Tool Belt Defender. Carla Cassidy

looked at him in confusion. “No, why?”

      He pointed to her mailbox where a bright red balloon was tied and bobbed and danced in the slight warm breeze. Shock ripped through her and the glasses slid from her hands, crashing to the grass at her feet.

      It’s party time. The nightmarish voice whispered in her brain as memories attacked her. The cell where she’d been kept, the promise of a party when all the cells were filled with helpless women, the final moment when red balloons had danced up to the ceiling of the old shed. It’s party time.

      “Brittany, are you all right?”

      Alex’s voice pulled her back from the dark abyss she’d nearly fallen into and she tore her gaze from the balloon and looked into his concerned eyes.

      “I’m fine,” she replied, aware that her voice was shaky and hoping he didn’t notice.

      “Are you sure?” He bent down and picked up the glasses.

      She nodded, even though she wasn’t at all sure that she was fine. Thank God the glasses were plastic and hadn’t shattered when she’d dropped them. She took them from him, hoping he didn’t notice the trembling of her hands. “Silly me. Just a touch of clumsiness. You’ll call me and let me know if you’re coming tomorrow?”

      “I’ll head home now and order the necessary lumber and other supplies. If they can deliver tomorrow then I’ll give you a call.” He eyed her worriedly, but she forced a cheerful smile to her lips.

      “Do you need me to write you a check now for the materials?” she asked.

      “That’s not necessary.” His eyes gleamed with a teasing light. “I know where you live.”

      “Thanks, Alex. Hopefully I’ll see you tomorrow.” She turned on wooden legs and headed for the house, an urgent need to get inside and lock the door filling her.

      She didn’t wait to watch him walk down the sidewalk toward his place; rather she turned on her heels and half ran toward her front door. Once inside she slammed it shut and locked it.

      Leaning heavily against the solid wood door she told herself she was overreacting, that maybe there was a child’s birthday party someplace on the street or a graduation celebration and somebody had just tied the balloon on her mailbox by accident.

      Surely there was a logical reason for the balloon. It had nothing to do with the man who had called himself The Professional. He was dead. She’d seen his body after he’d been killed. He was no longer capable of having a “party” complete with red balloons and death.

      Still, the legacy he’d left behind sickened her and even though she knew it was totally irrational, that balloon tied to her mailbox made her fear in her heart that somehow The Professional wasn’t done with her yet.

      As Alex walked back toward his house his head was filled with thoughts of Brittany Grayson. She was something of a celebrity in the small town. Last fall a serial killer had held the town of Black Rock hostage when he’d begun kidnapping women. It had taken all four of Brittany’s brothers, who were the law in Black Rock, to figure out that The Professional was actually the town vet, Larry Norwood. They’d managed to rescue the women and Norwood had been killed.

      It was discovered that he’d committed the same crime in Kansas City, but unfortunately authorities hadn’t been able to catch him before he’d tortured and killed the women he’d held captive there.

      Brittany had been the first woman kidnapped and the one who had been held the longest. Still, it wasn’t the crime that was uppermost in his mind—it was the woman herself.

      Brittany Grayson was stunning and something about her had instantly struck him right in the solar plexus.

      Her long dark hair had shone richly in the sunshine and although initially her chocolate-brown eyes had been wary, they’d warmed as she’d talked about the deck she wanted.

      The gold, sleeveless blouse she’d worn had emphasized intriguing golden flecks in the very depths of her dark eyes and her jeans had hugged her slender frame and showcased her long legs.

      As he approached the two-story house he now called home, he noticed it was time for the first lawn mowing of the season and reminded himself that he wanted to plant flowers in the bed along the porch and down the walkway.

      Coming from a high-rise condo in Chicago where there had been no outside maintenance or yard work for him to be responsible for, moving into this house had been daunting but would definitely be worth it in the long run.

      As he opened the door he heard the sound of little feet running and before he could prepare himself completely six-year-old Emily launched herself into his arms.

      “Daddy!” She placed her hands on both of his cheeks, making it impossible for him to look at anything but her, which of course he didn’t mind. The pint-size blonde with her bright green eyes and long pigtails was the most important thing in Alex’s life.

      “What?” he asked as he carried her into the living room and then leaned down to place her on the floor.

      “Grandma said I’ve been so good while you’ve been gone, I should get ice cream after dinner tonight.”

      “She did, did she?”

      “Guilty as charged,” Rose Tyler said as she walked into the living room.

      Alex smiled warmly at the older woman. She was an attractive woman, her short gray hair perfectly coiffed, clad in a pair of navy slacks and a tailored white-and-navy blouse.

      She had certainly been instrumental in Alex’s decision to move to Black Rock. When his wife, Linda, had died eighteen months ago, Alex had tried to be a good and present single parent, but with his work schedule as a lawyer in a big firm Emily had spent more time with babysitters than with him.

      It had been an unacceptable reality for a little girl reeling from her mother’s death. Here in Black Rock not only did Alex have a new occupation that he found far more rewarding than what he’d been doing and allowed him more time with his daughter, but Emily also had a loving grandmother who only lived a block away from their house and was available to babysit day or night.

      “Then I guess ice cream it is,” he agreed and laughed as Emily clapped her hands together and then did a little dance to show her pleasure. “I have to go tell Lady Bear. She’ll be so happy.” She dashed from the room and up the stairs toward her bedroom.

      “You’ve done such a good job with her, Alex,” Rose said with a smile. “And I’ll never be able to thank you enough for moving here so I can be a part of her life.” Her smile wavered slightly and she placed a slender, wrinkled hand over her heart. “When we lost Linda I was afraid that I’d lose you and Emily, too.”

      “Don’t kid yourself, this move was as much for me as it was about you and Emily,” he replied. “I was more than ready for a change of lifestyle and I think this is going to be a great place to raise Emily.”

      “Did you get the job?” Rose asked as she pulled on the white cardigan sweater she’d brought with her when she’d arrived to watch Emily.

      “I did. If all goes well, starting tomorrow morning I’ll be working on a deck at Brittany Grayson’s house.”

      Rose frowned. “That poor girl. I can’t imagine her having the courage to move back to her house all alone after what she’s been through. She’d got to be one of the strongest people I know.”

      “She definitely seems ready to move on with her life,” he replied.

      “Speaking of moving on, I’d better get out of here,” Rose said, as she picked up her purse from the sofa.

      Alex walked to the bottom of the staircase. “Emily, Grandma is leaving. Come down and tell her goodbye.”

      Emily came down the stairs, her favorite pink stuffed bear in her arms. “Lady Bear wanted to say goodbye, too.”