Small Town Protector. Hope White

      “Do you have a place to sleep tonight?”

      “I’ll find something.”

      “You could always try Caroline Ross’s place, the Port Whisper Inn. It’s quiet and homey.”

      And loaded with land mines.

      “Thanks.”

      “See you tomorrow.” The chief shook Garrett’s hand.

      Garrett sensed the man was honorable and had decent instincts for a small-town cop. “Good night.”

      Walking through town to the restaurant, Garrett called team member Georgia Hunt and told her to send a forensic artist to Port Whisper, but there was no reason the entire team should join him just yet. They should stay in Tacoma and continue to work leads from the previous murder.

      Garrett, on the other hand, wasn’t going anywhere until he felt confident his former mother-in-law wasn’t in danger.

      He could swing by the inn now, but it was late and he didn’t want to alarm her. Like a morning visit would be any less alarming? She probably never expected to see or hear from him again, maybe even hoped…

      But he knew in his heart that sending Olivia and Steven into protective custody had been the only way to protect them from the serial killer that had made Garrett a target.

      A year later, Olivia had filed for divorce. Truth was, their marriage started to crumble about the same time his career took off, shortly after Steven was born. Garrett threw himself into work to provide for his family, and Olivia accused him of being a workaholic, absent, aloof.

      Like his old man.

      Garrett hadn’t planned to become a workaholic like his father, but the job quickly consumed him. They’d solve a case, and another would pop onto the radar. They’d save a victim, but lose three more.

      His work ethic intensified once the divorce was final and Garrett had no one to think about but himself.

      That wasn’t true. He thought about Steven. Every single day of his life.

      Three years after he’d put his wife and son into the program, the killer who’d targeted Garrett was shot eluding police. The threat gone, Garrett could safely see his son, who’d just turned six. Yet Olivia said if Garrett truly loved Steven, he’d let her new husband raise him as his own. Garrett couldn’t walk away that easily.

      Heart pounding, he’d swung by Steven’s baseball game and stood by the fence, watching as his son scored the winning run. The little guy was swarmed by teammates and when he broke free he rushed to his stepdad, Kurt, and slapped him a high five.

      At that moment Garrett knew it was selfish to insinuate himself back into Steven’s life. Steven had a new dad, one who’d always be there.

      Garrett’s son was better off without him, without a workaholic father unable to give him the time, guidance and love he so desperately needed. Garrett retreated, as Olivia had requested.

      It was the right thing to do. His former mother-in-law had to respect him for putting Steven’s needs first, right?

      “This town,” he muttered, shutting off the flow of memories, questionable decisions and regrets. He couldn’t let his emotions distract him from finding a serial killer.

      The glow of florescent lights spilled onto the street from the Turnstyle Restaurant up ahead—a lot of activity for a small town this late at night. Then again, if they’d heard about the murder, they probably needed to get together and process. More like gossip. Garrett knew how small towns worked.

      He pushed open the door to the restaurant and hesitated, fearing someone would figure out he was the federal agent and ask him questions. A few people glanced up.

      A female server with a name tag that read Anna approached him. “Table for one?”

      “Yes, ma’am.”

      “Ma’am? So formal.” She smiled and he tried to offer one in return but couldn’t. She was not quite thirty with long, auburn hair tied back.

      “Do you have a booth in the back?” he asked.

      “Sure.”

      He followed her to the rear of the restaurant, slid into a booth, and she handed him a menu.

      “Are you serving breakfast this time of night?” he asked.

      “You bet. Boomer’s blueberry pancakes are amazing.”

      “I’ll keep that in mind.”

      “Start you off with something to drink?”

      “Coffee would be great.”

      “Regular or decaf?”

      “Regular, please.”

      She breezed off and he glanced at the menu, trying to look like a tourist in town for some R & R, something he’d rarely experienced in his adult life. Dressed in his crisp navy suit, starched white shirt and maroon tie, he looked nothing like a man on vacation.

      From this vantage point he could see everything: a man in workman’s clothes seated at the counter; Scooner Locke and two middle-aged men deep in conversation; a table of four raucous teenagers; and a young couple in the booth next to Garrett, blindly eating while an infant slept in a baby carrier next to them.

      Anna returned with his coffee. “What can I get you?”

      “I’ll try the blueberry pancakes.” He passed her the menu and closed his eyes, trying to relax the muscles coiling in his neck.

      “Lana? Weren’t you supposed to stay home tonight?”

      Garrett opened his eyes and caught sight of the ethereal Lana Burns standing just inside the door.

      One of the men at Scooner’s table waved her over. “Come over here and give us the scoop on the…” He glanced around the restaurant and thought better of announcing to the room that a dead body had been discovered. “Come join us.”

      “No, you get back home,” Scooner said. “I had orders to make sure you stayed there.”

      “Both of you stop bossing me around. I need to eat.” She turned to Anna, who poured coffee for a customer at the counter. “How fast can Lew make me some pancakes?” Lana asked.

      She wasn’t supposed to be alone, wandering the streets late at night. She wasn’t supposed to be so…enchanting. He had the urge to jump out of the booth and scold her for not following his order to stay home, but she’d been through enough tonight. She didn’t need a lecture from Garrett. He’d wait until she’d finished her pancakes, then he’d follow her home to make sure she was safe.

      Leaning across the counter, chatting with her friend, no one would ever guess Lana Burns had seen a dead body only hours ago. She cracked a full-blown smile that lit up her face. It took Garrett’s breath away.

      He pulled out his notebook and fought the distraction of her gentle voice drifting across the restaurant. Maybe it was time to consider dating again, pursuing a relationship that involved more than investigative theories and hunting killers.

      Who was he kidding? There was no place in his life for romance. He’d never put someone he cared about in danger again, and as long as he worked for the FBI, that’s exactly where they’d be.

      Focusing on his notes, he hoped Lana didn’t decide to join him for a late-night snack. He didn’t have the energy to keep his protective shields up, and for some reason he needed them with this woman. What was it about her that rattled his focus?

      She had no pretense. She said what she thought without reservation or censor. There was no guesswork with the petite beauty, no maneuvering to get what he needed. All he had to do was ask, and she’d answer him truthfully and more than a bit directly.

      The restaurant door flew open and a teenage boy wearing