could nag him into giving her specifics, Nick returned to the living room. His friend Noah followed him.

Tommy’s bodyguard certainly made a strong first impression. Laurant suspected that if he were ever involved in a brawl, he’d come out the winner and relish the good time he’d had slamming heads together.

He was dressed in faded jeans and a light gray T-shirt, and his sandy blond hair was in desperate need of a trim. There didn’t seem to be an extra ounce of fat anywhere, and the muscles in his upper arms strained the bands on his shirtsleeves. A scar below his eyebrow and a devilish grin gave him a rakish appearance, and she knew before he’d spoken a word that he was a flirt and a ladies’ man. He’d already given her the once-over as he crossed the room to shake Tommy’s hand, and his gaze, she’d noticed, had lingered on her legs a bit longer than was necessary.

"I really appreciate you taking the time from your busy schedule to come here," Tommy said.

"Yeah, well, to be honest, I wasn’t given a choice. Nick asked."

"He owes me," Nick explained.

"True," Noah agreed, his gaze still on Laurant. "And he never lets me forget it."

When Tommy introduced him to his sister, he took hold of her hand and didn’t let go. "You’re a hell of a lot prettier than your brother," he drawled. Glancing at Nick, he added, "Say, I’ve got a great idea."